it’s our best oil yet... www.castroledge.com.au 18th aPril 2012Volume 2 - issue 5

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Castrol-backed John Force Racing driver Robert Hight continued his streak of Funny Car dominance

winning for the fourth time in a row this season with his first win at the Four-Wide NHRA Nationals. This is just the seventh occasion for a Funny Car driver has won four in a row in NHRA history. Hight defeated Cruz Pedregon on a hole-shot, 4.074 to Pedregon’s 4.070 in the final as both drivers drove away from Ron Capps and John Force. Only four other drivers

have ever won four in a row: Force, Pedregon, Kenny Bernstein and Don Prudhomme. The in-season Funny Car record for consecutive wins is five which Prudhomme earned at the start of the 1976 season while Force has won five in a row twice in back to back season in 1993 and 1994. The total record for consecutive wins is seven in a row by Prudhomme when he won the last two races of 1975 and then the first five of 1976.

“I saw the win light on the wall but I am not sure that is even all programmed right especially for the final. The other two rounds there are two win lights. I wasn’t getting too excited yet but Eric Lane, our back-up crew chief, he got on the radio and he was all excited. I knew I won by the sound of his voice,” said Hight, the Funny Car points leader.

The last time a driver won four in a row was John Force in 1994, where he went

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on to win five race consecutively. In two weeks Hight will compete at Royal Purple Raceway Park at the O’Reilly Spring Nationals, site of his first Funny Car win. He will be vying for his fifth win in a row. Courtney Force entered her first Four-Wide eliminations at the event holding onto the No. 12 spot. The quartet of Funny Car drivers Force was included in, also contained Jack Beckman, Cruz Pedregon and fellow rookie Todd Lesenko.

Force qualified 12th and had third lane choice. Ron Douglas, crew chief of the JFR Mustang chose lane one. Lane choice played a huge part in this weekend’s results and Force ran a 4.191 ET at over 298 mph, but fell victim to the numbers of Jack Beckman and Cruz Pedregon at 4.071 and 4.085.

“I feel good looking at our 60-foot and 330-foot incrementals from today and a couple of the qualifying runs. I feel like

we have potential for a good racecar, but we’re just working out the kinks. I have a great team that’s standing by me. I think we’ll get it together and we’ll try it out again in Houston. We’re going to be testing here tomorrow so maybe we can learn something from that and get it fixed,” added Force.

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Castrol-backed Team San Carlo Honda Gresini rider Alvaro Bautista produced a result that

was above expectations in the Grand Prix of Qatar after a difficult weekend for the opening round of the 2012 Moto GP season. Jorge Lorenzo (Yamaha Factory Racing) took his first premier class victory at the Losail International Circuit to open the 2012 MotoGP season, after battling reigning World Champion Casey

Stoner and the Australian’s Honda team-mate Dani Pedrosa for the duration of the 22-lap race.

Bautista battled hard to finish seventh, just 0.033 seconds shy of sixth after a thrilling battle with Nicky Hayden. The team’s Honda CBR 1000R powered FTR machine enjoyed a less successful debut however, with Michele Pirro forced to retire with a technical problem. But not

before having at least proved that he has the pace to run with the best in the CRT class.

“We have finished a problematic weekend in a good way,” commented Bautista. “I struggled for front feel in practice and then we had a crash on a cold tyre in warm-up. I made a good start and stayed with the group I was in, fighting for sixth to the end and only just

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missing out. We were still lacking some front feel and a bit of speed in corner exit, which would have helped out in the fight with Hayden. I am happy because it is the first race I have finished since Aragon last year so that’s important. I have to thank the whole team for working so hard to give me the bike I’m asking for. I have great confidence in them and I am sure we will improve for the next race.”

2012 MotoGP Championship

pos. no. rider. points.1 99 Jorge Lorenzo 252 26 Dani Pedrosa 203 1 Casey Stoner 164 35 Cal Crutchlow 135 4 Andrea Dovizioso 116 69 Nicky Hayden 107 19 Alvaro Bautista 98 6 Stefan Bradl 89 8 Hector Barbera 710 46 Valentino Rossi 6

Castrol-backed Honda WSBK Team complete positive Assen test

The Castrol-backed Honda World Superbike Team has completed a two-day test at Assen in The Netherlands ahead of next week’s (20-22 April) third round World Superbike championship event at the circuit. Unsettled weather conditions in northern Holland produced a combination of sunshine and showers, as well as low track temperatures, which restricted the number of laps that riders Jonathan Rea and Hiroshi Aoyama were able to complete. However, both declared themselves happy with the limited amount of development work that they and their respective crews were able to complete on the 2012 Honda CBR1000RR Fireblade.

“It’s been a little bit frustrating that we weren’t able to get as much work done here as we wanted,” commented team rider Jonathan Rea “It’s been pretty cold and quite wet at times, so we’ve spent quite a lot of time sitting around. But

we’ve worked on the front end and I’ve actually got a better feeling from there and an improved acceleration platform off the rear. We’ve also tried a few new electronics settings so we’ve been able to get a few things done which have moved us forward. We won’t know how much further forward until we measure ourselves against everyone else next week, but I hope we’ll be there or thereabouts for the team’s home race.”

The 4.542km Assen circuit, known as ‘The Cathedral’, is just 50km north of the Honda World Superbike Team’s base at Nieuwleusen and serves as a convenient, local test circuit. The team is managed by the Ten Kate organization, part of which is Ten Kate Motoren, one of Europe’s most successful Honda dealerships. The riders will stay in the area until next week’s WSBK round and take part in ‘Pit Stop Day’ at the dealership in Nieuwleusen this Saturday 14 April which is expected to attract around 7,000 motorcyclists.

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Castrol EDGE-backed John McIntyre has taken the lead after round 2 of the V8 SuperTourers Championship in New Zealand after victory in the 25 lap feature race at Ruapuna, Christchurch. However a post-race inspection by officials on his Ford Falcon at Powerbuilt Tools Raceway result in his championship lead being cut. McIntyre was allowed to keep his win, but was penalised 50 championship points after his team did not follow an instruction to make a modification to one of his car’s suspension components.

Filling in for the injured Greg Murphy, super-sub Fabian Coulthard had won the two prior races in his Castrol-sponsored Commodore and seemed to have the measure of the field, but McIntyre made the rolling start in Race 3, emerging in front of the field in his Castrol-backed Falcon. McIntyre says that he knew the start was vital to his win.

“At the start we got down the inside of everyone and passed Fabian (Coulthard) before the first corner,” he said. “(Jonny) Reid and (Craig) Baird went off allowing

Fabian and I to get through ahead. We were always good under brakes and this was especially evident at the hairpin and that bought us a lot of time”

For the remaining 25 laps, McIntyre and Coulthard captivated the huge crowd with an intense dice, but McIntyre was able to hold out the ever-charging Coulthard. Baird recovered to finish third, ahead of Andy Booth, Kayne Scott, Ant Pedersen, Steve Richards, Eddie Bell, Geoff Emery and Reid. The next V8 SuperTourer round takes place in

castrol edge-backed mciNtyre Heads NZ V8 suPertourers cHamPioNsHiP

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three weeks time when John McIntyre Racing heads to Fielding, just outside Palmerston North for three races over three days at Manfeild Park Raceway.

Points table after two rounds (top 10)1 John McIntyre 9842 Jonny Reid 9653 Kayne Scott 9304 Ant Pedersen 8775 Andy Booth 8156 Craig Baird 8127 Fabian Coulthard 7578 Greg Murphy 6259 Steven Richards 60610 Scott McLaughlin 585

Castrol cadet challengers announced

Five young New South Wales kart racers will be a part of the Castrol Cadet Challenge during round two of the CIK Stars of Karting Series presented by Castrol EDGE in Newcastle next weekend (April 21/22). The drivers, aged between seven and nine years old, will line up in the Challenge at 11:40am on Sunday April 22 at the Mt Sugarloaf Raceway as they negotiate a ‘slalom’ course, designed to highlight the skill of the youngsters behind the wheel. Despite all being under the age of ten, these young drivers already posses

car control skills and driving techniques that will assist them for when they are old enough to obtain their road licence. When they are racing in competition, they will regularly be in control of their kart at speeds in excess of 80 km/h. Australian Karting Association National President Craig Denton believes the Castrol Cadet Challenge is a perfect way of highlighting the fact that the sport of karting teaches youngsters more than just how to drive fast around a racing track.

“Kart racing is a sport that can be enjoyed by people of all ages and the Castrol Cadet Challenge is a perfect way to highlight the lessons it teaches the younger generation,” said Denton. “By the time these children have reached the age of 16 many of them would have been driving a kart for more than half of their life and learning along the way. It’s not only the lessons of driving techniques and car control that they learn either, they gain an understanding of respect on the road and also the consequences of their actions behind the wheel.”

Former Champions of the CIK Stars of Karting Series include V8 Supercar Champion Jamie Whincup, Mark

Winterbottom, Ryan Briscoe, Michael Caruso, Tim Slade, Troy Hunt, Andrew Thompson, Phillip Scifleet and Christian Jones.

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iNterNatioNal motorsPort

Castrol EDGE unveil Augusto Farfus as BMW M3 DTM driver

BMW Motorsport and Castrol EDGE have unveiled Augusto Farfus as the driver of the Castrol EDGE BMW M3 DTM for the manufacturer’s first season in the championship after a twenty year absence. The 28 year old Brazilian will be competing in the number 16 Castrol EDGE branded BMW M3 DTM for the eleven race events. As Premier Technical Partner, Castrol has been a member of the BMW Motorsport family for many years. As well as working together on the commercial brands within the BMW group, both

have a history of working together having teamed up across a number of motorsport properties including F1, the World Touring Car Championship, 24 hour racing, and motorcycle racing events.

“Ever since my debut as a BMW driver in 2007, I have always enjoyed working with Castrol. A strong oil is very important in racing and you need to be confident that you can push your engine to the absolute maximum at any point during the race,” said Augusto Farfus,BMW DTM Driver. “The DTM is a very competitive series and for this reason you’re never going to

win anything unless you have great technical partners on board, so to have Castrol’s technical expertise is a real boost for the team. Pre-season testing has gone really well and all the team are confident that we have the strength to compete at the top this season. Now I’m just looking forward to finally getting out there for my DTM debut and showing everyone what I can do.”

Castrol EDGE and KODA dominate IRC rally series round in Ireland

A fantastic drive saw Castrol EDGE sponsored KODA Motorsport’s Andreas Mikkelsen finish 2nd on The Donnelly

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Group Circuit of Ireland Rally and maintain his lead in the Intercontinental Rally Challenge. The reigning champion finished 44.2s behind Juho Hänninen (KODA Motorsport) after a breathtaking battle for victory, with Jan Kopecký taking the final podium position to complete a stunning 1-2-3 finish for KODA.

“Juho did a fantastic rally and made no mistakes – I bow and take my hat off to him. We had a chance to win, but we made a mistake and had to settle for second, said Mikkelsen. “What cost us the chance of victory was a left hand corner in Lisburn. It was raining and

very slippery and I just lost the car and went sideways into a hay bale, and we lost a lot of time. It was quite a hard hit. I was a bit dazed, and to be honest I don’t remember so much about it. I was happy to be able to finish the last three stages, because I wasn’t feeling so good.

The next round of the IRC is the Tour de Corse (11-12 May).

IRC points (after Round 3)

Drivers’ Championship1. Andreas Mikkelsen….61pts2. Juho Hänninen….43pts3. Jan Kopecký…40pts4. Sepp Wiegand….30pts5. Bryan Bouffier….15pts6. Luis Monzón…15pts Manufacturers’ Championship1. KODA….129pts2. Peugeot….69pts3. Renault….25pts4. Honda….18pts

Rosberg races up rankings with maiden F1 win in China

Nico Rosberg finally claimed his maiden Formula 1 victory with a commanding performance in an exhilarating Chinese Grand Prix. Rosberg’s win, which came at his 111th attempt, was also the first triumph for the modern incarnation

of the Mercedes team – the last for a works Mercedes squad being Juan Manuel Fangio’s win at Monza in 1955.In addition to his slice of history, Rosberg also earned himself a rise of six places in the Castrol EDGE Rankings, equalling his all-time best of 14th. The rise carries him above Ferrari’s Felipe Massa – who fell four spots to 21st – and into sixth in the F1 Rankings.

Out front however it was a different case, as Sebastian Vettel was again punished for his 2011 dominance. The German lost over 1,000 Rankings points after he could only finish fifth, dropping back in the latter stages of the race as he struggled with tyre degradation on his second and final stint. Vettel remains a comfortable Rankings leader, but his performances thus far mean it is no longer inconceivable that he can be overhauled during the season.

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ricHo’s road safety tiPs#2 Mobile Phones

There are enough distractions in the normal course of a journey without something else – like a mobile phone – to complicate things. It is illegal in every state of Australia to utilise a mobile phone whilst driving – and that includes sending text messages. In most states, it is illegal to even have your mobile device in your hand – so no checking email or Twittering on the run…

It is legal to have a properly installed mount for your mobile phone which affords you the ability to take calls hands free through the car’s sound system or Bluetooth capable device. It is advisable though whilst driving to not use your mobile phone under any Castrol circumstances, as it is a serious distraction from the road. Remember, it’s not necessarily you that is going to be the problem, you have to take responsibility for your own actions on the road, but also be constantly aware of what other road users are doing.

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australiaN meN’s seVeNs crowNed cuP cHamPioNs iN tokyoThe Australian Men’s Sevens defeated a powerful and resilient Samoan side 28-26 in the Cup Final of the Tokyo Sevens to claim Australia’s sixth-ever HSBC Sevens World Series title. The result is the best finish for the Australians in the 2011/12 HSBC Sevens World Series and their first Cup win since May 2010, when they beat South Africa 19-14 in London on the 2009/10 circuit. Previously this season, on a run that has been hampered by injuries, the Australians’

best result was a fourth-place finish at the inaugural Gold Coast Sevens – Fever Pitch tournament which kicked off the 2011/12 HSBC Sevens World Series. Contesting the final with just eight healthy players, the Qantas Men’s Sevens hit the field with guts and determination and went into the half-time break up 14-12 after Shannon Walker scored a double in only his second tournament of the Series. Walker’s tries were converted

by youngsters Allan Faalavaau and Matt Lucas. Down 26-21 with four minutes left, the Qantas Men’s Sevens remained patient and following a solid build up an outside run by Captain Ed Jenkins levelled the scores, leaving Lucas with a difficult conversion attempt to take the lead. Kicking from near the sideline, Lucas slotted the shot with nerves of steel and in the process delivered the Australians a two-point lead just seconds before the final siren sounded.

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THE

POWERBEHIND THE

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PACK!