The Racing Magazine - Issue 4, 2014

thenationals.com.au

4 Speed Shots

8 Pitlane Whiteboard

10 Feature THE GLORY YEARS OF

FORMULA FORD

14 Feature MCDREAMY’S DRIVE

DOWN UNDER

16 Feature IN WITH I’ANSON

18 Feature GREAT SOUTHERN

BACK TO BACK

21 Round 4 - Categories & Entries

28 Meeting News

30 Television Coverage Lap Records

Publisher Australian Motor Racing Pty Ltd

Editor Richard Craill

Art Director Sarah Anesbury - 121 Creative Hilton

Writers Richard Craill, Amanda Jackson & Garry O’Brien

Chief Photographer: Nathan Wong

Production Kwik Kopy Printing Hilton

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Disclaimer While reasonable effort has been taken to ensure the accuracy of information provided, Australian Motor Racing Pty Ltd make no representation, express or implied, as to the accuracy, currency, reliability or suitability. Australian Motor Racing Pty Ltd expressly disclaim responsibility for any damages that may be caused by or in connection with the information provided.

THENATIONALS.COM.AU | 3

SIR JACKBy Richard Craill

SIR JACK BRABHAM passed away quietly at his Gold Coast home on Monday, 19 May aged 88 and though he is most famous for his success as a triple Formula One world champion, his influence on Australian open-wheel racing in general cannot be underestimated. By the time that the Australian Drivers’ Championship’s Gold Star was first awarded in 1957, Sir Jack was firmly ensconced in Europe and making his first steps towards winning a Formula 1 World Championship with Cooper and it would be one prize he’d never win. But whilst he may not have won the Gold Star title, he won his first of three Australian Grands Prix in 1955, when he steered a Cooper T40 Bristol to victory at the brand-new Port Wakefield circuit in South Australia, the first AGP victory for a car with a rear engine. Brabham missed the ’56 race at Albert Park, but returned to finish third the following year when the race headed west to the Caversham Circuit created on an old World War II Air base. He remained Europe-based for the next four years, during the midst of his most successful period in Formula 1 that delivered worldwide fame, world titles and, of course, rear-engine cars to the mainstream of top-level open-wheel racing for the foreseeable future. He returned to the AGP and Caversham in 1962, but crashed out of a race ultimately won by Kiwi, Bruce McLaren. Success in Australia returned the following year at the great Warwick Farm circuit, when Sir Jack became the first

person to win the Australian Grand Prix in a car bearing his own name: Brabham beating home John Surtees and McLaren to take his second AGP win. His third and final triumph came one year later, when he took a Brabham BT7A to victory over Bib Stilwell and John Youl at Sandown in 1964. He finished second (to McLaren) in 1965, missed ’66, and scored fourth 1967, now as a triple world champion, back at the ‘Farm in a race won by Jackie Stewart. Pole in 1968 ended in a non-finish back at Sandown in what would be his last AGP start. Sir Jack’s involvement in Australian open-wheel racing runs deeper than just as a successful driver. He was one of the first to go and have a proper crack at international racing, a dream that still inspires kids today and causes to raise such dedication and determination to one day follow in the footsteps of the greats. We all know of Sir Jack as a pioneer technologically, but he was also an Australian pioneer in being a role-model for those to come after him. That enterprising spirit can be found in today’s young open-wheel stars racing in today’s open wheel ladder, sights set firmly on that goal of becoming world champion or an Indy 500 champion.Just like Sir Jack; a man who will continue to inspire our young drivers years after his passing. He will be missed as a role model, a driver, an engineer. And as a man. The sport won’t be the same.

4 | THE RACING MAGAZINE

Image by Nathan Wong – CANON EOS 1DX, 35mm, 1/160th at f5.6, ISO800.

AS USUAL, the Phillip Island Grand Prix Circuit threw up all kinds of variety during the third round of the Shannons Australian Motor Racing Nationals, from bright sunshine and blue skies to torrential rain that had everyone running for cover. Heck, there was even a report of lightning striking the control tower. But towards the end of Saturday’s Aussie GT thriller the clouds parted and the skies shone bright as Garth Tander chased down, and passed, the leading Erebus Mercedes with two laps to go. The epic sunset on the Aston Martin Vantage he shared with Tony Quinn that day summarised a sensational day of racing.

WINNING SUNSET


6 | THE RACING MAGAZINE THENATIONALS.COM.AU | 7

Photo by Richard Craill – Canon EOS 30D, 400mm, 1/500th at f13, ISO400

WHEN COMMODORE CUP was good, it was really good. Close, hard racing with plenty of action, thrills and spills. When the series came to Winton each year, however, the stakes became higher because as well as racing with a pair of co-driver races, they were also racing for their old mate; Ashley Cooper. Ash tragically passed away in a V8 crash in 2008 and his former rivals in the Commodore Cup field were the first to make sure he was remembered with some form of racing trophy. This shot of Adam Beechey, cranked sideways and on the ragged edge, is from Winton in 2010 and is very appropriate; Ashley would’ve driven that hard, and Beechey won the Cup more often than anyone else.

WINTON FLASHBACK: 2010


PITLANE WHITEBOARD

There’s a scourge taking over motorsport worldwide. It’s up there with drivers doing interviews in flat caps and wearing bling like 50 Cent, drivers who will only drive if their entourage of small attachable cameras are allowed to come with them, and electric cars. If left unfettered it will make this sport as boring, and as commercial as golf. It is: Wait for it…Corners without names.Purveyed by nerds who draw circuits on Wikipedia, and re-enforced by officials who hate the fact that “McPhillamy” doesn’t fit into the 34 pixels they’ve allowed for the location column in their incident Excel spreadsheet.And it has to stop.I had a realisation this was an issue when I watched the Moto3 race on the Bugatti circuit at Le Mans, watching a pass at a corner to me that sounded like it was called “La Schapelle.” I assume it was called this because it was shaped like the top half of a boogie board bag, and therefore was an easy place to “stuff it down the inside.”(Thank goodness that corner isn’t at Winton, otherwise the next corner would be named “Kerobokan,” and the corner after that would be called “Today Tonight,” but I digress…)And that got me thinking. The problem with modern circuits is not that Herman Tilke is

forced to design bore-o-dromes on the world’s biggest skid pans, or that the cars have so much downforce they can suck somebody’s carrots in into the ground in the Azores, it’s that corners have no character, no way to remember them.Eau Rouge has character. McPhillamy has character. Maggots, Becketts and Chapel, apart from sounding like a legal firm I would recommend if you get arrested with something in your boogie board bag, have character.Think about it: Does anybody who has a casual interest in the sport know about Jack Forrest? They do know about his elbow though.Granted, I’ll give you 130R at Suzuka, but really the only corner with numbers that have character is Turn 8 at Clipsal, but let’s face facts here, it’s not as if you’re going to get it confused with any other Turn 8, is it?Combined with naming corners after companies for a weekend instead of 20 years like they should be obliged to, it’s a black mark on the sport.This needs to be fixed, and I am the one to fix it. Starting now, we’re going to fix this. We’re going to name some of these bits. Right here, right now.I love sponsors, they pay the bills, but it’s about time we named the bit between the Motorsport News Esses and old turn 1 as “Tony’s Baloney.” There’s a lot of baloney that happens there,

and it’s the right time to do it, being the 20th Anniversary of that famous moment of madness when he punched Paul Morris in the helmet next Thursday.Turn 3 at Albert Park needs to be claimed by Martin Brundle as “Brundle’s Trouble”, and Turn 8 at Adelaide can be named after Albury’s finest and simply be called “Bradley’s.”We can rise up against this, people. Ditch the rhetoric of Accountants and Engineers in suits, and blow-in marketing people in their cool sloganed t-shirts.

Follow the Pit lane Whiteboard on Twitter: @pitlaneWB

* It goes without saying (but I’ve had an eraser held at my throat until I finish writing this bit, so I’ll say it anyway) that the views expressed in this column are most certainly, totally, absolutely and wholly 100% those of the whiteboard and NOT this publication or it’s associated entities.

It’s the anonymous Twitter account pretending to be an oracle for truth, fairness and the smell of whiteboard markers in the morning. We don’t exactly know how, but for the second time in a row he/she/it has turned in a column that actually raises a valid point or two. We are assured that usual service will return at some stage, it’s just that everyone has been too damn PC of late. Anyway...


TONY Quinn was a happy man following the Australian GT 101 at Phillip Island recently, a race won by he and V8 ring-in Garth Tander.So, when this magazine’s editor wandered up for a comment immediately post-race, noting Quinn’s excellent performance in the race’s early stages, Tony was pretty upfront with his enthusiasm.“Congratulations Tony, can I grab a quick comment about the race...?”, editor Craill said.“A comment?” Quinn interjected in his laconic Scottish drawl. “Sure...”, he said. ”...that was F*&king excellent!”With nothing else to add, he then wandered off to celebrate with his team. Suffice to say, we ran Garth’s quotes on the website post race... but there’s no denying the sport would be less exciting without Tony Quinn involved.

HAPPY QUINNY

Having said that, title battles are very exciting and offer some perspective on how the level of competition was sustained across a season. Plus, it’s fun to look at the ebb and flow of an entire season.

This is by no means definitive and drivers who raced in seasons not mentioned here should not feel that we are downplaying their respective efforts; but not every year can be considered a classic. So, let’s wind back the clock a remarkable 21 years and start with 1993... 1993: LOWNDES AND WHITE

‘The most impressive part about the 1993 season,’ wrote journalist Phil Branagan in the 1993 Australian Motor Racing yearbook, ‘was just how close it got. In the end, two teenagers, in two different chassis, powered by the best efforts of rival engine builders, fought out the title, and a single split-second error made the difference.’That error was made by Stephen White and allowed Craig Lowndes to sweep through and win the very first Australian Formula Ford Championship, the series having transitioned from the ‘Driver to Europe’ series held in the years prior. The dramatic season ebbed and flowed all year, with Lowndes and White clearly the most consistent drivers out of the competitive field: though many featured at the front, Lowndes and White were the only drivers to score points in 15 of the scheduled 16 races. The next best only scored in 12 and it was thus that it would be the two friends who battled for the title in the final round at Oran Park. White qualified second for the finale with Lowndes directly behind in fourth, but on a slippery track Lowndes – showing the impressive wet weather skills that would be a hallmark of his V8 career later – jumped into the lead immediately and built a margin early in race one. White soon closed and battled with Lowndes, drawing alongside at the kink on two occasions. The first attempt saw him draw alongside but find a wet road and ultimately slip back in line to

second. The next saw him whack the wall with the rear of the car, break a CV joint, and DNF. Impressively, White charged from last to second in race two, but with Lowndes five seconds up the road the championship was already decided: Lowndes won by 19 points having outscored White by just 20 in the final round. Third-place Andrew Reid all but disappeared from the frontlines of the sport, but the kid in fourth – touted as an ‘impressive rookie’ would go on to achieve; his name was Steven Richards. 1997: V8 RIVALS BEFORE V8sThe top three at the conclusion of a tense 1997 Championship would become three mainstays of the V8 Supercars Championship in the years soon after. Two would win Bathurst and the other would become a double champion. At the time, though, the story was the lanky West Australian state champion Garth Tander, who paired with Brett Lupton and his Perth-based Fastlane Racing team and took on the national championship, defeating Marcos Ambrose (prior to his first overseas adventure) and Todd Kelly in the process. Tander’s season started strongly; he won the opening round at Calder, just missed out on the podium at Phillip Island and then won again at Sandown to set up an early season lead over Kelly. Ambrose had started slowly, but buy the time the series rolled into Sydney for round four had hit his straps; the Tasmanian won at Eastern Creek and again at Lakeside – where Tander had his worst round of the year – to rocket back into title contention. Todd Kelly showed his hand at round six, on Tander’s home turf at Barbagello, to score his first win of the year but on their way back across the Nullarbor Tander returned to the top of the sheets with an emphatic round win at Mallala to set up a title showdown with Ambrose at Oran Park.


THE GLORY YEARS OF FORMULA FORD

FORMULA FORD has a history of producing great driving talent, but since the series became a national championship in 1993 a surprising number of seasons have been relative blow-outs when it came to the final championship margin. So, why does that happen and what years were the best of the best when it came down to a proper, captivating, championship showdown? RICHARD CRAILL investigates. Images: Formula Ford Archive / with thanks to Margaret Hardy

Craig Lowndes – 1993

STATISTICS CAN often be made to tell the story you want to portray, but when it comes to Australian Formula Ford Championship racing over the years, it’s hard to get around the fact that the title battles haven’t exactly been scintillating in recent years. Whether you look at the end-of-season standings or the points margins involved, you have to go all the way back to the 2004 season to find a proper, all out, winner-takes-all final race title thriller in Australia’s longest serving open wheel class and, given the way we remember the people who have come through the class over the years, that’s probably a surprise.

The numbers are quite shocking. Since the 2004 thriller that saw David Reynolds defeat Tim Macrow by two points in a controversial and bruising Sandown finale, the title has been decided by an average of nearly 60 points each year. And this is in a series that regularly awarded 20 points for a race win.

On five of the nine years since ’04, the title has been won by a margin larger than the number of points available at the final round: Chaz Mostert’s demolition of the field in 2010 and 92-point winning margin at the end of the year the largest margin recorded.

But why? Formula Ford’s advantage over the years has been that generally the close, competitive and sometimes rough and tumble racing between a group of supremely talented and hungry young drivers is the bigger story. The Championship is nice, but the progress and season-long battles of these young chargers is probably the bigger story throughout a season than the ultimate end game. These unique Formula Ford stats probably also show that whilst winning a championship is nice, it’s not everything. Mark Webber, Daniel Ricciardo or Will Power never won the title but that hasn’t stopped their pathway to international open-wheel stardom.

Garth Tander leads Marcos Ambrose – 1997

Tander (218 points) led Ambrose by just sixteen points going into the finale and Macros gave it all he could; winning the round and doing all he could to keep Tander from winning the crown. However, showing all of the determination and commitment that he would later show in winning a V8 Supercars championship, Tander held his nerve, finished second, and grabbed the crown by ten points. Kelly, who scored no points in the opening round and only one at Mallala, finished third. All three would go on to bigger things...2001: BATTLE OF THE WILLSThe 2001 championship was more than just a good exercise in journalists cottoning on to the pair of similarly-named protagonists and coming up with year-long, extremely witty headlines because of it. No, the ‘battle of the Wills’ was a proper fight between two drivers with completely different backgrounds and completely different operations, despite both being second-year national championship runners.Firstly, there was Will Davison, with the famous Australian motorsport surname, driving with the support of Garry Rogers Motorsport and Valvoline/Cummins. Then there was Will Power; another young charger from a noted racing family, but this time from Toowoomba and being run independently by his old man, Bob. The pair

had finished sixth and seventh, respectively, in the year 2000. The fight lived up to the headlines it created; Will (Davison) won round one at Phillip Island by a single point. Will (Power) won round two at Eastern Creek by seven, to take a six-point championship lead into the third round at Barbagallo. There, Davison won the round by nine points to turn a six-point deficit into a three-point lead as the series arrived at Calder for the fourth of eight rounds. There, Davison extended his series lead by one solitary point, defeating Power for the round win by one solitary marker. This was turning into a proper thriller.Sadly for Will (Power), the wheels fell off somewhat at Oran Park: Davison dominated, winning both races and scoring pole position while Power could only manage six points. It was here, then, that the championship fell into Davison’s hands and from Sydney he would never be headed, winning at Mallala (by one point) and then comfortably at Queensland Raceway to seal the deal before the final round. The pair dominated 2001. Davison won six of the eight rounds and Power one. They finished 1-2 in five rounds and swapped the lead in races immeasurable times. Perhaps the best indication of the pairs competiveness would be seen when

they were both invited to test for Paul Stoddart’s Aussie-owned Minardi F1 team in 2004. Both were quick.

Years on, with both enjoying hugely successful professional careers, the battle of the Wills lives up to the headlines written 15 years ago to this day.

Oh, the driver who finished third in 2001 would go on to beat Mark Winterbottom to the 2002 Championship in an absolute thriller. His name was Jamie Whincup.

HONOURABLE MENTIONS:

As outlined in our ‘battle of the Wills’ segment, the following 2002 season was another blinder, Whincup in Davison’s 2001 GRM / Valvoline ride edging out Winterbottom in the works Bosch Spectrum. Marcus Marshall finished just three points behind Frosty, in third, in what would ultimately be the closest three-way title battle Formula Ford would see to this day.

2004 was a truly epic title battle in Australian Formula Ford, the most recent one to be decided in the final race. Brett Francis won the opening three rounds to take an early lead in the championship, but a tough visit to Winton for round four would halt his championship charge. Meanwhile, Tim Macrow and David Reynolds were accumulating points in their respective championship chases however it was Steve Owen who struck first; winning at Queensland Raceway in round four to end Francis’ streak. Owen won again at Winton in Round five, Reynolds and Macrow both having tough rounds. Thus, Owen – who had scored nothing in two of the opening three rounds – was injected into the title battle.

Macrow won round six at Oran Park. Owen won at Mallala in the penultimate round but Reynolds scored second, ahead of Macrow, to set up the last round shootout. And thus, with Macrow leading Reynolds 245-238, the pair headed to Sandown for the showdown.

In a controversial finale, that saw the pair battle for the lead, Reynolds won. Macrow ended up in the sand. The title was Davey’s by two points.

But the full story of that day is best told at another time...

Davison Leads Power – 2001

Will Power leads Will Davison – 2001



McDREAMY’S DRIVE DOWN UNDER

IT WAS RACED in the ‘states by the man who plays McDreamy – Patrick Dempsey – so how on earth did a car from the GrandAm Rolex Sports Car Series come to race in Australia? It turns out the answer, was eBay...

Words by Amanda Jackson and Richard Craill. Photos by Nathan Wong.

Keen Grand-AM fans will be excused for doing a double take when the Kerrick Sports Sedan Series hits the circuits of Australia this year, because there is a wild – and loud – new piece of machinery on the tracks. Bruce Henley made the Australian debut of his recently purchased ex-Patrick Dempsey Mazda RX-8 in the national series earlier this year. That’s right, THAT Patrick Dempsey – the good doctor on TV smash Grey’s Anatomy-turned racing driver.The Victoria-based Henley came into ownership of the past steed of popular American actor/racer

Dempsey in January after deciding to purchase it ‘sight unseen’ after it was advertised online.“Dempsey obviously had a garage clean-out when his team decided to stop running the Mazdas, and this car along with some spares was purchased by a used racing car salesman in the States who then put it up for sale online on eBay and other sites,” Henley said.“A friend of mine pointed it out to me jokingly knowing that I am a ‘Mazda-holic’ and after some phone calls and emails I bought it, sight unseen.“I could have gone over to look at it, but I know I just would have seen it and said ‘whoa what a

lovely car, I’ll take it’, so I figured I might as well just buy it and save myself the travel – after doing some checks of course.“The car was advertised as race ready and it certainly has been – it arrived in early January and made its on-track debut on Australia Day.“There have been a few little niggling problems but all in all I have basically just gotten into it and driven it, it’s been great.”The Grand AM RX8’s were first commissioned by Mazda USA in 2005 and made their racing debut the following year in the GT class of the Rolex Sports Car Series – now merged with the

American LeMans Series to form the Tudor United Sports Car Championship.The liberal GT regulations allowed performance-balanced spaceframe chassis to compete with production-based GT machinery from the likes of Porsche and Ferrari. With Mazda US’s backing, Dempsey Racing was amongst several teams to successfully run the triple-rotor powered RX8s successfully, up to the 2013 season when the cars were retired. The spaceframe chassis was built by esteemed chassis constructors Riley Technologies with US team Speedsource – who also ran the cars – and features full composite carbon bodywork. The car has made quite an impact since arriving to Australia: its 9,000 RPM triple rotor engine

producing a quite remarkable sound that can be heard for miles. It’s certainly something vastly different to the norm in Australian Sports Sedan racing. As a left-hand drive racer with sequential shift, Henley has had to adapt his driving style to his new ride this year.“It has taken a bit of getting used to that is for sure, especially on the weekends when I do double duty at events with my Improved Production RX-7 – it certainly gets fun swapping between the two, but you just have to get in there and remember it’s a different car, it has to be driven differently,” he explained.“We are contemplating trying to get an invite to run in the invitational class (class I) at the Bathurst

12 Hour, and if we do we just might issue an invitation to Patrick (Dempsey) to see if he wants to come and have a drive! You never know what could happen.“We will just have to wait and see – for us as a team which is pretty much mates and family going away on the weekends and going racing, looking at something like that is a pretty big deal – Mallala was our first national round and this is a big step up for us, so we will just have to see what happens.“I have to thank the boys Nick, Darren and John; the girls Fiona, Amy and Teresa and also Tasha who normally works on the car but can’t be here this weekend, as well as my sponsors Stawell Cartage for all of their help.”

The car has made quite an impact since arriving to Australia: its 9,000 RPM triple rotor engine producing a quite remarkable sound that can be heard for miles.


IN WITH I’ANSON


SOUTH AUSTRALIAN Roger I’Anson made the most of the home track advantage when he debuted in the Australian Sports Racer Series at Mallala Motorsport Park in April, winning two of the weekend’s three races en route to the round trophy and the Series points lead. Here, the 25-year-old Mining Engineer from Berri tells us how he is feeling following his impressive introduction to the category. Words: Amanda Jackson. Images: Nathan Wong.

On debut in the Australian Sports Racer Series you won two out of the three races – how did that feel, it must have exceeded your expectations?It felt really good. Obviously going into the round with it being held at my home track I knew I had good speed and so I was hoping to do well, but winning two of the three races against last year’s champion Adam Proctor and the likes of Gold Star winner James Winslow felt pretty great – I was definitely on a high for a few days after and I know my family was as well.The Australian Sports Racer Series isn’t your first foray into motorsport, how do the cars compare to your previous drives?I have raced in go-karts, Formula Ford and Formula 3 before, and out of those I have found the Sports Racers to be most similar to Formula 3 – while they may not have quite as much power they have a lot of aero. I found the Racer quite easy to pick up and get the feel of quickly, and the Kumho control tyre to be really good as well – I think it will bring an extremely long tyre life which obviously brings the cost down a bit which is always a plus.As a South Australian local you must have felt relatively comfortable at Mallala Motorsport Park, but did you make any changes to your approach given this was your first Sports Racer event?I headed to Mallala for that first round knowing I was going to be racing a lot stiffer competition than usual. I knew that if I wanted to do well I had to drive right on the limit and I couldn’t play it safe, so I went there with that attitude and pushed hard all weekend. When you aren’t on the race track, you are hard at work as a Mining Engineer. Is it difficult to balance your work and racing commitments?My car is based in the Riverland with my dad Ken, which is about seven hours away from where I work. This means I don’t actually get to work on the car, so if I come up with any ideas I have to get my Dad to follow them up for me. Not being able to spend the time on the car and do the things I want myself is certainly the biggest challenge.

Do you think that your engineering experience gives you an edge when it comes to racing?

I think it helps in the garage with problem solving and when you are trying to figure out ways to find that little bit more speed, as it leads you to take a bit more of a logical approach to things which I find can be helpful.

It sounds like your dad Ken I’Anson plays a big part in keeping you on-track, has your racing career always been a family affair?

It definitely is and always has been – we can’t really afford to join up with the big teams so dad has always prepared my cars, and honestly I trust him more than I would anyone else as I know exactly what I am going to get. It was my parents who got me into motorsport in the first place – they both raced when I was young and then they got me into karting and it has been the usual progression from there.

What does Roger I’Anson get up to when he isn’t working or battling it out in the Sports Racer Series?

I like to do a bit of dirt go-kart racing on the side, mainly to keep my race craft up between rounds – it is a good cheap way to keep your skills up, especially for decision-making and strategy. While it might not make me quicker on the track, I think it is really important to keep those decision making processes sharp.

Have you encountered anything unexpected in joining the Sports Racer Series?

It really is a friendly series. At Mallala we were pitted next to the Stoeckels who helped us out a lot with tips and people were more than happy to share information to help each other which is unlike any other category I have been involved with before - normally it is every man for himself. While I was told that was what it was like before I joined, I didn’t actually believe it until I saw it for myself. I also really enjoyed the management under the Shannons Australian Motor Racing Nationals banner – it was a really well managed meeting I felt.

I was definitely on a high for a few days after

GREAT SOUTHERN BACK TO BACK


GLENN SETON and Bob Pearson have successfully defended their 2013 Great Southern Four Hour victory, taking a repeat win in style at the Phillip Island Grand Prix Circuit in May’s Australian Manufacturers Championship enduro.

Words: Richard Craill with Amanda Jackson Images: Nathan Wong

“Glenn is a bit modest as we had issues in the car with it being very difficult to get into fifth gear and many times we couldn’t get into fifth gear, I think the engine has been damaged by it,” Pearson added. “So with all those circumstances and then the pace car taking our big lead off us, it was very good to get Glenn over the line.”Lynton, sharing with co-driver Tim Leahey, passed Grant Sherrin following the late-race restart to secure the second-place outright finish; rebounding well from their dramas at the opening round that saw them classified only 11th outright.The Sherrin brothers replicated their class B-winning efforts from twelve months ago, their main class rivals (from their Sherrin Rental teammates and the GWS Motorsport BMW 335i of John Bowe and Peter O’Donnell) striking

mechanical dramas early on, leaving them to focus on the outright battle with the Mitsubishis and Lynton/Leahey BMW 1M and coming home in third outright.Colin Osborne and Rick Bates scored the Class C victory for Mazda, taking their 3MPS to a two-lap win over the sister Nick Lange/Brock Giblin entry in an emphatic Osborne Motorsport 1-2. Rick Shaw and Michael Sloss were third in class in the Sennheiser/Ric Shaw Racing BMW 130i ahead of both the Grand Prix Mazda 3 MPS of Jake Camilleri and Mark Griffith and the Australian Auto Wreckers Ford Falcon of George Karadimas, Lauren Gray and Matt Lehmann.“This is an absolutely sensational result for all the guys in our team,” said Osborne, the most experienced Production Car racer around. “They work their freckles off for us to be here. The car couldn’t be in safer hands when Rick is in it, we just put our heads down today and ended up with a really good result and I think we will have a celebration tonight!”The Class D lead changed hands within the final 30 minutes of the race, the Conroy Motorsport Kandi Warehousing Honda Integra crew of

Kevin Herben and co-driver Luke King taking the class win less than 30-seconds ahead of the Pedders Bendigo crew of Andrew Turpie and Grant Phillips, with Jake Williams / Geoff Rands Disc Brakes Australia Conroy Motorpsort Honda Integra coming third in class. “The first stint was probably one of the toughest stints I have ever done, I had Geoff Rands in the other Conroy Honda pushing me along and I knew I needed to get a gap before the first pit stop,” Herben explained. “I managed to do that and was quite happy with that, Luke hopped in at the stop and did what he needed to do, conserving the tyre and running for economy. We were very fortunate that everything fell into place, the laps sort of rolled off and we got a lap on the number 21 and the Toyota car was behind us and we still had speed over them, so it was all fortunate.”Daniel Stuttered and Mike Eady finished 12th outright in the sole invitational-class entered MINI Cooper S.

The Pro Duct Racing Mitsubishi Lancer Evo X led for a bulk of the race and survived a late-race safety car to take their second Phillip Island victory ahead of the Beric Lynton/Tim Leahey Alphera Financial Services BMW 1M and the class B-winning Iain and Grant Sherrin Sherrin Rentals BMW 135i.Seton forfeited a one-minute lead when the race’s only Safety Car – called after the Francois Jouy/Mark Eddy Renault Megane lost a wheel – was called, having just taken the wheel of the Pro Duct car following the final round of stops.

However, the former double Australian Touring Car Champion was able to establish a margin once racing resumed with 36 minutes remaining, eventually holding out a fast-finishing Beric Lynton to take the outright and Class A victory by just 1.1 seconds.

Seton was held up by lapped traffic in the closing stages but never really looked like missing the victory in the closing stages. The ProDuct Mitsubishi completed 121 laps and a total of 539km en route to victory.

“I am very happy naturally, this is back to back for us because we won here last year,” Seton said post-race. “The car is pretty strong around here, I have to say thanks to Bob for the effort he has put in more than anything, he has put a lot into this and a lot into production cars over the year and he still supports it which is fantastic. Also to the guys in the crew and the team, there has been a little bit of personnel change in the team and it’s been great, I have really enjoyed my time with the team this year and being a part of this win today.”

The car is pretty strong around here...

ROUND 4 WINTON, VIC

SHANNONS AUSTRALIAN MOTOR RACING NATIONALSROUND 4, WINTON MOTOR RACEWAY • JUNE 14-15, 2014


PROMOTERSWinton Motor Raceway Pty. Ltd.P O Box 249, Benalla VIC 3672 .Ph: (03) 57 66 4235, Fax: (03) 57 66 4249

AUTHORITYThe meeting is conducted under the International Sporting Code of the FIA, the National Competition Rules of the Confederation of Australian Motor Sport and the Standing and General Supplementary Regulations issued by the Winton Motor Raceway Pty. Ltd. and authorised under CAMS Permit No.814/1506/01

MOTOR RACING IS DANGEROUSYou are present at this meeting entirely at your own risk and it is a condition of admission that all persons having any connection with the promotion and organisation and/or conduct of the meeting, including owners of the vehicles and passengers in the vehicles, are absolved from all liability in respect of personal injury (whether fatal or otherwise) to you or damage to your property however caused.

OFFICIALS OF THE MEETINGMeeting Secretary: Heather Wallace Paddock Office: Kaylene Johnston Credentials: Sarah Ackey Gates: Russell Kelly & John Binion Commentary: Darren Smith Catering: Bac Ladies Auxiliary Grounds Maintenance: Andrew Terry John Smart Series Director: Rob Curkpatrick Series Steward: Steven Lisk Stewards Of Meeting: Bradley Tubb Gale Smith Clerk Of Course: Daryl McHugh Deputy Clerk Of Course: Richard Weston Assistant Clerk Of Course: Gary Gourlay

Race Communications: Deanne Millett Chief Flag Marshall: Kevin Watson Chief Grid Marshall: Rohan O’Brien Chief Pre-Grid Marshall: Merilea Manning Chief Scrutineer: Michael Blakeman Chief Timekeeper: Ian Leech Communication – Emergency: Simon McMahon Competitor Liaison – Race Control: Sandra Beckerleg Emergency Control: Simon Maas Flag Communication: Eric Rigg Grid Marshall: Brendan Van Prooyen Neale Wellman First Aid: Graham Green Flag Marshalls: Victorian Flag Marshall Team Media Centre Supervisor: Maggi Kirk Chief Medical Officer: Dr. John Moran

ENTRIESThe organisers accept entries and drivers’ nominations in good faith. Every effort is made to adhere to the printed programme of competitors, but the promoters cannot accept responsibility for the failure of any driver to appear. Although every endeavour is made to avoid inaccuracies in the description of competing cars, the organisers accept no responsibility for any that may occur. The organisers reserve the right to postpone, abandon or cancel the meeting or any part thereof.

PROHIBITED AREASThe Organising Committee of today’s races has made every effort to ensure the safety of spectators at this meeting. In the interest of public safety, all areas other than the official spectator areas are PROHIBITED. The spectator areas are plainly defined and spectators are requested to keep behind the safety fence at all times. In the event of an accident on the circuit, the public MUST remain behind the safety fence as their entry to the track may cause further accidents and hinder officials.

SAFETYThe fencing erected around the circuit is there for your protection. It is forbidden to sit, stand or climb on it.

DOGSIn the interests of safety, dogs are NOT permitted at the raceway.

MESSAGESThe organisers regret that announcements to assist spectators cannot be made over the public address system except in cases of genuine emergency.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTSWe urge you to support our Advertisers. The firms and individuals who advertise on the track and in this programme have been of considerable assistance to us. Help them to help us. Mention their Winton Motor Raceway Pty. Ltd. advertisement when you give them your business.

COPYRIGHTAll material in this magazine/program is copyright and must not be used without permission of the publishers. The opinions of the contributors are not necessarily those held by the publishers or race organisers.

ROUND 4 WINTON, VIC


ROUND 4 WINTON, VIC


SCHEDULESUNDAY 15TH JUNE

700 Gates Open

900 Warm-up Kumho Tyres Aust V8 Touring Car Series 10 min

915 Race1 Australian Sports Racer Series 12 laps

945 Race 2 Australian Formula Ford Series 10 laps

1015 Race 1 Kerrick Sports Sedan Series 10 laps

1045 Race 2 Kumho Tyres Aust V8 Touring Car Series 9 laps

1115 Race 2 Australian Sports Racer Series 12 laps

1145 Race 2 Porsche GT3 Cup Challenge 10 laps



1315 Warm-up DBYD Aust Super 6 Touring Car Series 10 mins


1410 Race 3 Australian Sports Racer Series 12 laps



1540 Race 2 DBYD Aust Super 6 Touring Car Series 30 laps

Dial Before You Dig Challenge

SCHEDULEFRIDAY 13TH JUNE

700 Gates Open

900 Practice Australian Formula Ford Series 20 min

925 Practice DBYD Aust Super 6 Touring Car Series 20 min

950 Practice Australian Sports Racer Series 20 min

1015 Practice Kumho Tyres Aust V8 Touring Car Series 20 min

1040 Practice Kerrick Sports Sedan Series 20 min






1310 Practice Porsche GT3 Cup Challenge 30 min






1550 Practice Porsche GT3 Cup Challenge 30 min

1620 Sponsor Rides Aust Super 6 Touring Cars 15 min

1635 Sponsor Rides V8 Touring Cars/Porsche GT3 25 min

SATURDAY 14TH JUNE

700 Gates Open

900 Practice 1 Australian Formula Ford Series 20 min

925 Practice 1 Kumho Tyres Aust V8 Touring Car Series 20 min

950 Practice 1 Porsche GT3 Cup Challenge 20 min

1015 Practice 1 Australian Sports Racer Series 20 min

1040 Qualifying 1 DBYD Aust Super 6 Touring Car Series 20 min

1105 Qualifying 1 Kerrick Sports Sedan Series 20 min

1130 Qualifying 1 Australian Formula Ford Series 20 min

1155 Qualifying 1 Kumho Tyres Aust V8 Touring Car Series 20 min

1220 Qualifying 1 Porsche GT3 Cup Challenge 20 min

1240 Officials Break

1310 Qualifying 1 Australian Sports Racer Series 20 min

1335 Top 10 S/Out DBYD Aust Super 6 Touring Car Series 20 min

1400 Qualifying 2 Kerrick Sports Sedan Series 20 min



1515 Race 1 DBYD Aust Super 6 Touring Car Series 30 laps

Dial Before You Dig Challenge



ROUND 4 WINTON, VIC ROUND 4 WINTON, VIC

DIAL BEFORE YOU DIG AUSTRALIAN SUPER SIX TOURING CAR SERIESON THE WEB: WWW.SALOONCARS.NET.AU

Car SPONSOR DRIVER state VEHICLE2 501 Performance Ben Grice QLD AU Falcon

3 Inland Motor Body Works Jason Leoncini VIC VT Comm

4 Auddino First National Tony Auddino WA AU Falcon

7 Buyaustralianmade.com.au Phil Gray VIC AU Falcon

10 BRE/ Morphett Vale Garage Shawn Jamieson WA VT Comm

16 Kleenduct Australia P/L Harley Phelan VIC VT Comm

18 Truckphones.com.au Brent Edwards VIC AU Falcon

27 Transley Solutions Luke Westall NSW AU Falcon

37 All In 1 Service Center David Wright VIC AU Falcon

38 Blackwell Race Engines Gavin Ross VIC VT Comm

41 Dial Before You Dig Mark Primmer NSW AU Falcon

42 Dial Before You Dig Cameron Moss NSW AU Falcon

46 Sopranos Pizza Bar Shaun Woodhouse VIC VT Comm

51 Pakenham Tyres Travis Lindorff VIC VT Comm

56 PPG Racing Kane Baxter-Smith QLD AU Falcon

62 Bridge Model Cars Mark Bryan SA AU Falcon

64 Cachet Homes Chris Lillis WA VT Comm

81 Rick Gill Motorcycles Rick Gill WA AU Falcon

95 Glen Postlethwaite Glen Postlethwaite VIC VT Comm

For more entry information, visit www.thenationals.com.au

AUSTRALIAN FORMULA FORD SERIESON THE WEB: WWW.FORMULAFORD.ORG.AU

Car SPONSOR DRIVER state VEHICLE2 Sonic/kTEQ Nick Rowe Vic F/Ford

3 Sonic/Mornington Peninsula Brewery Hamish Hardeman Vic F/Ford

4 Sonic/Calista Property Group Christian Morina Vic F/Ford

6 E-Steel Australia Paul Zsidy Vic F/Ford

10 State Fleet Services Matthew Roseler SA F/Ford

11 Colin M Hill Engineering Cameron Hill ACT F/Ford

13 Shockwave Signs/ToolForce Jimmy Vernon NSW F/Ford

15 Borland Racing Developments Tom Grech Vic F/Ford

20 Synergy Motorsport Caitlin Wood NSW F/Ford

27 Synergy Motorsport Jake Parsons NSW F/Ford

31 Gippsland Body Builders James Golding Vic F/Ford

42 Fleetcare Leanne Tander Vic F/Ford

44 E-Steel Australia James Crozier Vic F/Ford

49 CKAS/Kerkick/Voluparts/SnapOn/Mobil1 Thomas Randle Vic F/Ford

76 Omega Engineering/RossPerformanceParts Michael Hinrichs Vic F/Ford

77 James Garley James Garley NSW F/Ford

81 Ownit Homes/E&K Plumbing/Autobarn Wade Scott Qld F/Ford

88 Synergy/www.gregholloway.com Greg Holloway Vic F/Ford

94 Littleblackfox.com/CLPS Jordan Lloyd Qld F/Ford

96 All Security Northside Fasteners "Browns" Jimmy Bailey Qld F/Ford

97 Coates Hire Liam McAdam Qld F/Ford



ROUND 4 WINTON, VIC


ROUND 4 WINTON, VIC

Car SPONSOR DRIVER state VEHICLE2 Fleetplus Scott Taylor Qld Porsche 911 GT3 Cup

3 Eva Racing/Evolve Technik Peter Fitzgerald Vic Porsche 911 GT3 Cup

9 Fleetplus Tim Miles Qld Porsche 911 GT3 Cup

10 Hallmarc Developments Michael Loccisano VIC Porsche 911 GT3 Cup

13 HTFU Sam Shahin SA Porsche 911 GT3 Cup

16 Kinpath Group John Karytinos SA Porsche 911 GT3 Cup

22 Bill Campbell Builders Matt Campbell Qld Porsche 911 GT3 Cup

38 Taylor Motorsport Greg Taylor NSW Porsche 911 GT3 Cup

52 IMAK - KWIKMIT Andrew Macpherson NSW Porsche 911 GT3 Cup

65 Porsche Centre Brighton/TRP/Torque Money Fraser Ross VIC Porsche 911 GT3 Cup

66 GAP Solutions/Sektor John Goodacre SA Porsche 911 GT3 Cup

68 Thomson Geer Michael O'Donnell SA Porsche 911 GT3 Cup

69 Dial Before You Dig Jon McCorkindale NSW Porsche 911 GT3 Cup

78 Harrop/Resource Solutions Group Stephen Bradford Vic Porsche 911 GT3 Cup

81 Anacon Homes Michael Tsigeridis VIC Porsche 911 GT3 Cup

98 Voight Contracting Steve Voight NSW Porsche 911 GT3 Cup

99 Southern Star Windows Ross McGregor VIC Porsche 911 GT3 Cup

PORSCHE GT3 CUP CHALLENGEON THE WEB: WWW.GT3CUPCHALLENGE.COM.AU


AUSTRALIAN SPORTS RACER SERIESON THE WEB: WWW.SPORTSRACER.COM.AU

Car SPONSOR DRIVER state VEHICLE1 AP Racing Adam Proctor NSW Stohr

2 AP Racing Darren Barlow NSW Stohr

3 West Race Cars Aaron Steer SA West

14 Ken's Exhaust Systems Roger I'Anson SA West

15 Meridian Motorsport Trent Harrison VIC Speads

33 Taylor Collision/ Badge Michael Whiting SA West

53 Bryan Stoeckel Jonathan Stoeckel VIC West

56 West Race Cars John-Paul Drake QLD West

61 Laucke Flour Mills Mark Laucke SA West

65 Racemoves Graeme Cook SA West

66 West Race Cars Andrew McGuinness VIC West

88 CRC Industries/ Kitten Gerrit Ruff SA West


Car SPONSOR DRIVER state VEHICLE1 BJ Banks Electrical Bruce Banks Tas Mazda RX7

4 Auto Union Deutsche Darren Hossack Vic Audi A4

5 B&M Ricciardello Motors Tony Ricciardello WA Alfa Romeo GTV

8 Pfitzner Performance Gearbox Simon Pfitzner SA Falcon

9 Domain Prestige Homes Steven Tamasi Vic Holden Calibra

11 Beninca Motors Peter Beninca Vic Alfa Romeo GTV

15 Liquid Clothing Company Shane Riding Vic Mazda RX7

32 Bell Real Estate Michael Robinson Vic Holden Monaro

44 MR Automotive Colin Smith Qld Holden Monaro

67 Stawell Cartage Bruce Henley Vic Mazda RX8

68 Aston Air Conditioning Shane Bradford Qld Chev Camaro

81 The Car Mine/Selected Smash Qld Charlie Senese Qld Chev Corvette

KERRICK SPORTS SEDAN SERIESON THE WEB: WWW.SPORTSSEDANS.COM.AU

KUMHO TYRES AUSTRALIAN V8 TOURING CAR SERIESON THE WEB: WWW.V8TOURINGCARS.COM.AU

Car SPONSOR DRIVER state VEHICLE4 Kustom Workz/Supercar Parts & Sales Shane Hunt Qld Ford Falcon BF

5 Voight Contracting Aaron Tebb NSW Commodore VZ

6 501 Performance Tony Evangelou Vic Ford Falcon BF

8 Poco Racing Steve Briffa NSW Commodore VY

14 selby.com.au Simon Tabinor VIC Ford Falcon BF

18 Falcon Spares/Engine Master Matt Chahda NSW Ford Falcon BA

21 Century 21 Hazelbrook Chris Delfsma NSW Ford Falcon BA

24 STR Truck Bodies Gerard McLeod Vic Ford Falcon BF

31 Haymans Valley Ramon Connell Qld Ford Falcon AU

38 Eggleston Motorsport Commodore VZ

39 Vectra Corp/Lubrimaxx Chris Smerdon SA Ford Falcon BA

48 STR Truck Bodies Matthew Palmer Vic Ford Falcon BF

51 SA Racing & Logistics/THR Craig Dontas SA Commodore VZ

54 Eggleston Motorsport Justin Ruggier NSW Commodore VZ

88 Parramatta Smash Repairs Ryan Simpson NSW Ford Falcon BF




TANDER AND QUINN WIN GT THRILLER AT PHILLIP ISLANDGARTH TANDER chased down Erebus Motorsport young gun Jack LeBrocq to win a thrilling Australian GT 101 Classic at the Phillip Island Grand Prix Circuit. The former V8 Supercars champion, driving with Tony Quinn in an Aston Martin Vantage GT3, passed the LeBrocq / Richard Muscat Mercedes Benz two laps from the time-critical race finish to take a thrilling victory in the inaugural running of Australia’s newest GT enduro. It was one highlight of many amongst a weekend that saw bruising Porsche Carrera Cup and Radical Australia Cup races in a big third round of the 2014 Shannons Australian Motor Racing Nationals. Tander emerged from the final round of stops with more than a 20-second margin to the leading Erebus Mercedes and, after passing John Bowe’s Maranello Ferrari for second, caught the leader with three laps to go. LeBrocq defended valiantly but ultimately couldn’t keep the flying VIP Petfoods Aston Martin behind. The Quinn / Tander Aston Martin headed the Erebus Mercedes and the Maranello Motorsport Ferrari 458 GT3, driven by Peter Edwards and John Bowe. “I didn’t know what the margin was to the leader. They just told me that I had to catch the Ferrari and then once I got past JB they told me I was 15 seconds behind the Mercedes. I started taking big chunks out of it. “The car was beautiful and we were doing as fast a lap at the end of the stint as we were at the beginning. I hadn’t driven the car at all in the dry before jumping in today and I was learning on the run. About half way through I learned a few things that worked and found a fair bit of time.

“They had a bit of an advantage as far as power down goes but I think we were better in straight line so once I could get a run and keep some momentum up we were good.”Tander said he enjoyed the opportunity to drive something other than his regular V8 Supercar ride. “It’s been about 11 years since I’ve driven anything that wasn’t a V8 Supercar and it was my first time in a GT3 car - and I loved every minute of it. I can’t thank Tony enough for giving me a shot and I hope he asks me back!” Scott McLaughlin and Steven Grove sensationally won the Porsche Carrera Cup Pro-Am round, while Nick Percat held off McLaughlin to take victory in a thriller race on Sunday. Percat and co-driver Shane Smollen started the second race from 13th position however a strong early stint from Smollen saw the car handed over to his V8 Supercar-regular co-driver in a strong position. Percat quickly worked his way to the front of the field and established a margin, while McLaughlin set about carving his way through the field in the Grove Racing Porsche. He found more than 10 seconds and moved from fifth to second within the final ten minutes of the shortened 50-minute race, getting to the rear bumper of his V8 Supercar rival on the final lap. The pair went side-by-side through MG on the last lap, though Percat was able to defend his position and scrape through for a narrow win. Saturday winners Craig Baird and Max Twigg won the professional class at Phillip Island, while Grove and McLaughlin not only won the overall event, but the Elite class as well.

While Sunday’s race featured several non-finishers, it was a cleaner affair than Saturday’s bruising one-hour race that saw several cars badly damaged in on-track incidents and a record-breaking 10 finishers out of the 20 starters.

Five-time Porsche Carrera Cup champion Craig Baird enjoyed a welcome return to the top of the one-make Porsche series podium by winning a bruising and dramatic Pro-Am race on Saturday, with co-driver Max Twigg.

Former elite class champion Twigg started the No. 1 Porsche and used strong race pace, several early safety cars and others misfortune to deliver the car to Baird in second position following the compulsory pit stop mid-race.

Baird then hunted down leader Steven Grove – who had co-driver Scott McLaughlin hand his car over in first place – and led the closing 10 minutes to take the win.

Three different winners from three races highlighted a competitive third round of the 2014 Radical Australia Cup, John Corbett and

Tim Berryman adding their names to the list of winners on Sunday, following Peter White’s race one triumph.

Berryman held out a fast-finishing Neale Muston by just 0.5s at the end of race two, held in wet conditions following an immense downpour prior to the race that caused the start to be delayed nearly half-an-hour.

Michael Shaw finished third outright and won the SR3 class over John Morriss.

The final race of the round featured five different leaders across its 19-lap duration, John Corbett edging out Berryman in a thriller by just 0.2s at the line.

Corbett assumed the lead when early leader Muston stopped on lap eleven, Berryman scything his way through the field to grab second on the final lap and close on the leader in the run to the checkered flag, falling agonisingly short.

Greg Smith completed the podium ahead of SR3 class winner Peter Johnston.


LAP RECORDS WINTON MOTOR RACEWAY Winton National Circuit (3.0km)

ROUND 4 WINTON, VIC

CATEGORY DRIVER VEHICLE DATE TIMEOutright Christian Murchison Reynard July 2000 1m14.5697s

V8 Supercars Marcus Marshall Ford Falcon BF May 2009 1m22.9831s

V8 Touring Cars Tony Evangelou Ford Falcon BA June 2010 1m26.3601s

Porsche Cup/GT3 Shae Davies Porsche GT3 Cup August 2013 1m24.9840s

Saloon Cars Shawn Jamieson VT Commodore June 2011 1m37.2162s

Formula Ford Jamie Whincup Van Diemen August 2002 1m26.2188s

Sports Sedans Tony Ricciardello Alfa/Chev June 2011 1m21.5513s

Sports Racers John Miles Radical SR3 June 2011 1m23.3342s

TELEVISION COVERAGESHANNONS NATIONALS TV

Speedweek on Sunday at 2pm on SBS2

ROUND 4 WINTON Show 1 Sunday 29th June Aust Super 6 Touring Car Series Kerrick Sports Sedan Series Aust V8 Touring Car Series

Show 2 Sunday 6th July Porsche GT3 Cup Challenge Aust Formula Ford Series Aust Sports Racer Series

‘SHANNONS NATIONALS’ ON FOX SPEED Visit www.thenationals.com.au for complete TV schedule

LIVE INTERNET TV FROM 9.00AM ON SUNDAY via www.thenationals.com.au

The Racing Magazine - Issue 4, 2014

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Transcript of The Racing Magazine - Issue 4, 2014