v8 supercar latest

[Rob]

10 days to the Sydney Telstra 500
Wednesday 25/11/2009 09:30

Author: Briar Gunther | Source: BigPond Sport - copyright


Only 10 days to go!
The New South Wales Treasurer and State Development Minister, Eric Roozendall, today (Wednesday) gave the economic green light for the Sydney Telstra 500 as the official countdown has begun.

There are only 10 days to go and the Treasurer attended the official countdown for the Sydney Telstra 500 held at Bondi Beach this morning with the event’s official charity partner, Surf Life Saving Australia.

V8 Supercar drivers Will Davison, Mark Winterbottom, Tony D’Alberto and Lee Holdsworth were put through their paces by some of Bondi’s finest lifesavers, who took on the drivers in a special test of endurance in preparation for the forthcoming intense three-day racing action.

The New South Wales State and Regional Development Department estimates the Sydney Telstra 500 will generate more than $100 million for the state’s economy over the next five years.

It will be televised live throughout Australia and New Zealand, as well as distributed to more than 110 countries around the world on a live, delayed and packaged basis.

Roozendaal said the NSW Government remains committed to supporting the event for the next five years.

“My priority is jobs and supporting the $360 billion NSW economy and this event does both,” he said.

“We’re starting to see the green shoots of economic recovery grow, and events like the V8s support growth in the state economy.”

Roozendaal described New South Wales as Australia’s events capital and said hosting the V8 Supercars’ grand final event further strengthens that reputation.

“The Sydney Telstra 500 will not only be a showcase motoring event but an entertainment spectacle, using the entire Sydney Olympic Park precinct for the first time since the 2000 Olympics,” he said.

“This event is of international standing and is expected to bring considerable economic benefit to NSW, with more than $100 million anticipated to be generated over the next five years and 110 full-time jobs.

“This is an outstanding opportunity to promote Sydney as a tourism destination, while reinforcing our reputation for hosting significant major events.”

V8 Supercars Australia Executive Chairman, Tony Cochrane, said he was delighted that Sydneysiders have embraced the Sydney Telstra 500 and was confident the event would easily break the projected 150,000 crowd.

“With only 10 days to go we have experienced extremely strong ticket sales across the three day event, which has far exceeded our initial expectations,” he said.

“Most importantly, there has been solid interest both nationally and internationally, with an anticipated 15,000 tourists expected to visit Sydney specifically to attend the Sydney Telstra 500.

“Not only will the Sydney Telstra 500 be the biggest sporting event Sydney has seen in years but it will also offer world-class entertainment with some of Australia’s hottest music acts performing at the Friday and Saturday evening concerts.”

Friday night’s concert will feature the Presets, the Potbelleez and Sneaky Sound System, while Saturday will include a special one-off reunion performance from Australian rock legends Cold Chisel, The Living End and Grinspoon.

The event will feature something for the whole family, including a kid’s carnival arena, an indoor exhibition offering a unique behind-the-scenes experience, as well as an international food village.

Tickets are available through Ticketek, with prices starting from $48, which includes a day of racing action, concert entry and free public transport to and from the event.

V8 Supercars' massive US coup
Wednesday 25/11/2009 10:30

Author: Press Release | Source: V8 Supercars Australia


SPEED broadcasts the V8 action
V8 Supercars Australia, in association with FOX Sports USA, today (Wednesday) announced an exciting new partnership for the next three seasons where SPEED, a member of the FOX Cable Networks with more than 79 million subscribers in North America, will televise the Series to all North American subscribers the weekend after each event.

SPEED is the motorsports authority for NASCAR, Formula One MotoGP, AMA Supercross, the American Le Mans Series, the Rolex Grand American Sports Car Series and many other motorcycle and auto racing series.

SPEED is the exclusive United States broadcaster of the Rolex 24 at Daytona, the 24 hours of Le Mans, Petit Le Mans, the NASCAR Sprint Cup All-Star Race, the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series and the Gatorade Duel at Daytona.

“V8 Supercars is one of the most exciting forms of auto racing in the world today,” FOX Sports Chairman, David Hill, said.

“It is fabulous to watch and I’m happy that we’ve been able to develop this new partnership with SPEED.”

V8 Supercars Australia Executive Chairman, Tony Cochrane, said the deal was a huge milestone in the ongoing and rapid success of V8 Supercars and its international recognition.

“This is a fantastic and exciting relationship for V8 Supercars,” he said.

“There is no question that SPEED in North America is the foremost network with regards to motorsport coverage and is the pinnacle platform in our sport; to be held in such regard by this highly professional organisation is a great testament to the quality of our television coverage and our racing.

“Each year we build our international presence and our TV reach next season will go to in excess of 135 customer countries in varied forms of live, delayed and packaged highlights.

“We are delighted to announce that the coverage will commence with next week’s Sydney Telstra 500 being shown on SPEED over the weekend of December 12 and 13 in North America as a taste of what North American fans can view all of next season.

“I would like to thank David Hill personally and the entire FOX Sports and SPEED teams for showing their great faith in V8 Supercars.

“This is the first of many new international TV announcements that will be rolled out between now and our opening event at the Yas Marina Circuit in Abu Dhabi next year.”

Hill was a guest of V8 Supercars Australia at this year’s Supercheap Auto Bathurst 1000 and he declared the sport amongst the best racing he had seen in the world.

He believes the category will warm to the hearts of Americans who have made NASCAR the second biggest sport in the US.

Bright may be last puzzle piece to 2010
Wednesday 25/11/2009 15:00

Author: Briar Gunther | Source: BigPond Sport - copyright


Jason Bright in-car
Jason Bright’s two Racing Entitlement Contracts (RECs) are still up in the air for the 2010 V8 Supercar Championship.

A question mark remains over the driver and sponsor combination for the REC he has leased to Paul Cruickshank Racing (PCR).

And the REC Bright runs in Fujitsu colours this year is understood to have been approved for sale but not for lease to the Webb family. Bright’s preference is to lease it out for two years rather than selling it.

Bright has listed his options as joining Brad Jones Racing or Walkinshaw Racing, retaining the REC for his #25 entry and running it himself or taking up the driver’s spot for the licence leased to Cruickshank with the possibility of Wilson Security sponsorship on board.

“It’s still up in the air because I’ve got a licence leased to PCR at the moment and I’m negotiating on either leasing or selling (the other one),” he said.

“It depends what happens with that because I could sell either one or run the PCR one again or I could end up letting that one stay leased out.

“That will all sort itself out in the next week I imagine. There’s still a fair bit of toing and froing from everyone but my tip is it will all fall how I expect it to fall.”

Bright raised the possibility of running the REC he leases to PCR as a Britek car in 2010.

“I’d like to see it come back and run it as a Britek car first and foremost but the dollars have to be right to do that,” he said.

“If it can run as a Britek car and be done properly then it would be good.”

Another option that may eventuate is both of Bright’s RECs end up being run with Jim Beam Racing and Bright and Jonathon Webb driving.

But that would probably not involve the sale of those licences to Jim Beam Racing because Bright is keen to keep both RECs in his ownership to carry out his plans for the future.

“I’m trying to make a decision on what’s best for down the road too, to end up with two licences again and think about 2012 and beyond when we have got the Car of the Future with much cheaper running costs,” he said.

“I want to try and get back to the point where we’re running two Britek cars again.”

Bright believes that all the right “ingredients” were coming together so that he could run two cars again after 2011.

“I went through such a big change at the end of last year going from where we were doing everything in-house to now being a customer team (with Stone Brothers Racing) that I’ve got to try and recover from that,” he said.

“And then with Fujitsu moving on it’s put the pressure on a bit as well so I wanted to buy myself the two years to be able to pull it all back together and so I was basically going to lease it for two years.

“The other interesting thing is there’s a lot of other things happening at the moment where you’d think there wasn’t anyone else out there looking for licences but there are through other movements.

“Drivers are starting to realise the seat they were interested in isn’t there anymore or the contract they had isn’t there anymore and so the market for licences is still there, that’s for sure, over and above the Webb option.”

[Rob]

Castrol names where its cash goes
Friday 27/11/2009 14:00

Author: Briar Gunther | Source: BigPond Sport - copyright


Castrol
Castrol will partner teams on both sides of the V8 Supercar fence in 2010 with the announcement it will sponsor Paul Morris Motorsport in a larger capacity in 2010.

The motor oil and lubricant company has announced it will continue its partnership Ford Performance Racing (FPR) and that its new deal with PMM will see a full Castrol liveried Triple Eight-prepared Commodore in next year’s V8 Supercar Championship.

Media speculation that current Sprint Gas Racing driver Greg Murphy will drive the PMM Castrol car is intense but BigPond Sport has been advised that this is still not finalised.

Both the new PMM Castrol livery and the driver will be named after the Sydney Telstra 500.

The company said the PMM Commodore features Castrol Edge heavily in the design and “the unmistakable colours of Castrol” which are red and green.

By sponsoring both FPR and PMM Castrol hopes to engage both blue and red fans.

Team owner Paul Morris said his relationship with Castrol goes back to his early days of racing.

“I’m very proud that the long term relationship I have had with Castrol has grown to the point that we are now ‘Castrol Racing’,” he said.

“They have supported teams I have driven for since 1991 and have supported me since I started my own team 10 years ago.”

Castrol Lubricants Marketing Director, Andrew Johnson, said the company was excited about its new partnership with PMM.

“They are a long standing, professional team and we will field a highly competitive car and driver, plus their team facilities in Queensland are first class,” he said.

Besides the PMM Castrol-liveried Commodore, Castrol will also have bonnet signage with FPR.

Johnson said that Castrol has been involved with FPR from the very beginning.

“And the partnership continues to deliver both on and off the track,” he said.

“Steven Richards and Mark Winterbottom are top level drivers and great ambassadors for our brand.”

FPR Team Principal, Tim Edwards, said it was good news that one of the team’s foundation sponsors had re-signed.

“Castrol complements our other sponsors, what we do as a business with FPV road cars and we’ve always had a great working relationship with them,” he said.

Castrol has had more than 100 years of international motorsport involvement.

[Rob]

It’s evolution, not revolution
Monday 30/11/2009 15:00

Author: Briar Gunther | Source: BigPond Sport - copyright


The current V8 Supercars
V8 Supercar team owners have been brought up to speed on how the Car of the Future (CotF) is progressing.

A meeting was held last Thursday to engage team owners in the project, which is in its early stages.

The CotF, likely to be introduced in 2012, will still have V8 powerplants but cost only $250,000 to build compared to the $500,000 it roughly costs to build a current V8 Supercar.

Actual designs are still some way off but V8 Supercars Australia (V8SA) has stated many times that the CotF will still look like Commodores and Falcons with working headlights and swinging panels.

V8SA Board member Mark Skaife, who has been tasked with chairing the CotF committee, described the meeting as productive but did not want to reveal too much because it is still early days for the project.

“The meeting went well and brought stakeholders up to speed,” he said.

Skaife confirmed that part of the CotF investigation included the way other motorsport categories have undergone changes for safeguarding their future, including NASCAR and its Car of Tomorrow.

“We would be delinquent if we didn’t look at how other categories have sought to act for the future,” he said.

Skaife said he will now seek to get items ratified with the V8SA Board to move forward on the project.

Fellow Board member and Ford Performance Racing principle, Tim Edwards, said the presentation made to team owners was the same one given at the last Board meeting.

“And at the time we said you should do this with the teams so they know what’s going on,” he said.

“There is no mention on the design at the moment; it’s just conceptually about how we’re going.

“It raised more questions than it answered, that’s for sure, but it was just to reassure the teams that we’re not heading off into another direction.

“The Car of the Future is about evolution not revolution and hopefully now the teams have got some ideas on the direction of where we’re heading.

“I suspect we’ll start seeing something more concrete in the next few months.”

Edwards said it was imperative that the CotF was implemented correctly rather than as quickly as possible.

“We have got to make sure we’ve got authentic looking cars, which is one of our key principles (compared to other motorsport categories),” he said.

“It’s one of the characteristics of our Championship.”

Jack Daniel’s Racing driver Todd Kelly attended the meeting and echoed Edwards’ comments that the job must not be rushed.

“Anything that you do that’s too major in the short term will cost teams a lot of money but they’re (V8SA) doing a good job of implementing these things at the right time with minimum impact,” he said.

“You can’t rush into these changes, that’s why this has been well thought out.”

Kelly referred to a recent announcement that V8SA will introduce a new control wheel in 2010, which costs half the price of the current wheel.

“Part of it is making the category cheaper with bulk buying, which is what the category is doing with the control wheels; it’s going to save money,” he said.

“I think we’ve (Kelly Racing) got a pretty good model right from the start where 99 per cent is manufactured in-house and we only buy consumable items like wheels and things.

“To have those consumable items available from a bulk buy saves the teams money.”

[Rob]

Bargs test Kelly Commodore
Tuesday 15/12/2009 13:00

Author: Briar Gunther | Source: BigPond Sport - copyright


Bargs
New Kelly Racing recruit Jason Bargwanna got a head start on his 2010 V8 Supercar Championship campaign with a ride day at Winton yesterday (Monday).

Bargs completed 100 laps in at the circuit in country Victoria in a white liveried Commodore (chassis PE047) with Kelly Racing decals.

The livery for the Bargs’ 2010 car is yet to be unveiled however it is understood he has brought sponsor Fuchs across from Sprint Gas Racing, which closes on Friday (December 18).

“I was very excited to actually get a taste for the car, how it drives and just see how it is that they go about getting the cars right and being competitive and I was very impressed with package so far,” Bargwanna said.

“Obviously it’s hard to evaluate the cars with a passenger on board but my initial impression is that they’re impressive and that they’ll be competitive.

“The engine impresses me and there are a couple of different little things with the front geometry which seem to make the car work quite well so I’m really looking forward to having a proper attack at it.”

Brothers Todd and Rick Kelly shared Chassis PE045 – the one Todd used for the Sydney Telstra 500 after his old Commodore was ruined at Barbagallo Raceway last month, ironically an accident that Bargs played a part in – so that their new driver could get the most out of his first drive with Kelly Racing.

Rick said that it was great for the team to start working with Bargwanna now as Kelly Racing prepares for next season.

“It's good on a number of levels,” he said.

“Firstly, just for all the guys to get to know Bargs and to have a chat to him and experience what it's like to work with him at a track is good.

“It allows us to hit the ground running next year.

“Also, to get Jason in the car and to feel what it’s like to steer one of our rockets around on a typical Winton in greasy conditions, it’s been good for all of us.

“We’ve all bonded quite well and we’re all pretty excited about next year. We already feel like we’re a team that’s worked together for a while.”

Kelly Racing might have only debuted at the start of the 2009 Championship but by the end of the season the team displayed that it will be a force to be reckoned with next year.

Rick finished on the podium both days at The Island 300 while Todd finished second on the Saturday at Barbagallo Raceway.

Bargs said he was impressed with the team and its ability to communicate.

“It’s fantastic and I really think that this is certainly a team that’s got the credibility to do the job,” he said.

[Rob]

Bargs test Kelly Commodore
Tuesday 15/12/2009 13:00

Author: Briar Gunther | Source: BigPond Sport - copyright


Bargs
New Kelly Racing recruit Jason Bargwanna got a head start on his 2010 V8 Supercar Championship campaign with a ride day at Winton yesterday (Monday).

Bargs completed 100 laps in at the circuit in country Victoria in a white liveried Commodore (chassis PE047) with Kelly Racing decals.

The livery for the Bargs’ 2010 car is yet to be unveiled however it is understood he has brought sponsor Fuchs across from Sprint Gas Racing, which closes on Friday (December 18).

“I was very excited to actually get a taste for the car, how it drives and just see how it is that they go about getting the cars right and being competitive and I was very impressed with package so far,” Bargwanna said.

“Obviously it’s hard to evaluate the cars with a passenger on board but my initial impression is that they’re impressive and that they’ll be competitive.

“The engine impresses me and there are a couple of different little things with the front geometry which seem to make the car work quite well so I’m really looking forward to having a proper attack at it.”

Brothers Todd and Rick Kelly shared Chassis PE045 – the one Todd used for the Sydney Telstra 500 after his old Commodore was ruined at Barbagallo Raceway last month, ironically an accident that Bargs played a part in – so that their new driver could get the most out of his first drive with Kelly Racing.

Rick said that it was great for the team to start working with Bargwanna now as Kelly Racing prepares for next season.

“It's good on a number of levels,” he said.

“Firstly, just for all the guys to get to know Bargs and to have a chat to him and experience what it's like to work with him at a track is good.

“It allows us to hit the ground running next year.

“Also, to get Jason in the car and to feel what it’s like to steer one of our rockets around on a typical Winton in greasy conditions, it’s been good for all of us.

“We’ve all bonded quite well and we’re all pretty excited about next year. We already feel like we’re a team that’s worked together for a while.”

Kelly Racing might have only debuted at the start of the 2009 Championship but by the end of the season the team displayed that it will be a force to be reckoned with next year.

Rick finished on the podium both days at The Island 300 while Todd finished second on the Saturday at Barbagallo Raceway.

Bargs said he was impressed with the team and its ability to communicate.

“It’s fantastic and I really think that this is certainly a team that’s got the credibility to do the job,” he said.

[Rob]

Changes on the horizon
Thursday 17/12/2009 16:00

Author: Briar Gunther | Source: BigPond Sport - copyright


BigPond Sport - copyright
Following the success of the all-in Sunday qualifying session at V8 Supercar events this year, the category has implemented the session for the Saturday in 2010.

Qualifying on Saturdays will now consist of a 20-minute all-in session followed by the Top 10 Shootout to determine the grid order for the 10 fastest cars from the earlier 20-minute session.

Practice at the endurance events will no longer be time certain, while an extra practice session has been added for sprint events.

In 2010 there will be four 30-minute practice sessions for each sprint event with the first two sessions allocated for rookies and drivers who are outside the top 15 in the Championship.

These changes are only a few of those that make up a summary of rule changes distributed to teams yesterday (Wednesday) afternoon.

Windscreen tear-offs, introduced at this year’s L&H 500, will continue to be used in 2010 and the left-hand front door on the VE and FG V8 Supercars are now able to be made up of a composite material.

And the definition of composite material has been updated to allow the use of technological advancements such as Innegra (reputedly half the weight of carbon fibre), E Glass and Twin Tex.

In terms of safety upgrades, V8 Supercars Australia (V8SA) has updated the 2010 Operations Manual to include a FIA-approved carbon fibre racing seat, although many teams were already using the seat this year following a recommendation from V8SA.

According to FIA documentation, the new seat improves strength and support during rear impacts and provides more support to the pelvis, shoulder and head during side impacts.

[Rob]

V8 Supercars TOTAL POINTS
1 Jamie Whincup 3349
2 Will Davison 3044
3 Garth Tander 2916
4 Craig Lowndes 2592
5 Mark Winterbottom 2414
6 Steven Johnson 2255
7 James Courtney 2192
8 Rick Kelly 2162

[Rob]

http://i46.tinypic.com/2w74d3b.jpg
First T8 Commodore ride

The first T8 Commodore

A momentous occasion in V8 Supercar history took place at Queensland Raceway yesterday (Thursday) when Jamie Whincup gave the first ever Commodore built by Triple Eight Race Engineering a shakedown.

Triple Eight has become an expert in building Falcon V8 Supercars, but this initial car marks a new era for the outfit as it starts preparing Holden Commodores for TeamVodafone and Paul Morris Motorsport to use in the 2010 V8 Supercar Series Championship.

While the Commodore – which was yesterday covered in stickers to disguise TeamVodafone’s 2010 livery – will only be used as a ride car next year, it is the first in a fleet of eight Commodores the outfit has in production.

Whincup said it felt good to finally get behind the wheel of the Commodore after the team first made the announcement of their switch to Holden last July.

“The team has been working day and night to get the cars ready in time for the start of the 2010 season and yesterday was a big occasion for us,” the back-to-back V8 champ said.

His teammate, Craig Lowndes, did not attend the ride day because of his personal contract with Ford, which does not finish until December 31.

Team Principal, Roland Dane said the day provided the team with a chance to check over everything before proceeding with their preparations for 2010.

“I was happy to have our first run in the Holden,” Dane said.

“The car is the first of eight cars that are currently in production and the day was purely a shakedown and an opportunity to do a systems check.”

Triple Eight also handed over Chassis #15 FG Falcon to Johnson Racing, which Lowndes used for the first four events of this year before he switched to Chassis #20 for the V8 event in Tasmania.

The photo does not indicate any Hog’s Breath Café signage on the somewhat covered car although BigPond Sport understands the restaurant chain will continue its sponsorship with TeamVodafone into 2010.

However, unlike this year, where the Ford badges were replaced with ‘Hogster’ ones, the TeamVodafone Commodores will feature the Holden badge.

[Rob]

Deadline looms on QR

Queensland Raceway has been issued with a Christmas deadline to accept an offer from V8 Supercars to return to the circuit in 2010.

Next year’s event has been scheduled to take place from April 30 to May 2, but that date still remains provisional because of ongoing negotiations.

Ipswich City Council owns the circuit and the V8 event is usually promoted by John Tetley.

The agreement with V8 Supercars is year-to-year at the request of Tetley, but he has advised V8 Supercars he will no longer run the event.

V8 Supercars Australia interim Chief Executive Officer, Shane Howard, said V8 Supercar Events has made an offer to hire the facility to promote the 2010 event.

“He’s come back with an offer that is not commercially viable; we’ve gone back with another offer and he has until Christmas to get back to us on whether he accepts it or not and if not then we will deal with the decision,” Howard said.

“But we need a decision from Queensland Raceway prior to Christmas for us to move forward.

“We’re hopeful that it will be resolved before then so we can give a clear indication to the public on that event.

“If those negotiations are unsuccessful we won’t of course be running at that venue.”

Ipswich City Council Mayor, Paul Pisasale, will meet with Queensland Raceway’s management tomorrow (Wednesday) to continue negotiations.

Pisasale hopes that a deal can be made which will see the V8s return next year.

“I’ll (also) be working with the Minister (Queensland Sports Minister Phil Reeves) to try to resolve it,” he said.

“It’s driving me crazy; I just want to sort this out so the fans can enjoy some racing.

“But at the end of the day I am going to get to the bottom of it and do my best to sort it out.”

Tetley gave a contradicting version of events, saying he had contacted V8 Supercars Australia in November but had heard nothing back.

“We won’t be running it next year, but whether or not they will hasn’t been decided in my mind,” he said.

[Rob]

Slade runner

Tuesday 29/12/2009 08:00

Tim Slade has already got some miles in a Stone Brothers Racing (SBR) Falcon under his belt in preparation for the 2010 V8 Supercar Championship Series.

The former Supercheap Auto Racing driver, who will drive an SBR-prepared FG under the James Rosenberg Racing licence, described his first few outings in a Ford as successful.

Slade took part in two ride days in the BF SBR Falcon which Jason Bright ran earlier in 2009 before stepping into the Alex Davison and Shane van Gisbergen’s FG Falcons at a test day at Queensland Raceway.

“Shane being the behemoth he is, it was hard to get into his car and reach for the peddles and everything,” Slade laughed.

“Alex is reasonably big as well so I had a lot of seat cushioning behind me.

“The cars are quite different to what I’ve been used to this year but it’s good to have done that before Christmas and know what you are in for at the first test session of the year.”

Slade said the aim of the test day was to do as many laps as possible in an FG.

“The day went pretty well and all the guys there are a really good bunch of guys,” he said.

“Ross and Jimmy (Stone) are awesome to work with. They’ve won races and championships before and they are very hungry to do it again.”

Slade believes he will inherit the FG Falcon which Bright ran in the latter half of 2009.

“I know that all of the cars have got their little differences so the guys will work on that after the break and make sure they are exactly the same specifications,” he said.

“I don’t have a problem with Brighty’s car; he’s shown pace in the second half on the year.”

And Slade also doesn’t mind that he will switch from a Commodore to a Falcon in 2010.

“To be honest it doesn’t bother me,” he said.

“I’m not tied down to any one manufacturer or anything like that.

“A race car’s a race car and either one, it doesn’t bother me. It’s better than sitting on a couch.

“I would have liked to have continued with Paul Morris Motorsport, but it couldn’t happen for obvious reasons.”

But Slade, whose backer James Rosenberg from Gawler Farm Machinery worked out the deal following The Island 300 in November, is excited at the next chapter in his V8 career.

“We spoke to a few people and the Stones were some the people we spoke to and that was the best deal we could have ended up with,” he said.

“They are one of the top teams there so it is a privilege to be there with them.”

It might be a year away, but Slade has already set a goal of finishing around 15th position in the 2010 Championship.

“It would be nice to be in the top 15 in the Championship come the end of the year,” the 2009 rookie said.

“You’ve got to look at it realistically and if you don’t look at it realistically you can fall into the trap like I did this year and make mistakes.”

Slade thanked Paul Morris, Morris’ crew and Supercheap Auto for giving him the opportunity to join the main game.

He also thanked Rosenberg along with DSG at Home, which he confirmed will have minor sponsorship on his FG Falcon.

[Rob]

Bowe overwhelmed at honour

Wednesday 30/12/2009 08:00

John Bowe has described being inducted into the V8 Supercars Hall of Fame as overwhelming.

Bowe was inducted into the Hall of Fame at the V8 Supercar 2009 Gala Awards Dinner in December.

“I love this sport; I love the people,” he said in his speech.

“Many, many people in this room have contributed to the things I have experienced and done.

“I’ve had a wonderful career although sometimes I haven’t thought of it that way, but I think V8 Supercar racing is just the best and if I could wind back my speedo just a little bit I would be back there in a heartbeat.”

Bowe, who retired from V8 racing in 2007, also offered some words of wisdom to current V8 Supercar drivers.

“All you young guys, make the most of it while you’re there because it’s the best,” he said.

“I think it’s pretty overwhelming for me to be honoured this way and I honestly thank (V8SA Executive Chairman) Tony Cochrane and the Board for the honour.

“When I was racing in V8 Supercars and touring car racing I didn’t take the time perhaps to enjoy the moment as much as I should, so I love this and it’s fantastic… thank you.”

Bowe was born in Devonport, Tasmania and has a record 225 touring car/V8 starts spanning 22 seasons.

During that time he won 31 races and scored 52 podiums and 25 pole positions.

He has competed in 23 Bathurst 1000 races and won it in 1989 and 1994, both times with Johnson who back in the day described Bowe as “harder to pass than a kidney stone”.

Bowe is a two-time Australian Drivers’ Championship winner, won the 1986 Australian Sports Car Championship in the Australian-built Veskanda and won the Australian Touring Car Championship in 1995.

For the last two years he has competed in the Biante Touring Car Masters series and has recently bought a 1969 Ford Mustang Trans Am to drive for the 2010 season.

[Rob]

http://i48.tinypic.com/312wa36.jpg

[Rob]

2009 best year yet: Cochrane

Thursday 31/12/2009 08:00

On the grid at Sydney
V8 Supercars Australia (V8SA) Executive Chairman, Tony Cochrane, has declared the 2009 Championship as the most successful.

Cochrane listed three reasons why he believed this year’s season was the best since the category was re-named V8 Supercars and V8SA (then called AVESCO) took control of the administration of it in 1997.

“One, the enormous success of the inaugural Sydney Telstra 500, two the enormous success of the inaugural Dunlop 400 in Townsville and three, the fact that in one of the most difficult economic climates for 75 years we’ve had sponsorship growth, crowd growth, ratings growth and we have just had a remarkably solid, strong year for all our teams and the entire championship,” he said.

Cochrane said the introduction of the Dunlop SP Sport Maxx Sprint tyres at the start of the year was one example where V8SA had taken on fan feedback.

“And the fans have voted with their feet,” he said.

“We’ve had something like 1.9 million fans this year that have come and watched us live, so we’ve got just a massive bunch of new fans new to the sport, new to motorsport.

“It’s very, very important that we widen our fan base all the time and particularly widen it in terms of young people and female fans so I think all of those things are on the up and if they are on the up it means overall the sport must be doing a lot of things right.”

Cochrane said it will be tough to better the category in 2010, but is confident it can be done.

“Obviously we get away to a wonderful start with the tremendous double-header in the Middle East, but 2010 will present a whole heap of new challenges,” he said.

“We’ll have a new CEO in hand and I’m sure it will be an incredibly exciting year; lots of changes in team land and lots of driver changes so I look forward to it all rolling out again late next February.”

And Cochrane said he was not in the slightest bit concerned about the 2010 field being made up of two thirds Holden Commodores.

“Because there’ll be some teams that will change from Holdens to Fords that will become apparent in the next few weeks,” he said.

“Look, these things go on all the time.

“The Ford teams that are there will step up to the plate; we saw a great victory from a Ford team (at the Sydney Telstra 500) that is going on next year as a Ford representative team in Johnson Racing so this sport has been evolving and changing over a lot of years and it will keep evolving and changing because it’s got such a massive, massive base now.”

[Rob]

Driver line-up almost confirmed
Monday 04/01/2010 11:00

BigPond Sport - copyright

One of the silliest silly seasons in V8 Supercars is almost over with most of the driver seats locked away.

A raft of driver changes has occurred while a number of teams have folded with new ones ready to take their place.

One of the most important and contentious changes is that of TeamVodafone, which joins the red side in 2010 and will run Commodores.

What remains to be seen is whether the Commodores will be quick out of the box, but considering they are Triple Eight-prepared cars it would not be presumptuous to believe they will be.

Paul Cruickshank Racing will not field an entry in 2010 and former driver Fabian Coulthard is another driver who is following TeamVodafone to Holden.

Coulthard will drive a Walkinshaw Racing Commodore while Bundaberg has extended its sponsorship of the team to cover both Coulthard’s car along with fellow Walkinshaw recruit Andrew Thompson, who returns as a fulltime driver after a year-long hiatus from the main game.

Two new teams – Tony D’Alberto Racing and Lucas Dumbrell Racing – have been born out of the closure of Tasman Motorsport and drivers Greg Murphy and Jason Bargwanna have found new homes.

Bargs has joined Todd and Rick Kelly at Kelly Racing although the team’s fourth driver is yet to be confirmed while Murph will join Paul Morris Motorsport driving a Castrol-liveried Commodore.

Jason Bright is another Ford defector, joining Brad Jones Racing alongside Jason Richards although Paul Dumbrell has defected the other way, leaving Walkinshaw to drive the Ford Performance Racing-prepared Bottle-O Falcon under the Rod Nash Racing entry.

Holdens make up two-thirds of the 2010 V8 Supercar field, meaning the remaining Ford teams have their work cut out for them.

Ford has indicated it will pump more money into supporting more teams than it did in 2009, but to date its exact plans have not been forthcoming.

2010 driver line-up:

Brad Jones Racing: Jason Richards, Jason Bright and Karl Reindler (TBC)
Ford Performance Racing: Steve Richards and Mark Winterbottom
Garry Rogers Motorsport: Michael Caruso and Lee Holdsworth
James Rosenberg Racing: Tim Slade
Johnson Racing: James Courtney, Steve Johnson and Jonathon Webb
Kelly Racing: Rick Kelly, Todd Kelly, Jason Bargwanna and a fourth driver TBA
Lucas Dumbrell Racing: TBA
Paul Morris Motorsport: Russell Ingall and Greg Murphy
Rod Nash Racing: Paul Dumbrell
Stone Brothers Racing: Alex Davison and Shane van Gisbergen
TeamVodafone: Craig Lowndes and Jamie Whincup
Toll Holden Racing Team: Garth Tander and Will Davison
Tony D’Alberto Racing: Tony D’Alberto
Walkinshaw Racing: Fabian Coulthard and Andrew Thompson
Triple F Racing: Dean Fiore

[Rob]

V8s must take next step
Monday 04/01/2010 12:47

V8s need mainstream brands

V8 Supercar racing must break out form its dependence on automotive and alcohol sponsorship and into mainstream brands if it is to succeed in the long-term.

That’s the view of three of the sport’s leading driver managers, who believe the commercial side of the sport needs special attention.

In an exclusive interview in the latest edition of V8X Supercar magazine, driver managers Dale Rodgers (Steven Johnson), David Segal (Craig Lowndes, Will Davison and James Moffat) and Paul Marinelli (Mark Winterbottom) spoke candidly about the challenges facing the sport.

With no team currently carrying major sponsorship from fast-moving consumer good – such as fast foods, soft drink and household goods – the managers believe V8 Supercars could be in danger commercially.

In contrast, the American NASCAR Sprint Cup has teams supported by a diverse range of brands including McDonalds, Subway, Kelloggs, Old Spice, M&Ms, Pedigree pet food, Target, Pepsi/Mountain Dew and Red Bull.

Former V8 Supercar champion Marcos Ambrose is sponsored by a host of fast-moving consumer goods, including: Little Debbie’s snack foods, Bush’s Baked Beans, Clorox cleaning products, Kingsford BBQ supplies and Kleenex Cottonelle.

While agreeing that V8 Supercars Australia has done a fantastic job to grow the sport to its 2010 level, the managers believe that V8s must take the next step if it is to challenge the likes of the Australian Football League in the commercial world.

“I think V8 Supercar has done a marvellous job in packaging this sport to the point where it’s a major sport, it gets major TV rights so it’s established itself in the biggest arena and done very well,” Rodgers said in the V8X interview.

“The biggest challenge now is the sport marketing itself properly.

“We don’t have a major fast-moving consumer good in the field; NASCAR does.

“We don’t have a major financial player in the field; NASCAR does.

“The sport now, to really capitalise on what’s been done, needs a very, very smart marketing plan to break it out of the Castrols and all the other [traditional automotive based sponsors] to appeal as a mainstream sport to the marketing community. And until it does we’ll still be fishing in the same ponds.”

To see what else the driver managers believe is the future direction of the sport pick up your copy of the latest edition of V8X Supercar magazine, which goes on sale this Wednesday (January 6).

[Rob]

Holden: we want to dominate 2010!
Tuesday 05/01/2010 11:00

Simon McNamara

Holden will settle for nothing less than complete domination of the 2010 season as it prepares to usher TeamVodafone into the red juggernaut's family.

Holden Motorsport Manager, Simon McNamara, does not mince words when talking with V8X Supercar magazine when he says that he expects absolute supremacy for the manufacturer in 2010.

"I like domination and I like crushing," McNamara declared.

"In my mind we have got the best teams and the best looking cars.

"I just don't want to win, I want to fill the entire podium with Commodores."

Holden will field 19 Commodores in 2010 compared to 10 from Ford.

McNamara has been particularly scathing of Ford's handling of its motorsport plans since the Blue Oval’s axing of TeamVodafone and the Jim Beam-backed Johnson Racing from its factory program.

"I think their (Fords) business plans when they came back into it a few years ago were emotional and not business driven," McNamara commented.

"They looked at a short-term gain, but we looked at the future.

"Ford dropped the ball and I honestly can't see them winning anything in 2010.

"It's a matter of teams not the numbers.”

The General Motors Holden motorsport division has spread its support to more teams, adding to its spearhead of the two best teams in V8 Supercars - Walkinshaw Racing and TeamVodafone.

"We now have the two best teams in the country and we want to win, win and win,” McNamara added.

To see the full story on McNamara’s pledge to dominate the sport in 2010, pick up your copy of the latest edition of V8X Supercar magazine, which goes on sale tomorrow (Wednesday, January 6).

[Rob]

http://i49.tinypic.com/2wcieef.jpg

Bundy bares all
Tuesday 06/01/2009 14:00

Author: Allan Edwards | BigPond Sport

The drivers unveil the livery
Bundaberg Red Racing opened the 2010 V8 Supercar launch season this morning with its two new drivers – Fabian Coulthard and Andrew Thompson – pulling the covers off one of the team’s newly liveried VE Commodores on the Elwood beach foreshore in Melbourne.

Click here to see more photos of the Bundaberg Red Racing Livery

Coulthard, who is the team’s lead driver for 2010, told the assembled media, sponsors and team personnel that he can’t wait for the season to get underway in just five weeks time at Abu Dhabi.

“It’s great to be here today unveiling my new Commodore,” he said.

“With the new year now underway and coming back from a refreshing break, we will now be able to get down to business so we can hit the ground running for the event in Abu Dhabi next month.”

Coulthard, who switches to the Bundaberg Red Racing Commodore from one of the now defunct Wilson Security Racing Falcons, said he is looking to improve in 2010 on his impressive results from 2009, which included a podium at Tasmania’s Symmons Plains.

“We have some of the best equipment in pitlane and I can’t wait to get to the first event and show how strong we can be this year,” the 27-year-old said.

“The team at Walkinshaw Racing has been very accommodating so far.

“I had a drive in one of the Walkinshaw Commodores at the ride day in December so everything is falling into place nicely.”

After starting his V8 Supercar career in a Paul Morris Motorsport Commodore, Coulthard said he can’t wait to get back to racing a Holden.

“It is great to be back in a Holden and I am ecstatic to be driving a Walkinshaw Racing Commodore for Bundaberg Red Racing,” he said.

Thompson, meanwhile, will drive Bundaberg Red Racing’s second VE Commodore in 2010 as the team has expended its operation to two cars for this season.

The 22-year-old, who was without a drive in 2009, last drove a V8 Supercar fulltime for Paul Weel Racing in 2008 but got plenty of miles in last year’s endurance races with Bottle-O Racing.

“I couldn’t be happier to be back in the ‘main game’,” he said.

“It was great to get everything locked away before the Christmas break and now that I have made the move to Melbourne I am ready to get the year underway.

“I have been given an incredible break with one of the best teams in pitlane and I plan to make the most of the opportunity.”

It will be the first time that Thompson has raced in a two-car team since joining the V8 Supercar ranks.

“I haven’t had a teammate before so I am looking forward to working closely with Fabian and getting the Bundaberg Red Racing team as close to the front of the grid as possible,” Thompson said.

He has signed a one-year deal with Walkinshaw Racing with performance-related options for at least two more

[Rob]

Adelaide ups the ante
Thursday 07/01/2010 10:30

Author: Briar Gunther | Source: V8 Supercar


Adelaide Clipsal 500
Improvements to general admission and the return of shaded grandstands and a pyrotechnic show are slated for the Clipsal 500 in March.

Adelaide is upping the ante for the event, which for the first time since its inception in 1999 will not be the first event in the V8 Supercar Championship.

The two Middle East events precede next year’s Clipsal 500, but the South Australian races will remain as the first domestic ones for 2010.

Improvements to facilities in the general admission section, which has been renamed as the ‘Trackside’ area, shading all grandstands and a new entertainment and catering area called the Parking Lot are some of the recent announcements made for the event.

The support categories include the Fujitsu Series, Australian GT Championship, Biante Touring Car Masters, V8 Utes, Aussie Racing Cars, Mini Challenge and the introduction of the new category called Supersports.

The Clipsal 500’s Murray Walker’s Extreme Machines Car display will feature the new Ferrari Californian, the new Lamborghini Murcielago LP670-4 SuperVeloce, and a new Ford Mustang and Chevrolet Corvette.

And South Aussies rejoice because one of the state’s most loved events, the SAFM Skyshow, will be part of the 2010 Clipsal 500.

South Australian Motor Sport Board Chief Executive Jason Allen described it as a huge coup for the event.

“We believe the inclusion of the Stratco SAFM Skyshow will make the 2010 event the biggest Clipsal 500 Adelaide ever,” he said.

Peter Maynard, the General Manager for the SAFM radio station, said the show would take Clipsal to a new level.

“SAFM Skyshow, with its firework display synchronised to a soundtrack on SAFM, was a South Australian institution and we have been searching for a way to bring it back for three years,” he said.

“Now with the Clipsal 500 Adelaide and major partner Stratco, that’s happening.”

Artists to appear at the four free Jim Beam TrackSounds on-circuit concert series include Eskimo Joe, British India, Jessica Mauboy, Wes Carr, Tom Williams, Stan Walker, Status Quo and Noiseworks, Cold Chisel’s Ian Moss and Mental as Anything.

Deputy Premier Kevin Foley has announced that ticket sales to the 2010 event had already reached $3.94m with about 74 per cent of grandstand seats already sold through a price cap offer.

The 2010 Clipsal 500 Adelaide takes place from March 11-14. For tickets phone Ticketek on 132 849 or book online at www.ticketek.com.au

[Rob]

QR off 2010 V8 calendar
Thursday 07/01/2010 15:00

Author: Press Release | Source: V8 Supercars Australia


Queensland Raceway
V8 Supercars Australia has been unable to reach satisfactory hire and commercial terms with the operator of Queensland Raceway for a proposed 2010 May date.

This date on the 2010 Championship Series calendar had been listed until now as provisional, pending the outcome of talks between the two parties.

V8SA was totally prepared to become the promoter of the Ipswich event in May to keep the event alive, but unfortunately this is not possible due to a long list of unrealistic demands set by the Queensland Raceway operator.

QR demanded a near record hire fee for the hire of the venue despite its ageing facilities, and also insisted the venue would not be responsible for obtaining the very necessary CAMS licence that is required under the FIA’s sanctioning of V8 Supercars as an International Series, amongst many other things.

This, coupled with the fact that fans and corporates have dropped off from attending QR because of the lack of decent facilities, means that QR at Ipswich is no longer a viable venue for Australia’s premier motorsport Championship.

Shane Howard, acting CEO for V8SA, said: “This is extremely disappointing for all our fans but we had given QR a very reasonable offer and we have to be responsible to our teams when we hire venues and conduct events.

“The unrealistic hire fees and un-commercial terms demanded by QR, when compared with other permanent venues, are absurd given the standard of the QR infrastructure for fans and teams alike.

“QR’s reluctance to be a CAMS sanctioned venue further compounds a very difficult position for us as we are a fully fledged FIA Championship. Almost no money has been spent on fan facilities at QR in the last eight years despite our ongoing requests and it is now looking very tired from a fan and corporate point of view."

The positive news is that V8SA will still be conducting 15 events in season 2010 including offering two events to fans in Queensland with the Dunlop Townsville 400 in July and the Gold Coast event in October. The 2010 season opener kicks off in Abu Dhabi at the world class Yas Marina Circuit from February 18-20th.

“We do question how a venue which was built with significant State Government funds and is leased on Ipswich Council land can manipulate groups such as ours with ridiculous hire figures and non compliance with the Government recognised sanctioning body is surely got to be questioned?” V8 Supercars Australia Chairman Tony Cochrane said.

“Every year dealing with John Tetley turns into a greater nightmare for all of us in the Championship and I totally understand V8SA getting to this very frustrating point. With so many V8 Supercar teams headquartered in SE Queensland we now need to focus on what we can do for the future.

“Maybe the time has come for us to work with the Queensland Government and jointly build our own permanent facility to ensure the nearly 1000 jobs in our great industry are keep here in SE Queensland.”

[Rob]

V8s in the pits at AGP
Friday 08/01/2010 11:30

Author: Briar Gunther | Source: V8 Supercar


With V8's get a pitlane at the AGP?
V8 Supercars Australia Executive Chairman, Tony Cochrane, has ruled out holding a street event in Melbourne outside of the Australian Grand Prix.

Cochrane said he had no intention of starting a second street race in Melbourne because of the category’s strong ties to organisers of the Formula One race.

The Australian Grand Prix event is currently a non-Championship exhibition event for the V8 Supercars.

“We’ve got a really fantastic relationship firstly with the Grand Prix people in Melbourne… and we’ve got a fantastic working relationship with Bernie (Ecclestone) and the FIA and I’m not about to do anything to upset any of those relationships,” he said.

“I’m far too sensible to go into that pond.”

Instead, Cochrane is working on a long-term plan which will give more importance to the races at Albert Park.

“We are at the moment working on a new five-year deal at F1 and I think what we’ll see happen out of that is we’ve designed this pit building here (at the Sydney Telstra 500) to be portable,” he said.

“And I’m hopeful that even as early as this year that we’ll have our own pit area at the Formula One event and we will do a set of major races in association with that event and we’ll get out of, for want of a better word, the exhibition phase of that event.

“But we are very much committed in Australia to supporting Formula One coming to Australia; it’s the pinnacle of world motorsport.

“As I said before we’ve got an outstanding working relationship with them and I’m all for trying as best as I humanly can to get a sensible deal up in Melbourne and I expect I will get a sensible deal up in Melbourne.”

Meanwhile, the pitlane order for V8 Supercar teams has already been confirmed, with 2009 Teams’ Champion Toll Holden Racing Team heading the list.

The order after HRT is TeamVodafone, Garry Rogers Motorsport. Walkinshaw Racing, Paul Morris Motorsport, Tony D’Alberto Racing, Lucas Dumbrell Racing, Jim Beam Racing, Brad Jones Racing, Kelly Racing, Stone Brothers Racing, Ford Performance Racing and Triple F Racing.

[coysht]

F1 and V8 supercars in the same weekend - Now thats sounds like a show and a half....anyone want to fly me to Aus and buy me a 3-day pass?.......anyone?

[Rob]

QR feud simmers
Monday 11/01/2010 10:52

Source: BigPond Sport

Queensland Raceway turn one
As the fallout continues in the wake of the Queensland Raceway cancellation there could be a glimmer of hope with Ipswich mayor Paul Pisasale willing to act as a peacemaker.

QR operator John Tetley and V8 Supercars chairman Tony Cochrane were unable to sort out several differences after months of negotiations soured last week.

Pisasale has vowed to fight to revive the QR round that was slated as round five of 15 events from April 30-May 2.

The popular mayor is trying to strike a deal for his council to lease the venue off Tetley and hire it out to Cochrane under a different set of terms.

However, Cochrane has indicated that the decision to walk away from QR, in 2010, at least is final.

Both QR and V8SA listed demands either side were apparently unwilling to agree to as the tenuous year-to-year deal to race at the Ipswich circuit broke down last week.

Tetley was after a longer commitment from V8SA, believed to be a five-year agreement, but several hurdles prevented both parties from going forward.

Among them was the apparent refusal by V8SA not to recognise the 500 lifetime memberships that were struck when the circuit fell on tough times in its early years a decade ago.

"They (V8SA) wouldn't accept the lifetime members," Tetley claimed.

"If they didn't tip in (back then) there wouldn't be a track."

"Yet we have to honour 4500 passholders issued by V8s each year."

Tetley said he was disappointed common ground could not be reached.

"I'm very disappointed but I can't take the chance of loosing $200,000 again - it just doesn't make business sense."

Cochrane defended V8SA's position over the feud and says while it is most unlikely there can be any form of reconciliation for 2010, the door remains open for the future.

"We absolutely want to run at QR," Cochrane said.

"(But) he (Tetley) is full of mystery and intrigue and his idea of hire/leases - we've never seen anything like it in the world."

Cochrane said he acknowledges that a portion of hardened V8 fans have been alienated by the decision to not race at QR.

"Yes of course I understand them being upset about it," Cochrane said.

"It's too late to plan another Event for 2010 but our door remains open in regards to QR in the future."

Cochrane pointed out that the QR cancellation was not linked to the on-going cloud over the former Gold Coast Indy with that Event's future on slippery ground after the A1GP no-show last year.

Two Queensland Government reports are still to be made public into the fiasco, which saw V8 Supercars fill the breach left by the debt-riddled open wheeler series in 2009 at short notice.

"We are waiting patiently to see what they have to say or what they don't have to say," Cochrane said.

"But I want to make it clear that this decision (QR breakdown) has nothing to do with the Gold Coast Event."

As it stands the cancellation of QR has left a yawning gap in the calendar that already has a two-month break from mid-year between the Dunlop Townsville 400 from July 9-11 until the L&H 500 at Phillip Island from September 10-12.

[Rob]

Sydney 500 to incorporate Motor Show?
Tuesday 12/01/2010 11:00

Source: BigPond Sport - copyright

V8 Supercars Australia and the New South Wales Government are believed to be considering the idea of combining the Australian International Motor Show and the Sydney Telstra 500 at the Olympic Games site for race week.

The capacity to host the Motor Show, traditionally held at Darling Harbour in October, is part of a hit list officials are targeting to beef up the entertainment package.

Other ideas being explored include major automotive launches as the V8 Supercars grand finale seeks to expand the event into a week-long festival.

The magnitude of success following the whopping three-day crowd of almost 185,000 overwhelmed the government and the V8 Supercar administration.

“We are just blown away by the response,” V8 Executive Chairman, Tony Cochrane, told V8X Supercar magazine.

As big as the Olympic site is, there remained about 20 per cent that was untouched by the V8 race.

It opens up huge possibilities given the venue has unprecedented levels of transport infrastructure unique to a motor racing venue.

The free train system was well utilised by the crowds and the venue largely went off without a hitch apart from some teething problems which will be addressed for next year.

“We are now going to sit down with the government and have some discussions about how we can add other components to the event,” Cochrane said.

“We've got some great ideas for the future and we are going to build on this now.

“We've made one small step and we are going to make lots more now.”

NSW Events is also expected to review its perplexing policy of putting a 70,000-a-day cap on the Olympic Site for the V8 event.

V8X Supercar magazine is available at your local newsagent today.

[Rob]

QR axing: soft tyres to blame?

Wednesday 13/01/2010 09:50

Source: BigPond Sport

The super soft Dunlop tyres introduced last year were a central issue in the axing of the Queensland Raceway round because they allegedly caused damage to the track surface.

Tracks including Queensland Raceway suffered surface damage following the debut of the sticky tyres last year.

Officials at Perth’s Barbagallo circuit confirmed they had to repair the track following the November V8 round in 2009.

The initial repair bill at Barbagallo was $14,000 but that figure is expected to increase with associated costs.

QR operator John Tetley had demanded V8 Supercars pay for any damage if the meeting was to go ahead in 2010, something which category organisers were not willing to be held accountable for.

The soft tyre issue could now open up a can of worms if more track operators stand their ground and demand payment for any tyre-related damage to their tracks.

“As hirers they (V8 Supercars) had to take responsibility for any damage to the track but they wouldn’t,” Tetley said.

In the initial V8 Supercar press release last week, it claimed a list of issues where the category managers were at odds with QR included ageing facilities, non responsibility of QR to obtain a CAMS licence among other things.

V8 Supercars Executive Chairman, Tony Cochrane, has accused Tetley of becoming a greater nightmare to deal with each year.

As lessor of QR, Tetley has come up with an increasing list of demands which, in the end, V8 Supercars was not able to agree to including the potential for damage to the track surface.

Ipswich Mayor Paul Pisasale has now become the chief negotiator in trying to strike a deal to put QR back on the 2010 V8 calendar.

Pisasale and Cochrane were scheduled to meet today in a last ditch attempt to save the QR round, originally scheduled for April 30-May 2.

Barbagallo promoter Peter Thornell confirmed the 2.42km Perth track had suffered several areas of damage following the November meeting.

“We have had to absorb the cost of about $14,000 and we’ve also had to relocate some hirers following the repairs to allow the track to cure,” Thornell said.

“On top of that there will be some on-going costs.

“I put it (the damage) down to the soft tyres and the fact that we raced in the warmer month of November.

“If the damage was happening every year then we would have to ask for V8 Supercars to take responsibility but up until last year we didn’t have a problem.”

[Rob]

V8SA appoints new CEO
Wednesday 13/01/2010 10:00

Source: V8 Supercars Australia

In two highly significant announcements made today, V8 Supercars Australia has appointed a new Chief Executive Officer for the next four years.

Martin Whitaker, currently Chief Executive Officer of the Bahrain International Circuit, will assume the role of CEO of V8 Supercars Australia from April. Whitaker boasts an extensive background in the sport covering some 25 years.

His former significant positions include Director of Motorsport at Ford Motor Company, working for two Presidents of the FIA, Formula 1 Management (FOM) and McLaren International.

Whitaker was appointed General Manager and then Chief Executive Officer of the Bahrain International Circuit shortly after its opening in 2004 by His Royal Highness the Crown Prince Shaikh Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa and now heads a team of more than 130 personal at the Sakhir track.

During his time at BIC, Whitaker has been responsible for the organisation and development of a diverse range of activities at the circuit including local, regional and international motorsport events as well as a growing corporate entertainment business. The 2010 Gulf Air Bahrain Grand Prix will be the Kingdom’s seventh Formula One race and the sixth under his leadership.

Whitaker is highly regarded as one of motorsports leading businessmen and brings a wealth of international knowledge to V8 Supercars Australia.

His appointment concludes an extensive six month, world-wide search that included three continents with applicants of the very highest level, experience and qualifications in motorsport management.

Chairman of V8 Supercars Australia Tony Cochrane said: "enticing someone of Martin’s expertise to the CEO position is an outstanding testimony to the size and quality of our business and our sport.

“The fact that we are so well positioned on the world motorsports stage means that we can now attract and afford the best people as we move forward in our next five year phase.

“Martin will join an excellent management team and help build the sport throughout Australia, the Pacific, Asia and the Indian sub continents.”

Whitaker will move to the Gold Coast, V8SA’s headquarters, and take up the appointment following the opening round of the FIA Formula One World Championship in Bahrain. As previously announced, Shane Howard (the Chief Operating Officer of V8 Supercars Australia) will be acting CEO until that time.

"This is a magnificent opportunity for me and one that I am very much looking forward to" said Whitaker.

"It is difficult to imagine a better time to be involved with V8 Supercars as its reputation and widening global appeal is going through a significant increase.

“V8 Supercars Australia is now one of the foremost series in global motorsport with a vibrant business platform and a growing fan base not only in Australasia but throughout the world.

“Since my involvement with the Championship began some four years ago I have continued to be impressed by the power of the brand, its unique competitiveness and the professionalism of the organisation. I look forward with immense enthusiasm to being part of V8 Supercars at a time when the sport has so much to offer."

Whitaker’s appointment follows a unanimous Board decision to re-elect Cochrane for a further two years as Chairman of the sport.

This will take Cochrane’s reign as Chairman to 15 years at the helm. During this time the sport has gone from being a fringe player to a significant sport throughout the region and in the world of motorsport.

V8SA Board member and 2009 Drivers Championship winning team owner Roland Dane said: “Without Tony’s drive and dedication to V8 Supercars over the last 15 years this sport would quite simply not be even 10% of the size it is today.

“Therefore, despite the fact that we have enjoyed more than the odd “healthy debate” over the years, for me and my fellow Board members it was simply a no-brainer to ask Tony to continue as Chairman.

“And with the appointment of a consummate professional in Martin as our new CEO, hopefully the Chairman can continue to be our Rainmaker. I know that I can speak for all the Board in thanking Tony for taking on such a huge workload last year and also in welcoming Martin into the fold.”

Cochrane said as he continues the Chairmanship he looked forward to working with the Board and Whitaker in continuing to grow the sport.

"It is a tremendous honour to be Chairman of this sport for such an extended period, as I look back over the terrific progress made over the past thirteen years with V8 Supercars,” he said.

“However, with big plans to be unveiled in the coming months, the car of the future on our door step and the appointment of Martin to the CEO role, I believe the next five years will be even greater than the substantial achievements to date.

"We have big plans, exciting plans and we intend to double the size of our sport and our business in the next growth phase.”

The next two months will herald the significant roll out of major new media and TV deals, a new marketing campaign headed up by one of the world’s hottest female artists of today, new major sponsorship signings and the inaugural Abu Dhabi season opening round in late February.

[Rob]

Tyres not to blame
Thursday 14/01/2010 16:01


Another circuit manager has weighed into what is becoming a great debate over whether the new Dunlop SP Sports Maxx Sprint tyre is to blame for track break ups.

Winton Motor Raceway Chief Executive Officer, Mick Ronke, agrees the soft tyre is tougher on track surfaces than the V8 control tyre, but explains that there is a range of reasons why ultimately it is not to blame.

Earlier this week, management from Queensland Raceway and Barbagallo Raceway said they believed the soft tyre was at least partly the reason for track break-ups during their respective 2009 V8 events.

But Ronke said it was the surface underneath the tyres that was the real problem.

“What happens at one circuit does not mean it will happen to another and the circuits that have had work done on the bitumen over the last couple of years are having the most trouble,” he said.

“The bitumen companies are producing these days is softer and softer to compensate for ground movement and stop it from cracking.

“But with some of these soft bitumens, when you have a tyre that puts extreme pressure in warm weather it can unravel the bitumen.”

Ronke said the bitumen is generally laid at about 95 degrees Celcius but the temperature generated from race tyres was up to 130 degree Celcius – 30 degrees more than the bitumen’s melting point.

And any weakness in the surface in the bitumen, which could be as little as a stone that has not been properly covered when the bitumen was laid, can start breaking up the track especially if the tyre is stickier.

Ronke also attributed viscosity, which he described as the flow rate and ‘clinginess’ of the bitumen, as another issue.

“Bitumen has a wide range of viscosity and the oil companies have discovered if they move the viscosity to the lower end of the range they get more barrels out of it but it loses its tenacity,” he said.

Ronke said the Supercars are particularly brutal on track surfaces because of the large down forces, but he accepts that track break-ups are part and parcel of hosting a V8 event and running a circuit in general.

“We understand it’s racing and we’ve got to try to live with it and solve the problem.”

However even bitumen experts have been unable to advise Winton Raceway on how to fix the issue.

“We’re going to have to resurface in the next few years and I’m not looking forward to doing that because the quality of the bitumen I think will be much worse,” he said.

“We’re just hanging in there with our bitumen surface because we discovered these problems (of not being able to source a higher quality bitumen) a couple of years ago, but it is difficult to keep it in a usable state and we are trying to find a bitumen that is a bit more hardy.

“I’ve had the bitumen people complaining where they did a job in this area about 12 months ago and on Christmas Eve they had to attend to it because the bitumen was melting and running down the gutter.

“It was absolutely melting and these are the sorts of problems we are faced with in running a race track.”

Ironically, the V8 event at Darwin’s Hidden Valley Raceway is run under the most extreme heat conditions yet the track suffers from no major break-ups.

A spokesman from the raceway understands that a special formula was made when the track was laid to better bond the surface.

Winton Motor Raceway will host the test day for the Victorian V8 Supercar teams on Monday, February 8 while the test day for Queensland teams takes place a day later at Queensland Raceway.

The V8 Supercar official launch for 2010 will take place in Sydney on February 10, with more information to follow.

[Rob]

Geoff Jones joins SEL
Thursday 14/01/2010 16:00

Author: Press Release | Source: V8 Supercars Australia

In the first major partnership change in the 13 year history of Sports and Entertainment Limited, Geoff Jones, the current CEO of Ticketek, will be joining SEL as both a Partner and Director from April 1, 2010.

Geoff brings with him a wealth of experience and expertise, having worked for IMG in senior roles for five years and then the Foster’s Group for a further five years in a range of senior executive appointments, culminating in several years as National Sales Director.

Since that time Geoff has been the leading force in Ticketek’s impressive business growth and diversification over the last few years.

During this period Geoff has evolved Ticketek into an innovative and market leading live entertainment and digital business.

Geoff is a dynamic leader who is well respected throughout the entertainment and sports industries in both Australia and New Zealand.

“This is an exciting development for SEL. We are in a significant expansive stage and Geoff will be a valuable asset and partner in our business going forward. He is the first new partner to join our business in our history and we are very much looking forward to Geoff coming on board,” said James Erskine, Chief Executive Officer of SEL.

“I have long admired the way SEL has gone about their business and the market position and success they have created. I look forward to joining with my new Partners and the team at SEL to help grow the business even further” Jones said.

SEL has become the premier sports and entertainment company in Australia since its inception in 1997. In addition to its significant involvement as a shareholder of V8 Supercars, SEL represents sporting associations such as Cricket Australia, The Australian Rugby Union, Netball Australia, The International Cricket Council, Rugby World Cup and the Rugby League International Federation and individuals such as Sir Michael Parkinson, Shane Warne, Matt Giteau and Zara Phillips.

SEL in its short history has created some of the biggest entertainment success stories this country has ever seen. It is a highly innovative organisation that has set amazing trends and results with a raft of entertainment and sports projects since its start.

[Rob]

We’re on our way
Friday 15/01/2010 10:00

Reigning Champion Jamie Whincup will next week become the first V8 Supercar driver to cut a lap at Abu Dhabi’s Yas Marina Circuit.

The TeamVodafone driver will be the first of four V8 drivers to experience the circuit as Yas Marina Circuit and V8 Supercars throws their arsenal of resources into ensuring the inaugural Abu Dhabi event – the Yas V8 400 - is a success.

Whincup, along with Toll Holden Racing Team’s Will Davison, Ford Performance Racing’s Mark Winterbottom and The Bottle-O Racing’s Paul Dumbrell will take part in a four-day whirlwind promotional tour.

They leave next Wednesday, January 20 and their promotional tour involves a full track day at Yas Marina Circuit.

“As the 2009 V8 Supercar Champion, Jamie Whincup will be given the great honour of driving the first lap of the circuit that includes the corkscrew component, which we will be the first to race on next month,” V8 Supercars Australia Media Manager, Cole Hitchcock, said.

“The boys will drive a whole array of the cars that Abu Dhabi have in their stable including GT2 cars and will also give passenger rides to key people in the UAE. We are also hoping they may have a drive of the F1 two-seater.”

Besides the track day at Yas Marina Circuit, the drivers will take part in activities including waterskiing and wakeboarding for media companies to film lifestyle segments, meet a contingent of ex-pats known as Aussies Abroad, give road safety talks at schools, head off on a desert trip to immerse themselves the local culture and they might even meet the royal family.

Whincup was still on holidays and not available for comment but Davison said he was looking forward to the visit.

“I said yes pretty quickly to support the event and it will be a great chance to have a good look at the circuit and prepare for the race and just have a bit of fun,” he said.

“It’s certainly a big ask to get out there now because it’s a key preparation time given we are only a few weeks out from the first event of the year, but we are willing to do it to make this event a success.

“I’m looking forward to it; there’s going to be some pretty special cars we’re going to drive so it will be awesome.

“We’re all pumped about going to such an awesome facility and no doubt like at Bahrain we will be looked after pretty well.”

Hitchcock said organisers of the Yas V8 400 were keen to promote that the V8 Supercar drivers are the best in the world.

“The visit is designed to get the word out to the Middle East and specifically Abu Dhabi that we are coming,” he said.

“And the drivers clearly know how important this event is to our Championship. We really appreciate the four drivers have been able to work it around their heavy commitments at this time of year. It is the season opener and it is the first time we are racing in Abu Dhabi.”

Media powerhouse CNN will be one of the organisations filming the V8 Supercar drivers during their visit while V8 Supercars Australia will send over TV crews for Australian coverage.

[Rob]

V8s race F1 Bahrain track
Friday 15/01/2010 10:45


V8 Supercar drivers are thrilled at the prospect of being able to race the full 5.41km Hermann Tilke-designed Formula One track at the Bahrain International Circuit.

V8 Supercars Australia today (Friday) announced that as part of the double-header opener in the Middle East for the 2010 Championship, V8 Supercars will race the full length of the Bahrain track for the first time at the Desert 400 next month.

Teams were advised yesterday that the V8s will no longer use the 3.6km circuit but the longer F1 example, which includes the north-eastern corner of the track.

The move will push a V8 lap time out to just over two minutes at this year’s Desert 400, which takes place a week after the first ever V8 event at Abu Dhabi, the Yas V8 400.

Jim Beam Racing’s James Courtney said he had been taunted at past Bahrain events when he passed the unused section of track.

“It’s been a bit of a tease the last few years where you could see this awesome circuit and you were not allowed to race on it so this is fantastic news,” he said.

“I think it’s going to be really quite good and open up a few more passing opportunities, which will produce better racing.

“It’s like racing on a brand new circuit and is likely to need new car set ups and I enjoy new challenges.”

Toll Holden Racing Team driver Will Davison said he was pumped at the prospect of racing the full Formula One circuit at Bahrain.

“We go all that way and race on such incredible tracks and facilities, not that it hasn’t been exciting to race there, but you see the part of the track you pass and think you’re missing out on something,” he said.

“I think a lot of the best corners are in that section of the track we didn’t use in the past and it’s a very technical and fun part of the circuit.

“We saw what exciting racing we had last time in Bahrain and I think this is just going to open that up more.

“It has been disappointing not to be able to use the best part and now that we are the racing will be fantastic.”

[Rob]

Tickets now on sale for Yas V8 400
Friday 15/01/2010 15:30


Tickets have gone on sale for the eagerly anticipated season opener of the V8 Supercars Australia Championship Series opener, held at Yas Marina Circuit on February 19 – 20.

The YAS V8 400 weekend will provide great entertainment for families and friends with tickets starting from just 325 AED ($AUD 95).

Children 12 and under are free when accompanied by a paying adult in general admission.

The Australian V8 Supercars will race at night under lights for the first time in history.

They will also be the first to use an exciting feature of Yas Marina Circuit - a high speed off-camber left, right, left turn sequence - known as 'the Corkscrew', which drops 15 metres in elevation across 100 metres in distance – a feature that is sure to pose big challenges to the drivers.

Four additional support races will complete the entertainment: Chevrolet Supercars Middle East Challenge, Porsche GT3 Cup Challenge, UAE GT Championship, and the Gulf Sport Radical Cup.

Richard Cregan, CEO of Yas Marina Circuit, said, “Having the first event of the 2010 V8 Supercars Australia Championship Series is great for Yas Marina Circuit".

"On top of that, to run this series’ first ever night race and use a special circuit configuration designed to emphasise the specific performance characteristics of these cars, will make these races unforgettable.

“We look forward to welcoming the organisers, teams, drivers, sponsors and fans to the UAE for the YAS V8 400.

"When you add four regional support races, spectator access to the pit and paddock areas, plus all the family friendly entertainment that will be staged in our Oasis, this is a great opportunity to enjoy another great weekend of motorsport.”

Tony Cochrane, Chairman of the V8 Supercars Australia Championship Series, said “we could not have asked for a better way to start the 2010 season: the first V8 Supercar race at Yas Marina Circuit, the first V8 Supercar race under lights".

"Fans and spectators are going to get a fantastic show at this amazing new world class circuit.

“The phenomenal facilities at Yas Marina Circuit are absolutely mind-blowing and the lighting is out of this world,” Mr Cochrane said, “Utilising the ‘corkscrew’ section of the track for the first time of any race category is also a huge honour for our sport and will provide some of the best racing imaginable.”

To book tickets for the Yas V8 400 visit www.yasmarinacircuit.ae

[Rob]

Centaur off to a flying start
Monday 18/01/2010 09:00

Source: BigPond Sport - copyright

Tony D’Alberto’s brand new race team will be named Centaur Racing after the company that will sponsor it.

Centaur is a brand name under the D’Alberto family’s Bellmont company, which helped launch the Victoria Police VE Commodore divisional van featuring a Centaur ‘pod’ last September.

Following an amicable split with Rod Nash Racing last year, the D’Albertos bought one of the Tasman Motorsport Racing Entitlement Contracts and D’Alberto will now run with the #3 on the side of his Commodore.

Rather than resting on its laurels, Centaur Racing has already enlisted Shane Price as the co-driver for the endurance races.

The pair has competed against each other since their karting days and D’Alberto, the 2007 Fujitsu Series Champion, said Price was too good an opportunity to pass up.

“Shane is a quality driver; he’s got a competitive nature and he wants to showcase his talents,” D’Alberto said.

“He knows the car; knows the tracks and wants to win.

“With the changes to driving pairings at the endurance races, we wanted to make sure we secured a driver that was on the cusp of racing V8s full-time, especially someone who has raced in a Walkinshaw car in the past, and Shane ticks every box.”

Price was dumped by Perkins Engineering late in 2008, but is viewed as a future V8 talent.

He finished 12th at the L&H 500 and 16th at the Supercheap Auto Bathurst 1000 with Steve Owen for Walkinshaw Racing last year.

“Tony and I have been racing against each other for more than half our lives, which is a strange way to look at it given our ages,” Price said.

“It’s a fantastic opportunity with a dedicated team; they put in the hard yards and always aim for the top.

“Tony’s been in contention at Bathurst the last three years, with two top-10 results, which is a good reflection of the progress being made.

“I’m looking forward to playing a role in that progress.”

Price, who will also take part in the test for Victorian teams at Winton Motor Raceway on February 8, said he was looking forward to the opportunity.

“The guys have been going flat out behind the scenes to prepare a car that will push us towards the pointy end. I can’t wait to get behind the wheel.”

[Rob]

V8s sprint the whole way
Monday 18/01/2010 13:45

| Source: BigPond Sport - copyright


The Dunlop SP Sports Maxx Sprint, trialled for the first time in V8 Supercars last year, will have a greater presence in 2010 with the announcement two events will be held entirely using these softer tyres.

Winton Raceway’s V8 Supercar event in May and Barbagallo Raceway’s BigPond 300 in June are named as the likely events where only the Sprint tyres will be used.

“After a successful trial of the Dunlop Sprint (soft) tyre in 2009 V8 Supercars is proud to announce that for the 2010 Season we will be conducting two race meetings where all competitors will use Sprint tyres only,” teams were advised today (Monday).

“After the positive feedback received from teams and drivers alike, V8 Supercars expects this exciting new format to create close and entertaining racing at both circuits.”

The format for both the events will remain the same as the other sprint events and each car will be allocated 20 Sprint tyres, along with eight used control tyres or in the case of rookies or drivers in the lower half of the Championship, 12 used control tyres.

[Rob]

Frosty extends FPR contract
Tuesday 19/01/2010 11:00

Source: BigPond Sport - copyright


Ford Performance Racing (FPR) has announced today (Tuesday) that star driver Mark ‘Frosty’ Winterbottom will remain with the team until 2013.

And tech guru, Campbell Little will stay on with FPR as Frosty’s engineer.

“I am very pleased to confirm a further three years with FPR, which has been my racing home since 2006,” Winterbottom said.

“This is a great team with enormous potential and we have unfinished Championship business to attend to in the seasons ahead.

“I am very proud to continue my long and successful association with Ford through this new agreement and together with all Blue Oval fans, we are hungrier than ever to become V8 Supercar Champions.

“I am looking forward to the next exciting chapter in my career with FPR starting in Abu Dhabi next month.”

FPR Team Principal, Tim Edwards, said the team was “extremely happy” to secure Winterbottom’s services for another three years.

“Mark has been a great asset to the team and the key to our recent success,” he said.

“Knowing he's committed to our chase for a championship we can now confidently employ some new strategies to achieve this.”

Winterbottom will have his first V8 Supercar outing for 2010 when FPR tests the Orrcon Steel FPR Falcon at Winton Motor Raceway on February 8.

The news that Frosty and Little will team up for 2010 will be welcome news for Blue Oval fans considering that Falcons make up only a third of this year’s V8 Supercar grid.

Little worked for Stone Brothers Racing during its glory years and was the engineer who oversaw Winterbottom’s Development Series victory in 2003.

He worked for Triple Eight Racing until early last year, where he took up the position of Category Technical Director with V8 Supercars Australia.

But he left the role after the now infamous splitter saga and later joined FPR where he helped turn the team’s fortunes around towards the end of the season, with Winterbottom finishing the Championship in fifth.

[Rob]

HRT goes back to its roots
Wednesday 20/01/2010 11:15

Author: Briar Gunther | Source: BigPond Sport - copyright
http://i45.tinypic.com/qnwz0g.jpg
Toll HRT's 2010 livery
Toll Holden Racing Team (HRT) released its livery for the 2010 V8 Supercar Championship this morning (Wednesday), revealing it had replaced last year's Day-Glo livery with a more traditional red one.

Holden Design’s Peter Hughes created the livery, which like the team’s 2010 uniforms, features more black.

The livery has been described as a “logical evolution of past schemes” and was inspired by the team’s one-off 2008 Bathurst livery.

Red Rooster has come on board as a new sponsor for the factory Holden team and features on the bonnet and under the wing.

HRT driver Garth Tander emceed the team's 2010 livery launch, which took place at Holden's Port Melbourne facility.

Fellow driver Will Davison took to the stage later, where he and GT bantered about the 2009 season, what lies ahead and what they were doing 20 years ago when the team was founded.

After joking that Davison, 27, was still in nappies at the time, Tander reminisced about Win Percy and Allan Grice’s Bathurst win in 1990, beating the Ford Sierras and Nissan GT-Rs.

Tander said the reigning Bathurst and V8 Supercar Teams’ Champions would push for even greater results this year with the goal of reclaiming the V8 Supercar Drivers Championship.

“For much of the past 20 years, the Toll Holden Racing Team has been V8 Supercar’s powerhouse team, and for the past two seasons there has been a concerted effort to get Toll HRT back to where it deserves to be,” he said.

“With Will on board 2009 was a successful year, but it is a sign of the determination within Toll HRT that despite all that we won we still aren’t satisfied as we did not win the driver’s title.

“We appreciate what we achieved, but Will and I are not resting on our laurels.

“There have been a lot of changes over the off-season and we are looking to exploit those; we are going to push harder than ever before.”

Davison, who finished as the runner-up last year, said he was looking forward to returning to the track and improving on his stellar 2009 season.

“It is a privilege to drive for the Toll Holden Racing Team; 2010 is a very special year in the team’s history and to be able to race such a stunning and tough looking car will be an honour,” he said.

“With a year at Toll HRT under my belt, I am now very comfortable and really feel part of the Holden family.

“At the beginning of last year a lot of people said I could win the Championship, but with a new team it was probably the last thing on my mind.

“Having a team like Toll HRT around you is motivating and I am now well aware of what I am capable of with a team like this.

“I am going into the new season knowing exactly what I want to achieve, and my expectations are high.”

[Rob]

Don’t rule Ford out yet: Courtney
Tuesday 21/12/2010 07:00

Author: Press Release | Source: James Courtney

James Courtney, winner of the final race of the 2009 V8 Supercar Championship, remains upbeat and amused amid claims he and other Falcon drivers will be dominated by Holden in this year’s series.

“Holden are talking themselves up as the January champions, which is good for a laugh, but you don't actually win anything until December,” the Jim Beam Racing Falcon driver said.

“Let’s wait and see what happens because a Falcon built by Triple Eight Engineering won the title the last couple of years (2008 and 2009).

“I’ve got one of those cars (Triple Eight Engineering-built Falcon) so I know I’ve got as good a shot as anyone at this year’s title.

“They say you’re only as good as your last race, which I won (in Sydney on December 6), and I’m keen to give our team’s fans plenty more to cheer about this season.”

Courtney’s comments follow a report in the latest edition of V8X magazine where Simon McNamara from Holden Motorsport was reported to have said: “Ford dropped the ball and I honestly can’t see them winning anything in 2010. I want to fill the entire podium with Commodores. I like domination and I like crushing.”

Courtney said he was also unfazed by the fact there could be only 10 Falcons racing against up to 19 Commodores in this year’s Championship.

“You only need one car to win the title, backed up by the best engineering, driver and team package,” the 29-year-old Gold Coast-based racer said.

“There’s no advantage having twice as many Commodores if half of them finish in the bottom 10 places.”

Courtney said the main shift in power for 2010 was Holden recruiting TeamVodafone and its drivers Jamie Whincup and Craig Lowndes.

“I think this season you will see the same six or seven guys up the front going for the win, but the balance will be different because the TeamVodafone guys are in Holdens,” Courtney said.

“That will make Holden stronger, but not unbeatable. There will still be fast Falcons - both Mark Winterbottom (Ford Performance Racing) and I have won races in each of the past two years.

“My teammate Steven Johnson was sixth in the Championship last season so there could be races this year when Falcons fill the podium.”

Courtney said his 2010 prospects were enhanced by the continuity of driving for Jim Beam Racing again. He won two races and had six podium finishes in his debut season with the team in 2009.

“We have shown we can win when things go our way, so the challenge now is to make it happen more often and go for the championship,” he said.

Courtney said it was essential he made a strong start to the 2010 season, which begins in Abu Dhabi (February 19-20), followed by Bahrain (February 25-27), Adelaide (March 11-14), and Hamilton in New Zealand (April 16-18).

“Abu Dhabi is new for everyone, but that doesn't worry me,” Courtney said. “Last year we had two new tracks in Townsville and Sydney and I won races at both of them.

“I've also been on the podium at Bahrain, Adelaide, and Hamilton, so I expect to be competitive from day one.”

Courtney said an intriguing aspect of the championship which could work in his favour was the anticipated ‘in-house’ rivalry between the factory-backed Commodores of the Holden Racing Team and TeamVodafone.

“Both will want to establish themselves as No. 1 at Holden,” Courtney said. “They come from British origins and have been battling each other overseas for years.

“If they start taking points off each other then it might be easier for me to sneak through under their guard.”

[Rob]

Hilltop Hoods book in for the 2010 Clipsal 500 Adelaide
Wednesday 20/01/2010

Source: V8 Latest News

The secret is finally out concerning which acts are to appear at the Friday night (March 12) concert at the 2010 Clipsal 500 Adelaide.

‘There has been a huge demand building up wanting to know the answer and it’s huge with South Australia’s own Hilltop Hoods together with Midnight Juggernauts, Funkoars, and Lowrider at the event. We have finally pulled it off’, Clipsal 500 Adelaide Chief Executive Jason Allen said today.

‘The Jim Beam TrackSounds On-Circuit Concert Series is free to all Clipsal 500 Adelaide ticket holders (ticket valid for day of event and concert) and the Friday night gig presented by SAFM is really going to go off’, said Jason Allen.

Hilltop Hoods

The Hilltop Hoods is unquestionably Australia’s premier Hip Hop crew and continue to take all before them with their fifth studio album State of the Art.

They continue to rewrite Hip Hop rules, not only in the Australian context but on the world stage as one of the first local crews to have a serious release in Europe and North America.

#1 album State of the Art is unmistakably the “Hoods”, but quite unlike anything they’ve ever done before. Lots of guitars, strings and other sounds you can’t quite make out all interweaving in a cutting-edge cacophony of words, rhymes and the heaviest of samples.

Following their fourth album in 2006, The Hard Road, the “Hoods” worked virtually non-stop on State of the Art in their home studios in Adelaide.

It’s been a long time coming, but State of the Art is everything “Hoods” fans could have wished for. It’s dark, heavy, challenging, raw and occasionally funny. It’s State of the Art in sound and soul.

Prepare to be surprised from the explosive opening track, the aptly-titled ‘The Return’, right through to the closing cut ‘Fifty In Five’, which sees the last fifty years deconstructed and reconstructed in a flash right in front of your very ears. It’s breathtaking and the Hilltop Hoods will be live on stage at the Clipsal 500 Adelaide.

The members of Hilltop Hoods are MCs Suffa (Matt Lambert), Pressure (Daniel Smith) DJ Debris (Barry Francis) and formerly DJ Next.

Midnight Juggernauts

It’s been almost two years since Midnight Juggernauts released their debut album, Dystopia, on an unsuspecting musical public. And now, a new journey is in the making.

The trio has been busy producing album number two alongside Chris Moore (TV on the Radio, Yeah Yeah Yeahs, Liars, Foals, Yeasayer), and recently previewed new album tracks at 2009’s Splendour in the Grass.

In the Midnight Juggernauts' Dystopia constellation a line could be traced from the modern symphony of M83 and Air, all the way back to the electronic psychedelia of CAN and the pop smarts of Electric Light Orchestra. John Carpenter was in the director's chair, Georgio Moroder was compiling the soundtrack, and Goblin was screaming from the shadows.

Funkoars

Funkoars members are Mr. Trials (Producer/MC), Uncle Sesta (Producer/MC), Sketchy Hons (MC) and DJ Reflux (DJ) and were established in 1999.

Funkoars debut album Who’s Your Step Daddy was released by Peepshow Entertainment in 2003 and followed by The Greatest Hits in 2006. The production was mostly handled by Sesta and Trials who have gone on to receive exposure producing for the Hilltop Hoods.

Lowrider

Founded in Adelaide in 2004 Lowrider took little time in establishing themselves as one of the State’s most promising young bands.

Hilltop Hoods DJ Debris announced himself a Lowrider fan saying they are ‘one of the smoothest bands he has heard with an incredible soulful sound with the Hip Hop-esque driving groove’.

The Clipsal 500 Adelaide is to be conducted from March 11-14 as Round 3 and 4 of the 2010 V8 Supercar Championship Series.

Entry to the Jim Beam TrackSounds On-Circuit Concerts is free to holders of Clipsal 500 Adelaide tickets valid for the day of the concert.

For tickets phone Ticketek on 132 849 or book online at www.ticketek.com.au

Visit the event web site www.clipsal500.com.au for further information

*The event may add, withdraw, re-schedule or substitute artists and/or vary the event program.

[Rob]

Jack’s back with Kelly Racing
Thursday 21/01/2010 16:30

Author: Briar Gunther | Source: BigPond Sport - copyright

http://i50.tinypic.com/2ld7qyh.jpg
The 2010 livery
Kelly Racing will be back in black for 2010 with the news that Jack Daniel’s has re-signed with the team.

The team revealed its 2010 livery at a launch in Melbourne’s Docklands this afternoon (Thursday) along with the announcement that Jack will also be back and that blue-chip companies SuperMax Razors, Powerbuilt Tools, Mack Trucks and Harley-Davidson have come on board as new sponsors for the team’s 2010 campaign.

Kelly Racing’s deal with Jack Daniel’s is reportedly one of the largest team sponsorship deals in Australian sport and will see both Rick and Todd Kelly’s Commodores branded as Jack Daniel’s Racing.

Neither party would confirm the length of the partnership, but Michael McShane, the Managing Director of Brown-Forman Australia whose parent company Brown-Forman owns the iconic whiskey maker, described it as a “standard” multi-year arrangement suggesting a two or three-year deal.

“We’re not inclined to tell anyone the exact details but we’re very happy with the partnership,” McShane said.

“There’s an old saying in Jack Daniel’s that goes ‘if you’re a friend, you’re a friend for life’.”

The extension speaks volumes for both Kelly Racing and the V8 Supercar Championship considering Forman-Brown withdrew from its NASCAR commitments in the Unites States this year.

Kelly Racing debuted in last year’s V8 Supercar Championship Series but by the end of the season Todd and Rick had clocked up a number of podiums between them and were even in contention to win the Supercheap Auto Bathurst 1000.

Rick said the team was proud to retain the famous brand as its major backer.

“To have Jack Daniel’s show this level of support and commitment following our first year is simply awesome,” he said.

“We are truly lucky to have Jack Daniel’s onboard as well as lots of other great sponsors, which also highlights the job that the team has done so far.

“To be only one-year-old and to already be strengthening our sponsorship portfolio is something that makes every single person within our team very proud.”

Todd said that he and the entire team enjoyed a special relationship with Jack Daniel’s.

“The relationship that we’ve built with Jack Daniel’s has been awesome,” he said.

“To have a sponsor that is so involved with the team and is not just a sponsor, but a friend, is great for us.

“Having Jack Daniel’s confirmed is fantastic. It gives us real security and stability and that’s incredibly important when you are building a team.”

Despite showing such strong results in the team’s debut year, Kelly said they have still got a long way to go.

“But this is certainly a massive step towards getting there,” he said.

“The Jack Daniel’s brand is a big part of what we do and how we are seen.

“For them to have this level of confidence in us after just a short period is pretty special.”

Brown-Forman first entered V8 Supercar racing as a naming-rights sponsor in 2006 with Larry Perkins’ former team.

McShane said he was excited to confirm that the successful relationship between Jack Daniel’s and Kelly Racing will continue.

“It’s not so much a sponsorship as it is a partnership,” he said.

“Everyone at Jack Daniel’s is extremely excited to be continuing our great relationship with Todd and Rick Kelly and everyone at Kelly Racing.

“Kelly Racing is a great fit for Jack Daniel’s, with Rick and Todd as key ambassadors for our brand.

“We see V8 Supercars as a great platform for the Jack Daniel’s brand and the promotion of our ‘Pace Yourself, Drink Responsibly’ message.

“We look forward to promoting our social responsibility message and our brand with the team well into the future.”

And Rick sees representing the team’s new sponsors both on and off the race track as a true privilege.

“It gives me goose bumps to think about the brands that are associated with our team,” he said.

“Nick (Ryan, Kelly Racing’s Commercial Manager) and our commercial team have done a great job of selecting sponsors that really suit Jack Daniel’s and ourselves and represent the same things that we do.

“SuperMax, Powerbuilt, Mack, Harley-Davidson and all of our sponsors suit Jack Daniel’s Racing really well and the big thing we have in common with all of our sponsors is that we are extremely passionate about our brand, our racing and our business.”

Rick said all of the partners are not just sponsors but very much a part of the team.

“That’s something that I always aimed to do with our race team and so have Todd and Nick, but to get to this level of backing so quickly is amazing,” he said.

The new livery will be on track for the first time at the official test day of the V8 Supercar season on Monday, February 8 at Winton Motor Raceway in Victoria.

The 2010 V8 Supercar Championship Series kicks off in Abu Dhabi at the spectacular Yas Marina Circuit on February 19-20.

Due to alcohol sponsorship laws, Jack Daniel’s Racing will run an interim livery at the first two events of the season in the Middle East before giving the new design its race debut at the Clipsal 500 Adelaide on March 11-14.

[Rob]

V8 Supercars: In short
Friday 22/01/2010 10:00

Source: BigPond Sport


PMM at Sydney
Control wheel test successful

V8 Supercars prepared for the introduction of the new 17” Rimstock control wheel with a test last month.

V8 Supercars Australia Racing Director, Adam Perry, said the new wheels, which cost $500 as opposed to the wheels used in previous years, which costs twice as much.

“Paul Morris Motorsport tested the wheels at the Holden Performance Driving Centre in Norwell (Qld) where they did about 70 laps without any problems whatsoever,” he said.

Perry explained that the wheels had already undergone extensive factory testing and the exercise was simply to test them on a V8 Supercar.

“We weren’t expecting any issues and there were no great surprises,” he said.

“All in all I think it was quite successful and we were really happy with the result and are looking forward to a successful relationship with Rimstock who are supplying the wheels.”

Walkinshaw Racing tests separately

Toll Holden Racing Team and Bundaberg Red Racing will hold their first test for 2010 a week earlier than the other Victorian teams.

While the official Victorian test takes place at Winton Motor Raceway on February 8, the two teams in the Walkinshaw Racing stable head to Winton on February 1, exactly a week earlier.

This is because two of the four Walkinshaw Commodores will depart for Abu Dhabi, where the inaugural Yas V8 400 takes place from February 19-20, from Brisbane instead of Melbourne.

James versus Goliath

Jim Beam Racing driver James Courtney got in some early practice at taking pole position in this year’s V8 Supercar Championship by being one of the first people to pole feed Dreamworld's massive five-metre salt water crocodile, Goliath.

Courtney stood on a special feeding ramp and used a 1.2-metre pole to dangle fresh chicken over the croc pond earlier this month to promote Dreamworld’s new Croc Feeding Experience.

“Getting through a V8 Supercars race is a heart pumping experience, but nothing compares to feeding a one tonne croc,” he said.

“Goliath's head is twice the size of my shoulders and he is 15 times my body weight.”

The former Dancing with the Stars contestant spent the festive season relaxing with his wife Carys and daughter Zara at their Gold Coast home and the Courtneys are expecting their second child next month.

“The holiday season is almost over and I'm as hungry for a win as Goliath is for his lunch,” he said.

V8 Supercar nuptials

Stone Brothers Racing driver Alex Davison married Melanie Hardy, his partner of more than eight years, at the Royal Botanic Gardens in Melbourne on January 10.

Guests included his brother and Toll Holden Racing driver Will, 2009 Champion Jamie Whincup and SBR co-owner Ross Stone.

The newlyweds, whose daughter Lily turns one in March, spent their honeymoon in Melbourne with family.

Meanwhile, Garry Rogers Motorsport driver Lee Holdsworth is set to tie the knot with his fiancée, Alana, on the Gold Coast later this month.

SBR cocktail party launch

Stone Brothers Racing will launch its 2010 V8 Supercar Championship campaign with a cocktail reception on Friday, January 29 from 7pm at SBR's Yatala workshop.

Tickets cost $140 each and the night includes the unveiling of the Irwin and SP Tools Falcon liveries, live music and a charity auction of sporting memorabilia and sponsor products, with proceeds going to Brisbane’s Royal Children’s Hospital.

For more information call Anna on (07) 3807 7768 or email anna@stonebrothersracing.com.au

Davo joins Twitter

2010 Toll Holden Racing Team driver and Bathurst Champion, Will Davison, has joined the popular social networking website Twitter.

Davison recently decided to use Twitter to keep in contact with his fans and sponsors throughout the 2010 V8 Supercar season by posting regular Tweets on his Twitter page.

You can follow Davison on Twitter by heading to http://twitter.com/willdavison22

“Twitter really does give me the chance to keep in contact with friends and fans alike,” he said.

“It will give them the chance to keep up to date with things that happen throughout the season that they otherwise might not hear about.

“I think what’s most important is that Twitter enables me to get closer to the fans so that I can keep them informed as I shoot for the number one spot in 2010!”

[Rob]

New shine for Armor All Townsville 400
Friday 22/01/2010 17:00

Author: Press Release | Source: V8 Supercars Australia

V8 Supercars Australia is happy to announce Armor All as naming rights sponsor of the hugely successful Townsville 400, increasing its overall involvement in the V8 Supercar Championship Series.

As Official Car Care Products of the V8 Supercar Championship Series, Armor All secured a two-year agreement which features the naming rights sponsorship of the successful Townsville-based V8 Supercars event - Armor All Townsville 400 - for 2010 and 2011.

The inaugural Townsville 400 was an enormous success, attracting an attendance of 168,057 while bringing an economic benefit of around $20 million to the far north Queensland region and winning the 2009 V8 Supercars Event of the Year.

Armor All also retains its status as the “Official Car Care Products” of the V8 Supercar Championship Series and as Naming Rights sponsor of the "Armor All Qualifying", "Armor All Top Ten Shootout", “Armor All Pole Position Award", "Armor All Pole Position Champion" and "Armor All Best Presented Award”.

“Armor All is very excited to extend its sponsorship of the V8 Supercars Australia until 2011, which will see our great partnership with V8 Supercars continue,” said Paul Blair, Clorox (Armor All) Marketing & Channel Manager – Automotive.

“After coming on board in 2006, we have enjoyed four seasons in the sport. V8 Supercars has proven to be a great way to market our brand, and we are looking forward to the increased Armor All involvement in our fifth and sixth season in the Championship Series.

“Now, we have taken yet another step to increase our presence in the market by supporting one of the greatest sporting events in Australia – the Armor All Townsville 400. After such a successful event in 2009, lending our name to the event was an opportunity not to be missed.”

V8 Supercars Australia acting CEO Shane Howard welcomes Armor All in its continued involvement with V8 Supercars.

“I’m very pleased Armor All will continue to be a part of V8 Supercars for another two years,” said Mr Howard.

“Armor All is a great, iconic international brand and it’s fitting it has decided to lend its name to one of the great events on the V8 Supercar calendar – the Townsville 400.

“The 2010 Championship Series promises to be the greatest V8 Supercar season yet. It starts at two world-class circuits in Abu Dhabi and Bahrain, returns to Australia for the ever-impressive Clipsal 500 and will revisit two great sport and entertainment events at Townsville and the Sydney Telstra 500.”

The Townsville 400 exceeded all expectation in 2009 and is expected to grow significantly in 2010 as the entire far north Queensland region takes ownership of the event.

Tickets to the 2010 Armor All Townsville 400 (July 9-11, 2010) are on sale now through Ticketek at www.ticketek.com.au

[Rob]

HRT starts 2010 stronger
Friday 22/01/2010 18:00

| Source: BigPond Sport

http://i45.tinypic.com/6dvigg.jpg
Toll Holden Racing Team
Walkinshaw Racing Chief Executive Officer, Craig Wilson, said Toll Holden Racing Team (HRT) will start the 2010 V8 Championship stronger than last year.

As the team clocks up its 20th year of existence, Wilson said changes early in 2009, including the addition of Will Davison to the driver line-up, impeded HRT’s start to the season.

“We were pleased with the improvements that we were making the first half of last year but we were obviously introducing Will, who was new to the team (and) we wrestled with a few changes in the car,” he said.

“And I’m pleased to say that we are starting this year in a much stronger position.”

While HRT might not have had the best start to 2009 the team gathered momentum as the season progressed, finishing with victory at both endurance races and the Teams’ Championship while drivers Davison and Garth Tander finished the Drivers’ Championship second and third respectively.

Wilson said that momentum would continue to roll along.

“Garth and Will are working very well together, the team is stable; the team is strong,” Wilson said.

“2010 is certainly a year where we would like to go one better in the Driver’s Championship.”

And although team bosses often trot out the line that they are out there to win, Wilson said this is especially true for HRT as it celebrates its 20th anniversary.

“Being the 20th anniversary of HRT it will bring with it quite a special year,” he said.

“There are a number of things we will be doing to celebrate the achievements of 20 years.

“Twenty years in any motor racing category is a fantastic achievement.”

Holden Chairman and Managing Director, Alan Batey, agreed that 2010 would be a special year for HRT.

“Wouldn’t it be great to take out Bathurst and the Championship in the 20th year,” he mused.

“I know that Will and Garth have got that in their sights and it’s absolutely something that is achievable.”

Batey believes Tander and Davison form the strongest line-up HRT has ever had and said the team has become synonymous with motor racing excellence over its 20-year history.

“At Holden we are incredibly proud of HRT’s achievements and are confident they will build on their winning heritage in 2010,” he said.

“Our association with the team is incredibly important for the Holden brand and as we enter this new decade, HRT will be right there next to us.”

Tander was 13 when HRT formed and can remember the team’s Bathurst victory in its debut year.

“Win Percy and Allan Grice won that race against all odds because the Nissan GT-R was the car to have, or the Ford Sierra, and this Commodore came from nowhere,” he said.

Since then HRT has amassed records unmatched by any other team including 78 poles, 168 race wins, six Bathurst victories (1990, ’96, 2001, ’02, ’05, ’09) and six V8 Supercar Championships (1996, ’98, ’99, 2000, ’01, ’02).

[Rob]

Tassie date change
Monday 25/01/2010 13:00

source: BigPond Sport

The two V8 events scheduled for November will now be held back-to-back, with news the V8 event at Tasmania’s Symmons Plains Raceway has been rescheduled.

Fans who have already made travel arrangements for the Falken Tasmania Challenge should note that the event will now take place on the weekend of November 12-14.

“The V8 Supercar Board confirmed at its last meeting that they could accommodate the rescheduling of the Tasmanian race date to avoid a potential conflict that had been brought to their attention,” a statement from V8 Supercars read.

“After consultation with all relevant parties this change has now been confirmed.”

The Falken Tasmania Challenge was originally set to take place from November 5-7 but it is understood the earlier date clashed with the Melbourne Spring Racing Carnival, which is also telecast by Channel Seven.

V8 Supercars Australia confirmed that all other dates on the 2010 calendar – including the 360 Sandown Challenge, which takes place the weekend after (November 19-21) – remain the same, meaning the two November V8 Supercar events will be held back-to-back.

[Rob]

Drivers get Abu Dhabi taster
Monday 25/01/2010 13:45

| Source: BigPond Sport

Four V8 Supercar drivers have returned from a whirlwind tour of Abu Dhabi and the Yas Marina Circuit where the 2010 Championship starts next month.

Jamie Whincup, Will Davison, Mark Winterbottom and Paul Dumbrell were blown away by the facility, where they got to ride in a Minardi Formula One two-seater.

Besides the track day at Yas Marina Circuit, the drivers also took part in water sports at the marina and cultural visits and met Australian delegates and expatriates to promote the inaugural Yas V8 400, which takes place from February 19-20.

Whincup, the 2009 V8 Supercar Champion, described Yas Marina Circuit as an extremely technical track.

“If people ask me what is the most technical part of the track I’ll be telling them from turn one right the way around to the last turn,” the TeamVodafone driver said.

“It’s turn after turn, good straights, good corners… it’s got a bit of everything.”

Winterbottom described Abu Dhabi and the Yas Marina Circuit as an “amazing place”.

“And I hope we get the message to the people back home and all over the world to come here because (of) the experience we have had, the way people have treated us and the amazing time we have had,” the Ford Performance Racing driver said.

Dumbrell said he had a fair idea what the track was like after watching the Formula One race.

“But coming here to see the facilities and the infrastructure it just blows you away,” the Bottle-O Racing driver said.

“And then you get down to the track. It’s such a challenging track. You’ve got the corkscrew and undulation, which is like our cherished Bathurst track, then there’s a bit of Indy and a bit of Adelaide.

“It’s going to be pretty interesting racing topped off by this famous pit lane.”

Davison said Formula One has been a passion of his since his open-wheeler days and he enjoyed the experience in the F1 two-seater.

“Now I’m very focused on my career in V8 Supercars, but I still wake up every morning picturing driving the Formula One car that I drove in 2004,” the Toll Holden Racing Team driver said.

“I never thought I’d get the chance to do it again.

“I got just as much enjoyment out of seeing these boys jump in and get half a taste of what it is like. I was prepared for it and it was very enjoyable but it’s still a massive thrill.”

Yas Marina Circuit Chief Executive Officer, Richard Cregan, said it was great to extend some good UAE hospitality to the V8 Supercar drivers.

“We were able to get them something new and that was a ride in our F1 two seater,” he said.

“It’s pretty interesting seeing guys who race door-to-door every day then getting in an F1 car and being nervous about it.

“Then getting out having had a fantastic time, all smiles and something they will never forget. It’s nice to give them something that they will not get anywhere else; that’s Yas Marina Circuit.”

Cregan said the next best thing after Formula One was V8 Supercars.

“It’s up there, it has the following, is a great crowd puller and a very open sport for the people,” he said.

“We have a big ex-pat community here and it’s one way of getting to our goal of building a motorsport culture in the UAE.

“This event next month is something special that we are able to blend two different cultures and nationalities – Aussies with Emiratis – and we are very proud of that.

“I encourage all Aussies to be here for the race weekend, you have to be here. The ones who can’t make it we will get some good TV for them. We are very proud of this event and hope to make them proud.”

[Rob]

Holdsworth at GRM until 2011
Monday 25/01/2010 14:30

| Source: BigPond Sport

V8 Supercar driver Lee Holdsworth has confirmed his commitment with Garry Rogers Motorsport until 2011.

While Holdsworth had previously agreed to race with the team until the end of 2011, it is understood he has now officially signed a contract with the team, which receives backing from air conditioning company Fujitsu for the first time in 2010.

Holdsworth, who joined GRM as a rookie in 2006, said there was a great team of people in place at GRM.

“And Richard Hollway (ex-HRT), one of the most experienced race engineers in the industry, joining our team is an added bonus,” Holdsworth said.

“Having someone with Richard’s capabilities and race experience is a worthy addition to our current team of talented workers.

“I have enjoyed every moment with the team and it has been great to have the full support of Garry and the team at my time here.”

Garry Rogers said he was very proud of Holdsworth’s results to date, which includes the round win at Oran Park in 2007 and pole position at the inaugural Townsville event last year.

“V8 Supercars is one of the most competitive businesses to be involved in, and the amount of poaching of good drivers and staff is never ending,” Rogers said.

“I don’t deal well with politics, and stay well away from all of the back room banter that creates unnecessary disruptions to the running of your business.

“My job is to present the most competitive cars and workforce in the industry and to strive to get the best results for our fan base and financial supporters, and with the calibre of people such as Lee, this makes my job a lot easier.”

[Rob]

No excuses this year: Todd Kelly
Wednesday 27/01/2010 08:00

Source: BigPond Sport

http://i49.tinypic.com/nlr96w.jpg
JDR's 2010 livery
Jack Daniel’s Racing driver Todd Kelly says there are no excuses for bad form in 2010 following the team’s fantastic debut year in 2009.

Kelly and his brother Rick who pilot the two Jack Daniel’s Racing Commodores at Kelly Racing finished last year with a string of podium positions.

“Last year was a pretty big year and somewhat of a learning year for us to get the cars right and Rick and I and the boys really don’t have any excuses this year to go out and aim for nothing but front row qualifying runs and podiums and race wins,” Todd said.

“There’s probably even more pressure this year than there was last year.

“We’ve certainly got all the ingredients there to do the job so we just can’t wait to get out there and see where we’re at.”

Rick said before Jack Daniel’s Racing’s strong end to 2009, the team would have been considering aiming to finish third in the 2010 Championship.

“But I think with the strong team we’ve got behind us, the sponsors we’ve got behind us and equipment and the results at the end of last year it would be silly to do that,” he said.

“I think we should definitely be aiming for a Championship win.

“We’ve got the guys behind us and Todd and myself have been up the front before and if we achieve that it would be fantastic, but I think it is certainly in our sights over the next couple of years.”

Rick is the first to admit the competition in 2010 will be fierce, but he and Todd have worked on improving their fitness and focus over the break.

“In 2009, the priority for Todd and myself was to build the team as quick as we could and get cars to the race track and show we are going to be a force to be reckoned with in the future,” he said.

“This year our priority is actually driving the cars and getting back to that.

“Obviously the category’s very competitive and the drivers that are out there are very professional so we’ve been focused on our training and anything else we can do to better ourselves as drivers has been our priority.

“And that’s a big difference for Todd and myself from last year to this year and hopefully one of the key ingredients that we’re going to need to move forward and win some races.”

Todd said the team has worked over the break to improve the cars’ braking and suspension on top of ongoing engine development.

“We’ve got good continuity and a lot of stability with our partners and our group so it’s fantastic,” he said.

“It’s going to be a good year. Rick and I are pumped about it and all the engineers have done a fantastic job and we haven’t lost any of the team members over the break.”

[Rob]

V8 Supercars: In brief
Thursday 28/01/2010 13:00

Source: BigPond Sport

Ford drivers become men of steel

A number of Ford V8 Supercar drivers will this week prove they are made of steel.

Mark Winterbottom, Steve Richards, Paul Dumbrell and James Moffat are all set for the inaugural FPR Men of Steel Fitness Challenge which takes place over two days this week on the Gold Coast.

Joining the drivers for the Orrcon Steel event is three-time Coolangatta Gold winner, Caine Eckstein, triathletes Brad Dalrymple and Tyron Easterbrook and journalist Damien Stannard, who has competed in the Hawaiian Ironman event.

The eight participants will pair up in teams of two to compete against each other as they battle for the honour of becoming the inaugural winners of the Men of Steel Fitness Challenge which features a rock climbing challenge, one-kilometre swim and an 11km kayak stage among other events.

The challenge marks the completion of the 2010 pre-season training camp which has seen them step into the ring with five-time world kickboxing champion John Wayne-Parr and undertake a simulation with the Special Forces.

This year’s new livery for the Orrcon Steel FPR Falcon will be unveiled for the first time on the Orrcon Steel Racing website on Monday, February 8.

Saturday races extended to 120km

V8 Supercar fans will get even more action this year with the news that the Saturday races held at sprint events have been extended from 100km to 120km.

The race lengths have been extended because teams were potentially able to make the 100km distance without a pitstop for the CSR E85 ethanol fuel.

There was also concern the well funded teams could invest significant amounts of money into increasing fuel efficiency to ensure they could definitely make the 100km distance without a pitstop.

The bonus for fans means they get an extra 20-kays worth of racing if they attend on a Saturday at a sprint event.

D’Alberto drives home safety message

Centaur Racing driver Tony D’Alberto has become an ambassador for Norfolk Island’s driver awareness and safety program.

D’Alberto leaves tomorrow, Friday, January 29 for the island where he will spend three days taking in the sights and customs, speaking with residents about road and driver safety, meeting the media and sign autographs.

“V8 Supercars is a fantastic sport that continues to grow and reach new regions, such as Norfolk Island, and as a driver I believe it’s important to take on roles like this and to help promote the sport far and wide, along with important messages like road and driver safety,” he said.

Norfolk Island Police Force Detective Sergeant, Vince Pannell, said the Norfolk Island community had a right to feel safe driving on the road.

“The Norfolk Island Driver Awareness and Safety Program has been designed to engage and interact with young and new drivers to ensure they use the roads safely and sensibly,” he said.

“We are delighted that Tony has agreed to champion this very important program. Tony is a professional driver whose objective is to drive fast and to win, but not at any cost.

“At every moment of a race, Tony's safety and that of other drivers is paramount and this is clearly evident. Driving safely has to be the objective of every driver.”

Shannon Noll performs at Clipsal

Shannon Noll will perform at the Clipsal 500 Adelaide Saturday night concert.

Noll and fellow former Australian Idol contestant Jessica Mauboy will headline the Jim Beam TrackSounds On-Circuit concert and will be joined by other Idol stars including the 2009 winner, Stan Walker, and Tom Williams.

“The opportunity to have Shannon at the 2010 Clipsal 500 Adelaide came about as a result of Wes Carr who was to perform, (but) getting word that he had to go to the USA for a recording session so bad news became extremely good news,” Clipsal 500 Adelaide Chief Executive, Jason Allen, said.

“Having Shannon at the event is a huge bonus for all Clipsal 500 Adelaide ticket holders on Saturday, March 13 and of course for all the people planning to come to the Stratco SAFM Skyshow that night.

“While Stratco SAFM Skyshow is a free event (subject to venue safety and capacity) we suggest people buy a Clipsal 500 Adelaide ticket and enjoy all the day’s activities including the V8 Supercar race, the feature race program, Murray Walker’s Extreme machines, and to get a good spot for the concert.”

For tickets phone Ticketek on 132 849 or book online at www.ticketek.com.au

Roary debuts tomorrow

Craig Lowndes’ animated race car character, Conrod, makes his debut on the ABC1 television station tomorrow (Friday) morning.

The TeamVodafone driver lent his voice for the role of Conrod, who will first appear on the popular pre-school program Roary The Racing Car at 8am on ABC1.

Conrod, named after part of the famous Mount Panorama circuit, is a V8 Supercar World Champion and arrives at the ‘Silver Hatch’ track with a fair bit of fame behind him, leaving Roary a little star-struck.

“I have moved into super cool dad status now that I am involved in Roary the Racing Car, it is fantastic,” Lowndes said.

Catch Roary The Racing Car tomorrow on ABC1 at 8am, which will be repeated on ABC2 later in the day at 1.30pm.

[Rob]

Kellys to enter Fujitsu?
Friday 29/01/2010 17:00

Source: BigPond Sport

Kelly Racing looks set to become the first V8 Supercar Championship team to capitalise on the Fujitsu Series for its endurance campaign following driver rule changes for the two long distance races.

On the latest V8 Insiders internet podcast Rick Kelly, driver of the #15 Jack Daniel’s Racing Commodore, said that besides launching the third and fourth main game cars, there may be more on the horizon at Kelly Racing.

“I think we’re actually going to expand into other bits and pieces this season as well,” he said.

Kelly declined to elaborate further to BigPond Sport at this point in time, but it is understood an entry in the Fujitsu Series is a goal for Kelly Racing.

While other main game teams have fielded development series entries in the past, the new driver rules this year ban regular Championship drivers from pairing up with their teammates at the L&H 500 and Supercheap Auto Bathurst 1000, making the Fujitsu Series more critical to the main game than ever.

Johnson Racing, known as Jim Beam Racing (JBR) in the V8 Supercar Championship, was the only main game team to field a Fujitsu Series entry last year but circumstances have forced the team to reconsider its 2010 plans.

Jim Beam Racing Team Manager, Adrian Burgess, oversaw Grant Denyer’s Fujitsu Series entry last year but he said at this point in time Johnson Racing will not run a development series car in 2010.

“We thought we were going to do a deal with Grant but he has committed to Channel 7,” Burgess said.

“We’d like to if we are able to (continue in the Fujitsu Series); we’ve got the car and transporter ready to go.

“But for now we’re firmly focused on the main series because we are running out of time and we need to make sure we are doing the right thing for (cars) 17, 18 and 19.”

Burgess recognised that the new driver rule will make the Fujitsu Series more valuable to the endurance campaigns of main game teams.

“Obviously with the rule change it’s now more important for me than ever to give James, Steve and Jon a driver that’s got regular mileage in a V8 Supercar,” he said.

“Before I could have put my regular drivers together but now the onus is firmly on getting very experienced drivers or youngsters getting regular mileage.

“For the main game teams whoever you pick … you want to get drivers with regular seat time and the Fujitsu Series is the ideal place for that.”

Burgess believes the Championship teams will take a greater interest in the Fujitsu Series now that the driver rule change is in place.

“I think what you will see with a lot of the teams is if they don’t field a (Fujitsu Series) team from their own facilities they will develop a link between an existing Fujitsu Series team and offer technical and track support,” he said.

The team has already locked in Warren Luff and two other drivers to pair up with its Championship drivers James Courtney, Steve Johnson and Jonathon Webb.

“Warren’s a fantastic driver and has always been a fantastic driver for us technically,” Burgess said.

“He’s a good size for James or Steve so he’s a good fit for the team and we have a great relationship with him and vice versa.

“I’m really very happy with the three guys we have got; they are a good mixture of experience, maturity and a lot of youth and aggression.”

To listen to Kelly’s full interview on the V8 Insiders, visit www.v8x.com.au/menu_2300/A_107001/cms/article.html

[Rob]

First pics of TeamVodafone Commodore
Tuesday 02/02/2010 12:30

Author: Press Release | Source: TeamVodafone

http://i48.tinypic.com/211rxqs.jpg
TeamVodafone's 2010 livery
Six months after announcing TeamVodafone’s switch to Holden, V8 Supercar Champion Jamie Whincup and teammate Craig Lowndes today unveiled the team’s highly anticipated Commodore race cars.

The Triple Eight Race Engineering designed and built 2010 challengers will feature a sleek new livery concept that was designed to suit the Commodore’s stance and stature on track and also celebrate the renewal of the highly successful relationship with Vodafone as naming rights sponsor for at least another three seasons.

While the cars will retain their traditional fluorescent Vodafone rocket red, the now customary chrome will adorn even more of the car including the bonnet and boot lids. The side-on profile of the car has also evolved making for a distinctly different look and feel.

Though the livery represents a new direction, the move to Holden is somewhat of a return journey for Lowndes and Whincup, who both started their touring car careers with the Lion. Furthermore, the relationship with the Australian division of General Motors marks a highly significant return to its roots for Triple Eight Race Engineering.

A three-time champion with Holden, Lowndes said the return to the ‘red side’ had presented him with an exciting new challenge.

“I am really looking forward to the start of this season,” Lowndes said.

“Knowing I have always had my best results in a Holden definitely gives me some added confidence.”

The #1 plate holder for the second year running, Whincup said he was very excited about the new livery and the prospect of the season.

“Like Craig, I also started my career with Holden and although I haven’t won a race with the lion yet, I have set my goals high. To win a championship with both manufacturers will be the motivation we need to do the job,” Whincup explained.

TeamVodafone naming rights sponsor Vodafone is eager to see the world’s number one V8 Supercar team behind the wheel of a world-class machine. Marketing Director, John Casey commented, “The new TeamVodafone livery is the cutting edge of V8 Supercar design, fit for a multiple championship winning V8 Supercar team.

“Vodafone is delighted to continue its long standing relationship with TeamVodafone. We look forward to seeing Australia’s number one V8 Supercar team battle it out for a third consecutive V8 Supercar Drivers Championship title behind the wheel of Holdens.”

Holden Motorsport Manager Simon McNamara said the car manufacturer was delighted to finally welcome back Craig Lowndes and Jamie Whincup into the Holden family. “We are very excited about what is now the beginning of a new chapter in Holden’s long and proud motorsport history.

“For Holden, the six months since the announcement of TeamVodafone joining our team line-up has been like a young child’s anticipation of Christmas morning and the opportunity to open their presents. The wait is now over and we are thrilled with what we see in the TeamVodafone Holden Commodores,” McNamara said.

Whilst continuing to enjoy successful partnerships with Vodafone, Nokia, Norton, Toshiba, Komatsu and Hogs Breath Cafe, TeamVodafone also welcomes new partners Holden and Caltex onboard for 2010.

“As well as welcoming back our naming rights sponsor Vodafone for another three years we are all delighted to be returning to the General Motors fold with Holden,” said Roland Dane, Team Principal.


“Furthermore I’m really pleased to be renewing our partnership with Caltex after a two year absence. We also couldn’t compete at the level we do without the great support and commitment that we continue to enjoy from our major partners Nokia, Norton, Toshiba, Komatsu and Hogs Breath Cafe.”

In seven days time TeamVodafone’s brand new Holden Commodore VE race cars will take to the track for their first official test day at Queensland Raceway.

[Rob]

Todd gets first Kelly Racing chassis
Monday 01/02/2010 10:00
Source: BigPond Sport

http://i49.tinypic.com/2cgd6a1.jpg
Todd and Rick Kelly
Todd Kelly will start the 2010 V8 Supercar Championship in the first ever Commodore Kelly Racing has entirely built at its Braeside workshop.

The #7 Jack Daniel’s Racing Commodore is labelled chassis number KR001 and all subsequent cars will have the same naming pattern.

Meanwhile, the team has announced it will expand the Braeside facility in Melbourne incorporating more than 4000 square metres of undercover workspace.

The expansion will allow the business to operate with all staff and departments housed under one roof and should be finished next year.

A new manufacturing section will house all new facilities for the engine, composite, fabrication, paint and panel departments which are currently located at the Perkins Engineering facility five kilometres away in Moorabbin.

“We did a pretty good job on a state-of-the-art racing facility in what we’ve got at Braeside and an extension of that is building a state-of-the-art manufacturing facility to support the racing,” Todd said.

“So the new place is going to have a lot of thought put into it. The majority of the planning has been done.

“We want to do a panel preparation and spray booth area for the paint shop, a carbon fibre department, set up a really good engine shop with all the dynos in the new facility and basically bring everything it takes to run a race team under the one roof.”

Kelly said having all the staff in one place is important.

“It’s going to be a lot of work but we can’t wait to finally put the last finishing touches on it and get all the team under one roof,” he said.

“It’s a big part of showing our guys how serious we are and letting everyone else see our plans and how ambitious we are in moving forward.”

Todd’s brother and fellow Jack Daniel’s Racing driver, Rick Kelly, said that the staff will have significant input into the final layout of the facility.

“While we are building our new section of the workshop we are continually communicating with the manager of each department as to how they want us to build each area,” he said.

“The composite shop guys have helped a lot and had a lot of input into how we will build their area, and that’s the same with the paint shop and every other part of the team.

“So the guys that work here have actually all designed their own department and they get to see that area get built, then begin working in it.

“That’s an enormous thing and all of our guys are extremely excited to get input into the foundations of Kelly Racing as we build our team up.”

Kelly Racing will unveil Jason Bargwanna’s #11 entry this Wednesday before hitting the track with all four of its Commodores for the first official test day of the season at Winton Motor Raceway next Monday, February 8.

[Rob]

SBR restructure aids Davison
Monday 01/02/2010 12:00

Source: BigPond Sport

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The 2010 Irwin Falcon
Stone Brothers Racing (SBR) has restructured its operations in a bid to return to the front of the V8 Supercar field for 2010.
David Stuart, who was SBR’s team manager last year, also takes up race engineering duties on Alex Davison’s #4 Irwin Racing Falcon this year.

Unlike last year when Jason Bright’s SBR-prepped Falcon was separated from the other two SBR cars in pitlane, this year the three SBR entries for Davison, Shane Van Gisbergen (#9) and Tim Slade (#47) will be stationed together.

Stuart said Davison’s driving talents combined with improved machinery should turn into results for SBR in 2010.

“We will be far more effective in the workshop and at the track with all three groups working in a cohesive unit,” he said.

“Last year this was not the case with one of the Stone Brothers Racing cars at the other end of the pits.

“I have to say that the new way of doing things has worked really well and the feeling of excitement this year is right up there. We are keen for that to continue the entire season.”

The 2010 livery for the #4 Falcon has just been unveiled and Davison, who finished second in the 200km race at Hidden Valley last year, is aiming to finish at the pointy end consistently this year.

“Last year the Irwin Racing team showed that we can be right on the pace, but we have to do that more consistently in 2010,” he said.

“We took a good look at ourselves at the end of 2009 and have really focussed on improving things across the board.

“This year the Irwin Racing team has the experience of a full season with myself and the FG Falcon, so we are keen to show that with performances on the track.”

Davison, who also wants to focus on qualifying well this year, said he was looking forward to working with Stuart.

“He did some great things with Jason Bright in the second half of last year and I worked with him during the long distance races a few years back at Johnson Racing,” Davison said.

“We are both very driven people and have become good friends, so together we are looking at going to the next level.

“My goals this year include qualifying consistently in the top 10.

“The Irwin Racing team’s best overall results last year came from weekends when we started towards the front.

“I believe our race pace will also improve and that will bring better results and a championship position inside the top 10.”

Ross Stone said the Irwin Racing team is ready for the first test next week at Queensland Raceway.

“And we want to hit the track running from the opening practice session in Abu Dhabi,” he said.

“I know that Alex has a lot of experience in different categories, but last year really was his rookie year in the V8s.

“We are sure he will use that experience to really put some solid results on the board in 2010.”

Stone said Stuart will continue to act as the team manager while also taking on the race engineering duties on the Irwin Racing Ford.

“We have changed our set-up in the workshop with the Irwin Racing Falcon, as well as our other two Stone Brothers Racing entries all working closer together under David’s leadership,” he said.

“At race meetings the three cars will all be together, with David overseeing things, and ensuring Alex is looked after on the track.

“Our goal for Alex in the championship is top-12, which might sound conservative. I know that our machinery is good and his ability behind the wheel is right up there, but this is a very tough series.”

The 2010 colour scheme of Davison’s Falcon aligns with the updated Irwin Tools logo, which was also announced today (Monday).

Irwin Tools Asia Pacific Managing Director, Nick Prichard, said even though the new logo is only a minor adjustment to the other version, it modernises the brand’s look.

“All regions of the world will transition to this new look in 2010 and this will really help us with consistency while giving the Irwin Tools logo a fresh new look,” he said.

“Thanks to our V8 Supercar program with Alex Davison and Stone Brothers Racing we can really promote the new logo to the public.

“Like Alex and the SBR team, here at Irwin we share a passion for success and quality in everything we do.”

[Rob]

Skaife, Lowndes reunite for enduros
Tuesday 02/02/2010 15:00

Source: BigPond Sport

http://i46.tinypic.com/zwzv9g.jpg
Skaife and Lowndes: reunited
A hint of nostalgia is in the air with the news that former teammates Craig Lowndes and Mark Skaife will reunite for this year’s enduros.

Besides unveiling the 2010 liveries in Sydney today (Tuesday), it was also announced that Skaife and Steve Owen form the endurance driver line-up for TeamVodafone.

With the new V8 supercar rule banning fulltime teammates from pairing up in the enduros, Owen will drive with the back-to-back champ while Skaife will partner Lowndes.

It will be the first time since 2000 that the former Holden Racing Team (HRT) drivers paired up – Lowndes left the next year to drive for the Ford aligned Gibson/00 Motorsport team.

Skaife retired from both HRT and fulltime racing at the end of 2008, but then teamed up with Greg Murphy for the now-defunct Sprint Gas Racing, finishing fourth at the 2009 Supercheap Auto Bathurst 1000.

But now that TeamVodafone has switched from Ford to Holden and Lowndes will drive a Commodore in 2010, the reformation of the Lowndes/Skaife combo was a no-brainer.

Lowndes noted that they have gone from being teammates to rivals and now back to being teammates.

“I’ve gone full circle going back to Holden and pairing up with Mark and I could say the same for my teammate,” he said.

“Knowing Mark and I are going to pair up together is great and we’ve got all the chance in the world of winning.”

Lowndes, who won the Queensland 500 with Skaife in 2000, believes they will be a strong contender for wins at the L&H 500 at Phillip Island and the Bathurst 1000.

“Knowing that the main drivers can’t pair up in future, you really have to rely on having very good co-drivers,” he said.

“The team has done a great job in securing Mark for myself and Steve Owen for Jamie and it’s important that you try to secure that as early as possible now more than ever.”

Lowndes is not concerned that Skaife is no longer a fulltime driver and instead said the key to success was ensuring that both drivers were confident and happy behind the wheel.

“One of those things about Bathurst is that it’s a very unique race and race track and experience counts for a hell of a lot more than time in the seat,” he said.

“It is exciting both coming back to Holden and driving with Mark.

“I’m sure it gives fans another team to cheer for and hopefully follow.”

[Rob]

Sprint tyres for Sunday
Tuesday 02/02/2010 09:30

Source: BigPond Sport

The V8 Supercars Australia Board has tweaked the rules regarding the soft tyre and teams can now only use them on Sundays at four events this year.

While Winton Raceway and Barbagallo Raceway will be sprint tyre-only events as previously reported, only one set of the Dunlop SP Sport Maxx Sprint tyre will be allocated to each car at the Queensland Raceway, Hidden Valley, Symmons Plains and Sandown Raceway events in 2010.

For these four events, the one set of soft tyres must be used during the 200km Sunday race.

In a statement the Board said it came to the decision “after carefully considering all aspects of the tyre and its usage”.

“In addition to this the sprint tyres allocated for testing will be distributed to the teams at Queensland Raceway for use in Friday Practice only. This is the same to how they were used at Winton in 2009,” the statement continued.

Jack Daniel’s Racing driver, Todd Kelly, said the two sprint tyre-only events were a “bloody good idea”.

“You don’t have an artificial race winner in the history books; whoever wins the race deserves it,” he said.

“When tyres are good you’ll be able to dive in and attack a lot harder.

“Being able to have the confidence to fire in, you don’t normally have that in a lot of situations on the harder tyre so on the soft tyre you’ll have that.

“But that’ll last for about five minutes and then the whole thing’s going to go bad and they drop right off really quick so then the car’s going to get quite messy so overall I think the racing will be potentially a fair bit better.

“I’m much more in favour of that than mixing it up.”

In other tyre related news, teams cannot add the new tyres allocated to teams at the Formula One Australian Grand Prix in March to their tyre banks after the event.

And due to the number of events in the first half of the season that will see teams unable to add to their tyre bank, the Board has approved the allocation of a total of 24 control tyres for testing and practice for 2010.

Teams will only be able to collect eight tyres per car for the pre-season test day, with the remaining 16 tyres becoming available after the return from the Middle East.

In line with the 2010 tyre rules, these tyres will be able to be eligible to be nominated as pre-marked tyres at a meeting.

[Rob]

Trading Post joins BJR
Wednesday 03/02/2010 08:00

Source: BigPond Sport

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Trading Post Racing
Jason Bright, the newest addition to the Brad Jones Racing (BJR) driver line-up, will race an orange Trading Post liveried Commodore for the 2010 V8 Supercar Championship.

The Trading Post is one of Australia’s leading places to buy and sell cars and not only does its involvement with BJR cement the company’s commitment to the automotive industry, but further strengthens Telstra’s support of the V8 Supercar series.
Bright’s #14 Commodore will be known as the Trading Post Racing Team and features Fuchs sponsorship on the windscreen banner.

“It’s fantastic news and a huge coup to secure Trading Post as naming rights sponsor for the #14 VE Commodore,” Bright said.

“The Brad Jones Racing team has put a strong package together and with Trading Post’s support, I believe we now have all the ingredients in place to make a real run for this year’s V8 Supercar Championship.”

Bright drove a Falcon for his own Britek Motorsport team last year and replaces BJR driver Cam McConville who has retired from fulltime racing.

The Trading Post itself has undergone changes in recent months. The last edition of its newspaper, once an institutionalised part of Australian households, was published in October and the company has refocused towards the internet.

Its website www.tradingpost.com has more than two million unique online and mobile users a month and remains the Australian classifieds expert in a range of categories including cars, motorbikes, boats, caravans, pets, backyard, home and DIY, farm and much more.

Michael Padden, head of the Trading Post, said V8 Supercars was an ideal sport to become involved in.

“With automotive being such a significant part of our business, it made sense to get behind a V8 Supercar team and be involved in one of Australia’s most popular national sporting competitions,” he said.

“The launch of Trading Post Racing is an exciting opportunity for us and we can’t wait to work with one of V8 Supercar’s most experienced teams.”

The 2010 season promises to be a huge year for Brad Jones Racing and the Trading Post Racing Team.

The team has had a strong offseason which besides the signing of Bright, saw a new engine supply deal with Noonan Race Engineering and the completion of the team’s first in-house built VE Commodore.

Bright’s first chance to drive the Trading Post Racing Commodore will be at the opening test day for the 2010 season at the Winton Raceway on February 8.

“We look forward to launching our sponsorship and seeing the Trading Post Racing car in full flight at the first race in Abu Dhabi on February 18, and to a very successful partnership with the team in 2010,” Padden said.

[Rob]

Three cars, Reindler confirmed for BJR
Wednesday 03/02/2010 11:00

Source: BigPond Sport

2008 V8 Supercar Rookie of the Year, Karl Reindler, is confirmed as the third driver at Brad Jones Racing this year.

Jason Bright, whose #14 Trading Post Racing Commodore was revealed to fans this morning, confirmed Reindler will use the Britek licence for the 2010 V8 Supercar Championship.

“Brad Jones Racing will oversee it and it will be run as a Britek car no different to what it was for me at Stone Brothers (last year) but running out of the same garage,” the Trading Post Racing driver said.

“There will be a sponsor announced very soon and I’m pretty excited about it.

“When I first started Britek was the rules didn’t allow you to do this sort of thing, run a three car team or run one entry with another team so this is sort of like going back to 2005 again.”
Reindler’s Commodore is expected to be revealed in full race livery at the test day for Victorian teams at Winton Motor Raceway next Monday, February 8.

As opposed to last year where Bright ran his own Britek operation, the move allows the former Holden Racing Team, Ford Performance Racing and Stone Brothers Racing driver to concentrate on winning races.

“That’s the way it should have been in the past too,” Bright noted. “It was meant to be that way all along where I could concentrate on driving but it didn’t happen that way.”

Besides removing himself from the day-to-day operations of his licence, Bright has plenty of other reasons to head into the 2010 Championship with confidence.

Phil Keed left Ford Performance Racing to work as Bright’s engineer at Brad Jones Racing and the team has struck a deal with Noonan Race Engineering to supply the engines.

“I can’t think of a time when I’ve ever gone into a year with all the ingredients in as much my favour as I have this year,” he said.

“Brad Jones Racing has very good guys who have worked on their pitstops; looking back over the last two seasons the pitstops have just gotten better and better.

“The cars are very sound, we can see areas we can make changes for the better, I have a lot of confidence with the engines and we’re a team that is on the up.”

Bright’s form continually improved over 2009, particularly after he switched from a BF to the newer FG Falcon. But he said that with Keed as his engineer it will not all have been in vain moving back into a Commodore for 2010.

“It’s one of things having someone you’ve worked with before, it allows you to shortcut that learning process running with a new engineer, and that’s very important when changing teams,” he said.

“You can lose a good three to six months worth of learning how to work with that engineer so it’s great to again work with Phil this year.

“We have both been around a number of different teams so I think we both have different ideas we can bring to the team.”

[Rob]

Ipswich 300 locked in
Tuesday 03/02/2009 12:30

Press Release | Source: V8 Supercars Australia

V8 Supercars Australia has announced it will return to Queensland Raceway in 2010. The event will be known as the Ipswich 300.

A one-year arrangement was agreed with Ipswich Mayor Paul Pisasale and the State Government to retain the event on the calendar from April 30-May 2. V8 Supercars Australia will manage the event.

“We were able to sort through the issues from an interim perspective but there is a lot of hard work ahead to bring the facility to modern day standards,” V8 Supercars Australia acting CEO Shane Howard said.

“Mayor Pisasale is to be congratulated for his persistence in bring this issue back to the table on behalf of the fans and his council who clearly understand the great importance of V8 Supercars to the region.

"V8 Supercars commends the foresight of Ipswich City Council's planning scheme on protecting the future of motorsport in the region. The Council has developed the area as a dedicated motorsport precinct that includes buffers around the circuit that guarantees its long-term future.

“This decision gives us 12 months to work through the many issues with Mayor Pisasale and the Queensland Government who have been highly supportive and very positive about the road ahead.

“Some serious work needs to be done to make it better for spectators and corporate patrons, as well as the teams who are working in very poor standard of conditions.

”If upgrades to the venue are undertaken and the critical elements addressed for spectators and our teams, V8 Supercars Australia will not hesitate to enter into a multi-year agreement.”

Mayor Pisasale said he was confident the necessary work would be done and the facility upgraded to a current day standard.

“This is the first small but significant step in securing V8 Supercars at Queensland Raceway for many, many years to come,” Pisasale said.

“I’m very pleased we’ve reached a resolution for the short-term and extremely confident that in the coming months we can really start to lock down some major upgrades to the circuit.”

While V8 Supercars Australia will promote the event this year, the short time frame means that fans are unlikely to see any major differences to the circuit in 2010.

[Rob]

Bargs to Rock V8s in 2010
Wednesday 03/02/2010 16:00

Source: BigPond Sport

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Rock Racing
An Australian made and owned energy drink company has become Jason Bargwanna’s ‘Rock’ at Kelly Racing.

At its Braeside headquarters today (Wednesday), Kelly Racing announced that as part of a multi-year deal Rock Energy Drinks is the naming-rights sponsor for Jason Bargwanna’s Commodore.

In what is a major coup for the V8 Supercars series, it is the second new sponsor that will enter the category in 2010, following the news that the Trading Post will sponsor Jason Bright’s #14 Brad Jones Racing Commodore.

Bargs raced for Sprint Gas Racing last year but after the team disbanded he joined Kelly Racing.

His Commodore, which Todd Kelly raced in 2009 but was completely rebuilt in the off-season, will be known as Rock Racing.

Bargwanna will race under the number 11, made famous by six-time Bathurst winner and V8 Supercar legend Larry Perkins.

“Rock Energy Drinks is a new sponsor to V8 Supercars and the car looks fantastic,” Bargwanna said.

“The company was the naming-rights sponsor on our Mini entry last year and has stepped up as naming-rights sponsor on my V8 Supercar.

“Rock Energy Drinks is an Australian owned and made product taking on the big importers of the American energy drink companies and besides exporting to nine countries it obviously wants to get more exposure in Australia, its home market.”

Bargwanna, who started the Sunday race at the Nikon SuperGP on the Gold Coast from pole position, said the short-term focus was to win races.

“We had the pole position last year and proved we were very competitive in the last six months of the year and proved we could be at the front,” he said.

“Taking the step up to Kelly Racing, our focus is to win races and if we can do that consistently we will have a red-hot go at the Championship.

“Rick and Todd made their intentions clear for this year; I’m in the same equipment so there is no reason why we can’t have the same goal.”

Having raced for under-funded teams in recent years, Bargwanna now has his sights set on a career-best performance in 2010 as part of a formidable driver line-up alongside the Kelly brothers, who are also fellow Bathurst champions.

“The last three teams I've been with have closed their doors and that's been the reason I've departed the team, so this is completely different for me,” he said.

“This team is focused on winning car races. Everything you do from the moment you open the front door is all about winning car races.

“That is what every driver dreams of, to be part of a championship-contending team.

“There is no compromise in this operation. The last few seasons have been character building years and now it’s my time to put it all together and make the most of this genuinely great opportunity.”

In terms of V8 Supercar event starts, Kelly Racing now boasts the most experienced driver line-up in the field with 388 combined starts between Bargwanna and the Kelly brothers.

Tim Xenos, the Managing Director of Rock Energy Drinks parent company Beverage Holdings, said the new deal is a big part of plans to continue the Rock’s growth both in the Australian market and globally.

“We are very excited to have the Rock brand in V8 Supercars in a big way with Jason Bargwanna and the Rock Racing Commodore,” he said.

“Our relationship with Kelly Racing is about raising the profile of Rock Energy Drink in the Australian market as we continue to grow both here and globally.

“Rock is Australian made and owned, so it’s very exciting for us to be backing an Australian driver and team.

“We currently have a presence in Kmart and Costco stores and the exposure and opportunities that we expect to derive from this new deal is a big part of growing that further.”

Bargs is proud to be representing the emerging brand both on and off the race track.

“It's very exciting to have a brand new Australian sponsor on the car,” he said.

“We all have high hopes for Rock Racing in terms of what we want to achieve and this is the exciting beginning of this new relationship.”

[Rob]

Gold Coast SuperCarnivale Re-invigorated
Thursday 04/02/2010 09:30

Author: Press Release | Source: V8 Supercars Australia

In a massive coup for the Gold Coast, the biggest annual event in Queensland will be entirely re-branded and transformed into a massive ‘Gold Coast SuperCarnivale’ weekend.

The Queensland Government and V8 Supercars Australia jointly announced that the Gold Coast fixture will be wholly re-invigorated in conjunction with the 20th anniversary of the event this October.

The emphasis will be on extremely affordable ticketing and be all-inclusive of entertainment and live concerts. The world class V8 Supercars Australia events team headed up by Gold Coaster, Shane Howard, will take charge of the Gold Coast SuperCarnivale.

An additional focus will be on attracting interstate and international visitors back to the event.

“I would argue that no single event in Australian history has undergone the dramatic changes that are planned for this year’s SuperCarnivale on the Gold Coast,” V8 Supercars Australia Chairman Tony Cochrane said.

“Aside from a massive reduction to the size of the site it is also our absolute goal to transform it into a family style event.”

For the first time in the history of V8 Supercars, the event will become the third endurance race on the calendar alongside the prestigious L&H 500 at Phillip Island and Supercheap Auto Bathurst 1000. It will be raced over 600kms, 300kms each day, with each V8 Supercar team including an international co-driver

“In total we will have 17 international drivers, one for each V8 Supercar team, from around 14 different countries, driving for our teams, alongside our drivers across a 600km endurance weekend,” Mr Cochrane said.

Mr Cochrane confirmed that former Gold Coast winner Scott Pruett (USA), placegetter Alex Tagliani (Canada), reigning Australian Le Mans 24 Hour winner David Brabham, former Formula 1 and Champ Car stars Mark Blundell (England) and Christian Fittipaldi (Brazil) have already signed as co-drivers.

The complete race format and all 17 co-drivers will be announced at the event launch in April.

“There is no question that this event will have everything for everybody, including a massive international component in our visiting drivers. Their presence alone will spark massive interest around the world and compliments new world-wide television deals we are announcing next Wednesday at our season launch.”

The event, to be promoted by V8 Supercar Events, will be part of the inaugural V8 Grand Slam which could offer up to $2.5 million in prize money for a driver that wins the Gold Coast event, Clipsal 500 in Adelaide, Supercheap Auto Bathurst 1000 and the Sydney Telstra 500 in Sydney in the same year.



Key changes to the precinct include:

- The “footprint” of the circuit reduced from the current 4.49km to 2.96km, freeing up approximately 40% of the site for residents, business and other users

- The total build/dismantle time reduced by five weeks (from 14 weeks to 9)

- The event will run over three days – Friday to Sunday

- A shortened circuit to allow for the separation to the Surfers Paradise precinct

- Utilising the Broadwater Park for nightly entertainment featuring Australian and International artists – all included in the ticket price



Community considerations:

- Minimise disruption to residents

- The focus will be on re-engaging the community to be more inclusive going forward

- The event will have a full time, Gold Coast based General Manager

- A full time Community Liaison person to work in with the community and the Gold Coast City Council

- A Community Committee to oversee the event from all aspects of the local residents, businesses, traffic etc.

- Free up access to Budds Beach



The motorsport component to include:

- For the first time in history V8 Supercars will add a third endurance race to the calendar in addition to iconic races the L&H 500 at Phillip Island and the Supercheap Auto Bathurst 1000

- The event will form the third leg of the soon to be announced Grand Slam offering a record $2.5 million prize pool

- 17 international drivers from around 14 countries will drive for the 17 V8 Supercar teams

- The international drivers will contest their own race on the Friday in their team V8 Supercar

- The main race will be over 600kms in two races – race one on Saturday and race two on Sunday

- Each race will have driver, fuel and tyre pit stops



Click here to download the Gold Coast concept circuit design (PDF - 1.97MB)


The event will have its new name, new logo and be rebranded to reflect the Gold Coast and the family friendly style of event. It will also have a strong community engagement and consultation process.



WHAT THE INTERNATIONAL DRIVERS HAVE TO SAY…..

SCOTT PRUETT – USA

“The Gold Coast and the October event have been synonymous with the world’s great motorsport events for many years and it is fantastic that this concept has been put together for its 20th anniversary celebrations.

“This will provide a real rejuvenation of the event and take it back to the glory days of the late 90s and early 00s. I loved my years on the Gold Coast, especially my victory in 1997 – ironically that year I was actually on my honeymoon with my wife, Judy.

“My drive in a V8 Supercar at Bathurst later that year was a great experience and one I am looking forward to repeating. I don’t need any excuse to come to Australia, so when I received a call to be part of this program I jumped at the chance.

“I think the opportunity to drive a V8 Supercar on one of the world’s greatest street courses will be pretty attractive to plenty of the world’s great drivers.”


CHRISTIAN FITTIPALDI - BRAZIL

“When I heard about this concept and was contacted about being a part of it I was excited. V8 Supercars have built a fantastic reputation around the world and I am a fan of the Series.

“To have the chance of getting behind the wheel of a V8 Supercar on the streets of the Gold Coast will be fantastic. It is no secret that the Gold Coast was one of my favourite events anywhere in the world and I was fortunate to be a part of it through the most recent glory years of US open-wheel racing in the late 90s.

“I believe this concept, combined with the venue and enthusiasm of the promoter and fans, will make it one of the most desirable events in the world for any driver.

“I had one of my worst experiences at the track when I broken my leg at the first chicane in 1997, but even the way I was taken care of after that drama leaves fond memories of Surfers Paradise and Queensland with me.

“I cannot wait.”


MARK BLUNDELL – ENGLAND

“You have some pretty cool days in your life, but to get a phone call asking if I wanted to drive a V8 Supercar at Surfers Paradise has to be up there among the best.

“Surfers Paradise was always our favourite event on the Champ Car circuit and to have the chance to head back to one of the world’s great playgrounds to race a V8 Supercar on one of the world’s best street tracks is going to be fantastic.

“It will be a like a reunion of sorts for some of us, but you can be sure the competition is going to be as fierce as ever. This will be no exhibition event. We will be taking part in an event where driver’s championship hopes will be on the line and we will all be doing our best to keep the points ticking over for them.

“V8 Supercars has grown in stature tremendously in recent years and I think this concept will make the Surfers Paradise event one of the most anticipated in world motorsport this season.

“It will be like Christmas a couple of months early. Let’s hope there is a decent present at the end of it.”


ALEX TAGLIANI – CANADA

“The Gold Coast is one of the most special places in the world for me – it was where I met my Australian wife, Bronte. I have also had some good results over the years, including a third for Team Australia in 2006 in a Champ Car.

“That same year I drove at Bathurst with Marcus Marshall in the V8 Supercar Series. That gave me a taste of V8 Supercar racing which I have been keen to experience again as the V8 Supercars are one of the great categories of world racing.

“After that experience racing with Marcus Marshall, I have made no secret of the fact that I would like to spend a couple of seasons racing V8s in Australia once my open-wheel career is finished. This event will be a good thing for my CV – and I guess for a few other drivers who will be lining up from countries all over the world.”


DAVID BRABHAM – AUSTRALIA

“Unfortunately I have never had the chance to race on the Gold Coast before, but all that is about to change. The event is well known around the world and it has always been of extra interest to me because the Gold Coast is home to most of my family (including dad Sir Jack Brabham who won the 1959-60 and 66 F1 world titles and brother, Geoff, who is also a former Le Mans 24 Hour winner).

“It is one of the world’s toughest street circuits and attacking it in a V8 Supercar will be no easy task, especially for those who will be driving one for the first time. Fortunately I have done a few laps in a V8 over the years and I am looking forward to getting out there.

“I have a full season of ALMS racing for Highcroft Racing ahead of me in the US and other selected events, including the Le Mans 24 Hour, but then we head home for what should be a terrific week.”


Ticketing and on sale dates will be released shortly via the official V8 Supercar website

[Rob]

HRT heats up for 2010
Thursday 04/02/2010 13:00

Source: BigPond Sport

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Tander at Winton
The four Walkinshaw Racing drivers were the first in the V8 Supercar field to re-accustom themselves to the hot conditions of the first few V8 events for 2010.

Toll Holden Racing Team and Bundaberg Red Racing hit the track for their first test for the year on Monday and Tuesday at Winton Motor Raceway.

With ambient temperatures reaching more than 36 degrees on Monday the Commodore cockpits were sweltering for Garth Tander, Will Davison, Fabian Coulthard and Andrew Thompson.

But the upside was it re-acclimatised them all for the two opening events of the 2010 Championship, the Yas V8 400 at Abu Dhabi and the Desert 400 at Bahrain, in the Middle East which are then followed by the first event for 2010 on Aussie soil, the Adelaide Clipsal 500, where the weather is also traditionally hot.

“Conditions have been difficult; it has been extremely hot, but we have worked through our program and had a trouble free run; everything has gone well,” Tander said.

“We have only had a short off-season, but everyone on the team is well rested and it has been great to get back to the track and into the car.”

Davison said the test was about race car setups and car and crew familiarisation rather than ultimate lap times.

“It’s about trying new things, working through setups and getting ready for what’s going to be a big year,” he said.

Bundaberg Red Racing will be known as Extra Smooth Racing in the Middle East due to alcohol advertising restrictions and both Coulthard and Thompson are settling into their new Melbourne lifestyles after moving from the Gold Coast in the off-season.

The test days were an opportunity for Coulthard, who drove a Falcon last year, and Thompson, who did not compete full-time in 2009, to familiarise themselves with the Commodores.

Following the test, Coulthard said he felt more comfortable in the car with every lap.

“I think we are doing the right thing by starting the year off with two test days, especially for Andrew and I who are new to the team and it is valuable experience really,” he said.

“It is good to get familiar with everything; try a few changes and get a solid read on our progress.

“Rob Starr (Coulthard’s engineer) is a top lad and easy to get along with which will be an integral part to our success this season.”

Thompson said it was good to finally get in the car for 2010.

“We are only a month into the year, but it has felt like about three months so it is a relief to get into the car despite the heat,” he said.

Starr will engineer Coulthard’s #24 Commodore and Dilan Talabani has been named as the data engineer for the car.

Erik Pender will lead the engineering crew on Thompson’s car as well as act as team manager for Bundaberg Red Racing while Joe Sasso will team with Pender as the data engineer on car #10.

The Walkinshaw teams tested one week ahead of other Victorian teams because two of the four Melbourne-based cars will be flown from Brisbane to Abu Dhabi in two weeks time.

While the Walkinshaw drivers tested in searing temperatures, the Bureau of Meteorology has forecasted a maximum of about 30 degrees for Monday, February 8 when the remaining Victorian teams will test and about 28 degrees for Tuesday, February 9 in Queensland when the northern-based teams are scheduled to test.

[Rob]

Kelly Racing’s shopping spree
Friday 05/02/2010 16:00

Source: BigPond Sport

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Extra Smooth Racing
DFS, the world’s leading luxury retailer catering to travellers, replaces the famous ‘Old No. 7’ logo on the two Jack Daniel’s Racing Commodores in the Middle East.

While the whiskey maker’s logo was used in Bahrain when the V8s last visited in 2008, alcohol advertising restrictions in Abu Dhabi are tighter.

The duty free shopping group, which has more than 150 stores in 14 countries including Australia and Abu Dhabi, will feature on the bonnet and roof of the two Jack Daniel’s Racing Commodores, while the sides of the cars bear the slogan ‘Jack Lives Here’ instead of the company’s name.

At Kelly Racing’s Braeside headquarters on Wednesday afternoon team members, including #15 driver Rick Kelly, began applying the vinyl wrap to the side of Todd Kelly’s #7 car.

Besides Jack Daniel’s Racing other teams affected by the alcohol branding constraints include Bundaberg Red Racing and Jim Beam Racing.

Bundaberg Red Racing will be known as Extra Smooth Racing in the Middle East for the Yas V8 400 season opener in Abu Dhabi on February 18-20 and the Desert 400 in Bahrain on February 25-27.

The Extra Smooth Racing livery was seen for the first time on Andrew Thompson’s #10 Commodore when the team tested on Monday at Winton Motor Raceway.

Fabian Coulthard’s #24 still featured the Bundaberg Red Racing livery at the test, but it will be swapped over before the team heads overseas.

Jim Beam Racing will not announce its rebranding until the test day at Queensland Raceway this Tuesday but at previous Bahrain events it has used the slogan ‘The Team’.

The Bottle-O Racing owner Rod Nash was not able to be contacted to comment on what will replace the VB logo on the Falcon’s bonnet; however it has been reported that the Bottle-O logos have been permitted to remain on the car.

A source from one of the teams with alcohol sponsorship said the changeover costs somewhere in the order of $50,000 for a two-car team once race suits and team uniforms and changing the decals are taken into account.

[Rob]

Perth scrapped for 2010
By Press Release

7:22 PM Mon 8 February, 2010

Source: V8 Supercars Australia

V8 Supercars Australia has confirmed its final 2010 calendar which includes the City of Ipswich 300 at Queensland Raceway while omitting the Perth event that had been provisionally scheduled for June 4-6.

As announced last week, Queensland Raceway remains on the calendar for 2010 pending a major upgrade of the circuit facilities prior to any commitment for 2011 and beyond.

The Gold Coast SuperCanivale has become a three day event (October 22-24) following the Queensland Government’s backing of a completely revamped format for the endurance weekend.

The Falken Tasmania Challenge has also been confirmed as now being a week later on November 12-14 at Symmons Plains in Launceston.

“It is great news that we have been able to secure the City of Ipswich 300 but disappointing we have been unable to find a workable solution to the similar issues we have at Barbagallo Raceway,” Acting V8 Supercars Australia CEO Shane Howard said.

“We are extremely disappointed for all of our fans in WA. As a group we have worked overtime in trying to get this third world facility re-vamped so that both the Paddock and the pit lane meet basic OH&S legislation.

“Despite a reduced sanction fee of around 25 per cent of the actual cost for us to race in Perth, committing to a long-term five-year deal and offering the services of Mark Skaife and our engineers to design the new circuit at our cost we still get a lip service response.

“The situation is best summed up by a recent seven page letter and subsequent letters that have received just a one paragraph response at best. Our WA fans will at least have the extensive free to view live coverage on the 7 Network.

“Hopefully this opens the door for other regions of Western Australia to approach us with a view to bringing one of the world’s greatest Touring Car Championships to a new destination in the future.”

The V8 Supercar Championship Series will commence next week in Abu Dhabi with the Yas V8 400 followed by a back-to-back weekend in Bahrain at the Gulf Air Desert 400.

The season will have a distinctive autumn and spring phase to it. A February start means there will be nine events up until mid-June, a nine week break and then six events to finish the season, again culminating again with the massive Sydney Telstra 500 in December.

[Rob]

Moffat gets FPR Enduro Drive

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Frosty pre-season testing at Winton


12:00 PM Mon 8 February, 2010
BigPond Sport

Ford Performance Racing (FPR) has signed on James Moffat and Luke Youlden for the 2010 endurance races.

Youlden and Moffat will join regular drivers Mark Winterbottom and Steve Richards, however the team has not determined the exact pairings.

New V8 Supercar rules ban regular drivers from pairing up at this year’s L&H 500 and Supercheap Auto Bathurst 1000.

Youlden, who has raced in the enduros for FPR for the last few years, is the likely candidate to team up with Winterbottom.

And the upshot of this is that Richo, son of seven-time Bathurst winner Jim, and Moffat, son of four-time Bathurst winner Allan, will be paired together.

Dean Canto, who drove for FPR in the long-distance races last year, has also been sighted in the FPR garage at Winton today (Monday) for testing, indicating he will drive with Paul Dumbrell in The Bottle-O Racing Falcon this year.

Team Principal, Tim Edwards, praised both Moffat, who was named the Mike Kable Young Gun for 2009, and Youlden.

“For Ford Performance Racing and Ford, it’s great to get the guys organised early and up to speed, hence giving them a run at today’s test,” he said.

“Having access to such experienced guys is a real bonus, so we can take full advantage of the co-driver sessions at races throughout this year and get both drivers fully comfortable with our Falcons.

“We believe we have signed the two best drivers that aren’t currently driving full time in the main game; this will allow us to be flexible with our combinations when it comes time to decide on pairings for the endurance events.”

Richards’ #6 Falcon is devoid of a major sponsor at Winton today, however FPR promises the naming-rights sponsor will be revealed shortly and that the sponsor will turn heads in pitlane.

“It’s no secret I didn’t have the best of seasons last year but that’s behind us now and I’m as refreshed and raring to go as ever,” Richo said.

“I’ve got a feeling it’s going to be a good year.”

[Rob]

Ignition for Triple Eight Commodores

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Craig Lowndes testing at QR


3:30 PM Tue 9 February, 2010

Source: BigPond Sport

Triple Eight’s Commodores made their historic public debut in an uneventful test at Queensland Raceway today.

In the first practice session the pigeon-pair of TeamVodafone Commodores of Jamie Whincup and Craig Lowndes finished fourth and sixth-quickest respectively.

Essentially the team undertook a full systems check and some fundamental set-up work and was happy with the session.

Early indications are the team seems confident it will hit the ground running in the Middle East next week.

Although there was a minor mechanical glitch to the #888 Commodore of Craig Lowndes the day went smoothly enough.

The team basically duplicated the test they did with the FG Falcon this time last year, analysing set-ups and measuring fuel.

A guarded team boss Roland Dane was comfortable with the behaviour and lap pace of the Commodores.

“The cars have rolled out pretty well but we still have plenty of work to do to make sure we are on the money,” Dane said.

The early pace in the first session was set by DJR racer Jonathon Webb who established a 1min11.4251sec lap.

Star Paul Morris recruit Greg Murphy was second quickest in 1:11.6085 ahead of Steve Johnson (1:11.6611).

Steve Johnson (Jim Beam Racing) was third fastest in 1:11.6611.

Supercheap Auto incumbent Russell Ingall posted the fifth-fastest time of 1:11.7081 in a Triple Eight-built Commodore.

Murphy will continue to use Ingall’s Commodore from last season until he takes delivery of the new Holden supplied by TeamVodafone.

TeamVodafone has been the benchmark outfit for the last four years and is facing one of its toughest challenges since switching brands from running Fords.

Dane says that the 2010 challenge is no greater or smaller than this time last year when it completed a heavy build schedule of supplying five FG Falcons.

“Every year is a challenge and we built more cars last year,” Dane said.

“When we did the deal with the guys at Holden I didn’t know that we would be starting off the year with Abu Dhabi and Bahrain.

“That (earlier start) basically compressed everything into three weeks because we thought Clipsal would be mid-March followed by the GP and everything would be fine.

“But we had to reschedule and that really has been the hardest part but we have got three cars out on the track today.”

In the first few hours the Triple Eight cars set the pace before being overhauled by Webb’s time.

[Rob]

heres 100% commitment on Bathurst hot lap GARTH TANDER!!!!!!


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fbHWYkGTeJk

[Rob]

DJR gets Ford money

1:58 PM Wed 10 February, 2010

Source: BigPond Sport
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Ford Australia announced today (Wednesday) that it will begin a new partnership with Johnson Racing, supporting all three of the Ford V8 Supercar teams in 2010.

The Blue Oval stopped providing finance to Johnson Racing, which is known as Jim Beam Racing, at the end of 2008 but still provided engineering and technical assistance to the team.

Johnson remained loyal to Ford following the announcement but TeamVodafone defected to Holden after it also lost Ford dollars, subsequently tipping the 2010 V8 field two thirds in the General’s favour.

Only three teams – Jim Beam Racing, Ford Performance Racing and Stone Brothers Racing – will run Falcons in 2010 and Ford already sponsors the other two teams.

In a statement today, Ford Australia said Jim Beam Racing will now receive “direct factory support” from the company, following an internal review of its motorsport sponsorship program.

“Ford is extremely pleased to be able to expand its partnership with Jim Beam Racing for 2010 and offer the team enhanced support for the upcoming season,” Ford Australia President and Chief Executive Officer, Marin Burela, said.

“ Johnson is an icon of the sport and a motorsport legend.

“His name and his team have been synonymous with the Ford brand over a long period of time, so it’s fitting that we can continue to be so inextricably linked in the world of motorsport in Australia.”

Johnson noted his long association with Ford.

“And I am very pleased that we have been able to enhance that partnership this year,” he said.

Jim Beam Racing finished the year on a high with James Courtney winning the final race of the season at the Sydney Telstra 500.

Jim Beam Racing co-owner, Charlie Schwerkolt, described the discussions with Ford and Burela as “refreshing”.

“And our performance on track in 2009 has certainly helped in our discussions to re-engage in 2010,” he said.

“It is such a positive move by Ford to increase its support of the team and, in turn, its ultimate support of the V8 Supercar category as a whole, and we look forward to a great partnership in 2010.”

Jim Beam Racing’s new livery, including Ford branding, will be seen for the first time at the V8 Supercars season launch in Sydney tonight.

[Rob]

P!nk is the face of V8 Supercars for 2010
Press Release

7:00 PM Wed 10 February, 2010

Source: V8 Supercars Australia
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Sydney: V8 Supercars Australia has proven its credentials as “The Greatest Show on Wheels” by securing international music sensation P!nk as the sport’s ambassador from 2010 through to 2012. The announcement will be made at the annual Season Launch tonight, held at Stage 3, Fox Studios, where the crème de la crème of the motor sport, media and entertainment world will gather together to be the first to see the brand new commercial starring the feisty American rocker.

V8 Supercars Australia Chairman Tony Cochrane said,

“This is also the biggest campaign, by a long, long way, that V8 Supercars has embarked on and let me tell you we’ve done some big things in our history. It is an enormous coup for our sport to have P!nk as an ambassador for the next three years and we are very proud to have her on board.

“V8 Supercars is about growth and growing our audiences. We have proven in a relatively short amount of time that V8 Supercars is a world class product on and off the track. Again with this announcement we are setting a very high benchmark.

“So why P!nk? She’s the greatest female artist on the planet in my books. She’s not afraid to be different. She’s bold, she’s outspoken and she’s unapologetic. She’s the most popular modern day artist in this country by a very long margin. She’s cool! For all of those reasons V8 Supercars and P!nk are the perfect DNA match.”

The commercial which was filmed in Sydney during P!nk’s 2009 FUNHOUSE TOUR, airs on national television from 6am Thursday 11 February showcasing P!nk with an all star cast of V8 Supercars drivers including, Jamie Whincup, Will Davison, Rick Kelly, Mark Winterbottom, Fabian Coulthard and James Courtney.

“I’m in LA where I just finished soaking everybody at the Grammys, which was really fun,” says P!nk,

“I want everybody to see my new V8 Supercar commercial that I’m really, really excited about. Dave Meyers my buddy out here in the US directed it and he flew all the way to Australia for it at the end of my last tour.

“I’m stoked about it, it’s awesome. We got to test drive the cars while we were there and it has been a really fun ride. I didn’t have to drive with Carey Hart so I’m alive! I’m really excited about the new race season.”

Believed to be one of the largest advertising productions undertaken in Australian sport, the new V8 Supercars commercial was directed by world renowned Hollywood music video director Dave Meyers who flew to Sydney from LA for the shoot. In his ten-year directing career, Meyers has won a host of awards and worked with some of the industry’s biggest stars including P!nk, JLo, Aerosmith, Janet Jackson, Jay-Z and Britney Spears.

[Rob]

P!nk will play at V8s

12:37 PM Fri 12 February, 2010

Source: BigPond Sport

V8 Supercars’ new ambassador, music sensation P!nk, is likely to perform at one of this year’s showcase events.

It was announced earlier this week that P!nk has signed on as the category’s ambassador for three years and V8 Supercars Interim Chief Executive Officer, Shane Howard, has no doubt she will perform at a V8 event in that time.

“She definitely will appear at one of our concerts in the future,” he said.

“I can’t give too much away, but she definitely wants to; she’s a big fan of V8 Supercars and has embedded herself into the sport.

“That would be the ultimate to have her play at one of our concerts, for sure; that really would just bring the whole relationship to fruition.”

Two of the most likely places she will attend if she performs this year is December’s Sydney Telstra 500, the grand finale for the 2010 Championship, or the Gold Coast SuperCarnivale in October.

It will be the first time the V8 Supercars will officially headline the Gold Coast event without an international category on the bill and V8 Supercars is pulling out all the stops to prove to the Queensland Government it can continue to go it alone.

P!nk, aka Alecia Moore, took part in a massive 58 show tour of Australia last year, playing to a total of more than 650,000 people according to her official website.

Howard revealed that V8 Supercars had initially courted P!nk to perform at last year’s inaugural Sydney Telstra 500, but it clashed with a performance she had booked in Europe.

“She wanted to do it, but there was a conflict with her playing in Zurich so that wasn’t to happen,” he said.

P!nk’s manager Roger Davies previously managed Tina Turner, who was part of the NRL’s Simply the Best campaign in the late eighties.

When V8 Supercars realised this, it sent brainstorming into overdrive and the deal was done for P!nk to become the face of the category for the next three years.

Once it was sorted, V8 Supercars had a window of just over a fortnight to film the ad featuring P!nk, which received plenty of publicity from television broadcasters yesterday (Thursday).

And while other celebrities and music stars make all sorts of demands like top shelf champagne and caviar, Howard said all P!nk and her management wanted was a high quality production.

“In our conversations (before the deal was done) Roger said ‘look, we’re only interested in this if it’s really high quality, we’re not interested in anything that’s half-hearted’ so we gave him guarantees we were after the same outcomes as what P!nk and he were after,” he said.

“And so it was agreed between the parties that we would fly Dave Meyers out from New York to come out and shoot it.

“We had about 16 days then to bring it all to fruition and it was an unbelievable task, a very nervous time given the expectations of the artist and her management and us but it just clicked.

“I think the shortness of time actually benefited the end result because everybody knew there was no mucking around; it was get in and nail it.”

In August, the same day V8 Supercars were making the public announcement that Russell Crowe had lent his voice to the 2009 Supercheap Auto Bathurst 1000 commercials, the parts of the ad for 2010 that P!nk starred in were covertly being shot in a former locomotive foundry in Redfern.

The ad, which cost up to five million dollars to make, also has plenty of computer-generated imagery and Howard said the post production was enormous.

“I can’t tell you the hours and hours and hours of people reviewing and critiquing and changing and going back to the States through Dave Meyers and that process was extensive,” he explained.

“It was an eye opener for me just to see what’s involved to produce something at that level.

“This would be the most expensive and the biggest sport music campaign in this country and to see the end result is outstanding.”

Jim Beam Racing’s James Courtney said it was a unique experience to feature in the ad with P!nk.

“The segment where I catch P!nk only lasts a few seconds, but it took a few hours (to film),” he said.

“There is so much preparation and planning, just as there is when we go motor racing.

“The aim is to promote the sport outside traditional motorsport fans and P!nk was the perfect choice to push the message out there to a wider demographic.

“The music is great, and the presentation of the vision and graphics are very slick. I think this will hit the mark!”

[Rob]

Richo gets rubber
Steve Richards' new Dunlop Super Dealer FPR Falcon

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4:43 PM Thu 11 February, 2010

Source: BigPond Sport

Dunlop, the official tyre of the V8 Supercars, will have even more branding on track with the announcement the company will sponsor Steve Richards’ Ford Performance Racing (FPR) Falcon.

Richo’s car will be known as the Dunlop Super Dealer FPR Falcon and he is keen to put 2009 behind him.

“Personally I couldn’t be happier,” he said.

“I’ve done a lot of work with Dunlop Super Dealers over the years, so to have my car emblazoned with their colours is brilliant.

“I’m definitely looking forward to the new season; I’m expecting the Dunlop Super Dealer FPR Falcon will be a contender this year.”

FPR Team Principal, Tim Edwards, said Dunlop has been a proud and active sponsor of FPR since it began in 2002.

“So to see a fully livered Dunlop Super Dealer FPR Falcon on the track in 2010 reflects the value we both hold in this relationship,” he said.

“It’s pleasing to see an existing, blue chip sponsor stepping up to take on naming entitlements.

“In many ways it’s a logical step; Dunlop is obviously aware of the commercial advantages of owning a competitive car. We can now take this long standing support to the next level.”

Dunlop Tyres’ Marketing Vice President, Phillip Cavagna, said the Dunlop Super Dealer sponsorship was a first for the tyre retailer.

“This partnership marks the first time the Dunlop Super Dealer retail network has come together to be involved in the V8 Supercar Championship Series,” he said.

“We are extremely excited to be the naming-rights sponsor on Steven Richards’ #6 Ford Performance Racing Falcon for the 2010 Series, as well as to have Dunlop continue our ongoing partnership of the entire FPR team.

“Dunlop is one of the world’s leading manufacturers of high and ultra high performance tyres with an impressive track record of motorsport success, so Ford Performance Racing is a great fit for our brand.”

Cavagna said it also reinforces Dunlop’s longstanding relationship with Ford Australia and Ford Performance Vehicles to engineer and supply original equipment tyres for the new road cars.

“Taking over the naming rights of Steven Richards’ FPR Ford Falcon is a perfect fit for the tyre dealer as the popular driver has been an ambassador to the business for several years,” he said.

Richo ran a blank livery at the test day for Victorian teams at Winton Motor Raceway on Monday.

The Dunlop Super Dealer FPR Falcon will make its track debut at the opening event of the 2010 V8 Supercar Championship, the Yas V8 400, which takes place next week starting February 18.

[Rob]

Who gets the last seat?

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Dale Wood tested the fourth Kelly Racing car at Winton last week.
1:13 PM Mon 15 February, 2010

BigPond Sport

The driver of the last seat up for grabs in the 2010 V8 Supercar Championship will not be named until the eleventh hour.

Kelly Racing will announce its fourth driver in pitlane at the Yas Marina Circuit on Wednesday morning Abu Dhabi time (Wednesday night in Australia).

The Kelly Racing Commodore was air freighted over to Abu Dhabi for this weekend’s Yas V8 400 minus its livery and will be stickered up after it arrives in the Middle East.

A number of drivers have been linked to Kelly Racing but have since been confirmed as endurance drivers for other teams.

Marcus Marshall, left out in the wilderness after his Team IntaRacing folded mid-way through 2009, has taken up an enduro drive with Jim Beam Racing.

And Michael Patrizi, also without a drive after Paul Cruickshank Racing closed at the end of last year’s Championship, will team up with Triple F Racing driver and fellow West Australian Dean Fiore for Phillip Island’s L&H 500 and Supercheap Auto Bathurst 1000.

Patrizi helped with pitstop simulations and then drove the Triple F Falcon at the official test day for Queensland-based teams last week.

Fiore said he was stoked to have Patrizi on board as his endurance co-driver.

“He’s been a mate for ages and will bring a wealth of knowledge and experience to the team for the endurance races later this year,” he said.

Patrizi said he was honoured to join Triple F Racing for the enduros.

“To be given the opportunity to race with my best mate has been a dream since we were young tackers racing go karts in Kalgoorlie,” he said.

Former Kelly Racing driver Dale Wood, who continued working at Kelly Racing after Mark McNally replaced him as a driver last year, drove the blank Kelly Racing Commodore at the official test day for Victorian teams at Winton Motor Raceway last week.

While Rock Racing driver Jason Bargwanna, who is also from the Kelly Racing stable, topped the timesheets with 1:22.7234, Wood’s quickest time was 1:26.1724.

Considering Kelly Racing is waiting until it hits Abu Dhabi, there is an outside chance a driver from that region will be named to take the fourth seat, if only for the first two 2010 V8 events.

After all it has been done before – the now defunct Team Kiwi Racing ran Fahad Al Musalam at the 2008 Gulf Air Desert 400 in Bahrain.2010 driver line-up

Confirmed enduro drivers are listed in brackets

TeamVodafone #1 Jamie Whincup (Steve Owen)

Toll Holden Racing Team #2 Garth Tander #22 Will Davison

Centaur Racing #3 Tony D’Alberto (Shane Price)

Irwin Racing #4 Alex Davison

Orrcon Racing #5 Mark Winterbottom Dunlop Super Dealer Team #6 Steve Richards (Luke Youlden, James Moffat)

Jack Daniel’s Racing #7 Todd Kelly #15 Rick Kelly

Team BOC #8 Jason Richards

SP Tools Racing #9 Shane van Gisbergen

Bundaberg Red Racing #10 Andrew Thompson #24 Fabian Coulthard (Dave Reynolds)

Rock Racing #11 Jason Bargwanna

Triple F Racing #12 Dean Fiore (Michael Patrizi)

Trading Post Racing #14 Jason Bright

Kelly Racing #16 TBC

Jim Beam Racing #17 Steve Johnson #18 James Courtney (Warren Luff, Marcus Marshall)

Canadian Club Racing #19 Jonathon Webb (David Russell)

Fair Dinkum Sheds Racing #21 Karl Reindler

Gulf Western Oil Racing #30 Daniel Gaunt

Fujitsu Racing #33 Lee Holdsworth #34 Michael Caruso (David Besnard, Greg Ritter)

Supercheap Auto Racing #39 Russell Ingall

Wilson Security Racing #47 Tim Slade

Castrol Edge Racing #51 Greg Murphy

The Bottle-O Racing #55 Paul Dumbrell

TeamVodafone #888 Craig Lowndes (Mark Skaife)

[Rob]

Tunnel vision

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Paul Dumbrell in Abu Dhabi.

9:01 PM Tue 16 February, 2010

Source: BigPond Sport

The 2010 V8 Supercar Championship kicks off in style with the Yas V8 400 at the world class Yas Marina Circuit in Abu Dhabi this weekend.

There is plenty to be excited about in V8 land at the moment and the drivers cannot wait to hit the 4.5km track which they will race anti-clockwise.

The twilight races will start in daylight and end in the dark and V8 Supercars will be the first series to use the Corkscrew part of the track, a high speed off-camber left, right, left turn sequence which drops 15 metres in elevation over a 100 metres distance.

And for the first time, V8 drivers will get to use a full-blown tunnel at Yas Marina, with the pit exit tunnel.

Garry Rogers Motorsport’s Michael Caruso, who is sporting new Fujitsu livery for 2010, said the Hermann Tilke designed track and the facility looked spectacular.

“Probably the biggest talking point is driving out of pitlane in through that tunnel,” he said last week.

“Everyone’s looking forward to driving through it; it’s so different to what we’re used to.

“I haven’t seen it so I’m not sure exactly how tight it is but it does look interesting.”

Teammate Lee Holdsworth, who traditionally excels at new tracks, is also looking forward to hit the track.

“I love going to new tracks and everyone in this team’s on a bit of a high,” he said.

“Yas Marina Circuit looks like a great track. There’s a fairly big drop at one point of the track – the Corkscrew - it will be a fairly interesting part, and from what I’ve heard it’s a fantastic track and absolute world class facility and it’s just exciting.

“I’ve been looking at a fair few clips of the track and I’ve got a mate (Tarik Al Hamar) that runs in the Lumina series over there and he’s sent me a few videos so hopefully that all helps out.

“Everyone starts on a level playing field again just like Townsville and Homebush and that usually plays into our hands. I just hope we can take off from where we left off last year.”

The Yas Marina Circuit is part of a marina-based development that also includes theme parks and a water park as well as residential areas, hotels and beaches.

Construction of the Yas Marina Circuit began in May 2007 and was completed in October 2009 with a total of US$1.3 billion spent on the venue.

[Rob]

Ricciardello drives for Kellys
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The Super-Max Razors Commodore unveiled
By Press Release

8:47 AM Wed 17 February, 2010

Source: BigPond Sport


Kelly Racing has confirmed that Tony Ricciardello will drive the team’s #16 Holden Commodore in the 2010 V8 Supercar Championship Series, locking in the final seat on the grid for this season.

Super-Max Razors will back the entry for the first two events of the season in the Middle East, with Ricciardello and Kelly Racing teammates Jason Bargwanna and Todd and Rick Kelly unveiling the #16 Super-Max Razors Holden Commodore in pit lane at the spectacular Yas Marina Circuit in Abu Dhabi today (Wednesday).

Ricciardello, who hails from Perth, Western Australia, secures his first full-time drive in the V8 Supercars main game with this deal after making his V8 Supercar debut back in 1999.

The 30-year-old has an enormous pedigree in Australian motorsport as a record six-time Australian Sports Sedan Champion, as well as a previous winner of the Sepang 12 Hour in 2003 and a second place finisher at the Bathurst 12 Hour in 2009.

Long touted as a potential star, Ricciardello was hired by Kelly Racing last season for the Phillip Island and Bathurst endurance events, driving alongside fellow West Aussie Mark McNally.

Ricciardello has 14 previous starts in the V8 Supercar Championship Series and five Bathurst 1000 starts, as well as experience in the Fujitsu V8 Supercar Series.

Team co-owner Todd Kelly said that Ricciardello has huge potential and he was excited to finally give the West Aussie a proper crack at V8 Supercars.

“We're all pumped about it,” said Todd Kelly.

“Tony has got a lot of potential and for us it's a huge win to get him onboard for this year.

“He is a guy that has always had a massive amount of potential but has slipped under the radar year after year, so it's good for us to finally give him a decent crack at a full season.

“I think he will surprise a few people, especially from the mid-to-late part of the year.”

“He is a great bloke. Rick and I and everyone in the team get along really well with Tony.

“He has done a fantastic job for us every time he's been in the car. He's been around for a while so he's sensible and he knows how to drive the car well.”

Ricciardello admitted that it has been a long journey from him to finally reach his goal of a full-time V8 Supercar drive.

“You could probably say that it's been 10 or 11 years of progress that I've had behind me, trying to break in to get that full-time drive,” said Ricciardello.

“It hasn't even really sunk in. Kelly Racing has been great to me over the last year and hopefully this year is going to be another great one and we can all look back at the end of the year and say that we've had a great season.”

“The team is giving me a great car and it's awesome to have a new sponsor in Super-Max onboard for the events in the Middle East as well.

“I'm really excited. It's going to be a big weekend and I can't wait to hop into the Super-Max Commodore for first practice. New sponsor, new driver and a relatively new team attacking the newest circuit in the series at Yas Marina; It's going to be a great weekend and I can't wait.”

Despite his experience and impressive racing resume, Ricciardello still sees himself as a V8 Supercar rookie.

“I might have been racing for 12 years or so but in this series I'm a rookie,” said Ricciardello.

“I've got to prove myself to everyone else, that I belong and that I should stay here. I've just got to take it each step at a time.


“I've got great team-mates at Kelly Racing in Todd, Rick and Jason, who can give me a lot of knowledge and help me with all the issues as they arise during the year.”


Founded in 1949, Super-Max is the second largest manufacturer of razor blades in the world and is sold in more than 140 countries. Almost one in every five blades used worldwide is a Super-Max blade.


Super-Max is also backing the Jack Daniel’s Racing Holden Commodores of Todd and Rick Kelly this season, with Ricciardello’s entry the first time the brand has taken major sponsorship on a V8 Supercar.


Warren Landt of WL&JM Enterprises Pty Ltd, distributors of Super-Max in the Australian & New Zealand market, said that sponsorship of Kelly Racing drives the sales of the brand’s latest Four Blade Technology, which gives the consumer real value for money.


“We are very excited about being involved with Kelly Racing and Jack Daniel’s Racing and look forward to working with the team to build the Super-Max brand in Australia and New Zealand,” said Landt.


“It’s great that we will have such a big presence at the first two events of the season with not only Todd and Rick, but Tony and the #16 Super-Max Commodore. It’s a great opportunity for us to grow our brand with a very visible presence to start the season in a region of the world that is very important to Super-Max.”

[Rob]

2010 V8 Supercar Championship entry

1 Jamie Whincup, Team Vodafone (Triple 8 Engineering), Holden Commodore VE
2 Garth Tander, Toll Holden Racing Team (Walkinshaw Racing), Holden Commodore VE
3 Tony D’Alberto, Centaur Racing (Tony D’Alberto Racing), Holden Commodore VE
4 Alex Davison, Irwin Racing (Stone Brothers Racing), Ford FG Falcon
5 Mark Winterbottom, Ford Performance Racing, Ford FG Falcon
6 Steve Richards, Ford Performance Racing, Ford FG Falcon
7 Todd Kelly, Jack Daniel’s Racing (Kelly Racing), Holden Commodore VE
8 Jason Richards, Team BOC (Brad Jones Racing), Holden Commodore VE
9 Shane van Gisbergen, SP Tools Racing (Stone Brothers Racing), Ford FG Falcon
10 Andrew Thompson, Bundaberg Red Racing (Walkinshaw Racing), Holden Commodore VE
11 Jason Bargwanna, Rock Racing (Kelly Racing), Holden Commodore VE
12 Dean Fiore, Triple F Racing, Ford FG Falcon
14 Jason Bright, Trading Post Racing (Brad Jones Racing), Holden Commodore VE
15 Rick Kelly, Jack Daniel’s Racing (Kelly Racing), Holden Commodore VE
16 Tony Ricciardello, Kelly Racing, Holden Commodore VE
17 Steve Johnson, Jim Beam Racing ( Johnson Racing), Ford FG Falcon
18 James Courtney, Jim Beam Racing ( Johnson Racing), Ford FG Falcon
19 Jonathon Webb, Canadian Club Racing ( Johnson Racing), Ford FG Falcon
21 Karl Reindler, Fair Dinkum Sheds Racing (Brad Jones Racing), Holden Commodore VE
22 Will Davison, Toll Holden Racing Team (Walkinshaw Racing), Holden Commodore VE
24 Fabian Coulthard, Bundaberg Red Racing (Walkinshaw Racing), Holden Commodore VE
30 Daniel Gaunt, Gulf Western Oil Racing (Lucas Dumbrell Motorsport), Holden Commodore VE
33 Lee Holdsworth, Fujitsu Racing (Garry Rogers Motorsport), Holden Commodore VE
34 Michael Caruso, Fujitsu Racing (Garry Rogers Motorsport), Holden Commodore VE
39 Russell Ingall, Supercheap Auto Racing (Paul Morris Motorsport), Holden Commodore VE
47 Tim Slade, Wilson Security Racing (Stone Brothers Racing), Ford FG Falcon
51 Greg Murphy, Castrol Edge Racing (Paul Morris Motorsport), Holden Commodore VE
55 Paul Dumbrell, The Bottle-O Racing (Rod Nash Racing), Ford FG Falcon
888 Craig Lowndes, Team Vodafone (Triple 8 Engineering), Holden Commodore VE

Watch two-hour highlights from the opening round of the V8 Supercar Championship in Abu Dhabi on Motors TV (Sky Channel 413, Virgin Media 545) on Sunday 28 February at 3pm (GMT).

[Rob]

Ford wins first battle
9:08 PM Thu 18 February, 2010

Source: BigPond Sport

Jim Beam Racing driver Steve Johnson led his fellow teammates to the first win in the Holden versus Ford battle for 2010.

Four teams - two Holden and two Ford - teed off at the Yas Links Golf Course in Abu Dhabi yesterday (Wednesday) for an Ambrose tournament.

Johnson and James Courtney and Jonathon Webb formed one team while Stone Brothers Racing drivers Alex Davison, Shane van Gisbergen and Tim Slade formed the other Ford team.

The Holden teams were Jason Bargwanna, Karl Reindler and Jason Bright and Lee Holdsworth, Michael Caruso and Tony D'Alberto.

The Jim Beam Racing drivers finished two under the par of 11, however BigPond Sport has learned that Junior was the pro of the Jim Beam drivers and led his team to victory.

"The other guys were unlucky," Johnson said diplomatically of Courtney and Webb.

"A lot of the other guys don't play golf but I try to play as often as I can which isn't a lot I must admit but over the holidays I've been able to get out most Saturdays and have a hit.

"I love golf and I have done since I was a kid. It was nice to see the course and obviously it is still pretty raw and unfinished but it's going to be pretty nice once it's finished."

Besides the golf tournament, the V8 drivers took it upon themselves to hold impromptu races on the golf carts.

"Giving a golf cart to a bunch of race drivers is probably not the smartest thing to do," Johnson laughed.

"I was sitting on the back so I was just hanging on for grim death. Michael Caruso was driving and there were a few shenanigans going on but I was just hanging on."

The drivers played the three completed holes at Yas Links Golf Course, which will have 18 holes when it is finished.

"We'll have to take them out and see how many shots we can beat them by next year on 18 holes," Junior said.

"It will be good to come back and see how that course really shapes up after 12 months of building and growing.

"The holes that we did play were beautiful. The grass is magnificent and the greens were magnificent; a little bit bumpy but that's just because they're brand new and haven't been used a lot or leveled or rolled.

"Once they get their maintenance scheme into gear it's going to be magnificent and one of the best in the world."

Johnson is a member at a golf club at Hope Island (on the Gold Coast) but he plays at other golf courses whenever he gets the chance.

"If I'm going interstate for a few days and I have a day off I take my clubs and have a hit there but it's pretty hard with the racing shcedule," he explained. "When I retire I'll probably get the handicap down a bit more."

That handicap will have to wait, because Johnson has just signed on for another two years at Jim Beam Racing.

"It was good to do that and get that under the belt so we'll just get on and try to win some more races this year," he said.

"We had a few failures at the end of the year that weren't all that great so it was just a matter of trying to salvage what we could at the end of the year.

"Homebush wasn't great for myself; it was good for James because he won the last race.

"We just had some rear end problems from the kerbs and things but we've rectified that in the chassis now so hopefully it won't bend and break like it did there

[Rob]

Whincup cops it on chin

http://i49.tinypic.com/2n1us92.jpg
Shane van Gisbergen topped the times in practice.
2:04 AM Fri 19 February, 2010

Source: BigPond Sport

TeamVodafone Commodore driver Jamie Whincup has accepted a decision by officials that has knocked him off the top of the timesheets for today's (Thursday) practice session at the Yas Marina Circuit in Abu Dhabi.

Whincup set a blistering lap of 1min 58.099, but his time was disallowed soon after.

The Triple Eight pilot was deemed to have gained an unfair advantage by allegedly taking an illegal racing line at turn nine, but while the reigning champ said he would cop the 'penalty' on the chin he was far from impressed with the decision which he described as "little more than a technicality".

"We got shafted. We got shafted on a technicality. Apparently I ran wide on turn nine, which I did, but I didn't know that we were policing that on that corner. I know now and I'll fix it for qualifying," Whincup said.

"There was no real time gain... I didn't really make up any time by doing that. But it's only practice so it doesn't mean anything any way."

Whincup believes he is under greater scrutiny than other drivers because he is the reigning V8 Supercar Champion.

"When you run the number one you get looked at a lot so we have to be extra careful," he said.

SP Tools Racing's Shane van Gisbergen was elevated to the top of the timesheets following Whincup's time deletion.

Van Gisbergen's time of 1:58.1870 now stands as the fastest V8 Supercar time so far around the Yas Marina Circuit.

Whincup's Triple Eight teammate Craig Lowndes was officially second fastest ahead of Ford Performance Racing's Mark 'Frosty' Winterbottom.

Van Gisbergen said it was a great experience driving on the Yas Marina Circuit as the sun quickly sank over the Gulf.

"Our second last run I had the sun in my eyes and on my last one the lights were on - it was amazing," the Kiwi said.

However, he too was well aware that practice times count for little and that the real action starts tomorrow in qualifying, which kicks off at 2:10pm Abu Dhabi time.

"There are no trophies (for today)... we are just happy that we are progressing," he said.

"I am getting faster and faster and I am more confident in myself. The atmosphere around the team is pretty good and we are looking forward to a strong year."

Whincup's fastest 'legal' time still saw him finish 10th in practice.

Practice top 10

Shane van Gisbergen Falcon 1:58.1870
Craig Lowndes Commodore 1:58.3720
Mark Winterbottom Falcon 1:58.526
Alex Davison Falcon 1:58.5600
Jason Bright Commodore 1:59.1360
Jason Bargwanna Commodore 1:59.3350
Steven Richards Falcon 1:59.3390
Jonathon Webb Falcon 1:59.3970
James Courtney Falcon 1:59.7090
Jamie Whincup Commodore 1:59.7900

[Rob]

Davison re-invigorated

http://i48.tinypic.com/2h7jiw8.jpg
Alex Davison finds pace in Abu Dhabi
2:44 AM Fri 19 February, 2010

Source: BigPond Sport

It’s amazing how an off-season can invigorate a V8 Supercar team.

Stone Brothers Racing has bounced back from a disappointing 2009 to begin this year with an almost perfect start.

While Shane van Gisbergen topped the last practice session of the day, teammate Alex Davison was there or thereabouts for most of the day.

He topped the timing sheets for the first two practice sessions at the Yas V8 400, which were solely for drivers who did not finish in the top 15 at the end of the 2009 Championship, with a time of 2:00.8280.

Davison backed that result up by finishing fourth with a time of 1:58.5600 in the last two sessions, which were open to all cars.

“It was probably our best practice-day result; we were solid the whole way through and obviously we were good in the lower 15 session but you’d hope to be,” he said.

“It was more important we stayed competitive the whole way through the last two practice sessions when everybody’s on the circuit.

“Obviously doing the first two sessions, our tyres were a lot more worn than the guys in the top 15 that didn’t do the first two practice sessions and we were second quickest right up until we put the green tyres on so our performance on used tyres was very, very good.

“I didn’t quite get the most out of a green set so I was disappointed with my own performance then but big picture it was a really good day having both SBR cars in the top four and hopefully we continue that performance tomorrow.”

Davison said while it was a solid day for the team, there was room for improvement.

“I want to be right up the front,” he declared.

“My aim is to win races and I think with the team and the people we have around this year we are capable of doing that, we’ve just got to keep chipping away and not try and force it because once we get everything together and just fine tune what we’ve got I think it will happen.”

He said competing in a field made up primarily of Holdens would not make the job any more difficult.

“But we’re obviously really proud to be one of the Ford-supported teams and to be involved with Ford Motor Company and we want to keep the blue flag flying and get some more trophies,” he said.

Davison attributed his results to a good first day of working with his new race engineer, Dave Stuart.

“Dave and I seemed to work really well together and we just went step by step trying to keep it calm and methodical and we improved the car as we went along,” he said.

“We’re working together really well and I’m looking forward to just developing that relationship and trying to get the most out of our little team.”

Rock Racing driver Jason Bargwanna backed up a great test day at Winton by finishing the first two practice sessions in second and ended the day in sixth.

“It’s going really well fitting in with the guys,” Bargs said.

“We tried a lot of different things and we did all of that on the same set of tyres so we just tried to tune the car on old tyres and towards the end it was responding.

“So just towards the end there we put our second set of tyres on, did one lap and parked it so I reckon there’s a chance for a top 10 start tomorrow; wait and see.”

Johnson Racing driver Jonathon Webb was the fastest rookie today, finishing the first two practice sessions in third and the day in eighth.

“We came in this weekend knowing we had a good team with some good cars; the boys haven’t changed the cars a hell of a lot from last year so we knew they were going to be strong straight off the bat; it was just a matter of me getting in and making myself comfortable,” Webb said.

“The test at Queensland Raceway last weekend all went smoothly and everything went well so again we were pretty confident coming into this weekend and things so far are all going to plan.

“The car’s really consistent on old tyres. Between myself and Geoff (team engineer Geoff Slater), we’ve been trying to get the car suited on new tyres because we seem to be struggling a little bit but we’ve been working on that all day today and fingers crossed we can put it all together for tomorrow.”

[Rob]

Rick Kelly begins 2010 with top 10 in Abu Dhabi
By Jack Daniel's Racing PR

3:30 AM Sat 20 February, 2010

Jack Daniel’s Racing driver Rick Kelly has started the 2010 V8 Supercar season with a strong top 10 finish in the opening race of the Yas V8 400 at the Yas Marina Circuit in Abu Dhabi today.

Kelly started back in 16th position after a poor qualifying run earlier in the day, but got off to a lightning start aboard his #15 Jack Daniel’s Racing Holden Commodore.

Kelly was up into ninth position by the first corner and held a top 10 position for most of the 43-lap race, eventually finishing in 10th place.

The 27-year-old is confident that he can improve the set-up of his car in several areas overnight ahead of tomorrow’s second race, where Kelly is aiming to break into the top five.

Brother and team-mate Todd Kelly qualified in 20th position and also made a great start to today’s race, running close behind Rick Kelly until he was hit hard from behind by part-time V8 driver Paul Morris on the second lap of the race at the Corkscrew section.

Kelly was spun around and persevered throughout the race with a damaged #7 Jack Daniel’s Holden Commodore, losing further time when a steering arm broke late in the race.

Kelly, furious over the Morris incident, was classified in 25th position. Morris was served with a drive through penalty for the incident, which also ruined the chances of fellow Holden driver Garth Tander.

Jamie Whincup won today’s race ahead of Craig Lowndes and Mark Winterbottom.

JACK DANIEL’S RACING QUOTEBOARD

Rick Kelly - #15 Jack Daniel’s Racing Holden Commodore:

“We got off the grid really well from starting 16th,” said Rick Kelly.

“I got to 10th and had a good run through the first couple of corners.

“We settled down really well. The car has got some really, really good traits. It gets on the power really well, we just can't get through the corner and that's something for us we know how to fix and it's easy to fix. I guess we should be quite excited about that.

“When we put new tyres on we actually went slower. For us the car is awesome because we have a lot of positive things leading into tomorrow. We have an awesome tyre bank leading into tomorrow as well.

“I'm pretty excited about it. Leading into qualifying I still didn't know the track or I wasn't driving it right. I learned a lot in the races in terms of where to position the car. Hopefully I learned more than everyone else out there.

“Tomorrow I'll be disappointed not to be well and truly in the top 10 and we need to aim for a top five and from today's results that is doable.”

Todd Kelly - #7 Jack Daniel’s Racing Holden Commodore:

Referring to Paul Morris ...

“Never in my life have I come across such a peanut of a bloke,” said Todd Kelly.

“He's renowned for it and he ought to be congratulated for having a racing license as long as he has because he's a first-class fruit bat.

“He's ruined our race right from the start.

“Now we need to come out and get some points tomorrow to make up for it.”

[Rob]

Qualifying Race One

http://i48.tinypic.com/sbsydy.jpg
Whincup fastest in qualifying

By V8 Supercars Australia

9:09 PM Fri 19 February, 2010

Source: BigPond Sport

1. TeamVodafone, Jamie Whincup, Holden Commodore VE, 1:58.2040

2. Toll Holden Racing Team, Garth Tander, Holden Commodore, 1:58.3220

3. SP Tools Racing, Shane Van Gisbergen, Ford Falcon FG, 1:58.4050

4. TeamVodafone, Craig Lowndes, Holden Commodore VE, 1:58.4990

5. Orrcon Steel FPR, Mark Winterbottom, Ford Falcon FG, 1:58.5210

6. Toll Holden Racing Team, Will Davison, Holden Commodore VE, 1:58.7090

7. Jim Beam Racing, James Courtney, Ford Falcon, 1:58.8970

8. Irwin Racing, Alex Davison, Ford Falcon FG, 1:58.9790

9. Fujitsu Racing, Lee Holdsworth, Holden Commodore VE, 1:59.0500

10. Trading Post Racing, Jason Bright, Holden Commodore VE, 1:59.1130

11. The Bottle-O Racing Team, Paul Dumbrell, Ford Falcon FG, 1:59.1360

12. Fujitsu Racing, Michael Caruso, Holden Commodore VE, 1:59.1980

13. Supercheap Auto Racing, Russell Ingall, Holden Commodore VE, 1:59.2400

14. Jim Beam Racing, Steven Johnson, Ford Falcon, FG 1:59.3210

15. Rock Racing, Jason Bargwanna, Holden Commodore VE, 1:59.3710

16. Johnson Racing, Jonathon Webb, Ford Falcon FG, 1:59.3760

17. Jack Daniels Racing, Rick Kelly, Holden Commodore VE, 1:59.4270

18. Centaur Racing, Tony D'Alberto, Holden Commodore VE, 1:59.8970

19. Wilson Security Racing, Tim Slade, Ford Falcon FG, 1:59.9030

20. Team BOC, Jason Richards, Holden Commodore VE, 1:59.9120

21. Jack Daniel's Racing, Todd Kelly, Holden Commodore VE, 2:00.0730

22. Bundaberg Red Racing, Team Andrew Thompson, Holden Commodore VE, 2:00.0770

23. Dunlop Super Dealer FPR, Steven Richards, Ford Falcon FG, 2:00.1770

24. Bundaberg Red Racing Team, Fabian Coulthard, Holden Commodore VE, 2:00.1830

25. Fair Dinkum Sheds Racing, Karl Reindler, Holden Commodore VE, 2:00.3790

26. Triple F Racing, Dean Fiore, Ford Falcon FG, 2:00.3900

27. Castrol Edge Racing, Paul Morris, Holden Commodore VE, 2:00.8450

28. Gulf Western Oil Racing, Daniel Gaunt, Holden Commodore VE, 2:00.8850

29. Supermax Racing, Tony Ricciardello, Holden Commodore VE, 2:03.0130

[Rob]

RESULTS: Race One
http://i49.tinypic.com/2wchd1v.jpg
Whincup takes out Race 1 honours

2:20 AM Sat 20 February, 2010

Source: V8 Supercars Australia

1 Jamie Whincup Commodore
2 Craig Lowndes Commodore
3 Mark Winterbottom Falcon
4 James Courtney Falcon
5 Lee Holdsworth Commodore
6 Shane van Gisbergen Falcon
7 Paul Dumbrell Falcon
8 Jonathan Webb Falcon
9 Alex Davison Falcon
10 Rick Kelly Commodore
11 Steven Johnson Falcon
12 Jason Richards Commodore
13 Jason Bargwanna Commodore
14 Tim Slade Falcon
15 Michael Caruso Commodore
16 Steven Richards Falcon
17 Fabian Coulthard Commodore
18 Tony D'Alberto Commodore
19 Andrew Thompson Commodore
20 Dean Fiore Commodore
21 Jason Bright Commodore
22 Daniel Gaunt Commodore
23 Paul Morris Commodore
24 Tony Ricciardello Commodore
25 Todd Kelly Commodore
26 Garth Tander Commodore
27 Russell Ingall Commodore
DNF Will Davison Commodore
DNF Karl Reindler Commodore

[Rob]

Controversy and disappointment for Toll Holden Racing Team at Abu Dhabi

By Toll Holden Racing Team PR

4:28 PM Sat 20 February, 2010

Source: V8 Supercars Australia

The first race for the 2010 V8 Supercar Championship Series promised a lot for the Toll Holden Racing Team and delivered nothing but disappointment for drivers Garth Tander and Will Davison and the whole team.

After qualifying on the front row of the grid in the Top 10 Shootout, Tander was controversially excluded from qualifying just prior to the 200km race start this evening (Abu Dhabi time).

The 2007 V8 Supercar Champion was penalised for his team members not using incompressible devices on the onboard jack stands when they used a trolley jack to lift the rear of the car during qualifying – the reason for using the trolley jack being that one of the onboard jacks penetrated a rubber fill used in a concrete expansion joint on pit lane, the #2 Toll HRT Commodore literally falling down between the gaps in the concrete and listing to one side.

Despite appealing the surprise initial ruling, Tander was relegated to rear of grid by the race stewards for the race.

Toll Holden Racing Team CEO, Craig Wilson said “The consequence of the penalty for the level of the offence is unbelievable for a situation that was forced upon the team.”

To make matters worse for dual Bathurst Champion Tander, after starting rear of grid he was spun on lap two of the 43 lap race, extensively damaging his Commodore and tearing the gearbox oil cooler off – after two lengthy stops for repairs, Tander soldiered on to finish a distant 26, seven laps behind the winner.

Team-mate Will Davison’s day fared even worse, after qualifying fifth and racing for a podium, Davison’s Toll HRT Commodore expired on lap 29 with a rare engine failure – the reigning Bathurst Champion and Barry Sheene Medallist stranded out on the circuit for the duration of the race.

Reigning V8 Supercar Champion Jamie Whincup won the race in a Holden Commodore from team-mate Craig Lowndes, with Mark Winterbottom third.

The Yas V8 400 at the Yas Marina Circuit in Abu Dhabi concludes with qualifying and Race 2 tomorrow (Saturday) afternoon/evening (UAE local time).

Garth Tander, #2 Toll Holden Racing Team Holden Commodore VE:

“The initial penalty was given without due consideration to the actual circumstances. Certainly the car was worked on without a safety stand under the rear, but the boys couldn’t get the safety stand in there – the car had ‘fallen’ down the hole. The only way was to get the car out was to jack it up with a trolley jack. If there was consideration for the circumstances perhaps the penalty would have been reassessed. As for the race, when you get stuck down the back you get stuck amongst guys that try and win a championship within the first two laps of the season. We got spun around by someone, I don’t know by whom, and it tore the front of the car up, tore the gearbox cooler off and did a lot of damage. That was that ... it was a long race for no result.”

Will Davison, #22 Toll Holden Racing Team Holden Commodore VE:

“The engine expired and we’re not quite sure. It went suddenly, there were no temperature issues or anything, it was just very sudden. We started well, but didn’t have good tyre life and were struggling a lot. We might have been third, but Winterbottom probably would have beaten us with our tyre wear. Wherever we finished we would have had good points, so it’s a disappointing way to start the year. The car was better today than yesterday and we’ll try to improve it again tomorrow. Any DNF at anytime of the year is a big no-no, but hopefully we’re over and done with them for the year.”

[Rob]

Full Results: Race Two
Whincup takes out Race one and two honours

1:59 AM Sun 21 February, 2010

Source: BigPond Sport

1 Jamie Whincup H
2 Mark Winterbottom F
3 Shane Van Gisbergen F
4 Rick Kelly H
5 Craig Lowndes H
6 James Courtney F
7 Lee Holdsworth H
8 Steven Johnson F
9 Russell Ingall H
10 Jason Bright H
11 Michael Caruso H
12 Paul Dumbrell F
13 Tim Slade F
14 Will Davison H
15 Jason Bargwanna H
16 Fabian Coulthard H
17 Steven Richards F
18 Jonathon Webb F
19 Tony D'Alberto H
20 Andrew Thompson H
21 Jason Richards H
22 Dean Fiore F
23 Karl Reindler H
24 Daniel Gaunt H
25 Tony Ricciardello H
26 Todd Kelly H
27 Alex Davison F
DNF Garth Tander H
DNF Paul Morris H

[Rob]

V8s second only to F1

7:28 PM Mon 22 February, 2010

Source: BigPond Sport

Yas Marina Circuit Chief Executive Officer, Richard Cregan, said it was vital the Abu Dhabi circuit secured the V8 Supercars because it ranks behind only the Formula One series on a global motorsport level.

V8 Supercars held its inaugural Yas V8 400 at the world-class Yas Marina Circuit last weekend with 12,340 people turning out for the event.

While the crowd was above the expectations of event organisers, Cregan said the exercise of bringing the V8s to Abu Dhabi was not about bums on seats for the first event but rather marketing Abu Dhabi as a travel destination to the Australasian region.

Yas Island, where the Hermann Tilke-designed circuit is located, is one of the projects the Abu Dhabi Government is investing in to reduce reliance on its oil sector as a source of economic activity.

The Government is stimulating other sectors including tourism so that by 2028 it will reach equilibrium between the oil and non-oil sectors.

Cregan said circuit management embarked upon a strategy to attract motorsport events that have a global reach.

“Obviously the F1 is the flagship of the events we have; that has the biggest global reach than any other motorsport,” he said.

“We looked at Australia with the Aussie V8s… the most important thing for us was it was the major motorsport series in that particular region and that’s the reason we went for it.

“We’ve looked at a lot of series but it (V8s) came out always number two to Formula One even on a global scale.”

Cregan said the Yas V8 400 had already begun to serve its purpose because it brought the attention of Abu Dhabi to Australian and New Zealand V8 Supercar fans.

“You may have a large number of people asking where’s Abu Dhabi, but at least it’s creating that awareness,” he explained.

“One of the most significant tools we have is the major exposure we are getting in terms of press and media in that particular region (Australasia) and so far we’ve got huge coverage, even before the race.”

Cregan said the event also received a huge amount of support from the local Abu Dhabi media, which is important for the second reason of holding a V8 event in Abu Dhabi.

“(It) is to help create a motorsport culture (in the Middle East) which we know is going to take time, but you have to use those major events to try to achieve that,” he said.

“And we believe that Aussie V8s is one of them because it just has such a global reach in terms of a credible series.”

The V8 Supercars now head to Bahrain for the second event of the 2010 Championship, the Gulf Air Desert 400 which takes place at the Bahrain International Circuit this weekend.

[Rob]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N1Gf08T9-iI

[Rob]

Championship over

4:03 PM Sun 28 February, 2010

Source: BigPond Sport

A severe run of bad luck in the Middle East double-header has forced Toll Holden Racing Team’s Garth Tander to already concede the 2010 V8 Supercar Championship.

The former V8 champ posted the seventh-quickest time in the 20 minutes all in qualifying session for the fourth race in 2010 but he was spun around at turn one on the opening lap.

“We had changed the car for the race and it was fantastic,” GT said.

He was 45 seconds off the leaders at the end of the first lap but had worked his way through the field throughout the race with Tander noting his Commodore had very good car speed.

But on the second-last lap he was involved in a tangle with Ford Performance Racing’s Steve Richards which forced him out of the race.

“I passed Richo cleanly on the inside and he ‘over and undered’ me, which is cool, but then he just ran me straight off the track,” Tander said.

“His rear wheel hit my front wheel and broke the steering and that was that.

“It was frustrating because if you pass someone cleanly and they pass you back that’s racing, but have the courtesy of doing it cleanly.”

Stewards investigated the lap one dramas and Tander’s clash with Richards but ruled there was no breach of the rules in either incident.

“The team didn’t get the result it deserved and it’s hurt us in the championship, so we forget about that now,” Tander said.

“I’ve never won a race in Adelaide, so the focus is to go there and win both races.

“We’ve got two marquee events coming up in Adelaide and Hamilton so we’ll go on an event-by-event basis and go for the wins.”

Tander’s teammate, fared much better in the second race at the Gulf Air Desert 400 in Bahrain.

“All in all I’m really satisfied with today and proud of everyone on the Toll Holden Racing Team for all the hard work and effort they put in to step forward from last week and yesterday,” Davo said.

“We tried some pretty big things on the car today and I was happy with my qualifying and, to be honest, also with the race I drove.

“It’s just disappointing we were back in sixth. The first stint I got into second, but the second stint was like (Friday) when we put just two tyres on at the stop and lost all balance.”

Davison was satisfied with his performance.

“But you want to give more back to the team because they’ve worked really hard,” he said.

“In a way it’s been a good weekend for everyone and now we’re all looking forward to getting home, then getting to Clipsal where I’ve got great memories of last year.

“We’ll go there full of confidence and, in a way, it’s good to be in an attacking position because if we’ve got car speed I’ll be super aggressive.”

[Rob]

Middle Eastern repeat
http://i50.tinypic.com/j769lc.jpg
Jamie Whincup leads Mark Winterbottom in race four of the 2010 V8 Supercar Championship.

2:05 AM Sun 28 February, 2010

Source: BigPond Sport

TeamVodafone’s Jamie Whincup has continued his perfect record and perfect points haul in the 2010 V8 Supercar Championship, winning race four today.

Whincup held off the Ford Performance Racing’s Mark Winterbottom, who got the jump on Whincup at the start but finished second at Bahrain International Circuit.

The top three finishing positions replicated last week’s Yas V8 400 in Abu Dhabi, with Stone Brothers Racing’s Shane van Gisbergen finishing in third place.

“That was the toughest race of the weekend without doubt,” Whincup said at the conclusion of the Gulf Air Desert 400.

“Looking back, debuting a couple of cars and having a couple of dodgy test days to winning the first four of the Championship, it’s just a massive, massive effort for my team.

“It’s an achievement we are extremely proud of but the race; not my best start.”

Whincup also ran wide at one point in the race and was slow to take off on his second pit stop.

“I’ll go away and have a bit of a think about that; yeah not my best performance but happy to come away with 150 points,” he said.

“It’s so hard to win a race in this championship so to win the first four is huge.

Whincup described his battle with Winterbottom throughout the race as a dogfight and heading into the Adelaide Clipsal 500, he believes it will continue.

“Frosty threw it at us and we were able to come away with it.

“We predicted they would be strong all year, they’ve made a great start and it’s going to be a dogfight right until the end.”

Winterbottom was happy with another solid result, which has left him sitting only 47 points behind Whincup in the Championship.

“I thought I’d make him (Whincup) work this time, make him earn the win,” Frosty said.

“He’s still got speed on us but at least he made mistakes and showed he’s human so it was good to push him all the way.

“We’ve still got work to do. It’s good in sections and bad in others and that last set (of tyres) definitely killed the speed a bit but I definitely pushed hard in the middle (stint).”

Van Gisbergen said his podium position made up for a less than satisfactory performance in race three.

“Yesterday we qualified well and our tyres just didn’t last the race,” the SP Tools Racing driver said.

“We changed the car for today and we didn’t qualify too well and that was partly my fault but the tyres held in a lot longer and we passed some cars and had a great strategy.”

Lap one turn one dramas for a number of Commodore drivers, including Toll Holden Racing Team’s Garth Tander, Trading Post Racing’s Jason Bright and Jack Daniel’s Todd Kelly forced them all out of contention.

Karl Reindler was back in the garage when his Fair Dinkum Homes Racing Commodore, which was parked to the side of the track with a clutch problem, caught fire late in the race, while Tander’s day was over a lap early when his #2 Commodore broke a steering arm after contact with Winterbottom’s teammate, Steve Richards.

Race four top 10

Jamie Whincup Commodore

Mark Winterbottom Falcon

Shane van Gisbergen Falcon

Rick Kelly Commodore

Lee Holdsworth Commodore

Will Davison Commodore

James Courtney Falcon

Jason Richards Commodore

Michael Caruso Commodore

Paul Dumbrell Falcon

Championship top 10

Jamie Whincup Commodore 600

Mark Winterbottom Falcon 543

Shane van Gisbergen Falcon 471

Craig Lowndes Commodore 447

James Courtney Falcon 420

Rick Kelly Commodore 392

Lee Holdsworth Commodore 372

Steve Johnson Falcon 296

Michael Caruso Commodore 294

Russell Ingall Commodore 270

[Rob]

Open for business

http://i49.tinypic.com/2uhr0hd.jpg
Whitaker believes its all about keeping spectators happy

10:21 AM Mon 1 March, 2010

Source: BigPond Sport

Martin Whitaker, who will be installed as V8 Supercars Australia's new Chief Executive Officer (CEO) in April, believes the category is heading in the right direction.

The current head of the Bahrain International Circuit (BIC), where V8 Supercars held its Gulf Air Desert 400 last weekend, said unlike other motorsport categories V8s understands the racing is about entertainment.

"The racing's a backdrop; it's a background sound in a funny sort of way," he said.

"But what they (fans) are here for is because they know they are going to have a good day out."

Referring to the BIC, he said organisers worked to bring spectators into the racing environment.

"Oddly enough, you can see now that things are beginning to change a little bit in Formula One," he said.

"Every year we always do an autograph session with every single Formula One driver and very few circuits do that because there's actually a lot of work involved and the drivers don't want to do it, which is a crying shame.

"They need to learn a few lessons from your guys (the V8 Supercar drivers)."

And Whitaker understands that motorsport is more than just the racing.

"Entertainment sport is the name of the game we are in," he said.

"Ultimately that's what we are all here for and bizarrely I think all too often some racing championships forget that."

Whitaker, who was involved in the British Touring Car Championship when he worked as Ford's Motorsport Director, said he has always loved touring car racing.

"I've just got an affinitive with tin-top racing and I love rallying as well," he said.

Whitaker described V8 Supercars as vibrant with vitality and character. He has vowed to make himself open to the motorsport media.

"I have always wanted to make sure that I was media friendly and it's always worked, but at the same time I think it's really important because this is very much a people's sport," he said.

"I've always found it a lot easier to get on with people rather than avoiding them.

"I always used to laugh watching people in Formula One panic seeing somebody coming the other way and immediately doing a 90-degree (turn) and disappearing up an alley.

"I've never been like that and I certainly never intend to be like that.

"Hopefully those are some of the qualities I can bring to the job; I've always been an ideas person and I've never been frightened of working so I suppose that helps."

[Rob]

The Giz matures

http://i49.tinypic.com/ioi0yw.jpg
Stone Brothers Racing driver Shane van Gisbergen at Bahrain International Circuit.

1:37 PM Tue 2 March, 2010

Source: BigPond Sport

Stone Brothers Racing (SBR) driver Shane van Gisbergen believes a newfound maturity and less compulsive racing will keep him at the pointy end of the Championship.

The 20-year-old is known for making gutsy moves but ‘the Giz’ said he now puts more thought into them as the V8 Supercars prepares for the Clipsal 500 Adelaide, the first 2010 event on home soil.

“I’ve settled down the last few races and just kept it consistent, but we’re still having a bit of fun and just passing cars, not taking the massive risks that sometimes don’t pay off,” he explained.

“I’m thinking things through a lot more now and picking the right moments.

“And I’m just keeping a lot more focused and keeping my head down, but really it’s a team effort; I’m just the last piece of the puzzle and we’re all working together well.”

The Giz scored his first ever V8 podium at the Yas V8 400 and then backed it up with another podium at Bahrain.

His efforts left him holding the race lap record for both Yas Marina Circuit in Abu Dhabi and Bahrain International Circuit and he sits third in the Championship behind TeamVodafone’s Jamie Whincup and Ford Performance Racing’s Mark Winterbottom.

Besides van Gisbergen’s driving in Bahrain, a risky fuel strategy helped elevate him from his starting place of 14th to finish third, which left him finishing the race with only four litres of fuel in the SP Tools Racing tank to spare.

The Giz heads into Clipsal wanting to keep finishing races in the top six.

“Third in the Championship is awesome and to stay there would be good,” he said.

“Some tracks (in Australia) are pretty similar to the ones (in the Middle East); Bahrain has got massive run-offs and it’s a lot safer like that, but the sweeping corners suit our car.

“Abu Dhabi had some tight corners and I think we’ll be pretty good all round for the rest of the Championship.”

The Giz believes his driving has improved, but he said the SBR Falcons have also come a long way.

“To the outside it looks like the driver does it all, but it’s really a team sport and they’re doing a lot of it,” he said.

“The cars are really strong; Alex (Davison) is doing a really good job as well.

“The guys have done a lot of hard work and we’re putting it all together now, it’s just awesome.

“We haven’t been outside the top six in race results so we’re looking forward to continuing it when we get back (to Australia).”

Van Gisbergen said finishing with two podiums in the Middle East was a “dream come true”.

“I’d love to be on the top step, but (a podium) is pretty cool,” he said.

[Rob]

:-(http://i46.tinypic.com/35mdxuc.jpg
:-Dhttp://i46.tinypic.com/5dt8n9.jpg

[Rob]

An unacceptable risk
http://i50.tinypic.com/2livivo.jpg
V8 Supercars at Barbagallo Raceway for the BigPond 300 last year.

10:59 AM Wed 3 March, 2010

Source: BigPond Sport

V8 Supercars Australia Chairman, Tony Cochrane, said Barbagallo Raceway’s pitlane needs to be fixed before the V8 Supercars will return to Western Australia.

The category has copped a lot of backlash from punters angry that V8 Supercars has withdrawn from the 2010 event in Perth.

Cochrane accused the Western Australian Sporting Car Club (WASCC) of spreading miss-information on why the V8s would not head west this year, but refused to enter a slinging match.

Instead, he explained that he was not willing to face a manslaughter charge if a crew member was killed in the narrow pitlane.

“It’s fine if you are not trying to refuel or change tyres under time constraints with the number of people we have got in it and that pit does not get used for refueling when we’re not there,” Cochrane said.

“What the Western Australian Sporting Car Club keep coming back to us saying is ‘you have been coming here for 30 years, what’s changed?’

“Well I’m sorry, we have changed as a sport enormously. We used to go there for years and do three 20-minute races.

“We don’t do three 20-minute races anywhere anymore and I’d suggest our fans would go nuts if we turned up anywhere and did three 20-minute sprint races.”

Cochrane said Will Davison’s accident at pitlane entry and the resulting pitlane chaos at last year’s Perth event highlighted the issues.

“So do you wait for the next thing that goes wrong in the pits where somebody loses a leg or somebody loses an arm or somebody gets severely burnt?” he questioned.

“What’s the trigger by what we go ‘we’d better do something about this’?”

Cochrane noted that an employer faces manslaughter charges when an employee gets killed if a recognised Occupational Health and Safety issue has been ignored.

“Are you going to step into my shoes and take that risk? I’m not,” he said.

“Everyone says it’s a Tony Cochrane thing not wanting to go to Perth, but the (V8 Supercars Australia) Board voted 8-0 not to go back to Perth in a unanimous vote.”

Cochrane turned the tables on the WASCC and the WA Government, challenging them to provide V8 Supercars Australia with a letter indemnifying the category if someone was injured in Barbagallo Raceway’s pitlane.

“And what did they both say? ‘Oh, we can’t do that’,” he said.

Cochrane finds it ironic that while Perth is the most resource rich state in Australia, it has the most antiquated track and facilities.

“Tasmania is in front of it now no question; with their recent improvements they are miles ahead,” he said.

“So we’ve been saying for a long time, Perth you have got to lift your game.

“We long ago gave up on the concept of doing a street race, that street race has now been lost forever; it’s gone to Sydney.”

Cochrane said if the Government has chosen Barbagallo as the track for V8 Supercars, then the parties should work on getting it up to scratch for V8 racing because the category wants to return to WA.

He cited incentives offered to the WASCC, including the use of track engineers at cost, track designing services from Mark Skaife, a long-term deal which was also a back loaded deal so that improvements could be made quickly, to outline how serious V8 Supercars was about returning to Perth beyond 2010.

“We put a whole raft of things on the table because we want to race in Perth,” he said.

“That’s what gets lost in this. We, V8 Supercars Australia, want to race in Perth, but it has to be befitting of where the modern Championship is at.”

[Rob]

V8 Supercars has released a code of driving conduct for the 2010 Championship.

2:31 PM Thu 4 March, 2010

Source: BigPond Sport

V8 Supercars Australia has released a code of driving conduct for the 2010 Championship outlining blocking, overlapping, bumping and passing lapped cars.

Teams were given the code of conduct on the first day of the Yas V8 400 in Abu Dhabi and while bumping has been restricted, a limited amount of side contact is now allowed while regulations on pitlane release and overlapping have been relaxed.

The code aims to promote hard but fair racing, maximise overtaking opportunities and assist interpretation for officials and teams in order to minimise incidents. It also clearly states that each case will be considered on its own merits.

In relation to blocking, under the new code premature direction changes, side-to-side swerving, more than one direction change and “any other abnormal changes” to track position are not permitted.

Once committed to an alternative line the driver must stay there and if a driver reacts late by moving off the racing line on approach he shall be responsible for his own actions.

Officials will judge the frequency or severity of blocking and unlike in the past, this will no longer be relaxed for the last two laps of the race.

Bumping or front-to-rear contact will be tolerated so long as the lead car sustains only minimal damage and the lead driver is not significantly disadvantaged such as being pushed off line or off track.

A limited amount of side-by-side contact or rubbing is permitted when cars are exiting a corner but the overtaking car must not turn across the other car until it has overtaken completely.

In relation to overlapping, the code states the onus is generally on the overtaking car to pass safely “but overtaking cars should not expect the car in front to give way if there is insufficient overlap and particularly if the overtaking car has driven too deep into the entry of the corner”.

A car being released from its pit bay must give way to a car already wholly in the fast lane but if overlap is behind the rear wheel, the driver behind must yield.

And contact between cars in the fast lane or entering the fast lane will only be acceptable when the contact is forward of the front wheels or behind the rear wheels, neither car sustains significant damage and when contact is not side-to-side.

The code also stipulates that a car about to be lapped must allow the faster car past at the first realistic opportunity.

Blue flags will be waved if this does not happen and drivers ignoring blue flags will be penalised.

Fujitsu Racing GRM driver Lee Holdsworth welcomed the new code of conduct.

“It’s a bit clearer to the drivers; we now know what we can and can’t do so there might be a few more passing opportunities you can get away with now whereas before it was unclear,” he said.

“We need to start promoting passing in the sport rather than having the drivers reconsider every passing opportunity because they are afraid they will get a penalty.

“It’s (the code of conduct) a positive thing, but I think we need to work on it a bit more.”

Teammate Michael Caruso was also in favour of the new code.

“Everyone does need to know the rules and there will be some drivers happy and others unhappy, but that will come down to how consistent the rulings are and the consistency of penalties,” Caruso said

[Rob]

Intoxication ‘not cool'

http://i50.tinypic.com/2zp7b6x.jpg
No alcohol is served at the V8's Middle Eastern events due to local laws.

1:50 PM Fri 5 March, 2010

Source: BigPond Sport

V8 Supercars Australia Chairman, Tony Cochrane, has gone on the record to explain that the crackdown on alcohol consumed at V8 events is due to liquor licencing laws.

Cochrane explained that state governments control licencing laws.

“They are not controlled by V8 Supercars Australia,” he emphasised.

“Increasingly, in every state of Australia those licencing laws are tightening up and not only on motorsport events, but on festivals and on all sorts of events because the police are demanding more and more responsible serving of alcohol.”

Some fans who attended last year’s Sydney Telstra 500 were shocked when they bought Jim Beam at the track and it was mid strength, but Cochrane said it was part of the more stringent licencing laws being implemented.

The issue of alcohol was one of the sticking points that led V8 Supercars Australia to cancel this year’s BigPond 300 at Barbagallo Raceway.

Cochrane said the WA Sporting Car Club (WASCC), which runs Barbagallo, wanted its members to be allowed to bring their own alcohol to the event.

“The WASCC said our members love to bring their own booze, it’s cheaper for them,” he said.

“We just think it’s completely and totally unacceptable for us as a major sport to allow people to BYO into an event in this day and age.

“Name one other major sport in our country where you can do that. Can you go to Subiaco Oval and walk in with a case of vodka under your arm? No you cannot. You can’t walk in with even a can under your arm.”

Cochrane cited the instance where a punter attending the 2009 event got on to the track immediately after the race.

“The guy was completely tanked, jumped the fence and got out on to the grid,” Cochrane said.

“Well if he’d done that five minutes earlier he would have got taken apart at 250km an hour.

“Now if that had have happened, do you think the front page would have been ‘Man killed at V8 Supercar event’ or do you think it would have been ‘Western Australia Sporting Car Club allows a stupid alcohol policy and therefore somebody got killed’?

“Some day when something goes wrong the sport will get blamed, not the Western Australia Sporting Car Club.”

Cochrane said an exemption on the BYO ban applied to events where camping was available like the Supercheap Auto Bathurst 1000, but that exemption applied only to people consuming alcohol in the camping areas.

[Rob]

Teams told to try harder
http://i50.tinypic.com/adm79x.jpg
Lee Holdsworth at Bahrain last month. His Fujitsu Racing GRM team wants to beat TeamVodafone's Jamie Whincup, event if it's at the non-Championship AGP event.

12:27 PM Mon 8 March, 2010

Source: BigPond Sport

V8 Supercars Australia has threatened to invoke a clause in team Racing Entitlement Contracts (REC) which carries fines of up to $20,000 if they do not try hard enough in the upcoming event at the Australian Grand Prix.

The category went to the trouble of referring to the clause in the Supplementary Regulations for the non-Championship event at Albert Park in a bid to stop teams tanking.

Under the title ‘Team obligations’, the supplementary regulations state in line with a clause in team RECs, all teams are to use their “best endeavours to race in the meeting to the best of their ability and level of competitiveness” and at the discretion of stewards, teams found breaching it may be fined up to $20,000.

V8 Supercars Operation Manager, Kurt Sakzewski, said data will be reviewed to ensure teams have had a genuine setback at the V8’s AGP races, officially known as the 2010 BRC Impco V8 Supercar GP Challenge.

“We’ll review any instances we believe need to be checked,” he said.

“It’s not something we have done in the past and have instead taken their word for it, but on this occasion someone who’s not performing to the best of their ability will be checked.”

Teams found not to be performing at their correct standard will be asked to provide reasons why they did not perform.

Sakzewski pointed out that while Championship points are the motivation for teams to perform at Championship events, that incentive is absent at the AGP.

But he said it was not good enough for teams to get paid money to show up and then not compete properly because fans forking out money to attend expect a show just like any Championship event.

Sakzewski also said teams concerned about putting their cars on the line for a non-Championship event had a three weekend turnaround to fix any damage suffered.

He refused to name names, but said there was one team in particular that appeared to tank at past AGP events.

Fujitsu Racing GRM last year started races from pitlane at the AGP and driver Lee Holdsworth admitted he was keeping out of trouble.

But team owner Garry Rogers last week said he would abide by the rules.

“The rules are there and while I don’t agree with them, we will do our very utmost by the rules,” he said.

Rogers said Championship event or not, Fujitsu Racing GRM wants to be the team that first beats TeamVodafone’s Jamie Whincup in 2010.

“Whincup has the speed and it would be great to think we could beat him,” Rogers said.

“I think to beat Whincup and his car anywhere, regardless of whether it’s a Championship event or not would show you have done your homework quite well.”

[Sianellen]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N1Gf08T9-iI

:thumb Cheers for introducing me to this Rob! It's fun watching on motors.

[Rob]

Cool, im glad you enjoying it mate :-D It is on same time this sunday, it is the Clipsal 500 at Adelaide. From last weekend. I is going to be a good season

[Rob]

Tander starts fight back
http://i40.tinypic.com/2ih1gn7.jpg

Jubilation: Toll Holden Racing Team's Garth Tander wins the first 250-kay race at the Clipsal 500 Adelaide.

5:39 PM Sat 13 March, 2010

Source: BigPond Sport

Toll Holden Racing Team’s Garth Tander has won the battle of tyre management and fuel economy to claim the first leg of the Clipsal 500 Adelaide today (Saturday).

Tander jumped pole-sitter, TeamVodafone’s Jamie Whincup, at the start of the race, which began a battle that saw the lead swap between the pair on a number of occasions throughout the 250-kilometre race.

But it all came down to the final of four re-starts. Most of the front-runners headed to the pits during the safety car period, which ironically was caused by debris on the track from the Commodore of Whincup’s teammate Craig Lowndes.

In the confusion of trying to pit both of its cars, TeamVodafone forgot to change the front tyres on Whincup’s Commodore.

At the re-start Tander, who had changed all four tyres, was able to drive past Whincup, as was Jim Beam Racing’s James Courtney and The Bottle-O Racing’s Paul Dumbrell.

Whincup fought his way back to third, but was then forced to give up the final podium position – to a charging Lee Holdsworth of Fujitsu Racing GRM – as he had to conserve fuel to ensure he made the end of the race.

“In all the congestion we forgot to change the front tyres in the last stop and then we were really low on fuel towards the end of the race so we took the smart option to finish fourth rather than make another stop,” Whincup said.

Tander went on to win the race as Courtney was also forced to conserve fuel in the dying laps.

Following his disastrous results in the Middle East, Tander was happy to be back at the pointy end of the field.

“You are only as good as your last race so I’ll take that,” he said.

“There was massive determination for me coming back from the Middle East where we had very good car speed, but we certainly didn’t get the results that we had hoped for.

“The car has been very good all weekend. It was good this morning; my shootout lap wasn’t as good as it needed to be. It was clearly my fault that we weren’t on pole.

“We had a pretty good strategy; the car was pretty good when it needed to be and we looked after it when we needed to.

“It turned out to be as perfect a day as it could have been.”

Tander said it was important for his team to get a good result in Adelaide.

“We are still the same core group of people who won the Teams’ Championship last year; we have been saying that we had good car speed but we never got to show it in the Middle East,” he said.

“There are a lot of smiles in the garage at the moment, but we know that we there is still a lot of work to be done. From a championship point of view we just need to battle on and hopefully by the end of the year we will be in the mix, so hopefully results like that will keep the momentum going and the morale up.”

Tander believes that his poor start to the series in the Middle East could actually have helped to take some of the pressure off.

“We need to be careful that we don’t forget about the Championship altogether, but it is not our main focus at the moment,” he said.

“I certainly have one eye on the Championship but that’s only 20 per cent of our focus at the moment; it’s important to win a lot of races.”

Courtney was pleased to be on the podium considering his lowly qualifying position of 17th.

“I wasn’t too happy when we came out of qualifying, so we went the other way (with car set-up) and it turned into a jet during the race,” he said.

“We need to do a good job tomorrow and go one better, but Garth was pretty quick today in that last stint on new tyres. He took off once he got past Jamie and I had to conserve fuel.”

Holdsworth thanked his crew for giving him a strong car and the right strategy to get on the podium.

“We had a great strategy and I had to run conservatively at the start… (but) from about three-quarters into the race I could go all out to catch these guys and I had a very good race car and it just kept getting stronger and stronger through the race,” he said.

Whincup still leads the Championship from Ford Performance Racing’s Mark Winterbottom – who had a poor race today which turned pear-shaped when he got involved in an incident with Jim Beam Racing’s Steve Johnson – and Courtney.

Top 10 Championship positions

Jamie Whincup Commodore 720
Mark Winterbottom Falcon 585
James Courtney Falcon 558
Shane van Gisbergen Falcon 510
Lee Holdsworth Commodore 501
Craig Lowndes Commodore 495
Rick Kelly Commodore 428
Michael Caruso Commodre 384
Paul Dumbrell Falcon 378
Steve Johnson Falcon 365

[Rob]

Tander wins on empty

http://i43.tinypic.com/23ualwo.jpg
Garth Tander wins the first of four Grand Slam events in the 2010 V8 Supercar Championship.

6:10 PM Sun 14 March, 2010

Source: BigPond Sport

In what will go down in history as one of the greatest V8 Supercar races ever, Toll Holden Racing’s Garth Tander has won the second leg of the Clipsal 500 Adelaide this afternoon (Sunday).

The 90,000 spectators held their collective breath as Tander – with very little fuel left in his tank – hung on to finish ahead of a charging Jim Beam Racing’s James Courtney, and Ford Performance Racing’s Mark Winterbottom.

It was a race that had everything, including a brave fuel strategy, a controversial black flag, late rain and a broken kerb at the dangerous turn eight.

Tander and TeamVodafone’s Jamie Whincup swapped the lead for most of the 250-kilometre race, while Courtney was on a different fuel strategy after pitting early, but was showing incredible pace throughout his middle stint.

However, it all came down to the last 20 laps when a kerb at turn eight broke up causing a safety car period.

The five ensuing laps under the safety car was the break Tander needed as he was unlikely to have made it to the end of the race with the fuel he had left in his tank under normal racing conditions.

When the race was re-started it created a sprint to the end with Tander tight on fuel, Whincup okay on fuel but struggling on old tyres and Courtney looking good on both fuel and tyres, while Winterbottom was also in the mix.

Light rain added spice to the action as it caused Tander to slip on a wet painted white line allowing Whincup momentarily into the lead, before the former took control again.

Courtney gave Whincup a nudge causing a piece of the #1 TeamVodafone Commodore to come loose.

Whincup was subsequently black-flagged, but the part flew clear before he could head to the pits. However, under racing rules once a black flag has been displayed it can’t be rescinded until the car returns to pitlane for an inspection.

TeamVodafone principal Roland Dane was furious with what became a farcical situation.

“It’s difficult to accept. The rule is nonsense. They will have to have another look at it all,” he said.

“From a sport’s point of view we have just made ourselves look ridiculous in front of all of these people and to all of the people watching at home.

“Clearly the part had come off the car and yet you are called in to have a look at it when you know perfectly well that there is nothing wrong with it.”

Meanwhile, Tander admitted that the late-race safety car played into his hands.

“When we didn’t stop for a third stop when that safety car came out we were certainly rolling the dice; we were hoping that safety car period was going to go a couple of laps and it went a couple of laps longer than we needed. It was tight; there is not a lot of fuel left in the tank now,” he said.

Courtney applauded the efforts of his crew for helping him come through the field to eventually finish second. He should have started fourth but his fastest time in qualifying was excluded when he was deemed to have illegally kerb hopped.

“My guys did an awesome job to get us back from ninth to second this weekend – it’s just a shame that in qualifying I got that lap taken off me because it would have been a lot easier day starting at the front, but everything went smoothly... I think I passed about 300 cars out there,” he said.

Winterbottom said he was planning to shout the bar after costing his team a possible victory by stalling in the pits and smacking a wall at turn eight.

“I made a few mistakes today… I think the car was good enough today but the driver made a few errors. I owe the boys a few beers tonight because they gave me the car to win today,” he said.

Whincup still holds the Championship lead, but Winterbottom has closed the gap, while Tander has fought back to 11th.

Tander believes he still needs some more good results before he is back in the title chase after his poor start to the season in the Middle East.

“We still need to have quite a few results like we had this weekend to continue to fight back… we don’t expect to be back anywhere near the hunt until the endurance races,” he said.

Top 10 Championship positions

Jamie Whincup Commodore 771
Mark Winterbottom Falcon 714
James Courtney Falcon 696
Shane van Gisbergen Falcon 630
Lee Holdsworth Commodore 573
Craig Lowndes Commodore 552
Rick Kelly Commodore 530
Paul Dumbrell Falcon 489
Michael Caruso Commodore 462
Steve Johnson Falcon 455

[Rob]

Make it official

http://i44.tinypic.com/2cy5dvr.jpg
No breach: TeamVodafone.

2:06 PM Sun 14 March, 2010

Source: BigPond Sport

V8 Supercar teams will be reminded at a team manager’s briefing that any issue they want investigated needs an official request lodged.

The reminder follows allegations after yesterday’s race that tyres issued to the Commodore of TeamVodafone’s Craig Lowndes were used on teammate Jamie Whincup’s car.

Under V8 Supercar rules, no tyres can be transferred between cars or teams to stop any competitor from gaining an unfair advantage.

The rule is in place for instances where a driver in Championship contention swaps used tyres with green tyres from a driver outside of Championship contention.

But even if TeamVodafone had swapped Lowndes’ tyres with Whincup’s in the last pit stop on Saturday at the Clipsal 500 Adelaide, both sets were green so there was no unfair advantage for either driver.

V8 Supercars’ Director of Racing, Adam Perry, confirmed with BigPond Sport that teams had complained after the cars were released from parc ferme but an official incident report was not lodged.

“The suggestion is they (TeamVodafone) may have used the wrong tyres but we haven’t been able to prove that; the request came to us after the cars were released from parc ferme,” he said.

“We did do a very brief investigation after that but we couldn’t prove either way it was the case.

“We can only act on the information that the teams give us at the time and if it’s past parc ferme time it’s pretty hard for us to prove what’s happened and there was no official request for an investigation put forward by any team so from our point of view it’s been dealt with.”

The back-to-back pitstop rival teams have questioned was chaotic. The TeamVodafone crew forgot to put new front tyres on Whincup’s car as they hurried through his stop as Lowndes waited in pitlane for his pitstop to start.

And if TeamVodafone had made the mistake of using the wrong tyres, it is not in the position now to admit fault because that would result in a penalty.

Perry said if it could have been proven that TeamVodafone had bolted on the wrong set of tyres to Whincup’s car, the resulting penalty would have been minor because the rule breach was accidental rather than calculated.

“We’re happy with what transpired; what we’re not happy with is the way that parc ferme is situated in the garages here,” he said.

“We would prefer to have it out in the fast lane as we do at most other circuits; that way we actually get a better opportunity to do those checks.”

Perry said the Fujitsu Series race, which takes place after the V8 Supercars race, prevents parc ferme taking place in the fast lane.

“We will definitely look at changing that for next year if that’s possible,” he said.

“I don’t think we can change the schedule, but if we can convince the officials that we can operate parc ferme (in the fast lane) with another race running and cope with any needs they need there we’ll do that.

“But this is just one of the limitations of this particular circuit that we have.”

[Rob]

Back-to-back soft tyre events
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Orrcon Racing's Mark Winterbottom at Queensland Raceway last year.

V8 Supercars Australia has just announced that soft tyres will be used for the whole of this year's event at the Paperclip.

4:45 PM Wed 17 March, 2010

Source: BigPond Sport

Drivers will use the Dunlop Sprint soft tyres for the entire duration of the City of Ipswich 300 at Queensland Raceway following a decision from V8 Supercars Australia.

With the cancellation of the event at Perth’s Barbagallo Raceway, which was supposed to be a soft-tyre-only event, V8 Supercars has transferred the Dunlop Super Maxx Sprint tyre allocation to the City of Ipswich 300, which takes place from April 30 to May 2.

The news means that the two soft-tyre-only events in the 2010 Championship will be held back-to-back because the meet directly following the City of Ipswich 300 is the event at Winton Motor Raceway (May14-16).

All V8 Supercar teams were notified of the decision today. At each of the two soft-tyre-only events teams will be provided with 20 sprint tyres for racing and qualifying.

In addition, four sprint tyres allocated for testing will be distributed at the Queensland Raceway event, which will be permitted for use in practice only at both Queensland Raceway and Winton. Teams will also be permitted to use eight pre-marked control tyres at these events.

Ford Performance Racing’s Mark ‘Frosty’ Winterbottom, who currently sits second in the Championship, was in favour of racing on soft tyres for an entire event.

“I’ve always wanted to qualify on it and give it a good go, so I think it’s a great idea,” he said.

“I think it will be better racing using the soft tyre for the whole event.”

Frosty noted that tyre wear would play a different role to what it has in the past and that it would probably affect the Championship.

“It’s going to open it up a bit more and I don’t know who it will favour,” he said.

“We’ve only ever had the soft tyre as a luxury so to have everyone on the same tyre, it’s really going to affect it because you have got to set your car up a bit differently and initially no one will know what the car set-up is.

“All those things are unknowns so it will make it a greater challenge.”
And with a car that has pace and the right strategy, Winterbottom said it will allow drivers to win on both days.

“It will still play a big part of the strategy, but if you play it right you can win both races,” he said.

[Aussie]

Love my v8s

Can't wait for melb. Go vodafone raceing

[Rob]

No way we’ll quit NZPrint www.v8supercars.com

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Kiwi native Shane van Gisbergen at last year's Hamilton event. His recent form is expected to generate interest, and ticket sales, for next month's ITM400 Hamilton.

2:07 PM Thu 18 March, 2010

Source: BigPond Sport

V8 Supercars Australia Chairman Tony Cochrane has reiterated the category’s commitment to New Zealand and next month’s ITM400 Hamilton.

His comments follow media reports emerging from New Zealand that the Hamilton event may be in jeopardy due to financial reasons, but Cochrane said this could not be further from the truth.

“V8 Supercars Australia guarantees every New Zealander that the ITM400 in Hamilton will be another fantastic success in 2010, and a long way into the future,” he said.

“The recent reports that the personal affairs of event promoter Dean Calvert are in any way linked to the event are extremely disappointing.

“Let me assure every person in New Zealand that there is absolutely no question that this year’s event will proceed and once again be a terrific weekend in Hamilton.”

Ticket sales for the ITM400 Hamilton, which runs from April 16-18, have to-date been slow, but New Zealanders are traditionally late ticket buyers and the country’s economy is also taking a heavy hit at the moment.

And Kiwi native Shane van Gisbergen’s recent results, which have him currently sitting fourth in the 2010 V8 Supercar Championship, is expected to drive extra traffic through the gates.

V8 Supercars has included a New Zealand event into its Championship since 2001 and the inaugural Hamilton street race was held in 2008.

“V8 Supercars Australia has a long-term and unwavering commitment to this event and New Zealand, which I can absolutely guarantee,” Cochrane said.

“The Hamilton City Council is also resolute in its support of the event both now and well into the future.

“Our supporter base in New Zealand is huge and for more than a decade our Championship has enjoyed the overwhelming support of the public, providing some of the largest annual sporting events in the country.

“The ties between our sport and New Zealand could not be greater.”

While the media has focused on the withdrawal of Holden as a sponsor, the event has more large sponsors than ever.

After sponsoring the event in a smaller capacity for the last two years New Zealand’s largest group in independent trade building supply merchants, ITM, has stepped up to become the naming-rights sponsor until 2012.

Besides V8 Supercars, the 2010 ITM400 Hamilton offers a range of other on-track activities including the NZV8 series, the NZ/AUS V8 Ute Challenge, the Suzuki Swift Sports Cup, drag cars, Hitachi Stunt Utes, the Jim Beam Band, stunt bikes and a Harley parade.

The event officially starts with a launch party in the town’s Garden Place on Thursday, April 15 from 4pm to 7pm, which includes driver signings, entertainment, car and motorbike displays and grid girl appearances.

“The V8s is the biggest event in the city’s calendar and Garden Place is accessible for everyone to come and be part of what is a fantastic thing for the city,” Hamilton Mayor, Bob Simcock, said.

As a further incentive for Australian fans and those in New Zealand who live a plane trip from Hamilton, a free three-day general admission pass to the ITM400 Hamilton is available with any Pacific Blue plane ticket booked

For more information on the ITM400 Hamilton visit www.itm400.co.nz or to buy tickets visit www.ticketek.co.nz

[Rob]

Love my v8s

Can't wait for melb. Go vodafone raceing

Great series, love the racing and passion of the fans. Im Toll Holden Racing fan, Go Garth and Will..
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[Rob]

A-OK at Bundy

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Bundaberg Red Racing's Andrew Thompson at the Clipsal 500 Adelaide before his car was to damaged to continue competing.

2:48 PM Mon 22 March, 2010

Source: BigPond Sport www.v8supercars.com

Andrew Thompson has confirmed his #10 Bundaberg Red Racing Commodore will be ready for this weekend’s 2010 BRC IMPCO V8 supercar Challenge.

The Bundy Commodore was deemed too damaged to repair at the Clipsal 500 earlier this month and was taken back to the workshop after Thompson slammed into the notorious turn eight at the Adelaide street circuit during qualifying on the Saturday.

Thompson, who sat out both of the 250km races at Adelaide, said the car’s structural integrity was analysed and has been given the all clear.

“It’s all been checked and tested and it’s basically brand new now,” the 22-year-old said.

“The car’s all okay and it’s pretty much back together today and not far off being finished for the weekend.”

Thomson was surprised that the crash did not take a greater toll on his body.

“My foot copped a bit of a knock on the pedal and it had a bit of bruising for a couple of days but it’s all good now,” he said.

“I was expecting a bit more but I was quite happy how I came out of the car because I didn’t want to have any more serious injuries because of the tight turnaround between Clipsal and the Grand Prix.

“It’s not as easy corner and if you make a mistake there you pay for it dearly. I paid for it dearly on the car side of things, but I was lucky to come away from it without any major injuries.”

Thompson acknowledged there was no room for error at Adelaide’s turn eight.

“If you get it slightly wrong you pay for it,” he said.

“Unfortunately I got it wrong, but the guys have worked really hard to get the car back on track this weekend so I can’t wait to get to the Grand Prix and get the Bundy Commodore back on track.”

No Championship points are on offer at the 2010 BRC IMPCO V8 Supercar Challenge, which is a support event to the Formula One at Albert Park, but Thompson is determined to do well particularly after missing a lot of track time at Adelaide.

“Right now I am not looking at it differently to any other (V8 event); even though it’s a non-Championship event we will go there as a team and do our best and get the best results we can,” he said.

[Rob]

INXS rocks Townsville

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INXS will play a one-off concert at the Armor All Townsville 400 on Saturday, July 10.

10:30 AM Fri 19 March, 2010

Source: BigPond Sport www.v8supercars.com

V8 Supercars Australia has announced that one of Australia’s greatest ever rock bands, INXS, will play a one-off concert at this year’s Armor All Townsville 400.

The Armor All Townsville 400 takes place from July 9-11 and INXS, which had hits including Original Sin, Need You Tonight and New Sensation, will play at the event on Saturday, July 10.

Townsville’s inaugural V8 Supercar event last year was a massive success and V8 Supercars Australia Acting Chief Executive Officer, Shane Howard, said the addition of INXS to this year’s event is sure to cement Townsville’s place as one of the Championship’s signature events.

“To secure one of Australia’s greatest ever bands, INXS, to play at the Armor All Townsville 400 is a huge bonus for the event and for North Queensland,” he said.

“The Saturday night concert, included in the event ticket price, is a great way to thank the people of Northern Queensland who showed incredible support for the inaugural 2009 event – smashing our expectations with a crowd of more than 168,000 people over the three days.

“The ‘Rock n’ Race’ concept is proven as part of our strategy to provide both the best racing in the world combined with the best entertainment.”

Today’s announcement of the INXS concert at the Armor All Townsville 400 will create a sensation in North Queensland. Not since the Elton John concert in 2007 has the region been treated to such a high profile internationally acclaimed act, particularly at such an affordable price.

V8 Supercars Australia proved its credentials as ‘The Greatest Show on Wheels’ after securing international music sensation P!nk as the sport’s ambassador from 2010 through to 2012.

“Our Greatest Show on Wheels campaign featuring the world’s hottest female artist today in P!nk shows that V8 Supercars can truly be a true mix of world class sport and world class entertainment,” Howard said.

“The same can be said of the Armor All Townsville 400 where we can attract a band of the magnitude of INXS.”

INXS are international rock legends, having sold more than 30 million albums and played to sold-out stadium gigs around the world.

The band’s career spans over three decades and on April 20, INXS will release its greatest hits album titled INXS: PLATINUM exclusively on iTunes.

INXS: PLATINUM will be INXS' debut release on CM Murphy's independent label, Petrolelectric and the first collaboration between long time partners, Chris and INXS since the early 1990's.

The album features the band’s aforementioned songs along with other hits including Devil Inside, Never Tear Us Apart and Suicide Blonde.

The official Armor All Townsville 400 winner’s trophy landed spectacularly back in Townsville today (Friday), signalling the start of the build-up to this year’s event.

A helicopter carrying last year’s Sunday winner, James Courtney, carrying the trophy, landed in Reid Park.

Reigning Jupiters Miss Townsville 400 Kasey-Lee Brunker met the Jim Beam Racing driver before the trophy was officially handed to Townsville Mayor Les Tyrell.

Cr Tyrell said the biggest weekend of the year for the region was shaping up to be even bigger and better this year.

“The V8 Supercar event in itself is a show-stopper but to have an entertainment act of the standing of INXS is a welcome boost,” he said.

“The city is once again expecting a huge influx of visitors for the event and we are getting ready to roll out the welcome mat once again.”

Courtney said the drivers couldn’t wait for the Armor All Townsville 400 event.

“The people of North Queensland take such pride in the event and this creates a real buzz.

“The facilities and the track are first-rate and we can’t wait for July.”

The inaugural Townsville 400 took out the 2009 V8 Supercars Event of the Year Award and Howard encouraged people to get in quick to secure their tickets.

“The Platinum Grandstands have already sold out but there are still plenty of Gold and Silver grandstand tickets available, as well as general admission,” he said.

“We have also received an overwhelming demand for corporate facilities.”

The INXS concert is absolutely free for anybody that holds a Saturday ticket to the event.

Tickets are on sale now and are available through www.ticketek.com.au or 132 849. Children 12 years and under will again receive free entry to general admission areas with a paying adult.

For more information on the Armor All Townsville 400 visit www.v8supercarevents.com.au

The official Townsville Home Stay Program is again in place to meet demand for accommodation. Inquiries should be directed to Barrier Reef Dive Cruise and Travel on 07 4772 5800.

[Rob]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4buseXIY-V8

[Rob]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BxLHoE4YHWM

[Rob]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6YkYofPAw6E

[Rob]

Whincup drives F1

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Jenson Button sits in the TeamVodafone Commodore with Jamie Whincup looking on.

By Briar Gunther

2:37 PM Tue 23 March, 2010

Source: BigPond Sport www.v8supercars.com.au

Reigning V8 Supercar Champion Jamie Whincup has described his experience in a Formula One car around the Australian Grand Prix circuit at Albert Park as “unbelievable”.

The TeamVodafone driver swapped cars with reigning World Champion Jenson Button today (Tuesday) in front of an international media pack at the street circuit in the lead up to this weekend’s 2010 Formula One QANTAS Australian Grand Prix.

Whincup, who drives for TeamVodafone in the V8 Supercar Championship, admitted he was a bundle of nerves but also excited before he jumped in the Vodafone McLaren Mercedes.

“You can’t be any more nervous than I am right now,” he revealed.

“It’s the biggest opportunity of my life. It could be the best thing I do.”

Afterwards, Whincup said he had never felt anything like it.

“I can’t really explain it,” he said.

“I had a little bit of a celebration with myself 50 metres (after taking off) because I didn’t stall; that was the hardest thing.”

Whincup said the Formula One car did “everything right”.

“The strain on my head was unbelievable; I don’t get anywhere near the Gs in my car.

“The Gs on your neck are unbelievable. I’ve got huge respect for their fitness. To do a full Grand Prix at that pace is unbelievable.”

Button, who has expressed a desire to one day race a V8 Supercar, was equally thrilled to drive a Triple Eight Commodore.

“For me it’s exciting as well because I’ve watched V8 Supercars for so many years and I’ve also said in the past after F1 I’m sure I’m going to look at doing something else and that (driving a V8) hopefully will be a possibility for me if I get the chance; I’d love to in the future.”

After his drive, Button noted there was not a lot of downforce in a V8 Supercar compared to a Formula One car.

“It was great, a really good experience,” he said.

“I noticed that I need to strengthen my right leg if I ever want to drive one of these again or if I ever get the chance to drive one of these again because you use the brake pedal with your right leg whereas in our car it’s the left so it’s quite difficult to get used to but it was a great experience and I was surprised how much grip the car had especially in low speed corners.

“It’s not as physical in the way of G force but it’s physical because it’s so hot.”

Whincup likened his Formula One experience to going up in space or flying an F-18 fighter jet.

“It’s right up there,” he said and Button, who would one day like to compete in the Supercheap Auto Bathurst 1000, agreed.

“Even now driving it (fulltime) you’ll feel that, you don’t get bored of it.

“You can get frustrated when the car’s not great but you still get a buzz every time you drive it.”

The V8 Supercars will hold three non-Championship races at the Australian Grand Prix under the banner of the 2010 BRC IMPCO V8 Supercar Challenge.

[Rob]

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[Rob]

A grand affair
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James Courtney at last year's V8 event at the Australian Grand Prix in an older spec car.

By Briar Gunther

8:56 AM Wed 24 March, 2010

Source: BigPond Sport

V8 Supercars will provide more than 200km of racing as a support category to Formula One at Albert Park this weekend.

As part of the 2010 BRC IMPCO V8 Supercar Challenge, the V8s will hold three 13-lap races around the 5.3km circuit.

A maximum of 100 points are on offer in each of the three V8 Supercar races and the winner of the event will be the driver with the most points from the weekend.

The sole qualifying session of the weekend for the V8 Supercars takes place on Thursday for 30 minutes and will not be extended regardless of the number of red flag periods.

Each driver’s finishing position in the Friday race determines their grid order for the Saturday race and the results of the Saturday race determines the grid order for the Sunday race.

Jim Beam Racing’s James Courtney is looking forward to finally getting to compete in a current-spec Falcon at the Albert Park circuit.

For the last two years, Courtney has had to drive ‘spare’ cars after crashing out at the Clipsal 500 Adelaide in 2008 when he drove for Stone Brothers Racing and his debut season with the Jim Beam team last year.

“I’ll be going there with my regular 2010-spec car which should be much more competitive,” he said.

V8 Supercars intends to enforce a clause in teams’ contracts if they ‘tank’ at the 2010 BRC IMPCO V8 Supercar Challenge because no Championship points are on offer.

Courtney said he had to intention of competing anything less than his best.

“I’m a racer and once the lights go green I'll be flat-out going for the win the same as anywhere else,” he said.

“This event has a high international profile because of the Formula One aspect, so it’s also a good chance to get exposure for my sponsors. The best way to do that is to win!”

The upside for fans heading to the 2010 Formula One QANTAS Australian Grand Prix is that because the V8s are not the main attraction and Championship points are not on offer, the atmosphere in the V8 Supercar paddock is relaxed and drivers are a lot more accessible than at a usual V8 event.

Official autograph sessions have been organised for the Friday through to Sunday at the autograph stage located in the V8 Supercar paddock.

From 2pm on Friday Rick Kelly, Todd Kelly, Paul Dumbrell, Mark Winterbottom, Steven Richards, Lee Holdsworth, Michael Caruso, Jason Bargwanna, Tony Ricciardello and Daniel Gaunt will sign autographs for half an hour.

Craig Lowndes, Jamie Whincup, James Courtney, Steven Johnson, Jonathon Webb, Jason Bright, Jason Richards, Karl Reindler and Tony D'Alberto will sign autographs for half an hour from 3pm on Saturday while Garth Tander, Will Davison, Alex Davison, Shane van Gisbergen, Tim Slade, Russell Ingall, Greg Murphy, Fabian Coulthard, Andrew Thompson and Dean Fiore will hold a half hour autograph session from 11.30am on Sunday.

BRC IMPCO, the naming-rights sponsor of the V8 races, is a fuel systems solutions group offering LPG installations and conversions.

The 2010 BRC IMPCO V8 Supercar Challenge schedule is as follows:

Thursday

2.10pm – 30 minute practice session
5.15pm – Qualifying

Friday

3pm – Top 10 Shootout
6.15pm – Race one (13 laps)

Saturday

6.15pm – Race two (13 laps)

Sunday

2.20pm – Race three (13 laps)

[Rob]

Frosty seeks F1 test drive
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Ford Performance Racing's Mark Winterbottom, pictured at the Clipsal 500 Adelaide, wants to test a Formula One car.
By Briar Gunther

8:13 AM Thu 25 March, 2010

Source: BigPond Sport

Mark Winterbottom has declared he wants to test a Formula One car.

Frosty was one of four drivers who rode in a two seater Minardi F1 in Abu Dhabi while on a promotional trip for the Yas V8 400 in January and with the Formula One show in town the Ford Performance Racing driver has made his intentions clear.

“While I have always respected the speed and technology of Formula One, as a driver you tend to concentrate on what you are doing and forget about the chance of ever riding in or driving the ultimate racing car, being a Formula One car,” he said.

“Having had this mind blowing experience in Abu Dhabi earlier this year, I have now set myself the goal of driving an F1 car.

“Now I have to convince one of these teams to give me a one-off test drive as I have caught the F1 bug and I know that I won’t be able to shake it off for years to come.”

Winterbottom said even with a passenger on board, the Minardi’s grip was “just unbelievable”.

“I can only imagine what it would be like at full speed when you are on your own in one of these incredible mobile missiles,” he said.

“The technology that makes the car seem so easy to drive compared to our racing cars reflects the premier level of engineering excellence and unlimited development that takes place in Formula One.”

Prodrive, the company that owns the FPR V8 Supercar team, also has links with Formula One.

It ran the BAR F1 Team for a number of years last decade, taking the team to second in the Formula One World Championship behind Ferrari in 2004.

The company was accepted for an entry to the 2008 Formula One World Championship but a change in customer team rules governing the championship prematurely ended Prodrive’s campaign.

[Rob]

Whincup quickest

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Patience rewards Whincup with a clear track during qualifying.

6:17 PM Thu 25 March, 2010

Source: BigPond Sport

Boosted by his drive in a Formula One car earlier this week, TeamVodafone’s Jamie Whincup finished the first day of the 2010 BRC IMPCO V8 Supercar Challenge as the quickest V8 man on the track.

In the sole qualifying session of the weekend, Whincup posted a time of 1:57.9308 ahead of Toll Holden Racing Team’s Garth Tander and Castrol Edge Racing’s Greg Murphy.

Whincup said his Commodore performed a lot better than his Falcon did last year around the Albert Park Formula One street circuit in similar conditions.

“We come here with a similar set-up that we ran the first two rounds (this year) which was very good,” he said.

“I love Albert Park; it’s always good fun around here and (there’s) a little bit of stress off being non-Championship so we’ll just get out there and have a good go and I couldn’t be happier with my car here today.”

While Whincup is still getting over the excitement of driving the McLaren Mercedes F1 car, he defended his own V8 Supercar.

“Everything’s happening in slow-mo compared to F1 but… I’m having a ball,” he said.

Tander was also happy with the performance of his Commodore, saying it was “very good” in the earlier practice session.

“We changed the car from practice to qualifying and it wasn’t exactly as we hoped so we made a small change for the second run and the car was absolutely awesome,” he enthused.

“I think the track changed quite a bit during that session. We probably qualified right at the point where the temperature was dropping and the track came really good by the end there.

“Certainly the battle we’re having with Jamie at the moment’s enjoyable; the car set-up wise is different to what we would traditionally run here and it’s responding very nicely.”

While Tander is enjoying is battle with Whincup, he was not so keen on the tyre bundles after the 30-minute session was red-flagged at one point to remove a bundle from the racing line.

“Greg (Murphy) asked the question at the driver’s briefing this morning which corners had the tyre bundles and it was actually quicker for them to name the corners that didn’t have tyre bundles,” he said.

“I think it looks bad. We did it at Abu Dhabi; put tyre bundles all over the joint and here we are at another F1 circuit and we’ve got tyre bundles everywhere.

“Surely there’s a better technology out there than Bob Jane all-rounders.”

Whincup was more diplomatic when he offered his thoughts on the tyre bundles.

“It would just be good if the tyre bundles stayed in position; when they come out on the middle of the track that’s uncool,” he said.
The Top 10 Shootout for the 2010 BRC IMPCO V8 Supercar Challenge starts tomorrow (Friday) at 3pm followed by the first 13-lap V8 race of the weekend at 6.15pm.

[Rob]

Murph relishes the moment
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Greg Murphy at the 2010 BRC IMPCO V8 Supercar Challenge.
6:52 PM Thu 25 March, 2010

Source: BigPond Sport

The 2010 BRC IMPCO V8 Supercar Challenge might be a non-Championship event, but you won’t hear Castrol Edge Racing driver Greg Murphy complaining about being at the front.

Murph was quickest in the practice session and then posted the third fastest time during qualifying today (Thursday) at the 5.3km Formula One Albert Park circuit.

The Kiwi native debuted a new Triple Eight designed, Paul Morris Motorsports built Commodore at the Clipsal 500 Adelaide – a car he said he was still getting used to.

“We didn’t do much laps in Adelaide (due to mechanical failures) and the car felt really good there; it’s just trying to work out what it likes and today was really good,” he said.

“The car’s been pretty much on the money out the gate; there or thereabouts and we’re happy to be sitting here at the moment, there’s no doubt.”

Murphy said the car has needed changes to perform at the optimum for his driving style but that it was responding well to those changes.

“Triple Eight have given us a bloody good tool to play with,” he said.

“We desperately need to get some performances going right and we’ve got New Zealand coming up next and that’s huge for us.”

Murphy said regardless of the absence of Championship points this weekend, the pressure was on to demonstrate the team’s previous statements that it will be competitive in 2010.

“So this is a pretty good start,” he noted.

“The car was pretty good at Adelaide, I didn’t get the most out of it in qualifying but it was a bloody good race car in that first race for as long as it lasted. So I’ve got a lot of confidence.”

Murphy said it was “amazing” to have the ability to use information and data from the other Triple Eight Commodores.

“I haven’t had that before and man that is pretty handy, I can tell you, so we’re really happy.

“Paul’s (team owner Paul Morris) pretty happy; he’s got a smile on his face and hopefully Castrol will be really happy too.

“This weekend, regardless of points, we’ve got to keep repeating it and this is just the start.”

[Rob]

GT keeps momentum rolling

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Toll Holden Racing Team's Garth Tander starts the first race of the weekend from pole.

3:46 PM Fri 26 March, 2010

Source: BigPond Sport

After a clean sweep of race wins at the Clipsal 500 Adelaide, Toll Holden Racing Team’s Garth Tander has kept the ball rolling by starting the first race of the 2010 BRC IMPCO V8 Supercar Challenge from pole position.

Tander shares the front row for this evening’s race with Jim Beam Racing driver James Courtney.

“It’s good for the fans and more importantly it’s good to keep the momentum going after Clipsal,” GT said.

“We know we’ve got a good car and we’ve got good pace so it’s good to come back here and put the car on pole.

“Im really happy with everything so far, Obviously like everybody else we’re developing and trying stuff out as far as testing goes but we’re pretty happy with the way things are going.”

Tander said like yesterday, his #2 Commodore excelled.

“I probably under drove the car for the first part of the lap because I wasn’t expecting that much grip,” he said.

“The car was very, very good, my sectors were okay and then in the last sector I really pushed on and that’s where we got a bit of time so I’m really happy.”

Clouds were looming as the Top 10 Shootout was wrapping up and it started raining as this article was going live but Tander is not concerned that it could crash his party.

“We’ve got two hours so it could probably rain and dry out in that amount of time but we’ll have to wait and see; we can’t change the weather,” Tander said.

Like Tander Courtney, who has had to drive older cars at the Albert Park circuit in the last two years, was glad to keep his momentum going from Clipsal.

“It’s good just to carry the momentum we had from last year into this year at Clipsal into this weekend,” the Jim Beam Racing driver said.

“It will hopefully just start snowballing and get bigger and bigger (throughout the year) which will be great.

“It’s awesome to be here on the front row and it’s good to be here in my own car in front of a few old (Formula One) mates.”

[Rob]

First Ford win
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James Courtney takes out the first of three 13 lap races at the 2010 BRC IMPCO V8 Supercar Challenge.

6:58 PM Fri 26 March, 2010

Source: BigPond Sport

Jim Beam Racing’s James Courtney has won the first race for Ford in 2010 today (Friday) at the BRC IMPCO V8 Supercar Challenge.

Courtney overtook Toll Holden Racing Team’s Garth Tander for the race win with less than three laps to go in the 13-lap battle.

The Jim Beam driver said it was a “pretty sketchy” start with him running three-wide alongside his V8 rivals including Jack Daniel’s Racing driver Rick Kelly.

“I thought this is getting a bit too exciting here so I backed out,” he said.

After Kelly ran wide and got swallowed up in the pack, Courtney settled in behind Tander.

“And it looked like he started to struggle a little with the car; it was quite loose in the rear so I just bided my time.

“It was a good win and it was good to be able to get another win.”

Tander said his car was good in the start of the race until a mechanical failure allowed Courtney to get the better of him.

“We had a great car at the start of the race and managed to pull a gap on James and then about midway through the race (the car) started to have some gearbox issues where the car would actually over select and go down one too many gears at most of the critical braking areas,” he said.

“So I had an off at turn one and a couple of other run wides at turn three. One of those was when James got through.

“(It’s) disappointing we didn’t win the race but the car was pretty good apart from a small mechanical issue but we’ll fix that tomorrow and have another crack.”

Stone Brothers Racing’s Shane van Gisbergen, who started from fifth position, crossed the finish line in third place.

“It’s good to see Ford finally win a race; unfortunately it’s the wrong team but we won’t worry about that,” he said.

“The start was pretty exciting, I got a few spots there and I was close to James at the start and then his car got going and we sort of settled into a rhythm and it got exciting again at the end.”

Race two of the 2010 BRC IMPCO V8 Supercar Challenge takes place at 6.15pm tomorrow, Saturday March 27.

[Rob]

V8 CHALLENGE RACE ONE: FULL RESULTS
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Jim Beam Racing's James Courtney wins first race of the 2010 BRC IMPCO V8 Supercar Challenge

6:08 PM Fri 26 March, 2010

Source: BigPond Sport

2010 BRC IMPCO V8 Supercar Challenge race one full results

1 James Courtney Ford
2 Garth Tander Holden
3 Shane van Gisbergen Ford
4 Craig Lowndes Holden
5 Jamie Whincup Holden
6 Todd Kelly Holden
7 Paul Dumbrell Ford
8 Steven Johnson Ford
9 Mark Winterbottom Ford
10 Will Davison Holden
11 Lee Holdsworth Holden
12 Fabian Coulthard Holden
13 Jason Richards Holden
14 Alex Davison Ford
15 Jason Bargwanna Holden
16 Jason Bright Holden
17 Russell Ingall Holden
18 Tim Slade Ford
19 Jonathon Webb Ford
20 Greg Murphy Holden
21 Steven Richards Ford
22 Dean Fiore Ford
23 Michael Caruso Holden
24 Rick Kelly Holden
25 Tony D'Alberto Holden
26 Daniel Gaunt Holden
27 Karl Reindler Holden
28 Andrew Thompson Holden
29 Tony Ricciardello Holden

[Rob]

Tander takes race two

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Toll Holden Racing Team's Garth Tander wins the 13 lap race at Albert Park today.

7:04 PM Sat 27 March, 2010

Source: BigPond Sport

Garth Tander survived a lap one battle with James Courtney and managed to hold off Jamie Whincup to win the second race at the 2010 BRC IMPCO V8 Supercar Challenge today (Saturday).

With a spattering of rain enough to make for a greasy track, the 13 lap non-Championship race was pretty eventful throughout and the Toll Holden Racing Team driver was quick off the blocks.

“It was a bit of fun with James; I thought I was gone because I braked way too late at turn three on the first lap and I was expecting him to come back up the inside but obviously he braked at about the same point I did,” Tander laughed.

“It’s always fun finding your limiter on the first lap.

“It was a tough race just because with the rain coming and going you didn’t really know how hard to brake at any of the braking zones, it was sort of different each lap so when you are the lead car the guys behind can sort of judge your car behaviour on where they’re going to brake.”

Tander said the car performed well and did not chew through its tyres as much as it did yesterday.

“And we made a change to our car that was pretty big and it worked in some parts of the race and then late in the race the car went off quite a bit, last two laps. It’s good to get the win,” he said.

Whincup, who started the race from fifth and charged his way up to second place, noted that on the first lap
“it was all happening at turn one”.

“Everyone was going really, really hard, surprisingly, so I got through all that battle and the car was very good and I picked my way right up through,” he said.

“I thought it was going to rain actually; all the weather stations were saying it was going to rain, we were ready for rain but it didn’t come.”

The TeamVodafone driver was today handed a $3000 fine, which has been suspended until the end of the year, for driving at an excessive speed while marshals were on the track at the end of yesterday’s Top 10 Shootout.

Whincup refused to comment on the matter at a post-race press conference, saying he “won’t waste everybody’s time with that” but he will deliver an apology at a briefing for officials tomorrow morning.

Courtney, who won yesterday’s race, had to fight off SP Tools Racing’s Shane van Gisbergen for most of the race.

Van Gisbergen overtook Courtney on the first lap but the order swapped again by the end of the second lap.
The Giz stayed on the back of the #18 Falcon for the rest of the race and even attempted a gutsy move on the Jim Beam driver at the second-last corner on the last lap.

“Shane tried to pass around the outside and it was never going to happen,” Courtney laughed.
Tander commented that the weather should be different for tomorrow’s race.

“So hopefully we can see where we’re going in tomorrow’s race and stay away from this weather that seems to descend on Albert Park late in the day,” he said.

“It will make a pretty interesting F1 race but it will be nice to have a nice dry clean (V8 Supercar) one tomorrow.”

The third and final race of the 2010 BRC IMPCO V8 Supercar Challenge starts at 2.20pm.

2010 BRC IMPCO V8 Supercar Challenge top 10 points after race two

Garth Tander Holden 192
James Courtney Ford 186
Jamie Whincup Holden 166
Shane van Gisbergen Ford 166
Craig Lowndes Holden 140
Mark Winterbottom Ford 130
Steve Johnson Ford 124
Will Davison Holden 120
Paul Dumbrell Ford 120
Lee Holdsworth Holden 100

[Rob]

Good, clean funPrint
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Rock Racing's Jason Bargwanna, pictured at Albert Park, is not surprised at the close racing this weekend even though no Championship points are on offer.

4:53 PM Sat 27 March, 2010 www.v8supercars.com.au

Source: BigPond Sport

The first race of the 2010 BRC IMPCO V8 Supercar Challenge proved that good and clean are not mutually exclusive in V8 Supercars.

As in past years, concerns have been raised about the possibility of cars ending up severely damaged at the Albert Park non-Championship event if drivers get too excited.

Friday’s 13 lap race had plenty of battles going on amongst the field, yet major damage was avoided.

Rock Racing driver Jason Bargwanna, who qualified in 21st and finished the race in 15th, was not shocked that everyone gave it a red-hot go.
“It didn’t surprise me how hard everyone was racing out there; it’s always the same.

“You put this bunch of knuckleheads out there on a race track in race cars and it’s always going to be on for young and old,” he laughed.

“We were pushing very hard and so was everyone around me, I can assure you of that. It was a good old race out there.”

His Kelly Racing teammate Todd Kelly, who pilots the #7 Jack Daniel’s Commodore agreed, saying: “It was on for young and old at the first corner.”

Toll Holden Racing Team driver Will Davison, who started in 15th and finished in 10th, described his race as clean but good fun.
“I had a good start and pulled off a couple of moves in the first few laps,” he said.

“There was certainly plenty of action going on around me.

“It was quite an enjoyable race as we had a few good fights.”

Davo plans on continuing the good but clean racing in this evening’s race.

“We’ve still not quite got the outright pace, but we’ve made a step in the right direction and we’ll use the information from today to creep further up the front tomorrow,” he said.

But not all of the drivers were impressed with their rival’s actions during the first race.

“We were pushing forward over the first six or seven laps and making good ground, which was pleasing after some front-end problems during qualifying,” Centaur Racing’s Tony D’Alberto said.

“But I copped some contact I wasn’t expecting and that pushed us back a bit. I wasn’t prepared to risk the car after that.

“It’s hard to believe how aggressive some of the other drivers were for an exhibition race.

“The car is fine and hopefully everyone can keep it clean out there in the next two races.”

[Rob]

Noske prays for black gold
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The Bargwanna/Noske entry at the 2009 Supercheap Auto Bathurst 1000.

4:53 PM Fri 9 April, 2010 www.v8supercars.com.au

Source: BigPond Sport

After missing out on a test drive with Kelly Racing earlier this week, Mark Noske is in contention to drive the 2010 endurance races with Gulf Western Oil Racing.

The Kellys tested a number of drivers at Winton Motor Raceway and Noske told BigPond Sport why he couldn’t make it.

“Todd (Kelly) gave me a call and I was due to go and test for him on Tuesday but my wife’s heavily pregnant and due any day so I had to decline the test which was a bit frustrating,” he said.

“We live in Portland so to drive six hours to Winton, I just couldn’t do it in case she went into labour.”

Noske, who finished sixth at last year’s Supercheap Auto Bathurst 1000 with Jason Bargwanna for the now defunct Tasman Motorsport, may end up driving with Daniel Gaunt for Lucas Dumbrell’s Gulf Western Oil team.

“I have spoken to them and they are interested in giving me a test in the car,” he said.

“I didn’t think teams would be quick to sign up drivers but what with the new rules (where regular drivers must drive their own car for the enduros) the seats have been filling fast.”

Although Noske and Bargs finished a credible sixth at Bathurst, they were on target for a podium until a clash late in the race with the TeamVodafone entry of Jamie Whincup and Craig Lowndes.

This, Noske said, is what makes it hard to accept he might miss out on an enduro drive in 2010.

“Especially after last year and being three laps from potentially standing on the podium to potentially missing out on a seat, it’s a pretty hard pill to swallow so hopefully something comes of this test,” he said.

“There’s a lot of people with money buying endurance drives and that’s where it gets frustrating. You’re results are getting overlooked and I understand that’s a part of motorsport all over the world.

“But you look at the Adam Macrows of this world and because they don’t have corporate backing they miss out.”

Noske, who currently has a management role with the Noske Group and oversees the transportation of wind farm components from Portland in Victoria’s west to the north of Adelaide, noted it was getting harder to compete in V8 Supercars without a full-time gig.

“There’s 29 very A-grade drivers in these cars now and you certainly need to be in the car a lot of the time to do a good job,” he said.

“I’ve been to Bathurst 14 times and have never put a mark on a car.

“Hopefully I won’t miss out and if I get the opportunity to drive in this year’s enduros, I will grab it with both hands

[Rob]

FPR hunts NZ success

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Ford Performance Racing driver Mark Winterbottom pictured at the Hamilton street circuit last year.
4:28 PM Mon 12 April, 2010 www.v8supercars.com.au

Source: BigPond Sport

Ford Performance Racing (FPR) plans to be on top of its game at this weekend’s ITM400 Hamilton as driver Mark Winterbottom continues his quest to topple TeamVodafone’s Jamie Whincup.


He sits 57 points behind Whincup in the Championship points standings and while Winterbottom was able to grab pole by a mere thousandth of a second off Whincup on the Saturday at Hamilton last year, it was his rival who won both races.

Winterbottom said his car excelled at the New Zealand street circuit last year.

“We had plenty of speed and scored a pole position but Jamie beat me into turn one and from there, with it being a pretty tight street circuit, I struggled to get back past him,” he said.

“Although I’m in a new Orrcon Steel Falcon this year, a lot of what we’ve learnt in the past can be applied this year so we should be able to kick off the weekend in pretty competitive form.”

Winterbottom’s teammate, Steve Richards, also plans on being in the mix this weekend.

“I scored my first-ever pole for FPR here in 2008 and qualified third for the second race last year so I know we have the speed to again be at the pointy end of the field,” the Dunlop Super Dealer Team driver said.

“Last year I clipped the tyre bundle down at the fast chicane and bent my steering arm which basically ruined my chances of a decent result but I’ll definitely be keeping a closer eye on that this year.”

FPR Team Principal, Tim Edwards, noted that the team has had an encouraging start to the year.

“While it's still very early in the season a race win has eluded us which is one monkey we’d really like to get off our back,” he said.

“I think once we can clear that hurdle we’ll settle into a more consistent rhythm.”

The V8 Supercars start arriving in New Zealand for the ITM400 Hamilton via air freight tomorrow (Tuesday) and teams arrive on Thursday.

Richards and Winterbottom along with the other 27 V8 Supercar drivers will attend a special launch party at Hamilton’s Garden Place on Thursday from 4pm to 7pm.

Two official signing sessions will take place, with half of the drivers signing autographs from 4.30pm to 5.15pm and the other half from 5.30pm to 6.15pm.

Meanwhile Winterbottom has given his views on the Car of the Future plan on the XXXX Gold V8 Supercar website.

He believes the cost reduction part of the plan can only be a positive for the sport, is glad the plan does not include the move to a silhouette type formula and that opening the shop front for new manufacturers is a good idea.

To read his column, visit the website www.xxxxgoldv8supercars.com.au/

[Rob]

Chance over dollars
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Cameron McConville will drive for Walkinshaw Racing in this year's enduros.

By Briar Gunther www.v8supercars.com.au

3:00 PM Tue 13 April, 2010

Source: BigPond Sport

Cameron McConville has teamed up with Walkinshaw Racing for this year’s enduros not for the money, but because the team offers him the best opportunity to win Bathurst.

He quit V8 Supercar racing full-time at the end of last year and started up his own JAXQuickfit Tyres franchise in Moorabbin in Melbourne.

McConville, who last year raced for Brad Jones Racing, finishing second at the Supercheap Auto Bathurst 1000 with Jason Richards, clinched the deal with Walkinshaw late last year.

“I was keen to do a deal before Christmas and get it locked away so I could focus on getting into the business and for the enduros getting the best drive that I could,” he explained.

“It’s probably my one chance at having a crack at Bathurst.”

McConville said it was still undecided whom he will pair up with, although he indicated it would be with either Garth Tander or Will Davison at Toll Holden Racing Team (HRT).

“Until the Championship plays out a bit more it’s a bit early to say and I respect that, but no doubt it will be in a car capable of winning and that’s what I wanted to sign off and lock away,” he said.

“I drove for HRT way back in ’99 with (Craig) Lowndes before I got into the series full-time so if anything it’s a bit of a reunion.

“We finished second at Bathurst in 1999 and hopefully this year we will be able to go one better.”

The new rule banning regular drivers from driving together at the enduros, McConville said, helped people like him and Mark Skaife, who have stepped away from full-time racing, to secure a good drive.

But he said it was hard to give up a drive with Brad Jones Racing.

“I had a chat with Brad and it was just with Walkinshaw being the factory team, it was something I wanted to do and I certainly wish Brad and Jason well.

“Jason and I are still good mates and it was not about the money, it was about the opportunity.

“I said to Jase ‘I hope you finish second at Bathurst, I really do – behind us (Walkinshaw)’.

“We made a great pair, but I’m sure Brad will step up to the plate and give Jase a good co-driver.”

McConville has kept himself involved in motorsport with Formula Ford where he is the Driver Standards Advisor, competing in the Bathurst 12-Hour and helping the ute series with parity testing.

He will attend a number of V8 Supercar events to take part in the practice sessions for the enduro drivers.

“It will be nice being at the (V8) rounds with the Formula Ford guys, but I have to say I have got massively itchy feet to get into the Walkinshaw car,” he said.

“You can run around in other things to keep your reflexes up, but certainly V8 miles is what you need.

“You certainly get a little bit rusty, but I’m still relatively race ready.”

[Rob]

Toll Holden Racing Team ace Garth Tander is looking to continue his V8 Supercar ‘steamroller’ form this weekend in the ITM400 in Hamilton, New Zealand.
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After a tough opening two events in the Middle East, the 2007 V8 Supercar champion has stormed back into form with two victories in Adelaide plus two more in the non-championship races at the Australian F1 Grand Prix in Melbourne.

The inaugural winner of the Hamilton event in 2008, Tander is fired up to keep his championship fight back on track.

“We were written off the first couple of races in the Middle East when some said we were hopeless and had no chance, and we came straight back at Adelaide and blew them all away,” says Tander.

“Then to go to the Grand Prix and continue that form, even though it was not a championship event, was very satisfying. We had a great run at Hamilton in 2008 and we hope to continue with our current form there this year.

“The championship is a long year. Here we are in April and there’s still a long way to go.

“Yes, we are 11th, yes we’ve closed the ground to the leaders in the points, but we are under no illusions to it being anything but a long year for us to fight ourselves back into championship contention.

“We expect by Bathurst we’ll be back to where we need to be and ensure we have a strong back half to the season.”

Tander won all three races in Hamilton in 2008 and draws comparisons between it and Adelaide, where he won both races to make himself the only driver eligible this year to win V8 Supercar racing’s $2 million ‘Grand Slam’.

“It’s a narrow track, quite bumpy, with aggressive kerbs and close walls – everything that street events are all about Hamilton’s got,” he says.

“The crowds are nice and close to the action too, so it’s a real cauldron-like atmosphere.

“Success in Hamilton is all about being smart. It’s a track that’s hard on the cars, hard on drivers. Two 200-kilometre races around that track makes for a tough event.

“Being smart, staying out of trouble, keeping the car off the kerbs, keeping the car off the walls and ultimately having a fast car – if you tick all those boxes, ultimately you will be somewhere up the front.”

His team-mate Will Davison has also been rebuilding his season and is making further progress towards the ‘pointy end’ of the field.

Davison took the #22 Commodore to fourth overall in the non-championship event at Albert Park and is feeling more comfortable as the season progresses.

“It definitely hasn’t been a great start but the Grand Prix was a step in the right direction and we’re finding a bit of form,” says last year’s series runner-up.

“For me personally, things have been bad. I haven’t forgotten how to drive! I’m keen to get a result on the board, but the last few races have been great for our team overall and that’s important. The guys have done a great job and clearly Garth has got the car going well.

“We’ve changed a few combinations this year with personnel, the cars are a bit different and for whatever reason, I’ve lost my way a little bit. But I’ve worked really hard since the Grand Prix to get ready for New Zealand and get that points tally rolling along.

“We need to start getting some momentum to build on. Our pace was good in Hamilton last year and it’s a place which really rewards drivers. You can be quite brave to get a good lap time there but you need the car working well on the different surfaces that make up the track and the grip levels that come from them.”

Both Tander and Davison will hit the track in Hamilton on Friday for practice before a pair of 200-kilometre, 59-lap races on Saturday and Sunday – the seventh and eighth races of the 2010 V8 Supercar Championship Series.

www.hrt.com.au

[Rob]

Toll Holden Racing Team to commemorate ANZAC legend www.hrt.com.au

Toll Holden Racing Team V8 Supercar stars Garth Tander and Will Davison will pay tribute to the spirit of the ANZACs ahead of this weekend’s ITM 400, laying a wreath at the Hamilton War Memorial tomorrow (Thursday) at 10am (New Zealand time).
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The ANZAC legend was born out of the courage and sacrifice of members of the Australian and New Zealand Army Corps (ANZAC) that fought at Gallipoli in Turkey during World War I.

ANZAC Day is commemorated in both Australia and New Zealand on April 25 each year and now honours all those that died and served in all military operations for the two countries. It is also recognised in the Cook Islands, Niue, Samoa and Tonga.

This year, ANZAC Day falls just one week after the V8 Supercar Championship Series’ annual NZ round.

“There is an intense and healthy rivalry between Australians and New Zealanders when it comes to sport, including V8 Supercars, but we will always be proudly and inextricably linked through the bravery of the original ANZACs, and all those that have followed in serving our countries since,” Tander said.

“Will and I are truly honoured to be able to give tribute to those who have paid the ultimate price to allow us our freedoms.”

Following the ceremony, Tander and Davison will join with members of the Hamilton Returned and Services Association (RSA)* for a quiet lemonade and traditional game of two up.

In addition to the drivers laying the wreath, each member of the Toll Holden Racing Team will wear a red ANZAC poppy throughout the race weekend.

[Rob]

good on you guys, remembering the ANZACS.

[Rob]

Murph the one to bet on www.v8supercars.com.au

1:58 PM Wed 14 April, 2010

Source: BigPond Sport

Castrol Edge Racing driver Greg Murphy might be the surprise packet at this weekend’s ITM400 Hamilton and fans could end up the winners too.

The Kiwi has not had success on home soil since his win at Pukekohe in 2005, largely due to uncompetitive machinery.

But his move to Paul Morris Motorsports (PMM) has seen him recently debut a Triple Eight-designed, PMM-built Commodore and he was one of the fastest drivers in qualifying at the non-Championship event at Albert Park last month.

The new Castrol Commodore offers Murph the very real possibility of winning at the ITM400 Hamilton but betting agencies have seemingly overlooked this and at V8bet.com.au he is currently a massive outsider to win the first race at $126.

“This is the most competitive package I’ve had in years by a long stretch and I’m very, very happy,” he said.

“The past four years we’ve had question marks on the cars and I never managed to get them to where they needed to be to get to the front of the field.

“With my new Castrol EDGE Commodore and the support of the PMM team I don’t have to worry about the equipment, which means the focus is on me just doing my job properly and completing the task.

“I can’t blame the vehicle for not being up to scratch and I feel that I’m in a pretty good position so I’m very comfortable and relaxed about this weekend.”

Murphy said he was definitely aiming for a win this weekend but noted fellow Kiwi Shane van Gisbergen, who is currently at $13 to win the Saturday race, will pose one of the main threats to derail his quest.

“It will be hard to do, but it’s realistic,” he said. “It’s not going to be easy with the competition that we’ve got.

“There’s some guys like (Garth) Tander and van Gisbergen in very good form at the moment, and they’ll be confident, but that’s what we’ve got our sights set on.

“I just can’t make any mistakes.”

Murph found it hard to believe his last win in New Zealand was five years ago.

“2005 is a bloody long time ago; it’s hard to comprehend that big a gap between winning races,” he said.

“Winning in front of a New Zealand crowd was one of the best things that ever happened to me in my V8 Supercar career and I couldn’t hope for any more than that (again), it would just be unbelievable.”

[Rob]

The Giz re-signs with SBR
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V8 driver Shane van Gisbergen and sponsor SP Tools have re-signed with Stone Brothers Racing.

By Briar Gunther www.v8supercars.com.au

10:00 AM Fri 16 April, 2010

Source: BigPond Sport

Shane van Gisbergen has put rumours of his V8 Supercar future to rest with the announcement he has re-signed with Stone Brothers Racing (SBR) until the end of 2012.

The announcement was made at the ITM400 Hamilton in New Zealand this morning (Friday), along with the news that SP Tools will continue as the naming-rights sponsor on van Gisbergen’s #9 Falcon.

Van Gisbergen said there was no reason to switch teams when he was on such a role at SBR.

“It’s great to know that I’ll be spending the next two years, at least, of my career with SBR in the V8s,” he said.

“(Team co-owners) Ross and Jimmy gave me my first start in the V8 Supercars way back in 2007 and I am forever grateful for that; it was a great opportunity for me.

“We’ve got such great chemistry in the team. There’s no reason to change; we’re happy where we are (and) the results are starting to come.”

Ross Stone acknowledged that the team still had a “little bit more to go” to ensure van Gisbergen stayed at the forefront.

“But we always knew this young bloke was capable and it’s an exciting time for Shane and the team as we know that moving forward we’ve got another solid two years while we try and achieve some championships,” he said.

“Our relationship with Shane is a unique one and we’ve worked with him from his debut in V8 Supercars racing through to his first podium this year in the Middle East.

“Although he appears reserved at times he is an exciting driver to watch and displays some of the best car control I’ve seen over the years, particularly in the wet.”

Stone sympathised with V8 drivers who were only given one year contracts to prove their worth.

“Because you really do need three years, I believe, to start putting it all together,” he said.

The 20-year-old made his V8 Supercar debut in 2007, driving an SBR-prepared Team Kiwi Racing Falcon and this year is his third season with SBR.

Stone said negotiations with Ford to renew its sponsorship at the end of the year would not start until July but he was confident the team would continue to receive factory backing and van Gisbergen had the same viewpoint.

“We’ve got the results this year and if we had any concerns we wouldn’t have signed up (for another two years),” the Giz said.

“We have full confidence in the team and Ross and Jimmy and Chris (Wilson), the commercial manager, we think it will be alright.”

Meanwhile, SBR has recently launched the Stone Brothers Racing Supporting Club.

The three levels of membership are kids, adults and platinum, which includes a ride in an SBR Falcon.

For details visit www.stonebrothersracing.com.au

[Rob]

:-DTander crashes Kiwi party:clap
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Toll Holden Racing Team's Garth Tander at this year's ITM400 Hamilton.

By Briar Gunther www.v8supercars.com.au

3:58 PM Fri 16 April, 2010

Source: BigPond Sport

Toll Holden Racing Team driver Garth Tander crashed the Kiwi party at the ITM400 Hamilton today (Friday).

Tander posted the quickest time of 1:23. 2091 and now holds the practice record lap which his teammate Will Davison set last year (1:23.5620).

While V8 Supercar drivers who originate from New Zealand dominated the first three practice sessions, it was Melbourne-based Tander and Queenslander Jamie Whincup from TeamVodafone who topped the time sheets at the end of the day.

Stone Brothers Racing (SBR) driver Shane van Gisbergen was third-quickest in the fourth practice session and the fastest Kiwi.

Tander said the team spent the third practice session, the first that drivers in the top 50 per cent of the Championship are allowed to take part in, working on what changes made on his #2 Commodore at the Australian Grand Prix last month would work at the Hamilton street circuit.

“So we spent the majority of the first session doing that and then the second session we got into actually tuning the car for the requirements around here and our car responded to the changes very well,” he said.

“The car was better than last year straight out of the box so we went about just tuning it on the run.

“I think there’s still a few weaknesses in the car we need to improve but we put our fresh set of tyres on at the end there, the car responded very nicely and here we are.

Tander was surprised at the amount of grip the track had.

“It’s got more grip than last year which is strange given that a lot of the tarmac has weathered for another year,” he noted.

“(But) I think we’ll need to go faster tomorrow to stay at P1.”

Whincup said his #1 Commodore performed well today.

“We weren’t quite as quick when we put our second set of tyres on but all in all we’re in good shape for tomorrow,” he said.

“Everyone having brand new practice tyres is great because you all go out of the pits and you know where everyone’s at so we all run on the same tyres for pretty much the whole two sessions and then most of us all put green ones on for the end and do our quickest times.

“That was nice; you know exactly where you’re at the whole run.”

Van Gisbergen, who announced today with SBR team owners Jimmy and Ross Stone that he will continue driving for the team until the end of 2012, said his team was focused on the job at hand.

“Everyone’s pretty pumped and everyone’s working well together so we’ll just keep doing that and we’ll be fine,” he said.

“It reiterates why we have chosen to stay with SBR and it’s a good feeling; everything’s working well.”

[Rob]

Coulthard’s comeback
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Bundaberg Red Racing's Fabian Coulthard is on a role at the ITM400 Hamilton.

By Briar Gunther www.v8supercars.com.au

4:39 PM Fri 16 April, 2010

Source: BigPond Sport

All the pieces of the puzzle have just about fallen into place for Fabian Coulthard just in time for his ‘home’ event.

Coulthard has spent the earlier part of the year adjusting to his new Bundaberg Red Racing Commodore after driving a Falcon for the last two years of his V8 career.

And it helps that the ITM400 Hamilton, where he has performed well at in the past, is the home event for the native Kiwi.

“It’s nice when you come to a track you like,” he said.

“We’ve had a good track record here.

“We’ve been the first Kiwi (to finish) and left here both times inside the top five so it’s been a solid weekend in the past and we’re hoping to continue with another solid weekend.”

Following on from his good form in the past, Coulthard finished in the top six in all four practice sessions at the ITM400 Hamilton today (Friday).

“So far, so good,” he remarked.

“I’d love to win (a race), but I wouldn’t mind standing on a (podium) step, any of the three would be fine.

“We now have to back up what we have done today and continue it tomorrow.”

Acknowledging the transition to the Commodore was harder than anticipated, Coulthard said the team made great inroads at the non-Championship event at the Australian Grand Prix.

“The biggest thing is over the years you build up continuity with your team and going from Ford to Holden, I’ve got no continuity,” he explained.

“I’ve got a new car, a new team, a new engineer all to learn with and that takes time.”

“Our progress today is a build up of the season so far and I think myself and Rob (Starr, #24 Engineer) and Dilan (Talabani, #24 Data Engineer) are starting to build up a bit of continuity and that is starting to show in our speed.

“After our performance today there shouldn’t be any reason we aren’t in the top 10 in qualifying tomorrow.”

[Rob]

Dixon heads home
http://i42.tinypic.com/t65qpu.jpg
Two-time IndyCar champ Scott Dixon will drive for Jack Daniel's Racing in the Armor All Gold Coast 600.

8:04 PM Thu 22 April, 2010

Source: BigPond Sport

New Zealand motorsport star Scott Dixon, who has two IndyCar championships to his name, will join Jack Daniel’s Racing at the V8 Supercars’ Gold Coast event in October.

Dixon was one of 18 international drivers announced at tonight’s launch of the revamped SuperCarnivale event, with the V8 Supercars Championship component known as the Armor All Gold Coast 600.

With one international steerer sharing driving duties for each V8 Supercar team, the two 300km races have been billed the third endurance event alongside Bathurst and Phillip Island.

Dixon, one of the starts of the IZOD IndyCar Series in North America, will suit up for the Jack Daniel’s team while fellow IndyCar driver Alex Tagliani from Canada will race in one of the other two Kelly Racing cars.

The Brisbane-born Kiwi raced three times on the Gold Coast when it was a round in IndyCars, with a best result of second place in 2008 aboard his #9 Target Chip Ganassi Racing Honda/Dallara/Firestone IndyCar.

Dixon can’t wait to get back to the Gold Coast, an event he rates as a personal favourite as well as his unofficial home race.

“The fact that you have the party atmosphere, you have a big race going on, it's by the beach, you couldn't ask for anything more and it's definitely a standout,” the 2008 Indianapolis 500 winner said.

“I’d say 90 per cent, or even 110 per cent, of the drivers, always loved that race. It was the best race that we went to and everybody looked forward to it.

“Everybody would fly in a week before the race. A lot of the races here in America you fly in the Thursday night before it starts on Friday.

“It’s a shame that we’re not back there in the IndyCar but to obviously go back in a V8 is going to be even cooler.

“I’m definitely looking forward to it.”

Todd Kelly and Dixon were rivals in the 1998 Australian Formula Holden Championship as teenagers, with Dixon edging out Kelly for the title before moving to the United States to pursue a career in North American open-wheel racing.

“We were pretty fierce competitors back in those days so it will be interesting to get him back in our team in one of our Jack Daniel’s Racing Commodores at Surfers,” Kelly said.

“Since we were rivals Scott has gone on to win championships (2003 and 2008) and an Indy 500, and it doesn’t get any bigger than that, so we are certainly lucky to get guys of his calibre in our category and it’s great to have him as a part of Jack Daniel’s Racing.”

Todd Kelly is high in his praise of the new format for the Armor All Gold Coast 600.

“This is probably the most exciting thing in V8 Supercars since I’ve been racing, which is a long time,” said Todd Kelly.

“To have this many names, basically some of the elite of motorsport (from) around the world, all lobbing onto the Gold Coast this October to double the size of our field for an endurance event, is massive.

“It will be extremely interesting to see how some of these big names go compared to us regular V8 Supercar drivers.”

At the launch held tonight, Queensland Premier Anna Bligh heaped praise on the V8 Supercar category.

“Because of the world-wide reputation of V8 Supercars these international drivers want to come to the Gold Coast to co-drive with our home-grown Champions such as Craig Lowndes, Jamie Whincup and Garth Tander – drivers who can mix it with the best in the world,” she said.

The full list of the 18 international drivers for the Armor All Gold Coast 600 and the V8 Supercar teams they will be racing with are listed below:

Sebastien Bourdais (France) Johnson Racing

David Brabham (Australia) Irwin Racing

Ryan Briscoe (Australia) Toll Holden Racing Team

Scott Dixon (New Zealand) Jack Daniel’s Racing

Dario Franchitti (Scotland) Jim Beam Racing

Heinz-Harald Frentzen (Germany) Wilson Security Racing

Fabrizio Giovanardi (Italy) Brad Jones Racing

Patrick Long (USA) Fujitsu Racing GRM

Alain Menu (Switzerland) Brad Jones Racing

Tiago Monteiro (Portugal) Centaur Racing

Gianni Morbidelli (Italy) Triple F Racing

Yvan Muller (France) Paul Morris Motorsports

Will Power (Australia) Ford Performance Racing

Andy Priaulx (UK) TeamVodafone

Scott Pruett (USA) Lucas Dumbrell Racing

Mika Salo (Finland) Bundaberg Red Racing Team

Alex Tagliani (Canada) Kelly Racing

Jacques Villeneuve (Canada) The Bottle-O Racing Team

[Rob]

Volcano holds up Villeneuve
http://i40.tinypic.com/2rng8ld.jpg
Former F1 driver Jacques Villeneuve will team up with Paul Dumbrell, pictured at Adelaide, for the Armor All Gold Coast 600.

12:55 PM Fri 23 April, 2010

Source: BigPond Sport www.v8supercars.com.au

Jacques Villeneuve, who will drive with Paul Dumbrell in the #55 Bottle-O Falcon at the Armor All Gold Coast 600, was stopped from attending the event’s launch last night thanks to the erupting Icelandic volcano.

The eruption of volcano Eyjafjallajokull and the ensuing ash plumes has disrupted international travel for the last week for thousands of people, including the former Formula One and Indycar driver.

“Unfortunately the volcano eruption in Iceland caused some issues with me getting back down to Australia for the launch this week, but hopefully I can get down for an advance visit in coming months,” he said.

The launch for the October 22-24 SuperCarnivale included the release of the official line up of 18 international drivers who will drive in the Armor All Gold Coast 600, the V8 Supercar component of the event.

Stuck in Europe, Villeneuve said he had some “tremendous” memories of the Gold Coast from his IndyCar days.

“It has been a while since I have been to the Gold Coast, but the event has always rated highly in the world of motor sports,” he said.

“Surfers Paradise is a beautiful part of the world and I am really looking forward to getting back down there.

“The V8 Supercars are a fantastic series with a terrific following and I cannot wait for the chance to drive one in anger.

“I think the international driver concept for the Gold Coast 600 is already creating a great amount of interest and that will only get stronger as we get closer to the event.”

Will Power will take part in the Armor All Gold Coast 600 for the other side of the Ford Performance Racing garage.

Although he was born in Australia, Power has a massive presence in Northern America through his IndyCar driving.

Power won the first two IndyCar races of the 2010 season at Brazil and St. Petersburg and is currently first in the championship point standings.

Speaking from the US, the Team Penske driver said he was looking forward to making a return to the streets of the Gold Coast.

“To say that I have unfinished business at Surfers Paradise is an understatement,” the Toowoomba local said.

“I’ve had three poles there and no wins; it has left a bit of a hole in my CV so I’m looking forward to getting down there and seeing what I can do,” said.

“The Gold Coast race is the favourite event that I’ve been to in my whole career and I’m really looking forward to racing a V8 Supercar down there and mixing it up with the V8 regulars.”

FPR Team Principal, Tim Edwards, said it was a difficult task signing “someone of any decent talent” who didn’t already have commitments elsewhere.

“So to be able to snag Will is a real coup for FPR,” he said.

“Not many of the internationals have had the exposure to V8 Supercars that Will has, so obviously he’ll have a slight advantage as well as helping us out when it comes to setting up the car for the event.”

[Rob]

'Mucking' with Bathurst tradition
11:16 AM Tue 27 April, 2010

Source: BigPond Sport www.v8supercars.com.au

Team BOC driver Jason Richards has questioned a move to keep full-time drivers in their own cars for this year's enduros, saying it is "mucking around" with Bathurst tradition.

V8 Supercars Australia introduced a rule for this year's endurance races at Phillip Island and Bathurst where full-time drivers must drive in their own car.

This is to even out the field, countering concerns that only a handful of cars with two star full-time drivers can win the events an in particular the iconic Bathurst 1000.

But Richards, who with Cam McConville finished runner-up to the Toll Holden Racing Team at last year's Bathurst, is against the change.

"In terms of the format change, we're mucking around with tradition here," he said.

"At no point in the history of Bathurst were you prevented from picking your teammate as co-driver.

"You can't tell me that it hasn't been exciting racing in the past and I don't think this new format is going to add much to it."

Richards teams up with Andrew Jones for this year's L&H 500 and the Supercheap Auto Bathurst 1000 races and said seat time for co-drivers in the lead up to the races will be crucial.

"With this new format, seat time is the most important thing in a co-driver because the reality is there are only a couple of guys around with much main-game experience," he said.

"I'm very fortunate that Andy's one of them. He's driven my car already this year and raced for BJR not so long ago, so he's fully up to speed."

Richards said he had finished second at Bathurst too many times and nothing less than a win would satisfy him.

"I've done everything I needed to do except actually cross the line first and that's my only aim this year," the Team BOC driver said.

"Bathurst is by far my most successful race consistently; it's the team's most successful race consistently and I've got the added advantage of having Andy as a team mate, who has that much more experience than the rest of the endurance drivers."

Jones noted that BJR tended to go well at the enduros.

"But the thing is they don't do anything differently for those events; it just seems that the longer the race, the more factors come into it and we usually go quite well," he said.

"I don't think this year will be any different.

"I definitely think I'm in a terrific position; I've got a real chance of winning the race."

BJR has also locked in Matt Halliday as Jason Bright's co-driver in the #14 Trading Post Racing Commodore.

Halliday already has a history with Bright, driving for Bright's Britek team at the 2008 enduros.

"There's no one I would prefer to be with actually," the Porsche Supercup competitor said.

"I have a really busy schedule of racing all over the world this year but the enduros are two of the best races in the world and the interest in them from drivers is very high.

"I had a date clash last year and it was quite painful missing out so it was high on my list of priorities to sign a good deal this year."

Halliday observed that BJR was a tight-knit team.

"As far as Bathurst is concerned, BJR has had a strong run there for the last few years and we're going there to try to win it," he said.

Bright says this is one of his best chances in recent times to win his second Bathurst 1000.

"This year is a bit different because of the new rules preventing teammates driving together," he said.

"Now drivers outside the championship don't have to compete against regular drivers for a seat, which makes the choice far less difficult as far as I'm concerned because it's the same for everyone.

"Matt did a good job for us in 2008 and I thought that he did a good job at FPR. He's got some good experience in V8s in good cars and has been to Bathurst a few times. He's been quick and he didn't require a lot of laps to do it.

[Rob]

Enduro double up
http://i43.tinypic.com/2e4kcq0.jpg
The Greg Murphy Racing entry competing at last season's Supercheap Auto 1000.

11:27 AM Sat 15 May, 2010

Source: BigPond Sport www.v8supercars.com.au
On the back of its wildcard entry in the 2009 endurance races, Fujitsu Series team Greg Murphy Racing (GMR) could end up gunning for two wildcard licences this year.
GMR was one of the four wildcard entries accepted for last year’s enduros and drivers Sam Walter and Taz Douglas DNFed at Bathurst but finished 24th at Phillip Island’s L&H 500.
Team co-owner Kevin Murphy said they will definitely apply for at least one wildcard entry.
“I have suggested we wouldn’t mind looking at two but we would have to be able to do it very well before we get carried away,” he said.
“We would rather do one properly than two half-hearted because it wouldn’t be a good reflection on the team or the people but we certainly will look for one.
“We have four people currently that will put a deposit down tomorrow to be in that wildcard so that’s pleasing to know which makes me think we won’t write off a bid for two (wildcard entries).”
Murphy acknowledged that V8 Supercars Australia could reject Greg Murphy Racing’s bid for one or two wildcards.
“There’s no guarantees of course whether we get them or not but I think we went fairly well last year,” he said.
“We didn’t do anything wrong; we handled it well and I think we can prove we can do just as well or even better this year.
“Our equipment’s very good and let’s face it, two of the cars we are currently competing in (in the Fujitsu Series) should have been on the podium and could have well been on the podium if it had not been for some misadventure later in the race, not through our own doing necessarily either.
“And one of those cars of course was second the year before so we certainly have the pedigree in the cars to suggest we can do well if we have some good drivers on board so I think that will be considered and it will go in our favour to get a wildcard.”
At Winton this weekend the team is running the two Commodores which Greg Murphy and Jason Bargwanna ran in the main game last year.
“We also look after Geoff Emery’s entry in the Fujitsu Series; it runs a Greg Murphy Racing/ex-Tasman Motorsport engine and we do have two other cars in the workshop that we could use in the Championship as well,” Murphy explained.
“There’s plenty of chassis there, we just need more drivers but the car Steve Owen is racing (in the development series) was the car that Jason Bargwanna ran last year and Jason Richards the year before.
“For no particular reason that car was rolled out for the summer rebuild and car 51’s here this weekend for the first time in the Fujitsu championship in the hands of Daniel Jilesen so they’re both out there.”

[Rob]

first JBR pole

1:51 PM Sat 15 May, 2010 www.v8supercars.com.au
Source: BigPond Sport

Jim Beam Racing’s James Courtney scooped pole position for race 11 along with the lap record at Winton Motor Raceway today (Saturday).
On the soft Dunlop Sprint tyres, Courtney became the first driver ever to post a sub 1:22 lap at the country Victorian track with a time of 1:21.8739, despite a brake lock up in the second sector.
“That’s beautiful, isn’t it?” he enthused.
“I’m speechless, a little bit. The car was amazing, it was really, really good.”
Channelling the fictitious character Happy Gilmore, an ecstatic James Courtney played up to the cameras and put the Armor All Pole Position Award novelty cheque in the back of his #18 Falcon.
The pole position was also his first with the Jim Beam squad and Courtney acknowledged everyone in the team worked hard to earn it.
“The one thing we’ve been missing from our game since joining these guys is to get a pole position so it’s great to tick that box and give it to the lads and have a bit of a joke around with the cheque and throw it in the back Happy Gilmore style so it’s a bit of fun,” he said.
“It’s where we should be, it’s where we’ve always wanted to be, it’s where I’ve always tried to be and it’s great to be back at the front consistently and challenging it’s good. I’m very happy.”
Courtney recorded two pole positions for his former team Stone Brothers Racing at Adelaide in 2007 and Queensland in 2008.
Toll Holden Racing Team’s Garth Tander set the previous lap record at Winton last year with a time of 1:22.1481.
Ford Performance Racing’s Mark Winterbottom was the first driver to better it in today’s Top 10 Shootout with a 1:22.1313.
Tander then reclaimed his record, posting a time of 1:22.0056 until Courtney went on to beat it.
It was an almost fairytale ending for Tander, who lines up alongside Courtney on the front row of the grid for this afternoon’s race.
Tander was in 17th when he ran off the track with about a minute to go in the 20 minute all-in qualifying session but the one flying lap he had left was good enough to get him a berth in the Top 10 Shootout.
Championship leader Jamie Whincup from TeamVodafone had a brake lock-up during his Shootout lap and he ended up setting the sixth fastest time.

Race 11 is scheduled to start at 3.35pm AEST.

[Rob]

first JBR pole

1:51 PM Sat 15 May, 2010 www.v8supercars.com.au
Source: BigPond Sport

Jim Beam Racing’s James Courtney scooped pole position for race 11 along with the lap record at Winton Motor Raceway today (Saturday).
On the soft Dunlop Sprint tyres, Courtney became the first driver ever to post a sub 1:22 lap at the country Victorian track with a time of 1:21.8739, despite a brake lock up in the second sector.
“That’s beautiful, isn’t it?” he enthused.
“I’m speechless, a little bit. The car was amazing, it was really, really good.”
Channelling the fictitious character Happy Gilmore, an ecstatic James Courtney played up to the cameras and put the Armor All Pole Position Award novelty cheque in the back of his #18 Falcon.
The pole position was also his first with the Jim Beam squad and Courtney acknowledged everyone in the team worked hard to earn it.
“The one thing we’ve been missing from our game since joining these guys is to get a pole position so it’s great to tick that box and give it to the lads and have a bit of a joke around with the cheque and throw it in the back Happy Gilmore style so it’s a bit of fun,” he said.
“It’s where we should be, it’s where we’ve always wanted to be, it’s where I’ve always tried to be and it’s great to be back at the front consistently and challenging it’s good. I’m very happy.”
Courtney recorded two pole positions for his former team Stone Brothers Racing at Adelaide in 2007 and Queensland in 2008.
Toll Holden Racing Team’s Garth Tander set the previous lap record at Winton last year with a time of 1:22.1481.
Ford Performance Racing’s Mark Winterbottom was the first driver to better it in today’s Top 10 Shootout with a 1:22.1313.
Tander then reclaimed his record, posting a time of 1:22.0056 until Courtney went on to beat it.
It was an almost fairytale ending for Tander, who lines up alongside Courtney on the front row of the grid for this afternoon’s race.
Tander was in 17th when he ran off the track with about a minute to go in the 20 minute all-in qualifying session but the one flying lap he had left was good enough to get him a berth in the Top 10 Shootout.
Championship leader Jamie Whincup from TeamVodafone had a brake lock-up during his Shootout lap and he ended up setting the sixth fastest time.

Race 11 is scheduled to start at 3.35pm AEST.

[Rob]

Courtney too strong on softs
http://i41.tinypic.com/eqnsqg.jpg
Jim Beam Racing's James Courtney won race 11 of the 2010 V8 Supercar Championship at Winton Motor Raceway.

6:02 PM Sat 15 May, 2010

Source: BigPond Sport

James Courtney maintained his perfect record on the Dunlop soft tyres in 2010 with victory at Winton today (Saturday), cutting Jamie Whincup's Championship lead to three points.

But it wasn’t all plain sailing for the Jim Beam Racing (JBR) driver, who was beaten off the line by the fast starting Garth Tander, forced to muscle his way past Whincup and hold off a late race charge from Craig Lowndes.

“The car was great today; it was awesome,” Courtney said after the race.

“I didn’t get the best of starts off the line and had a lot more pace than Garth at the start and he was probably holding us up at the start quite a bit, but once we got clear we smoked on.”

Courtney jumped Tander when the latter was delayed with a slow pitstop, muscling past Whincup following the Championship leader’s stop on lap 14.

Whincup exited the pits in front of Courtney but ran wide, allowing the JBR driver to courageously dive underneath Whincup and hold the outside line.

“I pushed pretty hard coming out of the pits with Jamie; got pretty exciting, which was nice, and managed to get past and pull away,” Courtney said.

“I wasn’t pushing too hard then and we were pushing away quite nicely.”

Behind Courtney, Lowndes was storming through the field, reaping the benefits of a different pit strategy, which saw him change tyres six laps later than most of his rivals.

“Knowing we had fresher tyres on the car than everyone else, it was interesting because we had good closing speed on nearly everyone but we had to be careful and patient about where and when to pass,” he said.

Whincup limited the damage to his Championship lead with third, admitting he didn’t have the car to compete with Courtney.

“We didn’t have the car pace or the tyre life today, and we probably overachieved with the pace we had,” he said.

Behind the leading contenders chaos ensued as the Dunlop soft tyres delivered a thrilling race with battles throughout the pack enthralling fans.

Most notable was a tangle between the two Toll HRT drivers on the penultimate lap.

Courtney may have been ahead of the action but could see the evidence of the battles on track.

“I could see a bit of shenanigans and there was a lot of dirt on the track on the last few laps so I knew some crap had gone on, so it would be good to see (race footage) later on,” he said.

Courtney has now cut Whincup’s Championship lead to a mere three points and he is confident of taking top spot on Sunday.

“Bit more of the same (tomorrow),” Courtney said. “Everything is going great for me. The car is fantastic, the team is fantastic and I’m managing to keep my nose clean and doing a good job.

“Hopefully tomorrow afternoon we’ll come out in front of the Championship, which would be nice to have someone different at the top because Jamie’s been up there consistently for the last three years, so it would be nice to jump him.”

Qualifying for tomorrow's race is scheduled for 10:15am EST.

Championship Top 10

Jamie Whincup Commodore 1320

James Courtney Falcon 1317

Craig Lowndes Commodore 1107

Shane van Gisbergen Falcon 1095

Garth Tander Commodore 1026

Lee Holdsworth Commodore 981

Rick Kelly Commodore 959

Mark Winterbottom Falcon 954

Michael Caruso Commodore 924

Steven Johnson Falcon 869

[Rob]

HRT licks wounds

7:19 PM Sat 15 May, 2010

Source: BigPond Sport www.v8supercars.com.au

Toll Holden Racing Team drivers Garth Tander and Will Davison are reeling after a shocking start to the event at their home track.

Despite Tander starting from the front row and Davison in the top 10 for the Saturday race at Winton Motor Raceway, they ended up clashing on the penultimate lap while in a battle pack with Jason Bright and Jonathon Webb.

Tander ended up finishing 17th while Davison finished 22nd before parking his #22 Commodore off the track on the in lap with broken steering.

The team’s woes began when, while Tander was leading the race, his pitstop took about 10 seconds longer than it should have after his #2 Commodore hit the tyres which were to be fitted to the right side of his car.

“Triple Eight came out very, very early and put all their gear right out nice and wide so I had to steer around that and so (I) knocked both of the tyres over because I couldn’t get in the box,” he explained.

“That slowed us down so a bit of gamesmanship going on, but all’s fair in competition.”

HRT’s luck turned even worse when GT and Davo came together at the end of the race.

“Will was out wide trying to under and over someone; I think there was a bit of a fight going on at turn 10 so he was out wide and I was sort of halfway up the inside and he didn’t see me coming and contact (was made),” Tander said.

“It’s certainly not the result that HRT had hoped for but we’re not going to change that now by yelling and screaming and carrying on. We’ll put it behind us and try again tomorrow.”

Davison, who was in front of Tander and got squeezed by Webb, said he was not exactly sure what happened during the incident.

“Got collected by Garth, which was obviously not ideal,” he said.

“Everyone was in a lot of trouble with tyres and we were all just hanging on for grim death.

“I had a difficult race but I was actually soldiering forward pretty well in those last few laps and I had just got through Garth.

“I didn’t see him, turned in and felt a big whack.”

Davison noted that it was not ideal to crash out with a teammate.

“But it’s just one of those things at the end of the day,” he said.

“Yeah, the team doesn’t like us taking each other out. You try and race clean with your teammates and I don’t think it was intentional on his part at all.”

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