KIWI SUMMER SIZZLES

After yet another year of disappointing fields in the Australian Formula Three Championship, New Zealand's Toyota Racing Series has drawn another great field. The series, the first FIA 2012 International Calendar event of the New Year, starts at Teretonga in Invercargill on January 14-15 and continues through to the New Zealand Grand Prix finale at Manfeild on February 11-12. Drivers will cover in excess of 2,500 kms of testing and racing over five consecutive events from the deep South to the North of New Zealand. Drivers are competing to win the coveted Chris Amon Trophy, and the Kiwi Formula 1 legend believes New Zealand is set for a “brilliant” summer season of International single seater motor racing with the largest, and youngest field of drivers ever. “The 2012 Toyota Racing Series has attracted a record field which is great news for New Zealand motorsport. This rivals the very best years of the old Tasman series,” enthused Amon.

RAIN PLAYS HAVOC AT ISLAND MAGIC

Rain has played havoc with Saturday qualifying and racing at Island Magic with long delays as track workers tried to clear long rivers of water streaming across the track. The day started with steady drizzle and deteriorated from there as an intense low pressure system swept across Victoria. Races started late and were cut back in length as PIARC [...]

MERHI MAULS MACAU: MACAU MAULS BACK

Roberto Merhi secured provisional pole position during a wet qualifying session for the “SJM” Macau Formula 3 Grand Prix on Thursday, but his session ended in disappointment after he crashed into another car and was given a ten car penalty. Merhi, who was more than 1.6 seconds quicker than the next quickest drivers was one of a number of drivers to be penalised after the session. With rain falling for the start of the 30-minute first qualifying session, drivers were keen to deliver their fast lap while the track was in its best condition. And it was Merhi who led the way early on, moving to the top of the session after 10 minutes and then improving on his best to deliver a lap that was 1.675 seconds quicker than nearest rival Marco Wittmann. But with track conditions deteriorating, Merhi made a mistake in the braking zone for Lisboa and slid into the back of Felix Rosenqvist’s car – with the pair crashing into the escape road at the corner. The incident brought out the red flag for a few minutes and, when the session resumed, it was then Wittmann who hit trouble on the wet track as he slid into the barriers at Lisboa too.

WEEKS UNVEILS FORD GT FOR AUSSIE TITLE TILT

Kevin Week's Supaloc Racing Team will today unveil it's new weapon for the 2012 Australian GT Championship. The Supaloc Racing Ford GT will make its first public appearance at today’s Clipsal 500 launch at the historic Adelaide Oval. The sophisticated and distinctive Supaloc Racing livery has been combined with the classic, low-slung lines of the GT to produce a mouth-watering piece of automotive artwork. The GT3-spec version of the Ford GT combines the traditional styling and a rich racing heritage of the original Le Mans wining GT40 with the latest technology. This will be the only Ford GT competing in the 2012 Australian GT Championship, and it is in fact the last example that has been produced.

BRITISH DRIVERS DOWN UNDER PAY TRIBUTE TO DAN

British sportscar drivers Richard Westbrook and Oliver Gavin will pay tribute to countryman Dan Wheldon at this weekend’s Armor All Gold Coast 600. Wheldon tragically passed away following an IndyCar accident in Las Vegas last weekend. He was scheduled to race alongside James Courtney at the Surfers Paradise street circuit this weekend. Both Westbrook and Gavin are life long friends and rivals of their countryman Wheldon, with all three members of the exclusive British Racing Drivers Club. Westbrook and Gavin will unveil special visor stickers in memory of Wheldon in pit lane at the Surfers Paradise street circuit at 9.30am local Queensland time. All BRDC members present at this weekend’s event will carry the special visor stripe stickers as a tribute to Wheldon. They are Westbrook, Gavin, Andy Priaulx, Emanuele Pirro, Gil de Ferran, Marino Franchitti, Ryan Briscoe, Richard Lyons and Darren Turner. Westbrook will partner Todd Kelly in the #7 Jack Daniel’s Commodore at the Armor All Gold Coast 600, while Gavin will drive alongside Greg Murphy in the #11 Pepsi Max Commodore. Source: Kelly Racing Media Release

HOLDEN WIN BATHURST AGAIN

Holden Racing Team drivers Garth Tander and rookie Nick Percat have taken a thrilling win in the 2011 Bathurst 1000 at Mount Panorama. Tander held off the challenge of a fast finishing Craig Lowndes to win by less than a second. With only one lap remaining Lowndes, last years race winner, was right on the tail of [...]

TANDER QUICKEST ON THE MOUNTAIN AS HOLDWORTH IS PENALISED

Holden Racing Team driver Garth Tander has set the pace for this weekend's Bathurst 1000 with fastest time in Friday's final Qualifying session. Tander will be the final runner in Saturday's single flying lap shootout for the top ten after taking his HRT Commodore around the Mountain in 2:07:664. Mark Winterbottom gave Ford fans hope by setting the day's second quickest time with a 2:07:718. The 2010 pole sitter knows that while there is great prestige and some handy prize money for pole, it counts for little come Sunday. "I'd love to be on pole position and it is a big thing, so we'll try and put it on pole and try and lead the race on Sunday and see how we go." Series leader Jamie Whincup placed his car third after hard work from his crew after he put the car into the wall in morning practice. Fourth place went to David Reynolds setting the time on the final lap of qualifying. "I threw it on the line, chucked it down the hill, stomped out of it on Conrod and ended up P4." said an emotional Reynolds.

RAIN DAMPENS BATHURST PRACTICE

Thursday's practice session at a wet Mount Panorama has been cancelled due to a dispute over wet weather tyres. Two different batches of the control Dunlop tyres are present at the track, leading to concerns by some teams that one batch could be better than another, giving the teams that use them an unfair advantage. According to the website Speedcafe.com, unattributed "Paddock speculation" is suggesting that the newer of the two batches could prove up to four seconds per lap faster than the older tyres. Teams have now agreed to new regulations that will see them restricted to using just five sets of wet weather tyres in the race. The original supplementary race regulations stated that an unlimited amount of wet tyres could be used. Weather Reports for the weekend indicate wet and cold conditions will continue with heavy overnight fog and the chance of afternoon storms over the weekend.

ANOTHER ONE BITES THE DUST

The 2012 V8 Supercar event around the streets of Hamilton in New Zealand will be the last. In another blow to the categories dreams of global expansion, Hamilton now joins Shanghai and Bahrain in failed overseas jaunts by the championship. According to the local Waikato Times newspaper, many local businesses are happy to see the back of the visitors from across the Tasman. "It has been a waste of time and money," Evelyn Booth, owner of the Bag Factory Shop told the paper. "We lose money when it's on, customers too, and we are going to be paying for it for a very long time." The council had "completely and utterly" let down the town, she said. The move to axe the race came at the request of V8 Supercars Australia after they took over the running of the event when the original promoter went broke. Acting V8 Supercars Australia chief executive Shane Howard met with the Hamilton City Council last Wednesday night, offering the council $1.2 million dollars to end the contract early. Local ratepayers had paid around $31.4m for the event including $9m worth of race infrastructure. These are now owned by V8 Supercars as a part of their deal for taking over the race.

THE V8 SPOTTERS GUIDE TO PHILLIP ISLAND