New Zealand driver Steve Ross (McRae GM1) is set to claim the 2011/12 MSC F5000 Tasman Cup Revival Series crown at Australia's biggest and most prestigious classic motor racing meeting this weekend. Ross and 27 other F5000 drivers are amongst the 500-odd entries for this weekend's Phillip Island Classic meeting at the 4.4km circuit an hour-and-a-half's drive south of Melbourne. After finishing second to series super-vet Ken Smith (Lola T430) for the past two years Ross crossed the Tasman earlier this week with an 88 point lead over fellow McRae GM1 driver Aaron Burson with Rotorua man Brett Willis (Lola T330) third. Though defending series champion Ken Smith will not be at the meeting the field includes Burson, Willis, Class A (for earlier cars) standout David Arrowsmith (Lotus 70) and former series champion Ian Clements (Lola T332). It also includes UK-based series regular Greg Thornton (Chevron B24) and two of the three US drivers who contested some of the New Zealand rounds of this season's MSC series, category original Eric Haga (Lola T190) and top US historic single-seater racer Harin de Silva (Surtees TS8). The growing strength of the category across the Tasman can also be seen in the strong domestic entry - with 15 cars led by series regulars Chris Lambden (McRae GM1) and John Bryant (Lola T140) in local hands.
Continue reading...Thursday, October 6, 2011
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.
Continue reading...Sunday, July 10, 2011
A big weekend off the track for the V8 Supercars with the announcement of the newly formed V8 Supercars Commission. The Commission will act as an expert resource for the V8 Supercars board of directors and management team, with a primary focus on racing rules, regulations and race formats. The seven member body formally comes into existence today. As expected five touring car champion Mark Skaife has been appointed chairman-elect and will take up the role in October, after the Bathurst 1000. In the interim, Tim Edwards, team principal of Ford Performance Racing, will serve as chairman. Skaife has announced that when he takes up the role he will completely quit driving V8 Supercars. There has been no announcement regarding his television commentary commitments or his company's role in the CAMS Rising Star programme. Skaife will be joined in the commission by V8 Supercars CEO, Martin Whitaker, Shane Howard, The Chief Operating Officer of V8 Supercars, Three representatives of the V8 Supercars teams: Tim Edwards, Brad Jones and Ross Stone. As well as an independent member, who will have no commercial ties with V8 Supercars, that member will be former Motorsport News publisher and sometime F5000 driver Chis Lambden. The Commission chairman, team representatives and independent member will be appointed for two-year terms.
Continue reading...Thursday, May 19, 2011
V8 Supercar CEO Martin Whitaker joins us for a chat about the Car of the future, International expansion, New Manufacturers and TV Rights.
Continue reading...Sunday, February 13, 2011
Defending series Champion James Courtney won a thrilling second race in the opening round of the 2011 Australi... sorry.. INTERNATIONAL V8 Supercar Series at Abu Dhabi. Courtney overcame a disastrous opening race to take the win from Team BOCs Jason Bright. The pair running wheel to wheel for the last few laps, with the lead changing three times in as many corners at one stage. It was Courtney’s first win for his new team, a brilliant podium to Bright and a third to current Championship leader Jamie Whincup who tore through the field from the back in the final stint.
Continue reading...Sunday, December 5, 2010
James Courtney is the 2010 Australian V8 Supercar Champion after a steady race at Homebush. Driving for the Dick Johnson Racing team, Courtney finished 14th which was more than enough to clinch the title. The final race of the year went to Commodore driver Lee Holdsworth who took the lead after Shane Van Gisbergen Gisbergen ran low on fuel on the final lap. Steven Richards, in his last race for the Ford Performance Racing Team finished second with Van Gisbergen holding on for third. Jamie Whincup who needed to win the race to have any real hope of taking the title finished back in fifth place just behind Steven Johnston rounding out a good weekend for DJR. Unlike Saturday's first race, won by Jonathan Webb, the weather stayed fine and 23 cars finished the race. Courtney celebrated his win with several burnouts eventually blowing a rear tyre much to the enjoyment of the crowd.
Continue reading...Tuesday, November 9, 2010
Soft drink giant Pepsi is about to join the V8 supercar ranks with a major announcement in the next few weeks. Advertising and sponsorship agency M&C Saatchi Sport & Entertainment will work on the project that will see the Pepsi Max brand sponsor a V8 Supercar Team. The sponsorship will see the car take on a graffiti inspired livery designed by local artists and race fans that will change throughout the season. M&C Saatchi Sport & Entertainment Managing Director Andrew Condon said "We have a unique approach to V8 Supercars in place, inspired by street art, that will hopefully deliver a great campaign for Pepsi Max.” With M&C Saarchi Media Release.
Continue reading...Friday, August 20, 2010
Victorian driver Dale Wood will complete the Jack Daniel’s Racing line-up for the upcoming V8 Supercar endurance events at Phillip Island and Bathurst. Wood has been a part of Kelly Racing right from the initial launch of the team in March last year, competing in the first five events of the 2009 season in the [...]
Continue reading...Thursday, January 7, 2010
The 2010 V8 Supercar launch season has officially kicked off as Bundaberg Red Racing unveiled its 2010 livery and new team drivers Fabian Coulthard and Andrew Thompson. With the technical ennui of V8 Supercars, a change of paint scheme is considered pretty big news and the excitement of the assembled media was palpable as the covers came off the newly painted car. Grown men gasped and women swooned as the car emerged from under the sheets. "There's a lot more black' said one V8 Supercar hack desperately trying to recover from the surprise, "No one expected that!" said another. "Call the editor! Hold the Front Page!" said yet another, despite the fact that he works in television. As the shock of the new spread across inner Melbourne like a tsunami, medical staff were placed on high alert as Victorian Premier John Brumby called for calm. "I'd like to think that in this day and age that we as a society have grown enough to be able to handle this sort of thing." said Mr Brumby. "I'm just so very proud that today's launch has taken place here in Melbourne, the sporting and cultural capital of the world and way better than Sydney which just sucks puss big time." Bundaberg Red Racing lead driver Fabian Coulthard told the recovering media that he was confident that the challenge of the extra black would not pose a problem.
Continue reading...Wednesday, November 4, 2009
With a record 420 competitors taking part, this weekend’s 18th Nationallube Historic Sandown (November 6-8) can claim the largest entry ever seen at the popular Melbourne circuit since it opened in 1962. As well as capacity fields in most categories, some 100 V8-engined historic touring, sports and open wheeler racing cars will compete in 16 races over the weekend. A highlight of this year’s meeting is the final and deciding round of the 2009 Biante Touring Car Masters series, with former Bathurst winners Jim Richards and John Bowe again locking horns in their Falcon Sprint and Chevrolet Camaro respectively. Three generations of the Brabham family will also be on track for a unique Speed Comparison, with Victorian Historic Racing Register Patron Sir Jack dropping the flag on his Le Mans 25-Hour race winning son Geoff in a BMW M3, his grandson and rising Formula Ford star Matthew aged 15 and four times Australian champion John Bowe in a racing GT40 replica.
Continue reading...
Friday, March 9, 2012
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