No one can accuse Will Power of not fully capitalising on his opportunities. Brought into Penske Racing to sub for Helio Castroneves when the hapless Brazilian was in a US court facing tax charges, Power did enough to earn five further drives with the glamour team.
Last weekend in Edmonton, Canada, the Queenslander nailed his first win in the Indy Racing League, converting pole to a super win after leading for most of the race.Power is making it very hard for Roger Penske to discard him at the end of the year, and is putting pressure on the full-timers Castroneves and fellow-Aussie Ryan Briscoe.It’s been suggested that embryonic grand prix team USF1 could do itself a favour by signing Power, who has been a success in every formula he has touched.Wheels put the idea to USF1 team co-owner Peter Windsor, who replied: “Yes, I rate Will, but someone should put together an Australian F1 team”. That way all the good young Aussies can have a chance.”Great idea, but could it happen?
Is the Evo still the king, or since this year’s Bathurst 12 Hour, has another road rocket emerged to knock off its crown as the gun affordable production car.
The all-wheel-drive Mitsubishi proved unbeatable in 2008 and 2009, but the showroom class is a moving feast.But as in past years, organisers have kept out the expensive exotics by using a loose $140,000 price ceiling.The February 12-14 summer timing means the Bathurst 12 Hour showroom showdown enduro will again kick-start the 2010 Australian motor sport year.Organisers are targeting a 50-car grid after a field of 48 cars started the 2009 Race.“This will be the fourth year the race has been promoted at Bathurst since the re-birth of the 12 Hour in 2007, and every year the event gains more credibility with the public, manufacturers and competitors,” event promoter James O’Brien explained.O’Brien says the popular production-based concept has been retained for the 2010 race albeit with a simpler nine-class structure and definitive eligibility list.Highlighting the changing face of motoring, manufacturers have the opportunity to profile alternate energy vehicles such as diesel, LPG or hybrid in a special class.The Bathurst 12 Hour will again be shown on the Seven Network in a three hour post-produced programme, with replays on Fox Sports, and internationally through Europe, North America and New Zealand.Vehicles racing in both the New Zealand and Australian Mini Challenge and V8 Ute categories will be eligible and the Invitational class will be open to cars that fit the philosophy of the 12 Hour, while not necessarily eligible for the Australian Manufacturers Championship. These include the Audi S4 and S5, Chev Camaro, Lexus IS-F, Lotus Exige, Ford Mustang and Nissan 350Z Track.Garry Holt/Paul Morris/Craig Baird won the 2007 Bathurst 12 Hour in a BMW 335i Twin Turbo, while Rod Salmon and Damien White claimed back to back victories in 2008/09 driving a Mitsubishi Lancer Evo 10.The B12 Vehicle Eligibility List can be found at www.bathurst12hour.com.au with the class structure as follows:Class A High Performance (All Wheel Drive) Class B High Performance (Rear Wheel Drive) Class C Performance Class D Production (Sport) Class E Production (Small) Class F Alternative Energy Class G Mini Challenge Class H V8 Utes Class I Invitational
Tander first appeared this season at Winton for her TanderSport squad, where she raced the same Wilson Security-backed Ford BF Falcon she will contest in the coming two rounds.
But Tander conceded she won’t be a contender for race and rounds wins, using both the Sandown event and Queensland Raceway Fujitsu Series round as vital V8 Supercar experience aboard the under-powered Falcon.“I’m getting excited about her Phillip Island race and seeing these two [Fujitsu Series rounds] as preparation to that in which case I’m glad that I’m getting to do them,” said Tander.“We’ve tested the car and improved the car from Winton but we’re still kicking a fair bit in the engine department. We’re not going to do another test, so I’m not going to go out there expecting to win.“For me as a driver, every lap I get in these cars is a benefit, so it’s definitely an invaluable thing that I’m doing.”Tander will contest this year’s V8 Supercar enduros with Wilson Security Racing, and will partner either Fabian Coulthard, Michael Patrizi or David Wall in the two events.
Who would have thought that Jenson Button can run, swim and ride as well as drive?
Like the rest of the F1 contingent, the world championship leader Jenson Button is midway through a four-week summer hiatus from racing.But instead of sitting on the beach in Spain, the British ace competed in the London Triathlon, recording a personal best time of 2h 7m 2s over the Olympic distance (1500m swim/40km bike/10km run).Winner Will Clarke’s time was a little more than 22m faster.Lewis Hamilton was entered in the event too but backed out.
So-o-o close. Marcos Ambrose has taken a great second place in Sprint Cup race at Watkins Glen International to bank his best-ever result in the big-league NASCAR series.
Ambrose and his crew chief Frankie Kerr gambled on a different pit stop strategy early in the 90-lap race and were left to fight for the lead near the end with rubber that had seen a little too much action.The Australian finished just behind current Sprint Cup points leader Tony Stewart in the rain-delayed 355km contest.Driving the #47 Little Debbie-backed Toyota of JTG Daugherty Racing, Ambrose started from fourth position and ran up front in the opening laps. But his race became a lottery on lap 23 when he was one of only three cars not to pit at a caution.Off-strategy to the front-runners, Ambrose faced a sizeable challenge to get back into the lead pack, despite leading the race on two occasions for a total of nine laps as his alternate fuel/tyre tactics played out.At the final series of pit stops, Ambrose and his crew chief Kerr opted to take only fuel, resulting in a quicker pit stop and propelling Ambrose from outside the top 20 up into fourth place, but meaning that he would have to finish the race on well-worn tyres.Despite his older rubber, Ambrose had more than enough speed to pass Kyle Busch – his rival in Saturday’s spectacular Nationwide Series win – to take second place.Two-time Sprint Cup champion Tony “Smoke” Stewart was a harder nut to crack and didn’t wilt under pressure, denying the Australian his first top-level NASCAR victory.“The Cup car was just a little aggressive to drive and I had to work really hard to keep up with Smoke there,” said Ambrose afterwards.“I was closing in, but he just didn’t make a mistake. What a fantastic driver he is, he’s just unbelievable.Then came his routine suck-up to NASCAR and all who sail in that good ship. “I just feel privileged to be racing against him and to drive for my team. I’m just so proud of all my guys. They’ve given me great stuff all year and JTG Daugherty is here to stay with the help of Michael Waltrip Racing and it’s just really exciting times for us.“I can’t wait to have a shower and lie down. I’m pretty whipped.”Ambrose also made a plea for better brakes on the heavy NASCAR stock cars for road courses“I’d love to see better brakes because it’s very hard to pass when you’re brakes are so hot. This brought a quip from third placed Carl Edwards: “Well, when you go in 200 feet deeper than everybody else …”For their efforts, Ambrose earned the Mobil 1 Command Performance Award and Kerr the DirecTV Crew Chief of the Race Award.Ambrose rises one spot in the 2009 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series points standings after the Glen result to now sit in 17th place.The Glen caper was marred by a lengthy red flag period after a sickening crash involving Sam Hornish Jr, Jeff Gordon and Jeff Burton. All drivers escaped uninjured.Ambrose will be back in action this weekend at the 2.0-mile Michigan International Speedway for the Carfax 400, the 23rd race in this year’s Sprint Cup Series.
RESULTS: Sprint Cup – Heluva Good! Sour Cream Dips at The Glen
1. #14 Tony Stewart 90 laps 2. #47 Marcos Ambrose 3. #99 Carl Edwards 4. #18 Kyle Busch 5. #16 Greg Biffle 6. #42 Juan Pablo Montoya 7. #2 Kurt Busch 8. #13 Max Papis 9. #33 Clint Bowyer 10. #11 Denny Hamlin
RESULTS: Sprint Cup Starting Line-Up
1. #48 Jimmie Johnson 1:11.340 2. #2 Kurt Busch 1:11.348 3. #11 Denny Hamlin 1:11.653 4. #47 Marcos Ambrose 1:11.681 5. #12 David Stremme 1:11.810 6. #39 Ryan Newman 1:11.911 7. #16 Greg Biffle 1:11.989 8. #18 Kyle Busch 1:11.992 9. #08 Boris Said 1:12.003 10. #42 Juan Pablo Montoya 1:12.247
2009 NASCAR Sprint Cup Driver’s Standings – After Race 22 of 36
1. Tony Stewart 3383 2. Jimmie Johnson 3123 3. Jeff Gordon 3041 4. Kurt Busch 2902 5. Denny Hamlin 2847 6. Carl Edwards 2830 7. Juan Pablo Montoya 2781 8. Kasey Kahne 2754 9. Ryan Newman 2727 10. Greg Biffle 2718 11. Mark Martin 2716 12. Matt Kenseth 2685 13. Kyle Busch 2627 14. Brian Vickers 2589 15. Clint Bowyer 2586 16. David Reutimann 2530 17. Marcos Ambrose 2416
Australian Marcos Ambrose has claimed his second NASCAR win with a repeat victory in his first Nationwide Series start of the year, on the road course at Watkins Glen International in New York state.
Ambrose, who claimed his first NASCAR victory in the same race last season, was the class of the field but had to get tough to overtake the series’ dominant driver of the past two seasons, fellow Toyota racer Kyle Busch.Ambrose started from the outside of the front row alongside polesitter Kevin Harvick who led early.On lap 13 Ambrose made his move to take first place from Harvick, holding the lead until making his first pit stop for fuel and tyres on lap 19.Ambrose was clearly the pacesetter throughout today’s 82-lap race aboard the #47 STP-backed entry of JTG Daugherty Racing, moving up the order and making his final pit stop just past half-race distance on lap 45.At the restart after that final visit to pit lane Ambrose was in fifth place, but quickly moved forward and in only a handful of laps was on the back on race leader, and current Nationwide Series points leader Kyle Busch.The Tasmanian probed for a weakness but the versatile Busch resisted everything Ambrose had to offer until lap 64 when he, by his own admission, ‘dive bombed’ the American entering the ‘Bus Stop’ section of the Watkins Glen circuit.The two didn’t touch, but Busch avoided contact and ran through the chicane, coming to a complete halt to avoid a penalty.Unimpressed by the move, Busch got back to second and was well placed to pounce in two subsequent restarts.But Ambrose jumped away each time to notch his second NASCAR career win since leaving V8 Supercar racing in Australia to chase a career in NASCAR in 2006.On the slow-down lap, Busch let Ambrose know he wasn’t thrilled by the passing manoeuvre by giving the STP car a whack on the way past.Ambrose owned up to a bit of risk taking. “Yeah, I just didn’t have to top end speed to make a classic pass on him,” the Aussie explained afterwards. “I knew I was going to have to bomb him somewhere to try and get the win. He wasn’t going to make a mistake on his own, I was going to have to force one on him.“It’s Kyle Busch we’re talking about and he’s going to race you hard, so I just tried to throw the element of surprise in. I came from a fair way back on him, maybe a car length and a half on him, and just bombed it in there and I knew that it was a high-risk move, but it was one that was needed to try and win the race.“It’s just an awesome day for us. We’re all really proud. STP – two wins in two years. It’s just awesome.“I was worried [at the restarts]. You know, it’s Kyle Busch, and he doesn’t give you an inch and I had Carl (Edwards) behind me too and I bumped into him earlier at Turn One, so I had my hands full.“But those guys are fair. They race really hard but it’s just awesome.“Awesome to be alongside them, awesome to compete against them and awesome to beat them.”We get it, Marcos… it was an awesome day.The only downer came when Ambrose was doing his victory doughnuts on the narrow front stretch and thumped the rear quarter into the wall!This season Ambrose is focussing on cutting it in the top level of NASCAR, racing full-time in the Sprint Cup Series for the first time this season.Tomorrow morning Australian time (TUES), he’ll will start from fourth grid spot in the Sprint Cup race postponed from Sunday due to rain.Ambrose set the fastest time in both the Sprint Cup practice sessions held at Watkins Glen at the weekend aboard his regular #47 JTG Daugherty Racing entry.Ambrose currently sits 18th in the Sprint Cup Series standings and is the highest ranked first year driver in the championship. He has five top 10 finishes so far this season.
Australia’s greatest racing track, Mount Panorama, may be expanded to include smaller grand prix and national circuit layouts, if the plans of a group of Bathurst enthusiasts continue to move forward.
A public meeting will be held on Tuesday evening to discuss a specific proposal intended to boost the versatility of Mount Panorama. And to improve access to the facility, paving the way for a variety of uses, and more than a couple of major race meetings a year.The proposed 4.6km GP track would use the existing bottom part of the present circuit including pit straight and the pit complex, before swinging left off mountain straight in a layout much like the Panorama Esses in reverse. It then would continue across to the outside of the existing circuit above old drive-in theatre, rejoining the main circuit just above the bridge on Con Rod Straight.The 2.5km national circuit would be self contained, using the new part of the GP circuit in the outfield, and pits located at the drive-in site. The national circuit would not require road closures, and would not inconvenience residents. This short layout could be used for driver training and corporate days without impinging on the daily routine of residents living along the famous 6.2km strip of bitumen.A creation of former motor cycle racer, Allan Cunynghame, the proposal is said to have support in many quarters although the local council is at best ambivalent.
West Australian Daniel Ricciardo has taken a firmer grip on the British Formula Three Championship after the weekend’s two races at Silverstone, in which he finished first and third.
The talented 20-year-old from Perth, rated out best chance since Mark Webber of producing a Formula One star, has stretched his lead over Austrian Walter Grubmuller in the prestigious series to 45 points with just four races remaining.The significance of his margin is that a win is worth 20 points, second place 15, third 12 and fourth 10.It will take a disaster to cost Ricciardo the title in a series that is viewed as a stepping stone to F1.The remaining races are at Portimao in Portugal on September 13 and at Brands Hatch in Britain a week later.Ricciardo is one of eight international youngsters in the Red Bull junior driver development program that carried Sebastian Vettel to grand prix. He drives a Volkswagen-engined Dallara for Carlin Motorsport.
The driver regarded as the sport’s best ever – Sebastien Loeb – heads the 45-strong entry for the world championship Repco Rally Australia to be held in northern NSW on September 3-6.
But in what is highly unusual in recent years for this late stage of the season, Citroen’s Loeb is not leading the championship.After nine rounds of the 2009 FIA World Rally Championship, Ford star Mikko Hirvonen holds the lead in the drivers’ standings by just three points from five-times champ Loeb. A good result in Australia will be critical to both, with only two rounds to follow to the conclusion of the championship. The Finn has never won a world title.Citroen Total World Rally Team leads BP Ford Abu Dhabi Rally Team in the manufacturers’ championship.Sixteen nations are represented , crewing seven brands of motor vehicle. There are 18 Australian entries including former national champions Cody Croker and Neal Bates.Bates’ last-minute entry in a Toyota Australia-backed Corolla S2000 is a fillip for organisers.Developed by his Canberra-based team, the all-wheel drive Corolla won the 2007 and 2008 Australian Rally Championships, but has only just received technical approval (homologation) to compete at international level.Bates, a four-time Australian champion with co-driver Coral Taylor, has been given a wildcard entry by the rally organisers, allowing him to score points in the Production World Rally Championship.He hopes a strong performance will result in international sales for his unique Toyota.The team will run a second, identical car for Queensland-based Stewart Reid.A second P-WRC wildcard has been given to Crocker, Australia’s most successful current driver, who has won three straight Australian Championships followed by three FIA Asia-Pacific Rally Championships in Subaru Imprezas.Other Australians will be competing as privateers, in the Production World Rally Championship, in the Pirelli Star Driver shootout and in the National Division for Australian-specification cars.The nine manufacturer drivers at the head of the Repco Rally Australia field are, Loeb and Dani Sordo (Citroen Total World Rally Team), Hirvonen and Jari-Matti Latvala (BP Ford Abu Dhabi World Rally Team), Matthew Wilson and Henning solberg (Stobart VK M-Sport Ford Rally Team), Conrad Rautenbach and Sebastien Ogier (Citroen Junior Team) and Federico Villagra (Munchi’s Ford World Rally Team).The first WRC event to be staged in NSW, the rally has been opposed by green groups and land owners in the Northern Rivers area. Significantly, some of the protesters are not on the dole.But organisers claim that the opposition groups are distributing misinformation about the effect of the rally on the environment.Over the next five events (every two years to 20170, the WRC is expected to bring more than $100 million in economic benefits to the region.Closed-road competition stages will be run in the Tweed and Kyogle Shires, with the main rally car service park at Kingscliff, remote service point at Kyogle, nightly Tweed Super Special Stage at Murwillumbah and operational headquarters and international media centre in Kingscliff.
Marcos Ambrose took a break from his arduous NASCAR Sprint Cup program to test a Grand-Am prototype sports car for the first time in his career at Virginia International Raceway this week.
Ambrose and fellow Sprint Cup regular Carl Edwards got a feel for the speedy #77 McDonald’s Dallara-Ford prototype fielded by Doran Racing.“That was the first time I have driven one of these cars and I have to say that I was pleasantly surprised by what a terrific little race car it is,” said Ambrose.“You can really drive it and it responds to being muscled a bit.“We had a really enjoyable day and we made some solid progress in a short amount of time.“Carl was great to work with and I think we both really had a good time together today.“Both Carl and I got down to some pretty respectable times by the end of the day.”While Ambrose and his PR minders are commenting little on the significance of the test, the American motor sporting media seems sure that Ambrose and Edwards will make their Grand-Am Rolex Sports Car Series debuts on August 29 in Montreal.There had been earlier speculation that Ambrose would join Jimmie Johnson in a Ganassi Grand Am car but that one went nowhere…The Ambrose-Edwards combo has excellent road racing credentials with each driver scoring recent podiums at Watkins Glen.Team owner Kevin Doran’s #77 Daytona Prototype has competed in all nine rounds of the 2009 Grand-Am Rolex Series, with a best finish of fifth at Virginia International Raceway in April, with Memo Gidley and Brad Jaeger at the wheel.If Ambrose does race the Grand Am car on August 29, Australians will get to see it – the One HD sports channel telecasts the series, hosted by Aussie Leigh Diffey.Coming up this weekend, though, for Ambrose is a return visit to the 24-30 degree banked Bristol Speedway half miler where rubbing fenders is obligatory.In his first Sprint Cup start at ‘Thunder Valley’ in March, Ambrose looked set for a fourth-placed finish after a strong run.But he dropped to 10th place in the late stages as he nursed home his #47 JTG Daugherty Racing entry, which developed engine problems.The Bristol night race always has a special place in Ambrose’s heart, as it was at this race in 2003 that the Australian V8 supercar champ visited his first NASCAR event, planting a seed that saw him make the switch to NASCAR in 2006.“I’ve been looking forward to the Bristol night race all year,” said Ambrose.“We ran really well at Bristol earlier in the year. We had a great run and ran a lot of laps in the top five and ended up having to nurse the car home with a motor problem.“We still scored 10th and it was a great result for our team. Bristol is such a tough place, if you can run well there you really feel satisfied.“We have put [last week’s crap outing at] Michigan behind us. Bristol is a track that’s very demanding and is pretty intimidating for a driver, but it’s a track I always enjoy going to, ever since I was a spectator at the race there back in 2003.”
