The Road to Bathurst #6

-- The Road to Bathurst -- -- Issue 6 --

-- Albert Park Entry List Super Touring -- * represents privateers 1 Brad Jones Orix Audi A4 2 Cameron McConville Orix Audi A4 5 Jim Richards Volvo S40 9* Tony Newman Fastway Couriers Peugeot 405 10* TBA Nissan Primera 11* TBA Peugeot 405 12* Cameron McLean Greenfield Mowers/Motorola BMW 320i 15* Milton Leslight All Auto Parts Toyota Carina E 16* Paul Nelson Faber & Castel BMW 318i 45* David Auger Alfa Romeo 155 56* John Henderson Opel Vectra 58* Paul Pickett Hyundai Lantra 60* Mark Adderton Honda Accord 79* TBA Vauxhall Cavalier 88* Peter Hills Ford Mondeo 89* Jenni Thompson Ford Mondeo 97* TBA Vauxhall Cavalier 98* TBA Toyota Camry 99* Craig Bradshaw BMW 318i ?? Paul Gover Audi A4

-- Albert Park TAC V8Supercar Showdown -- * represents privateers # represents Level 2 teams 1 Glenn Seton Ford Credit Ford Falcon EL 2 Steve Ellery Konica Holden Young Lions Holden Commodore VS 3* Trevor Ashby Lansvale Smash Repairs Holden Commodore VS 4 Jason Bright Pirtek Ford Falcon EL 7# Darren Hossack Wynn's Holden Commodore VS 8 Russell Ingall Castrol Holden Commodore VS 10 Mark Larkham Mitre 10 Ford Falcon EL 11 Larry Perkins Castrol Holden Commodore VS 12* Bruce Williams Simoco Holden Commodore VS 14* Mike Imrie Saabwreck Holden Commodore VS 15 Craig Lowndes Mobil HSV Holden Commodore VS 16* Kerryn Brewer Castrol Cougars Holden Commodore VS 17 Dick Johnson Shell Helix Ford Falcon EL 18 John Bowe Shell Helix Ford Falcon EL 20* Ian Palmer Palmer Promotions Holden Commodore VS 21* Brian Walden Holden Commodore VP 22* Danny Osborne Colourscan Ford Falcon EL 23* Ray Hislop NHP Ford Falcon EF 24# Paul Romano Holden Commodore VS 25 Tony Longhurst Castrol Ford Falcon EL 26* John Cotter M3 Motorpsort Holden Commodore VS 27# Terry Finnigan Sony Autosound Holden Commodore VS 28 Rodney Forbes Ford Credit Ford Falcon EL 31# Darren Pate Wynn's Holden Commodore VS 34 Steven Richards Valvoline Holden Commodore VS 35 Jason Bargwanna Valvoline Holden Commodore VS 36* Neil Schembri Gearbox Holden Commodore VS 37* Scotty Taylor Xerox Shop Holden Commodore VP 38# Mark Poole Gawler Holden Commodore VS 39* Chris Smerdon Vittoria Holden Commodore VS 41* Garry Willmington Simon's Earthworks Holden Commodore VS 43* Paul Weel Tradelink Castrol Ford Falcon EL 44* Mal Rose Fairfax Community Classifieds Holden Commodore VS 46 John Faulkner Fisher & Paykel Holden Commodore VS 48* D'arcy Russell Holden Commodore VS 49* Greg Crick Ericsson Trust Bank Holden Commodore VS 50 Mark Skaife Mobil HSV Holden Commodore VS 51* Wayne Park Ford Falcon EL 52* Barry Morcom Campletown Plasta Master Ford Falcon EL 62* Wayne Russell Union Steel Holden Commodore VS 75* Anthony Tratt Toll Express Ford Falcon EF 79* Mike Conway OAMPS Ford Falcon EL 80* Michael Donaher Ultra Tune Holden Commodore VS 96 Wayne Gardner Coca-Cola Holden Commodore VS

-- GT-P Class A & B cars -- 4A Rod Wilson Chevrolet Corvette 7B Peter Boylan Subaru Impreza WRX 8A Ed Aitken Porsche 911 RSCS 14A Paul Freestone Lotus Espirit 300 17B Colin Osborne Toyota MR2 Bathurst 18B Murray Carter Nissan 200SX 23A David Whitehead BMW M3-R 25B Richard Davis Holden Commodore GTS-R 27A Alfredo Costanzo Maserati Ghibli Cup 38B Robert Porter Subaru Impreza WRX 46A Max Dunn Porsche 911 RSCS 49B Anthony Robson Toyota MR2 52A Domenic Beninca Porsche 911 RSCS 61B Trevor Haines Subaru Impreza WRX 64A Robert Thorn Toyota Supra Turbo 70A Kevin Weeks Porsche 911 RSCS 85A Rodney Forbes Porsche 911 RSCS

-- News --

The two Motor Sports Developments developed Peugeot 406 SuperTourers that raced at the AMP Bathurst 1000, will shortly arrive in Australia, having been purchased by Starion Enterprises, the team that ran two 405's for Tony Newman and Dwayne Bewley last year. Tony Newman is expected to stay with the team, but a second driver of higher calibre is being sought. Lee Brookes is thought to be a possibilty, but it is more likely Brookes will contest the BTCC.

It is not yet known of the team will have factory support or not, but it is thought that Peugeot are certainly 'interested'.

Last years two 405's joins the already long list of ST's for sale, which include the ex-Steven Richards Nissan Primera, the ex-Mark Adderton Toyota Camry, the ex-Cameron McLean Opel Vectra, and the two Bob Tweedie Vauxhall Cavaliers.

Steven Johnson will probably start the Lakeside Round 3 SATCC round in a third DJR Ford Falcon. The younger Johnson is then hoping to take in most of the remaining Shell rounds, but it all depends on the extra sponsor money being found, and the team completing a new car scheduled for Dick Johnson to debut at Lakeside.

The not yet built Queensland Raceway at Willowbank, had signed a 3 year deal with AVESCO to run SATCC meetings. This brings to 5 the number of circuits with long term AVESCO deals, the others being Phillip Island, Sandown Park, Calder Park and Hidden Valley. The promotors, Motorsport Queensland want to run their meeting within a week of neighbouring Willowbank's Drag strip Winternationals, arguably the countries biggest drag meeting for a combined "Speed Week" in the Ipswich area.

Mercedes-Benz could be moving into SuperTouring as a manufacturer next year. MB is releasing a high perforamce 2 litre car next year, and the manufacturer is looking into the possibility of racing the car. Former BMW team manager, British Touring Car Champion, and manager of the Mercedes Advanced Driver Complex at Norwell (former home of BMW Motorsport Australia who helped build the facility), Frank Gardner, could well be involved in the project. Mercedes-Benz already own the former BMW Performance Driving Complex at Norwell, which also doubled as BMW Motorsport Australia's base.

A production problem in Japan has meant the Bridgestone supplied teams (Holden Racing Team, Glenn Seton Racing, Garry Rogers Motorsport, Stone Brothers Racing, John Faulker Racing and level 2 teams Paul Romano and Mark Poole) will only be supplied 1 set of new tyres, and in the cases of Romano and Poole, perhaps not even that. Glenn Seton, Mark Skaife, Criag Lowndes and Bridgestone's Graeme Brown have all stated that it shouldn' effect their performance. Last year at Albert Park proved a Dunlop track

AVESCO's Garry Craft has stated that Calder should have no problem with holding it's SATCC round contradicting AVESCO's Tony Cochrane's fix it or loose it stance of the previous week. CAMS has still to approve Calder wet weather licence.

-- The Road To Bathurst -- is a Ledge End Dairy Production for Mark Jones Photographic Australian Motorsport Internet Bulletin www.ecn.net.au/~amib/home.htm