CAMS_SpeedRead_May2015
Transcription
CAMS_SpeedRead_May2015
SPEED READ M A Y 2 0 1 5 F ORTY FIN K E S P2 P2 CAMS AND FIA IN NEPAL CAMS personnel leave earthquake stricken Nepal safe and sound. P5 THE APPEAL OF FORMULA 4 P9 Motor sport history soon to be created in Townsville as a new junior open-wheel category makes its Australian debut in July. RALLYCROSS RETURNS P12 Former Australian Rally Champion and rallycross competitor Bob Watson has lead the charge to reintroduce rallycross to modern Australian motor sport. EYES ON A BIGGER PRIZE P26 CAMS Jayco Australian Formula 4 Championship winner to be provided the opportunity of a Formula 3 test with one of Europe’s top teams. 1 AUSTRALIAN OFF ROAD CHAMPIONSHIP FORTY FINKES For 39 years the Finke Desert Race has the ultimate off road event… a multi-terrain two-day race in Northern Territory, Australia through desert country … but yet it’s so much more than that. The Finke Desert Race is an off road, multi-terrain two-day race in Northern Territory, Australia through desert country from Alice Springs to Aputula Community (Finke). The race crosses the Finke River, believed to be the oldest river in the world. The race is held each year on the Queen’s Birthday long weekend. That’s put simply, but anyone who has been there or competed in this event will tell you it’s so much more than that. ‘Finke’ as it is known, is now one of the biggest annual sporting events in the Northern Territory. It is recognised as the richest Off Road Race in Australia with the added reputation of being one of the most difficult courses in one of the most remote places in the world. Finke is a unique event in that it enables people of all walks of life to become involved. Rarely would you find an event that has over 600 competitors racing over a 460km course that is open to all comers. The race started in 1976 as a ‘there and back’ challenge for a group of local motorbike riders to race from Alice Springs to the Finke River and return. After the success of this initial ride, the Finke Desert Race was born and it has been held annually on the Queen’s Birthday long weekend ever since. The race is run along sections of what was the Old Ghan Railway service track adjacent to the railway line along a winding corrugated track, which snakes through typical outback terrain of red dirt, sand, spinifex, mulga and desert oaks. Even though the railway was realigned and rebuilt in the early 80’s, with the old tracks being pulled up, the race continues along its original course. Originally the Finke was only a bike race, its increasing popularity saw the inevitable introduction of cars and off road buggies in 1988. A fierce rivalry developed between the two and four wheelers, as the buggies were keen to claim the holy grail of the race outright winner or ‘King of the Desert’ as it’s respectfully known. For 11 consecutive years the bikes were too quick for the cars despite the gap constantly narrowing. Finally in 1999, a buggy returned home first to claim the honour. With the bikes winning back the title in 2000 and 2001. From 2002 until 2004 the buggies held onto the ‘King of the Desert’ title. In 2005 the title was changed to see two ‘Kings of the Desert’, one for the cars and one for bikes, each picking up $10,000 for their effort. Although the bikes and cars no longer race against each other for the title, it is always interesting to see who completes the 460km round trip quickest. During the Queen’s Birthday long-weekend every year the sleepy tourist hamlet of Alice Springs is consumed by Finke fans… throngs of desert racing junkies. The people and local businesses of the local community are proud to have ownership of this great event. The June long weekend and the Finke have become an institution with outstanding community support. For three days, it is estimated that more than 15,000 people camp beside the racetrack, sleeping under the stars in their tents and swags. The Finke Desert Race is organised and run by a local committee with the assistance of the Northern Territory Major Events Company. All committee members are volunteers and give up an inordinate amount of time to ensure the event is the best it can be. Over race weekend, an estimated 300 volunteer officials assist with the running of the event. Not surprisingly Finke, being the biggest annual sporting event in Central Australia, is a four time NT Tourism Award winning event. The recreational bucket list in Australia is quite long but, if you happen to love off road adventures, then the Tatts Finke Desert race is pretty high on the list. With its history and appeal, some are hungry to win it, everyone who enters is thirsty for a finish at the famed Finke Desert race. Many keep coming back, such is the lure of finishing, let alone winning this legendary event… it’s all for a one-shot chance at a memory that will last a lifetime. “It’s going to be huge… it’s probably the biggest race I’ve been to I think with 140 cars. It’s going to be something else I think!” Says Shannon Rentsch, a three time winner of the event and defending champion. But for every victory, there has been many more DNFs marked against his name and that of many others who have dared to take on the desert race and lost. Rentsch admits it’s tough, but if there is an extra special Finke Desert Race to win, it’s a milestone event like this year’s. “Definitely. We won the 35th Finke Desert Race five years ago, so hopefully we can get the 40th… we’ll be trying anyway!” Because of the 40 year milestone, interest has spiked. Organisers were overwhelmed with competitor enquiries when entries opened. Within the first hour more than 300 people had entered on-line and by the end of the day, 640 had lodged an entry and paid their entry fee. 2 WATCH “… An overwhelming response to a call for entries” said Antony Yoffa, President of the Finke Desert Race Club. “Never before have we seen such interest in this race and we are well on the way to having the biggest bike field in history”. Bike Competitor numbers have been capped at 600 with the limit reached in quick time. Of last year’s top 20 finishers, 17 have entered including three time winner and defending bike champion Toby Price. Price has won this event in 2010, 2012 and 2014 and recently finished third in the Dakar rally – the toughest rally in the world. Six former winners have entered with the perennial Phil Lovett back for another tilt at an event he made his in the early 80’s. Phil was the ‘King of the Desert’ in 1981, 1982 and 1985. He is joined by Rick Hall (1999, 2002), Darren Griffiths (2003), Ryan Branford (2006) Todd Smith (2013) and Toby Price. There are expected to be almost 900 competitors at this year’s event with 600 bike places and 140 car places confirmed. “We established a waitlist for the bikes and may have to for the cars. This year there is a maximum field of 110 in the car section.” The 110 car field was reached before the close of day one that entries were open. There was a waiting list of over 30 competitors established and then Finke sought permission from CAMS to increase the field to 140 – the biggest car field ever. With around 80% of competitors coming from interstate and bringing on average seven supporters each, this will see a big influx of interstate visitors in June. The build up to this year’s race will include a Finke Legends Dinner to be held on Thursday 4th June during Finke week. The dinner will celebrate the achievements of past winners, both car and bike and acknowledge the significant efforts of those who have put this event on the national sporting calendar. “ I T’ S GOI N G TO B E HU G E … I T’ S P ROB A B LY T H E B I GGEST RA C E I ’ VE BE E N TO I TH I N K W I TH 14 0 C A RS . I T’ S GOI N G T O BE S OM ETH I N G ELSE I TH I N K ! ” SH A N N ON REN T S C H DEFENDING FINKE CHAMPION There have been 19 bike champions in the 39 races and 13 car champions in 27 races. “In 2005, we had the 30th Celebration dinner that sold out quickly and this time, we anticipate a crowd in excess of 500,” said Mr Yoffa. The 40th Finke Desert Race will be held 5-8 June in 2015. In Central Australia, celebrations for Queen Elizabeth’s birthday take a distinct second place to the nation’s toughest off-road event and if you’re thinking about going… don’t… come and experience a truly unique outback event. Join over 15,000 racers, volunteers and spectators getting a glimpse of the action in some of the most remote parts of the country. You can expect clouds of dust and diesel, and… Australia’s greatest desert race. “All the locals go down the track and camp the weekend… it’s great because they go on the side of the track and wave you on and it’s just an awesome feeling to see everyone so excited about an off road race,” Rentsch said. MORE INFORMATION CAN BE FOUND AT www.finkedesertrace.com.au & www.aorc.com.au “This will be the event to be part of at this year’s Finke” said Antony Yoffa, President of the Finke Desert Race Club.” 3 CAMS CAMS STAFF LEAVE NEPAL SAFELY CAMS personnel leave earthquake stricken Nepal safe and sound. Recently the FIA conducted its Asia-Pacific Sport Regional Congress in Kathmandu, Nepal, with CAMS taking part in the inaugural event. The event was attended by 45 delegates from 14 countries in the region, as well as FIA officials including President Jean Todt, Road Safety Ambassador Michelle Yeoh, and Deputy President for Sport, Graham Stoker. CAMS President Andrew Papadopoulos was in attendance. With him was Michael Smith, General Manager of Motor Sport; John Murphy, General Manager of Consumer Business; Marie Dinsdale, Events Coordinator as well as contractors Samantha Reid and Michael Masi. During the running of the Congress the country of Nepal, including its capital Kathmandu, was subjected to a devastating earthquake that has taken a shocking toll on the country. All members of the FIA party and Congress delegates are now safe and accounted for with CAMS personnel placed on early flights home. CAMS and the FIA greatly thank the local National Sporting Authority, the Nepal Auto Sports Association (NASA) for its efforts in helping to ensure this outcome. The effects of this earthquake on Nepal, with such a drastic scale of human loss, have been devastating. CAMS and the FIA, on behalf of the broader motor sport community, wish to convey its most heartfelt condolences to the Nepalese people. PRESIDENT ANDREW PAPADOPOULOS TELLS PART OF THE STORY OF WHAT SIX CAMS PERSONNEL ENDURED IN NEPAL AND HOW THEY MADE IT OUT OF KATHMANDU AND HOME TO AUSTRALIA SAFELY “We were all obviously shaken. It was a devastating experience for all of us and for all the people of Nepal. We got out alive thank god. Thousands of others haven’t so we are very fortunate. The conference centre started to shake, the floor started to move, the glass around us was breaking… it seemed like an eternity trying to get out of the room. You see the movies about earthquakes and we all think they are much exaggerated, but I can tell you after being in the middle of it, that’s what it was like. It was very surreal. It was horrific. It was horrible. It was scary. All we wanted to do was get out of there, which we did, we got outside. We saw a wall of water come towards us from the hotel swimming pool because the hotel pool was being thrown around like it would a cup of water. ventured in there with some help and got into our rooms. There were walls collapsed… it was a most devastating sight it was almost like a demolition site. We then got some transport to the airport and we got there Saturday afternoon at about 5 pm and we got a flight out of Kathmandu at about 5pm on Sunday… that was the last flight out. Just minutes before that we then had another 6.9 aftershock which went on for over a minute. We were very lucky to get out. We appreciate the help and support from NASA did a great job looking after us with food and water, travel to the airport and help on getting through the thousands of people at the airport. I think the people of Nepal, who didn’t have much to start with, they need our help so if we can help in anyway… we should.” The glass breaking from the room windows was falling down, there was a lot of screaming and a lot of panic as you can imagine. For those wanting to assist in the form of a donation, here are links to some organisations with established Nepal Earthquake Appeals: We got together in an open area just outside of the hotel until we were told it was safe enough to move. The next trick was to try and get our passports from our rooms. We didn’t want to go in there, but we needed our passports to get out of Nepal, so we OXFAM Click Here World Vision Click Here Red Cross Click Here 4 R A L LY C R O S S RALLYCROSS RETURNS TO AUSTRALIA After a strong resurgence overseas, a new course in Broadford in Victoria looks to reboot this popular form of motor sport competition in Australia. Former Australian Rally Champion and rallycross competitor Bob Watson has lead the charge to reintroduce rallycross to modern Australian motor sport competitors. While rallycross enjoyed a brief and successful tenure in Australian motor sport, the category has not feature prominently since the 1970s. “Rallying is exciting enough, but racing other rally cars is something else” Watson said. A function to relaunch Rallycross is planned for this month at a newly created and purpose-built 1.8km course at the Broadford Motor Cycle Complex, one hour’s drive north of Melbourne. Meetings will be staged by Rallycross Australia, a new entity formed by a group led by Watson, with the sport’s revival being actively supported by CAMS. The inaugural Rallycross Australia meeting will be limited to 60 competitors in cars currently qualifying for autocross or rally events. The agreement to re-birth rallycross at the Broadford Motor Cycle Complex follows many months of work by Rallycross Australia to find a suitable venue and a promoter for the sport. The Broadford Motor Cycle Sports Complex is run by Motorcycling Victoria with some government funding. The tarmac race track is 10m wide, set in an amphitheatre that gives spectators a total view of the action. A gravel section of track has been added for rallycross and includes jumps and a water splash to simulate a rally environment and add spectacle. Cars will compete four at a time over three laps of a course combining sealed and unsealed surfaces, jumps and water hazards. Cars competing in rallycross at Broadford will be divided into two categories: Type 1 and Type 2 rallycross cars. Type 1 cars will be cars currently competing in Autocross or similar. A CAMS log book is not required. Drivers must hold a CAMS Level 2S licence and previous experience in at least one Autocross meeting is required. Type 2 cars may be any vehicle that complies with a CAMSapproved rally class and a CAMS logbook is required. Drivers must hold a CAMS circuit licence (NC, PC, CC, PCC) or Rally licence (NR, CR), Off Road licence (NO, NS). Rallycross is expected to attract current rally and autocross competitors. Broadford is easy to reach; meetings will be staged over one day only; the sport offers exciting wheel to wheel competition and tyre and fuel bills and wear and tear on cars will be relatively low. Rallycross became an overnight success in Australia throughout the 1970s following its introduction at Calder Park Raceway in late 1969. Special rallycross tracks were also built at Catalina Park at Katoomba in NSW and at Tailem Bend in South Australia. The sport attracted factory backed cars from Holden, Ford, Porsche, Renault and British Leyland, and meetings televised on the then Channel 0/10 Network. Amongst the sport’s star drivers were circuit racers Peter Brock and Allan Moffat, and rally champions Bob Watson, Barry Ferguson and Bruce Hodgson. Brock was largely unknown by everyday Australians before he began dominating the early years of rallycross in a unique Holden Dealer Team supercharged Holden Torana. The one and only Australian Rallycross Championship was held at the Tailem Bend circuit in South Australia in June 1979 and was won by ex-F1 driver and later V8 Supercar star Larry Perkins driving a 2.0-litre Volkswagen Beetle. Today, the FIA has now established a world championship for rallycross featuring top rally drivers including Petter Solberg and Ken Block driving factory sponsored cars. MORE INFORMATION CAN BE FOUND AT www.rallycrossaustralia.net.au 5 CAMS CAMS DOES ITS PART AT EXPO CAMS CEO Eugene Arocca spreads the message of the impact of motor sport to the Australian economy. CAMS was well represented by CEO Eugene Arocca who attended the 2015 Australian Automotive Aftermarket Association Expo to address attendees, including local businesses and overseas visitors. “It’s all about swimming. They get $9 million a year. Basketball and netball, they are all very wonderful sports, but when motor sport receives the 38th lowest level of funding out of 40 sports, something’s wrong,” Arocca said. Speaking on the vital information presented in the Ernst & Young Economic Impact of Motor Sport report and the strategic plan that CAMS has put in place to ensure a bright future for motor sport in Australia, the presentation covered the true economic power of motor sport whilst also touching on the concept of a dedicated motor sport park and the proposed CAMS Centre of Excellence. “We have 150,000 people participate, competing and being involved, $2.7 billion direct industry output. CAMS and the Performance Racing and Tuning Council (PRTC) are joining forces to gain recognition from the Australian Government to support the motor racing industry. “The overall aftermarket industry is said to be worth around $11 billion per annum, including 40,000 employees and exports totalling $800 million per annum,” Arocca told the audience. “When you add the motor sport sums that equals a staggering $14 billion with over 55,000 directly employed people. The Automotive Aftermarket industry has a significant interaction with the motor sport industry for obvious reasons, we use a lot of the parts and labour they supply.” In the edgy political and economic environments experienced in Australia in late 2014, the Australian Automotive Aftermarket Association (AAAA) conducted an online survey of members of the PRTC. A surprising 48% of survey respondents expect the sector to grow in the 2014/15 year. This is a significant increase in optimism since the last motor sport industry survey in 2009, when only 31% of respondents anticipated industry growth. The convenor of the AAAA’s Performance Tuning and Racing Council, Robert Johnson, said there was a strong case for supporting the parts manufacturers who will survive the closure of car manufacturing, especially the performance and tuning manufacturers. Arocca wants to lure away some of the money that governments are pouring into other sports, including Australian Rules football, many of which make almost no economic contribution. “If we take in indirect output, it’s estimated at nearly $7 billion a year. We have 16,300 jobs in the industry. When you add the performance and tuning automotive aftermarket, its $11 billion in output, 40,000 employees, $800 million in exports. “We have got to start being heard.” Arocca also confirmed that he has already spoken with several councils around the country and has found a growing awareness of the value of motor sport, the majority of which happens outside the major metropolitan areas. “There has got to be a region in Australia where there is an opportunity to build a national or international level track and park behind it a motor sport and automotive precinct,” Arocca continued. “The Silverstone one is mind blowing. Why couldn’t we have a vision of creating, in a major regional city, an automotive and motor sport park? “We are in discussion with councils around the country who are looking to acquire 1000 hectares, believe it or not. “Mind you, they haven’t got the money to build the track, but they are starting to think about the opportunities regionally, that a V8 event or a MotoGP with an automotive park behind it and Centre of Excellence around the corner could actually put a regional area on the map. “Trust me, there are some councils out there that are listening. They are getting a little tired of the AFL story, the AFL coming up three times a year, 15,000 people go to a game in a regional city and then they go home. “To actually have a living, breathing automotive industry sitting in a major regional area of our country has to appeal to government.” 6 DANIEL RICCIARDO RICCIARDO WINS BREAKTHROUGH AWARD CAMS Ambassador Daniel Ricciardo wins prestigious Laureus breakthrough award. CAMS Ambassador and Formula One star Daniel Ricciardo has become the first Australian in five years to win a prestigious Laureus award, taking out the breakthrough of the year title in Shanghai. Ricciardo was honoured for his stellar debut season with Red Bull Racing in 2014, in which he claimed three grand prix victories plus five podium finishes to finish third in the Driver’s Championship. 25 year old Ricciardo is in Bahrain for the next Formula 1 Grand Prix and couldn’t be at Shanghai’s Grand Theatre to accept the award in person. In a video message Ricciardo said it was a privilege to earn the award. “2014 is a year I’ll remember for a long time - it was definitely a breakthrough in my mind as well,” Ricciardo said. “Standing on the top step of the podium a few times was icing on the cake.” Not since 2010 has an Australian won a Laureus award, when surfing’s Stephanie Gilmore was named action sportsperson of the year. Only six other Australians have received the Cartier-crafted trophy, including Layne Beachley (2004), Cathy Freeman (2001) and Louise Sauvage (2000). Winners are chosen by the Laureus World Sports Academy, a panel made up of 50 sporting greats, including four Australians. CA M S CL U B D EVEL O PM ENT FU ND Applications are now open for round 2 of the CAMS club development fund. The fund are available to CAMS affiliated clubs as part of our ongoing commitment to drive growth in clubs and motor sport. CLICK HERE to download the round 2 application form. Round 2 funds will be allocated to projects that fit within one of the following two (2) funding areas: • Come and try days • Junior development events/programs Offical Simulator Supplier 7 CANCER AWARENESS MOTOR SPORT FAMILY REMINDER BOWEL CANCER AWARENESS CAMS CEO Eugene Arocca is a proud ambassador of the Jodi Lee Foundation, and after his experience with bowel cancer and now being cancer free, Arocca has become a passionate advocate for bowel cancer prevention. “Unlike prostate cancer, bowel cancer is not as prevalent in the public domain,” Arocca said. “I don’t know why it doesn’t get the publicity that other cancers do, or why people don’t get screened when they should.” In Australia, someone dies from bowel cancer every two hours, and we have one of the highest rates of the disease in the world. The Jodi Lee Foundation also has a Corporate Bowel Screening Program, giving employers the opportunity to place prevention methods in the workplace. Recently, founder of the Jodi Lee Foundation Nick Lee visited CAMS and spoke to the team about the early detection of bowel cancer and how important it is to get screened, no matter how young or healthy you are. The early detection of bowel cancer can result in successful treatment in up to 90 per cent of cases, being one of the most curable cancers. The program provides simple screening tests to all employees involved, with the tests completed in the privacy of the individual’s home. For more information, please call 1800 117 275 or email [email protected] HAVE YOUR SAY O N M OTO R S PO RT ! You may have seen a recent announcement that we will be undertaking a strategic review of the Australian motor racing category framework. This review will be undertaken by the newly appointed Australian Motor Racing Commission (AMRC) Strategic Group and the objective of this review is to put in place a structure that secures the viability and sustainability of all levels of motor racing for the next five years and beyond. As a CAMS Member, your input will be integral to this review. To assist with this, could you take a few minutes to complete a short online questionnaire. The AMRC is due to conduct its first workshop in early May, therefore it would assist if you can complete the survey by Wednesday 6th May. If you can’t complete it by then it will remain open for the month and we would appreciate your input. It is envisaged that this review will be concluded in the coming months and will culminate in a report that will be tabled for the consideration of the CAMS Board by June or July 2015. There is little doubt that this review is critical for the long term health and viability of the sport that we all love. We would like to thank you in advance for your input. CLICK HERE NOW! 8 ROAD SAFETY SUPPORTING 3RD UN GLOBAL ROAD SAFETY WEEK From 4–10 May 2015, the third UN Global Road Safety week is set to take place. This year’s focus will be on children and the daily road safety dangers they face in many parts of the world. To make their voice heard, the #SaveKidsLives campaign has been launched to highlight the plight of children on the world’s roads, generate action to better ensure their safety, and promote the inclusion of safe and sustainable transport in the post-2015 development agenda. The centrepiece of the #SaveKidsLives campaign, launched in November 2014, is the Child Declaration. Developed with input from children around the world who voiced their fears about travelling on our roads, the Child Declaration calls upon decisionmakers worldwide to take action and protect children. The campaign calls on everyone to “sign it”, “show it”, and “deliver it” to those in charge of road safety. The campaign also asks participants to download and print the #SaveKidsLives signboard and to take a “#Safie” with their personalised message. During the third UN Global Road Safety week, governments, international agencies, civil society organizations and private companies are also being encouraged to plan and host events to mark and promote child safety. Given this occasion, the FIA is mobilising its network of automobile clubs by supporting 30 initiatives to improve child safety at national and regional levels. The FIA is also working toward raising awareness of the Child Declaration at both the general public and governmental level. The FIA Road Safety Grant Programme, supported by the FIA Foundation, will help clubs in many countries by funding road safety initiatives that focus on educational projects for safer walking and cycling to school, safer sharing of the road between kids and adults and events and campaigns supporting the correct use of seat belts and child restraints. Clubs from Australia, Austria, Belarus, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Czech Republic, Costa Rica, Croatia, Cyprus, Hong Kong, India, Iran, Israel, Italy, Jamaica, Japan, Lebanon, Nepal, Nigeria, Paraguay, Peru, Philippines, Portugal, Singapore, Spain, Syria, Thailand and Uruguay will receive funding to achieve this. The UN Global Road Safety week is an initiative of the UN Road Safety Collaboration, an informal consultative mechanism that facilitates international cooperation and strengthens global and regional coordination among UN agencies and main organisations involved in road safety. Previous Global Road Safety weeks have focussed on pedestrian road safety (The ‘Long Short Walk’ campaign, 2013) and the launch of the Decade of Action (2011). TO LEARN MORE ABOUT THE #SAVEKIDSLIVES CAMPAIGN, VISIT THE OFFICIAL WEBSITE. TO LEARN MORE ABOUT THE FIA ROAD SAFETY GRANT PROGRAMME, FOLLOW THIS LINK. 9 ROAD SAFETY FIA PRESIDENT JEAN TODT APPOINTED AS UN SPECIAL ENVOY FOR ROAD SAFETY UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon has appointed FIA President Jean Todt as his Special Envoy for Road Safety at a meeting held in Paris. UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon has appointed FIA President Jean Todt as his Special Envoy for Road Safety at a meeting held today in Paris. In this capacity, he will assist the UN Secretary General in mobilizing sustained political commitment towards road safety. Mr. Todt will also advocate and raise awareness about the United Nations road safety legal instruments, and share established road safety good practices, through his participations in global and regional conferences on road safety. In addition, the Special Envoy for Road Safety will generate funding for advocacy efforts through strategic partnerships between the public, private and non-governmental sectors. “The road safety challenge is too often ignored, but road injuries are the number one killer of young people aged 15-29. That being the case, it deserves much more attention on the global political agenda.” adding “This appointment will bring greater visibility to efforts to tackle this health and development crisis, as well as new leadership and renewed momentum,” Jean Todt said. “In my position as FIA President, with the backing of our members, road safety has become a key priority. I have been committed to bringing together all stakeholders fighting for this cause. This new role will help build an even stronger coalition for road safety worldwide”. Road fatalities account for almost 1.3 million deaths every year with a further 50 million left seriously injured. 90 per cent of fatalities take place in developing and emerging countries, despite only accounting for half the world’s vehicles. The UN Road Safety Week which begins on 4 May draws attention to the 500 children that lose their lives every day on the road. At the end of the year, Brazil will host the Second Global Ministerial Conference on Road Safety on 18-19 November to review progress in the UN Decade of Action for Road Safety 2011-2020. T H E C O N F E DE R AT I O N O F AU ST R A L I A N M OT O R S P O R T I S P R O UD LY S UP P O R T E D BY FIN D O U T M O RE AT PENR ITEOIL.COM.AU 10 FORMULA 4 EYES ON BIGGER PRIZE FIA Formula 3 European Championship test added to prize for CAMS Jayco Australian Formula 4 Championship winner CAMS is pleased to announce it has bolstered the prize for the winner of the CAMS Jayco Australia Formula 4 Championship starting in 2015. In addition to the CAMS Jayco Australian Formula 4 Championship trophy and up to $250,000 in financial support that will assist in the progression to the next appropriate development pathway for that driver, the winner will also be provided the opportunity of a Formula 3 test with one of Europe’s top teams Carlin. Carlin is one of the most successful single seater motor sport teams outside of Formula One, having won a variety of championships including British F3, Porsche Supercup, World Series by Nissan, Formula Renault 3.5, A1GP, FIA Formula 3 European Championship, GP3 Series and GP2 Series. Some of today’s most successful drivers have passed through the doors of Carlin, including racers in F1, IndyCar, WTCC and DTM. Formula One drivers such as Sebastian Vettel, Daniel Ricciardo, Kevin Magnussen and Max Chilton amongst others. CAMS President Andrew Papadopoulos believes this additional component of the prize for winning the CAMS Jayco Australian Formula 4 Championship creates a once in a lifetime opportunity. “This is great, not only for the Championship, but for the 2015 winner who gets a great opportunity to progress their career. CAMS is extremely grateful that Trevor Carlin and his experienced professional outfit has chosen to get behind the CAMS Jayco Australian Formula 4 Championship in this way. A test drive with Carlin does not come about every day, so the winner of our Championship has a great career defining opportunity at their disposal,” said Papadopoulos. To be eligible for the prize, a driver has to be aged 15 to 19. Trevor Carlin, who has a wealth of experience and knowledge in motor sport, believes this opportunity is one that could create another world class Australian motor sport star. “We are very happy to support CAMS and the winner of the CAMS Jayco Australian Formula 4 Championship by way of a test drive opportunity.” “Since 1997, we have provided a platform to success for many of today’s big names in motor sport, and who knows? The young Australian champion winner who comes and takes up this testing opportunity with us here at Carlin in Europe could become one of those!” “We believe we can assist that young Australian driver with a combination of business skills and racing knowledge… even if it means we English are helping out an Aussie!” Carlin joked. Carlin is also involved in Formula 4 in 2015 in the newly launched MSA Formula, a junior championship based on the FIA’s Formula 4 concept. Offical Simulator Supplier 11 FORMULA 4 THE APPEAL OF FORMULA 4 Motor sport history soon to be created in Townsville as a new junior open-wheel category makes its Australian debut in July. It is only two months until Australian motor sport history will be made. The CAMS Jayco Australian Formula 4 Championship begins in Townsville in early July. The new open wheel category, backed by the FIA globally and CAMS nationally, is a ‘wings and slicks’ development category at an affordable price tag and from which Australia’s next generation of would-be Daniel Ricciardos will start their climb to Formula 1 from karting. Drivers as young as 15 can compete in the CAMS Jayco Australian Formula 4 Championship, making it the perfect place to start an international or national motor sport career. Formula 4 provides young drivers with the ideal category in which to learn about single-seater racing. It is designed to be a cheaper, safer and faster first step after karts for young racers on the road to Formula 1 or indeed any form of motor sport. Cameron McConville, GM of Motor Sport Development, says of those factors, safety is the most important. “It has wings and slicks, a carbon fibre monocoque chassis and the latest FIA certified safety equipment including the F1 style energy absorbing cockpit surrounds. It is without doubt the safest development open wheeler racing car,” McConville said. Recent reviews in the media report that the light racer has razorsharp responses and even the lightly modified motor has a punchy feel because it’s moving so little mass. It has impressive feel and the wings produce extra grip. “It weighs about 525 kilograms, so it’s light and at 160 brake horse power it will be a lot of fun and at the same time not too overwhelming for the young drivers competing in the championship,” McConville continued. This has been backed up by Formula 1 star Daniel Ricciardo who has endorsed the CAMS Jayco Australian Formula 4 Championship and signed the Formula 4 car on display at the Australian Grand Prix at Albert Park. “It looks good,” the Red Bull Racing driver said. “Things are going in the right direction with wings and slicks. I think for kids coming out of karts it’s a really good category.” “It’s not too big and overwhelming. A kid can easily jump in it and have some fun straight away.” The new CAMS Jayco Australian Formula 4 Championship cars, are in effect, mini-F1 single-seaters designed to give junior drivers valuable experience racing a ‘wings and slicks’ machine from the start. For our young Australian motor sports stars-to-be, Formula 4 is a significant step forward, bringing the bottom rung of the junior car racing ladder right up to date with the latest technology and safety. The new President of the FIA’s Single-Seater Commission is former Ferrari Team Principal Stefano Domenicali who has taken over from outgoing President Gerhard Berger and his ambitious plan to remodel the route to the top level of racing, creating a clear and simple pathway that would take young racers from karting all the way to Formula 1. Domenicali is keen to see how the category develops in 2015 as more series are rolled out. “This year, we will have at least seven championships, in seven nations,” he says, highlighting new championships in the UK, Japan, Australia, Germany, Spain, China and a series in the FIA’s northern European zone. “It’s a very solid base with a good car. What is fundamental is that over the next three years we make sure that each of these championships, and the ones that follow, are good, well managed, that costs are kept under control, and if we are able to do that, that will be a fantastic starting point.” The Australian F4 championship will run on the support program of seven major V8 Supercars events, starting with the Townsville 400 from July 10-12. The winner of the inaugural CAMS Jayco Australian Formula 4 Championship will receive up to $250,000 in support, to progress up the next step of the development path either locally or overseas. “All the ingredients are there for a cracking first year… I can’t wait and I know the young competitors can’t either,” McConville said. 12 FORMULA 4 CARS ARRIVE IN AUSTRALIA The CAMS Jayco Australian Formula 4 Championship cars arrived from Mygale in France, to be prepared before the championship’s first race in July in Townsville by Walkinshaw Automotive Group. 13 C O N F E D E R AT I O N O F A U S T R A L I A N M O T O R S P O R T g e t r e a dy f o r something new R1 J U LY 1 0 - 1 2 : T O W N S V I L L E R2 J U LY 3 1 - A U G 2 : Q U E E N S L A N D R A C E WAY R3 A U G 2 1 - 2 3 : S Y D N E Y M O T O R S P O RT PA R K R4 S E P 1 1 - 1 3 : S A N D O W N R A C E WAY R5 O C T 2 3 - 2 5 : S U R F E R S PA R A D I S E R6 NOV 20-22: PHILLIP ISLAND R7 D E C 4 - 6 : S Y D N E Y O LY M P I C PA R K FORMULA4.COM.AU 14 OVERSEAS ADVENTURES AUSSIES MARK ON DEBUT IN EUROCUP FORMULA RENAULT 2.0 Australians make their mark on the world circuit in the Formula Renault 2.0 Euro Cup Two Australians have marked their debut in the world-renowned series Formula Renault 2.0, including last year’s Formula Renault 1.6 Champion Anton De Pasquale and Perth-based James Allen. Despite De Pasquale, the CAMS Foundation supported driver, being third quickest in testing a few weeks ago, the Victorian struggled with a few issues during the opening round of the series. The pair although both managed to qualify for races one and two inside the top 15. De Pasquale finished 21st in Race 1, and moved up in Race 2 to finish 16th, coming home in 20th for the final race of the round. Allen steered his Arta Engineering Renault to 25th in Race 1 and 21st in Race 2, but came home inside the points in Race 3 finishing fifth, placing him ninth inside the Drivers’ Championship. The next round of the series is held at Spa-Francorchamps on May 30. M AW S O N S TA N D S O N PODIUM IN GERMAN F4 OPENER CAMS Foundation-backed driver Joey Mawson rounded out his debut in the German F4 Championship with a second placing behind Van Amersfoort Racing teammate Mick Schumacher. In the race that saw the starting grid determined by the reversal of the top ten finishers in the weekend’s opening race, Schumacher started on grid two and Mawson grid five. Following a safety car period Mawson was battling for second place, allowing Schumacher to open a buffer over his rivals. Despite being on old tyres, the Australian gained ground on his teammate with every lap, at one stage seven tenths of a second out of Schumacher’s lead on Lap 15. The 19-year-old was unable to take another chance to gain the lead, as the safety car was deployed and the race finished under controlled conditions. “I’m very satisfied… a podium on my first weekend in the ADAC Formula 4 is perfect,” Mawson said. “I got off to a really good start, and overtaking during the race was great fun. “At the end of the race, I was getting closer and closer to my teammate Mick, but the appearance of the safety car ended my chances. “I’m very happy with second place and the one-two win for my team and the weekend could not have ended on a better note.” Mawson added to his success qualifying second and third for the two 30-minute races. In the first encounter he stalled on the line and dropped to 20th before charging his way to sixth place at the chequered flag, and then came home fourth in race two. The teenager from Sydney is currently third in the driver standings on 38 points trailing the leader by 20 championship points. The next round of the Championship will be contested at the Red Bull Ring in Austria on June 5-7. 15 16 CAMS ACCREDITED OFFICIALS HEAVY JACKETS MEMBERS NAME AND LICENCE GRADES GET YOUR VERY OWN CUSTOMISED OFFICIALS HEAVY JACKET ACCREDITED OFFICIALS LOGO EMBROIDERY INCLUDES: • ACCREDITED OFFICIALS LOGO • MEMBER’S NAME (FIRST INITIAL AND LAST NAME) • LIST OF LICENCE TYPES INC POSTAGE $165 & CUSTOMISATION FOR A LIMITED TIME AVAILABLE WHILST STOCK LASTS. CUSTOM EMBROIDERY CL ICK HERE NOW O F F E R E N D S 18 M AY 2 0 15 HAPPY MOTHER’S DAY FROM CAMS LIMITED TIME ONLY $30.00 Normally $40.00 LADIES POLO Size 8-14 O F F E R E N D S 18 M AY 2 0 15 $80.00 Normally $100.00 LADIES MEMBER POLO PACK Size 8-14 PACK INCLUDES: • • • • • CAMS Polo CAMS Waterbottle CAMS Trucker Cap CAMS Embossed Key Ring CAMS Backpack 17 CLICK HERE Thanks to all mums who have competed, volunteered or supported Australian motor sport. 18 SAFETY & INTEGRITY NEW ANTI-DOPING GUIDE FOR CAMS COMPETITORS AND OFFICIALS VIEW HERE CAMS presents a new educational tool to help Australian motor sport participants understand anti-doping. CAMS is proud to present a new educational tool to help the Australian motor sport participants understand the complicated world of anti-doping just that little bit better. Incorporating the latest changes to the CAMS Anti-Doping Policy and World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) Code, ‘CAMS Anti-Doping Policy: Quick Info’ provides motor sport participants with important anti-doping information in a simple, user-friendly manner. Created by motor sport people for motor sport people, the brochure is available for download from the CAMS website. Whilst the brochure touches on several aspects of anti-doping such as the WADA Code, doping violations and the WADA Prohibited List – all of which can affect both competitors and officials – there is also a section dedicated to testing and what a competitor can expect if and when they’re selected for testing. of thought being ‘anti-doping is only for competitors’ or that the only way to be banned is through a positive test – both of which are incorrect. WADA’s and ASADA’s stance on anti-doping rule violations ‘ignorance is no excuse’ is certainly one of the focus points of this brochure. Developed under the CAMS Safety and Integrity banner, the new brochure has been given the tick of approval by the Australian Sports Anti-Doping Authority (ASADA) and has been advertised to the Australian sporting community on ASADA’s eLearning site. CAMS encourages clubs to download, print and distribute the brochure to their members. Anyone seeking further information on anti-doping matters can visit the anti-doping page on the CAMS website or contact the CAMS Integrity Officer directly at [email protected] or 03 9593 7777. Importantly, the brochure also aims to dispel the previous school GEOFF FANE SUSPENSION The Confederation of Australian Motor Sport has suspended the licence of competitor Geoff Fane for the remainder of 2015 after an appeal hearing in Melbourne. CAMS appealed the penalty issued to Mr Fane after an incident at the V8 Ute Racing Series at the Clipsal 500 in Adelaide in March. At the time of the incident, CAMS Stewards issued Mr Fane with a sanction of a $10,000 after he was found guilty of breaching CAMS National Competition Rules (NCR) 183 (ix) being ‘any action which causes or is reasonably likely to cause damage to other persons or property;’ Fane was excluded from the results of the meeting with $5000 of the $10,000 fine suspended until 31 December 2015. CAMS appealed the sanction given it has the power to increase or decrease a penalty imposed, including the suspension of a CAMS Licence of a competitor in breach of CAMS NCRs. CAMS elected to appeal with the intention of increasing the penalties previously handed down to Mr Fane and sought a 12 month suspension. The CAMS Appeal Tribunal found that Mr Fane had acted deliberately and in a dangerous manner, actions considered intolerable in motor sport. Despite having a good driving record in motor sport competition, CAMS suspended Mr Fane until 31 December 2015. Mr Fane will not be entitled to compete in any CAMS event until after that date. 19 MEMORIES ARE MADE OF THIS ... The opportunities are endless with Jayco’s full product range to suit your holiday needs VISIT YOUR LOCAL JAYCO DEALER TO VIEW THE RANGE! SILVERLINE CARAVAN CAMPER TRAILER EXPANDA JOURNEY POP TOP TOY HAULER MOTORHOME 5TH WHEELER NATIONWIDE SUPPORT ROADSIDE ASSIST * WARRANTY PROGRAM BETTER VALUE HIGHER RESALE VALUE 100+ SERVICE AND DEALER LOCATIONS 3 YEARS 24 HOURS 365 DAYS 12 MONTHS’ COMPREHENSIVE COVERAGE MORE FEATURES FOR LESS A SMARTER INVESTMENT IN THE LONG RUN *conditions apply 1300 JAYCO RV JAYCO.COM.AU KARTING CORNER NEW ERA BEGINS FOR AUSTRALIAN KARTING Melbourne’s Todd Road sets the stage for the opening round of the 2015 Australian Kart Championship. A new era for Australian Karting kicked off in Melbourne on April 3-5 with the opening round of the Australian Kart Championship presented by Jayco and Castrol EDGE in Melbourne. The KA Junior class - a new class to Australian karting using an IAME KA100 motor - produced some outstanding racing right throughout the weekend. Near capacity fields were received in many of the eight classes being contested with more than 240 entries received in total. Cooper Murray emerged on top in his Arrow kart over Angelo Mouzouris and Cory Arnett. In the KZ2 Gearbox class, West Aussie Jake Klarich who was victorious to become the driver to win a round of a National Championship in both the KF3 and KZ2 class. In the KA12 category using the Vortex Mini-ROK engine a surprise winner emerged in Emerson Harvey. For drivers between 9 and 12 years of age, KA12 produced some of the most intense racing throughout the weekend. Harvey came out on top from Tex StarrMcCoy and Jay Hanson. In front of a large crowd that included V8 Supercar drivers James Courtney, Scott McLaughlin, Fabian Coulthard and Paul Dumbrell along with several team personnel, Klarich showed tremendous poise aboard his TB Kart. Local driver, Troy Woolston led the first 17 laps of the race before Klarich made his move at turn one. Woolston made a rare mistake running wide opening it up for the youngster to charge through for the win from Jason Pringle and a resurgent Chris Hays. It was a five kart freight train for much of the race which also involved fourth placed Matthew Wall. 2014 V8 Utes Champion Kris Walton crossed the line fifth, while Woolston recovered for 10th. Lucas Dumbrell Motorsport V8 Supercar driver, Nick Percat scored a sensational eighth placed finish after dropping back to 15th at one stage early in the race. Liam McLellan has got his Championship chase underway in the perfect possible way for the Holden-supported JC Kart team by taking the $1,000 victoryin the KF2 class. He was followed to the line by Pepsi Max supported Arrow pilot, Scott Sorenson with Championship debutante Bradley MarshStepney third. In the top junior category, KF3, Victorian Oscar Piastri continued the great form of yesterday to take his FA Kart to victory in convincing fashion, 5.1 seconds the margin. Not so convincing was the battle for second which included four drivers and raged from the opening lap. In the X30 class, Brad Jenner continued his good form to win while Formula K’s Adam Lindstrom’s won the KA Tag class by 2.7 seconds over Ricciardo Kart Victorian Dean Foster. The KA1 class - also using the IAME Reedjet 100cc - was one of the highlights of the weekend. Victorian Matthew McLean emerged on top taking a narrow victory over James Sera. The next round will take place in Monarto, South Australia over the weekend of May 22-24. CHAMPIONSHIP POINTS AFTER ROUND 1 OF 5 KA12 X30 KA JUNIOR KF3 KA1 KF2 KA TAG KZ2 1. Bradley Jenner – 57 2. Brendan Nelson – 42 3. Bradley Stewart – 32 1. Jay Hanson – 45 2. Emerson Harvey – 42 3. Cooper Webster – 40 1. Oscar Piastri – 63 2. Reece Sidebottom – 40 3. Bradley Stewart – 32 1. Cory Arnett – 47 2. Cooper Murray – 45 3. Angelo Mouzouris – 42 1. Liam McLellan – 63 2. Scott Sorensen – 42 3. Dylan Hollis – 28 1. Matthew McLean – 46 2. Braydon North – 43 3. James Sera – 38 1. Christopher Hays – 46 2. Matthew Wall – 44 3. Jake Klarich – 42 1. Adam Lindstrom – 63 2. Dean Foster – 46 3. Rick Pringle – 40 21 AUSTRALIAN OFF ROAD CHAMPIONSHIP RENTSCH SHINES AT SUNRAYSIA Shannon and Ian Rentsch continue their championship winning ways by taking victory at the opening round of the Australian Off Road Championship in Mildura. Reigning Australian Off Road Champions, Shannon and Ian Rentsch have continued their winning streak, taking victory at the opening round of the Australian Off-Road Racing Championship, the BFGoodrich Tires Sunraysia 600 held in Mildura. Rentsch started the weekend in top form, placing the #Aus1 SR Racing Jimco on the Armor All Pole Position during the top ten shoot out, before locking horns with rising offroad star Tanner James, who snatched the overnight lead from Rentsch by 19 seconds. The battle was set to escalate on Sunday morning until the Mildura local, Tanner James, retired with a broken axle 6km from the start, handing the lead to Rentsch. With a dust free run ahead, the Victorians left the rest of the field in his dusty wake, winning the 600km endurance race in a time of 6 hrs 18min 55.351 sec. Matt Hanson and Leigh Wells returned to the podium at the BFGoodrich Tires Sunraysia 600, finishing second outright in the #7 SMU Jimco, 14min 11sec behind Rentsch. “We went out with the plan of 4 more steady laps and we looked after the car. After a tough year in 2014 both on and off the track all we wanted was a finish so to get second outright was a good start to season, a good bank of points and we can now head to Finke with confidence that the car is good.” Said Leigh Wells, “The track was great, every paddock was different terrain and reminded us of many other tracks like Baroota, Hyden, SeaLake and Goondiwindi. It has a bit of everything and we really enjoyed it.” Even with Tanner James retirement, the local fans still had plenty to cheer for with Tanner’s father, Aaron James and navigator Peter Luckraft piloting their V8 powered #93 Alumicraft ProBuggy home in to third outright. and Judy Hartnett were the best of the Super 1650’s, finishing 4 laps in their #203 Razorback. The hard work over the offseason rebuilding their V8 Hilux paid handsome dividends for Paul Youman and Graham Kluck, with a comfortable Performance 2WD class win in the #501 Hillbilly Racing Hilux. Consistent lap times across all six laps of the 100km course saw the team achieve a personal best of 7th outright at an AORC round. By contrast the competitors in the Extreme 2WD category had a tough weekend at the office, with persistence paying off for Steven Sanderson and the JAWS Racing Team who took 9th outright and first in class with their #403 Jimco Trophy Truck after their navigator Braeden O’Cass became ill on Saturday. A tree stump almost ended Greg Gartner and Jamie Jennings innings, however a quick repair to the front suspension in the pits allowed them to navigate the #410 Ford F150 TT home second in class. The Production 4WD Class produced one of the classic battles of the weekend, with Pickering, Galea and Perrett all going tow to toe. After 8 hours 11 min of racing it was Western Australia’s Jason Galea and Marcus Christie who took the win in their #706 Toyota FJ Cruiser, beating the Mitsubishi Pajero of veteran campaigner, Geoff Pickering and Dylan Watson in second and AORC newcomers, Amy Perrett and Lincoln Staude who were third in class. The Australian Off Road Championship now heads to the red centre for the second round of the season, the 40th Anniversary Tatts Finke Desert Race on 5-8 June. For more information visit www.aorc.com.au Luke Erceg and Daniel Ziembinski took the Prolite class honours and 4th outright in their Aussie built #150 Matrix, after a see-sawing fight with the #32 Racer Probuggy of North Queenslands Michael Marson and Chris Colborne and the #133 Prolite of Dale Martin and Adrian Rowe. #105 Les Marshall and Glennys Rose kept to their pre-race game plan to take third in Prolite and 8th outright. Russell 22 SOAKING UP THE SUNRAYSIA 600 WATCH WATCH 23 R A L LY A U S T R A L I A ‘BEST YET’ ROADS TO FEATURE IN RALLY AUSTRALIA A night stage in the Australian bush, three new stages rated the best yet and a visit to the famous Pub With No Beer to feature in 2015. The proposed route for the FIA World Rally Championship 10th round on 10-13 September features changes designed to provide a tougher challenge for the world’s fastest rally drivers and big thrills for spectators. “The World Rally Championship is the most exciting form of motor sport, whether from behind the steering wheel or watching on the sidelines, and we have planned the 24th Rally Australia to be a truly world-class challenge,” the event’s sporting director, Clerk of Course Adrian Stafford said. The rally route, which is subject to official approval, will offer similar overall competitive and liaison distances totalling 922 kilometres, but with a longer day on Saturday and shorter on Sunday to allow a midday start for the rally-ending, globally-televised Power Stage, Wedding Bells. Stafford is confident the three new stages, to be run twice to make up the first leg on Friday 10 September, are the best yet on the east coast event. Located around 80 kms south of rally headquarters at Coffs Harbour’s Opal Cove Resort, the stages are in the same region as last year’s 49km Nambucca test, voted by drivers as one of the WRC’s best. “Nambucca remains in the itinerary on Saturday, but the new stages of Utungun, Bakers Creek and Northbank although shorter will be an even bigger test for drivers - they’re going to love them! They are fast, technical, set in magnificent countryside and truly some of the best roads in the rally world,” Stafford said. A bonus for Friday spectators will be two regroups (stopovers) by competitors in Taylors Arm, a little-known hamlet with the most famous pub Down Under. Saturday’s five stages conclude with a run in darkness through the 7.94 km Valla, giving spectators a chance to experience one of the most traditional, but now rare, elements of rallying. “We’re introducing a traditional night stage instead of the usual city-based Super Special Stage to give spectators a taste of real rallying as the cars roar through the forest with their lights blazing,” Stafford said. “The atmosphere – and to say nothing of the challenge for drivers – will be really special. It’s something Rally Australia hasn’t done before and is rarely featured in major rallies anywhere in the world. “Valla is not far south of Coffs Harbour and close to the interstate Pacific Highway, so will be easy for fans to reach yet still get back to town in time for dinner.” The morning pass through Valla will be broadcast live to Rally Australia’s estimated television audience of more than 46 million people in every part of the globe. Sunday’s itinerary includes another new stage, Settles Road, and the 6.1km sprint replaces the 30km Shipmans, which was deleted after feedback from competitors in 2014. Wedding Bells will retain its popular Rally Village, water splash and jump. Rally Australia will kick off officially with a rally show and traditional ceremonial start in the centre of Coffs Harbour, 540kms north of Sydney, on Thursday 10 September. The podium finish also will be in Coffs Harbour after crews complete the Power Stage and return to the competitors’ service park at C.ex Coffs International Stadium. Tickets for Rally Australia will be on sale soon from NRMAtix. The Taylors Arm Hotel is better known as The Pub With No Beer after it was immortalised in a popular folk ballad by the late country singing legend Slim Dusty. These days an on-site brewery ensures the beer taps will never run dry for thirsty rally spectators. 24 R A L LY A U S T R A L I A OFFICIALS REGISTRATION NOW OPEN FOR 2015 Rally Australia has opened applications for volunteer officials for the 2015 round of the FIA World Rally Championship. The rally is seeking more than 1500 officials, who will not only help run a smooth and successful event but also be vital to providing a welcoming atmosphere, showcasing our country and the Coffs Coast region and sending visitors home with good impressions. Many roles require no previous experience and everyone is welcome. With so many officials needed there is a wide variety of roles available – some such as medical and recovery teams and scrutineers, who inspect vehicles for safety and compliance with technical regulations, do require specialised equipment and/or skills. Many others, such as Spectator Management, Service Park and Event Operations need enthusiastic people with some common sense (and a willingness to get up early to head out for the day!). Volunteer officials will be made to feel welcome and will have the opportunity to meet many people with similar interests. Many longlasting friendships have started at past events and as a bonus officials will get to see in action the best rally crews in the world. Become part of our officials family today by completing the Officials Application form. JUHA KANKKUNEN TO BE GUEST SPEAKER AT RALLY HALL OF FAME This year’s Rally Hall of Fame will have Juha Kankkunen as the guest speaker. Kankkunen is a true legend of the sport, with four World Rally Championships to his name and spending almost two decades at the highest level. The Finn claimed five victories in Australia (’89, ’90, ’91, ’93 & ’94), and rates his back-to-back-to-back wins in 1989, 1990 and 1991 as his favourites. For the third year running the Australian Rally Hall of Fame welcomes another round of esteemed inductees including John Bryson, Greg Carr, Dave Johnson, Peter Macneall, Ross Runnalls, Ross Tapper, Coral Taylor and Jeff Whitten. The Rally Hall of Fame organisers have welcomed all interested in joining Juha Kankkunen and the 2015 inductees at the QT Canberra Ballroom on Thursday May 14, with seats still available. Tickets can be purchased online at http://www.trybooking. com/120856 2015 Australian Rally Hall of Fame Date: Thursday 14th May Venue: Ballroom, QT Canberra Hotel, 1 London Circuit, Canberra Time: 6.30pm Meal: Canapes and three course meal drinks includes soft drink, beer and wine Cost: $160.00 Dress: Suit/Cocktail 25 R A L LY AUSTRALIA AND NEW ZEALAND RALLY TOGETHER Confederation of Australian Motor Sport President Andrew Papadopoulos and MotorSport New Zealand President (MSNZ) Shayne Harris have announced that the two organisations have agreed on a shared set of technical regulations for a new 4WD rally car category. At the international level there has been an evolutionary process taking place that has permitted increasing levels of modification to the familiar Group N production car base that has long been established with in Australia. Rally cars at the higher levels are no longer just production cars with bits added for rallying on gravel roads. New generation cars are highly modified with one specific purpose – to race. These fully-fledged racing cars, albeit road registered, are now barely recognisable from their production car origins. “Both Australia and New Zealand identified a need to update our aging fleet of 4WD competition cars. Many of these had been built to comply with the FIA Group N formula. In both countries our local regulations had progressively incorporated changes in the 4WD category to keep this type of car competing while new categories were emerging in Europe and elsewhere” Mr Papadopoulos said. “In 2014 Australia and New Zealand agreed to work toward a common set of regulations for a new generation 4WD category rally cars that acknowledged the uptake of the FIA R5 and S2000 categories in Europe but that also recognised such cars are unaffordable for most competitors in this region” Mr Papadopoulos said. The FIA R-category vehicles are definitely exciting cars but are too expensive to build and operate in this part of the world. Australia and New Zealand have recognised that competitors here should be able to compete in cars that can be built here, drawing on the expertise in engineering and design that exists here in our part of the world. Such cars can be equal to the performance of the equivalent FIA categories, and would appear to be cheaper to construct and maintain. Historically Australia’s PRC category (and more recently the G2 Rally Car) technical specifications have been practical expressions of this policy. With the growing acceptance of the concept for a ‘Maxi’ 4WD category, most notably the acceptance of cars constructed according to this concept in the Asia Pacific Rally Championship, Australia and New Zealand have agreed to adopt a consistent formula, with a cost-effective technical specification, as part of our leading categories for our region. The adoption of this AP4 category would allow these types of vehicles to be used in competitions in both Australia and New Zealand. use many readily available ‘off the shelf’ components adapted to an ‘approved’ modified body plan that employs certain controlled design elements such as sub-frames and cross members. It is considered that this approach offers the most cost effective solution to local production delivering competitive, easily maintained and cost effective rally cars in the 4WD category that are capable of matching the leading FIA categories but at significantly a lower cost. Engines shall be 1600 turbo and transmissions borrowed from production cars such as Subaru and Mitsubishi. Cars built to this body plan have been successfully campaigned in South America for more than 3 years. This is the first time that Australia and New Zealand have joined forces to promote a shared platform that will further encourage exchange of competitors across the Tasman. “These new regulations will permit a competitor to buy or construct a car that incorporates all the latest safety developments found in the FIA-specification cars that compete at the top level, but at a significantly lower cost”. Motor Sport New Zealand President Mr Harris acknowledged the historic nature of the agreement stating that “New Zealand and Australia have a great deal in common in our approach to the sport of rallying. We share some competitors, and both host rounds of the Asia Pacific Rally Championship. Having a common set of technical rules around our rally car categories at the top end of the sport makes sense for both countries. With one set of rules for an affordable car with good performance and which takes advantage of locally sourced parts and expertise will create the critical mass of competitors needed to help reduce costs” Mr Harris said. “The regulations that MSNZ and CAMS have developed retains the safety elements and matches the performance of the equivalent FIA categories but at a considerably cheaper cost. These will permit conversion of a 2WD production car to 4WD using a template formula for key elements, sharing a number of common parts and designs. MSNZ and CAMS will work to ensure cars built to this specification will be included in competition at FIA international events in both countries” Mr Harris said. The category will be known as AP4 (Asia-Pacific 4wd) and be powered by 1600 turbo engines in either north/south or east/west orientations. Drive trains will be based on production parts or costeffective alternatives. The vehicle body shell will incorporate FIA standard rollover protection and will be dimensionally controlled to ensure equivalent performance and handling. Drive shafts, uprights and cross members will be common in all vehicles. The principle underpinning the concept for these cars is that they 26 R A L LY RALLY VICTORIA RUSHES TO BALLARAT IN 2016 Australian Rally Championship to rally in Victoria again in 2016 with stages located in Ballarat. The East Coast Bullbars Australian Rally Championship is set to expand to six rounds in 2016 with the re-addition of a Victorian Round based out of Ballarat. Ballarat is Australia’s most populous inland city, made famous during the gold rush era, and at just over one hundred kilometres from Melbourne hosts a diverse range of local events and attractions. The addition of the event in 2016 will boost both the local tourism to the Ballarat region as well as to the diversity of events in the East Coast Bullbars Australian Rally Championship. “It’s exciting to announce a return to Victoria in 2016,” said Australian Rally Championship Chairman Ben Rainsford. “The sport has such a rich history in the state, and it is terrific news to be able to take the crews, teams, spectators and media to a breathtaking area like Ballarat next year.” The event has a preliminary date of 11th-13th November and will be the sixth and final round of the season. A spectacular ceremonial start is already planned for the Bridge Mall in the centre of Ballarat, and a proposed Super Special Stage in nearby Victoria Park. Event Manager Katie Philps, long time secretary of the Australian Rally Championship, said it was a great privilege to bring the sport to Ballarat and thanked the local community and Ballarat Regional Tourism for their support. “The welcome we have received already by the local community and the Ballarat City Council has been beyond amazing. They are thrilled to have the ARC coming to town, even this far out from our first event. We have big plans that we’re excited to announce them all over the next 18 months,” Philps said. “From an event point of view we want to put on an exciting, dynamic, team-friendly event, and we’re hopeful that the chance to drive on new roads will entice competitors new and old to come to experience everything Ballarat has to offer,” continued Philps. The event will receive significant support from the Ballarat Light Car Club, who will be staging a Round of the Victorian Rally Championship with the Begonia Rally later this year. The 2016 event will tap into significant local support and knowledge from the Car Club’s members, as well as key senior officials from the Victorian rally scene, including Ross Runnalls who has been announced as the Clerk of Course for 2016. “Amongst the team we’ve already assembled we have all the credentials to put on a great event. It’s a shame there won’t be a Victorian Round of the ARC this season, but we’re all looking forward to a great event in 2016,” explained Runnalls, who has was recently announced as an 2015 inductee into the Australian Rally Hall of Fame. Rallying in the Ballarat region has a rich history in the sport and has even featured as two previous Rounds of the Australian Rally Championship, running in 1976 and again in 1978 when it was sponsored by French lighting manufacturer Marchal. Aaron Secombe, President of Ballarat Light Car Club, said: “Not only are we excited to stage the Begonia Rally as a Round of the VRC later this year, but now our club and members are excited to welcome the Australian Rally Championship in 2016.” “The Ballarat area has some amazing roads and I’m personally looking forward to sharing them with the best drivers from around Australia in 2016!” he added. With the past four Australian Rally Champion’s hailing from the State of Victoria (Simon Evans, Justin Dowel, Eli Evans and Scott Pedder), Chairman of the Victorian Rally Panel David Lambie said he was thrilled with the news. “I think it goes without saying that the Australian Championship needs a Victorian Round. I think the move to Central Victoria for our local Round is a very positive move, and the hard work of the Ballarat Car Club is a testament to their rally heritage,” Lambie said. “I’d like to offer specific praise to the efforts of Katie Philps though – her energy, enthusiasm and determination to get this event up and running deserves special recognition. I hope all of the Victorian rally community get behind her and this event to make it a massive success in 2016 and beyond.” 27 WAMS MOLLY TAYLOR MAKES AUSTRALIAN RALLY HISTORY After six years competing outside of Australia, Molly Taylor continues her winning ways in the Australian Rally Championship. Champion rally driver Molly Taylor has made Australian Rally history, becoming the first female driver to ever win a heat in a round of the country’s premier rally series. The 26-year-old teamed up with experienced co-driver Bill Hayes for their first event together at the Quit Forest Rally held in Western Australia. The pair raced their Renault Clio R3 to win the event’s first heat during the opening round of the Australian Rally Championship. Eli Evans and Glen Western (Citroën DS3 R3T) won the opening round, with Taylor and Hayes second, having Simon Evans and Ben Searcy (Honda Civic Type R) round out the podium. “To be honest, making history was the last thing on my mind but it is pretty cool!” Taylor said. “And as far as being the only female driver competing against the guys, I don’t think about that either … I’d feel the same way if Eli [Evans] and Simon [Evans] were women! “We’re all competitors and when you’re out there, you just want to be the best competitor, to make the best of whatever happens on the day and – hopefully – that’s good enough to get a really good result.” “I didn’t know what to expect being away from competing in Australia for so long, and here we have Bill [Hayes] and I being in the car for the first time, and the first time working together, and we’ve achieved a podium, which is a great result for everyone involved!” Taylor added. “I was putting a lot of pressure on myself but the car felt really good and we were happy with our pace from the start, so we just decided to concentrate on getting our jobs done right – and then everything came together. After six years competing in the British, European and World Rally Championships, Taylor is back home in Sydney. Taylor also thanked to Scott Pedder and the Pedder’s team who own the car. “I knew the car was good – Scott proved that last year – it was up to me to live up to how good it is,” Taylor said. “I want to thank him and all the guys in the team who have helped get me here.” Taylor and Haye’s next race will be the National Capital Rally in Canberra on May 15-17. Taylor was living overseas in Italy, and is excited to return back to her home country. A Dynotech Dyno Tune Can Provide The Ultimate Performance Gain Call Dyno Dynamics on 1800 796 200 Or email [email protected] DBC2_Dynotech_130x40mm.indd 1 28 20/03/15 4:07 pm TARGA TASMANIA TAKES OFF 29 B AT H U R S T S I X H O U R BATHURST SIX HOUR RETURNS TO PRODUCTION CAR RACING “The addition of the six-hour will only add to the weekend and give competitors another chance to compete in a major long-distance race on the Mountain.” Next year’s Bathurst Motor Festival will feature a six-hour Production Car endurance race, which has now been confirmed by the organisers of the Easter long-weekend event. “We expect to run five other categories and continue the Event’s purpose of giving opportunities to compete at Mount Panorama for those who otherwise wouldn’t have the chance. The 2016 race will be staged for cars built to CAMS 3E Production Car regulations, while organisers will also consult the similar Australian Manufacturers Championship rulebook prior to finalising the eligibility and technical regulations for the race with CAMS later this year. “The addition of the six-hour will only add to the weekend and give competitors another chance to compete in a major long-distance race on the Mountain.” The race will be open to entries featuring two or three drivers, while the mandatory fitment of in dry-break refuelling is likely to be phased in over several years to allow for cars presently opearating without it to enter during the short-term. Organisers have targeted for 40 cars to enter the endurance event. “The competitor demand for a stand-alone Production Car race is high and the strong grid numbers for the NSW Production Touring Car races the last few years at the Bathurst Motor Festival are an encouraging sign,” Bathurst Motor Festival Event Director, James O’Brien said. “We are working closely with key stakeholders, including the Production Touring Car Series organisers and CAMS, to make this new race a success from year one.” Early plans have the race commencing at midday on Easter Sunday, running for six hours until a 6pm conclusion. At least five additional categories will continue to ensure the Bathurst Motor Festival Event remains packed with on-track action and one of the best value race meetings of the year. “The Bathurst Motor Festival will continue in its current format while accommodating the six-hour race on Sunday afternoon,” O’Brien said. NSW Production Touring Cars category manager Gerry Murphy expects the Bathurst Six-Hour to become the ‘highlight of the season’ for the state-based series. “To be involved in an event such as the six hour at the most challenging track in the country, run to 3E rules, with strong representation from NSW Production Touring Cars, is a watershed moment for this category. “We had a meeting at the recent Easter event where I canvassed opinion from the driving group and after some very astute input, the support was unanimous. “James (O’Brien) has been very receptive to our ideas and we are looking forward to working with him to firmly implant this event in the Australian Motorsport calendar. We appreciate the opportunity he has provided for us.” CAMS General Manager of Motor Sport, Michael Smith, said the governing body of the sport was keen to embrace the addition of another major endurance race to the annual calendar, as well as promoting state-level competition. “Production Car racing has a terrific history at Bathurst and we are pleased to see it return to the Mountain as a standalone endurance race in what we hope will ultimately become one of the iconic races on the annual motor sport calendar.” Further details and preliminary regulations will be available from the Bathurst Motor Festival organisers in due course. 30 Famous specialise in car insurance for CAMS Members Famous for choice: • • • Choice of repairer Choice of agreed or market value Choice of paying your premium annually or monthly Famous for offering additional tailored features and benefits to CAMS Members: • • • The option of Track day cover up to $10,000 (limited to L2S events and below) The option of tools and equipment cover The option to add your trailer to the policy And famous for competitive premiums GET A QUOTE NOW famousinsurance.com.au Call 1300 FAMOUS (1300 32 66 87) For more information about the CAMS Famous Insurance Partnership contact Richard Sanders, CAMS National Club Relationship Manager on (03) 9593 7722. 31 WAMS WATCH CLAIRE WILLIAMS SPEECH AT WAMS’ MELBOURNE BUSINESS EVENT In March, Williams Martini Racing’s deputy team principal, Claire Williams, inspired and educated around 300 sporting and corporate guests about the roles in which women play in motor sport, as part of the Women of Australian Motor Sport’s lead up to the 2015 Rolex Formula 1 Australian Grand Prix. With the support of the Confederation of Australian Motor Sport and the Melbourne Business School, the initiative was a key networking event to educate the wider community on women’s roles within the sport and ways in which increased participation can be achieved. WAMS PROFILES EVERYDAY HEROES Watch the full speech with Williams Martini Racing deputy team principal Claire Williams. Exemplifying the traits required for success in such a fast-paced and male-dominated environment, Williams also spoke about the need to help the younger generation get into motor sport earlier to help grow women’s participation long-term, the key ingredients of teamwork, the business of motor sport, while also commending it for being a strong equal opportunity industry for women wanting to make a career within it. Every day, women across all disciplines of motor sport give their all to not only make the sport better but to also inspire others. And that’s where WAMS would like to give you a pat on the back. It doesn’t matter whether you are an official, a driver, a volunteer, media professional or mechanic, if you’re a woman who is active in motor sport and would like to be featured on the WAMS website and social media channels, let us know more about you! Share your story so that we can help inspire other women to become involved and achieve great things in this industry. INFO + FORM: http://www.wams.org.au/profiles/ 32 S TAT E N E W S - N E W S O U T H W A L E S MARULAN DEAL FOR CAMS MEMBER CLUBS Marulan circuit in NSW offers discount for CAMS Member Clubs. The Marulan circuit located in the Southern Highlands of New South Wales has recently received additional approval from local council to amend the vehicles and events that are able to use the circuit. Venue owners Garry and Natalie Wilmington said this new approval allowed them to run a very successful first round of the CAMS NSW Hillclimb Championship, and has also been popular among car clubs running super sprints, regularities and track days. Any CAMS car club wanting to attend this venue using a CAMS permit will receive a 10% discount on circuit hire. The circuit consists of two options of undulating road circuits with altitude changes and varied angled corners – one of which includes a high-banked corner entering the main straight. Additional track facilities include a National Level Hillclimb, a 300-metre dirt track oval, 4WD tracks and a wet-road skidpan. The Marulan Circuit was designed and constructed by Garry Willmington, a driver with over 40 years’ experience including 21 Bathurst 1000 starts. Garry and his wife Natalie purchased the property in 1990 for the purpose of constructing a motor sport and training facility and after many years of hard work and dedication, the facility was opened in 2008. With the dream of creating a driver and spectator friendly facility, Garry and Natalie both obtained motor sport venue management experience, with Garry holding the position of Circuit Manager for 8 years prior to the completion of his own circuit. The next major event at the venue is the Bathurst Car Masters on August 30, including car shows, Bathurst driver introductions, hot laps and demonstration races. For more information regarding track hire, contact the Marulan Driver Training Centre on 02 4841 1422 or email at [email protected] 33 34 S TAT E N E W S - TA S M A N I A CAMS OFFICIALS COME AND TRY EXPOS Baskerville – 5th July 2015 Symmons Plains – 13th September 2015 CAMS will be hosting an officials come and try day at Baskerville and Symmons Plains in 2015, sessions are half hour and will give the participant an overview of the officiating discipline in an informative and practical taster session. Participants can rotate between sessions of interest as the taster sessions run every 45 mins, taster sessions include the following areas: Communications, Event Administration, Drifting, Scrutineering, Timekeeping, Fire and Rescue, Flags, Off Road, Stewards and event command. In the afternoon practical scenarios will be held on the track to give participants a hands on approach to the different areas, as if a race was being held. Accreditation will also take place in the afternoon for participants interested in completing the Introductory Module or refresher courses. Starting time is 8:30am and concludes at 5:00pm, however participants can stay as long or as little as they please. Who is it targeted at? Any age range from 12 year onwards, people who are new to motor sport and would like a taster to what is on offer officiating at a motor sport event or a current/old officials looking at upskilling or looking at other areas of officiating. Bookings will be accepted until sessions are full, bookings will open shortly. To book/express interest please use the link below: https://camstas.wufoo.com/forms/officials-come-and-try-expo/ For further information email: [email protected] or call 03 6227 5601 TASMANIAN OFFICIALS WANTED! TRAINING COURSES Bronze Steward – 30th May 2015 Bronze Event Command – 20th June 2015 Mentor – 18th July 2015 Silver – 16th August 2015 Club Chief/Scrutiny – 16th October 2015 Timekeeping – 6th December 2015 To book/express interest please use the link below: https://camstas.wufoo.com/forms/training-courses-expressions-of-interest-request/ 35 BULLETINS 2015 CAMS TECHNICAL & SPORTING BULLETINS The list of Bulletins released this year appears on the CAMS website. These bulletins are issued according to Rule 238(ii) of the National Competition Rules (NCR). PLE AS E R E FE R T O THE CAMS WE B S ITE FO R T H E L ATE S T CAMS B UL L E TIN S. 22 – 24 May Shannons Nationals – Phillip Island 2 May Radical Australia Cup - Sydney Motorsport Park 15 May V8 Supercars – Winton 15 – 17 May Australian Rally Championship – National Capital Rally 15 – 17 May NSW State Motor Racing Championships – Sydney Motorsport Park UPCOMING 2015 MOTOR SPORT EVENTS 23 – 24 May SA State Motor Racing Championships – Mallala 23 – 24 May Tasmanian Super Series – Baskerville 16 – 17 May Victorian State Circuit Racing Championships – Sandown 36 CONTACT CAMS The CAMS Hotline 1300 883 959 is now open later to better serve CAMS members. Those in Western Australia can now call the Hotline until 5:00pm Monday to Thursday. Members in New South Wales, Victoria, Tasmania and Queensland now have access to CAMS Hotline until 7:00pm Monday to Thursday, while those in South Australia will be able to access the CAMS Hotline until 6:30pm. So for all your motor sport needs call the CAMS Hotline or visit the website at www.cams.com.au #WEAREMOTORSPORT l Hit up CAMS on social media for photos from CAMS events, news, videos and other great motor sport content. SEND US YOUR STORIES! If you have any motor sport stories which you think should be told, get in touch with us and they could appear in Speed Read. If you have pictures or videos of motor sport you would like to share with us, we encourage you to do so. They could appear on our website, social media platforms or in Speed Read. Please email [email protected] We look forward to hearing from you! 37 TARGA TASMANIA 27 APRIL - 2 MAY 2015 #WEAREMOTORSPORT THE AUSTRALIAN GOVERNMENT THROUGH THE AUSTRALIAN SPORT COMMISSION RECOGNISES THE CONFEDERATION OF AUSTRALIAN MOTOR SPORT LTD (CAMS) TO DEVELOP MOTOR SPORT IN AUSTRALIA Proudly Australian Since 1926 38