The historic pairing of Neal Bates and Coral Taylor will return to rallying for the first time since 2009, driving a restored RA40 Celica in this weekend's opening round of the Australian Rally Championship.
The Calder round will mark the debut of the freshly rebuilt car, and will be racing in the Australian Classic Rally Challenge category, which is only open to vehicles manufactured pre-1986.
Bates built the car in his ACT workshop specifically for this category and the finished product replicates the RA40 driven by the late Ove Andersson and Henry Liddon in the WRC in the early 80's.
Unlike the Andersson car, the Bates RA40 uses a naturally aspitated 3SGE fuel injected 2L engine, which did not debut in factory trim until the later ST162 Celica model.
This engine substitution has been permitted under the CAMS regulations for the series, and will no doubt appeal to the Bates crew, whose Corolla, Celica and IS200 race cars have all used variants of this engine for over 20 years.
The Australian Classic Rally Challenge is a clear attmept by ARC organisers to mimic the spectator nostalgia appeal that the TCM series has brought to V8 Supercar rounds, and already comprises entries such as Ford Escort RS1800s, Porsche 911s and Datsun Stanzas.
Adding the names of Bates and Taylor to the category will add great credibility and further spectator appeal.
More information on the Calder Park opening round can be found here.
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Automotive Musings of Malcolm Flynn
Monday 27 February 2012
Bates and Taylor Return to ARC
Tuesday 21 February 2012
Bathurst 12 Hour Minimum Qualifying time - Explained
Motorsport traditionalists may be quite bemused by the idea of a minimum, or benchmark qualifying time, as imposed for Sunday's Bathurst 12 Hour endurance race at Mount Panorama.
A minimum time of 2:08.0s has been set for the 15 entries across classes A, B, and C for both qualifying and practice sessions, with any lap eclipsing this benchmark being disregarded from the results and the vehicle being penalised with 50kg of ballast for the remainder of the event.
Classes D, E, and I are comprised of slower vehicles which have proven incapable of reaching a time near 2:08.0s in previous years.
The rule is based around an abandoned policy from the 2011 Australian GT Championship, which was abandoned after the first three rounds after protests from several teams.
The 12 Hour will see the rule reimplemented as used in the 2011 race, and incorporated into the race's other unique qualifying procedures. This includes each vehicles qualifying time being formed by an aggregate of each of the car's three drivers' best qualifying times.
The policy encourages consistency, teamwork, and an ability to drive to a nominated time - all established elements of successful endurance racing. However, this means nothing to spectators wanting to see just how quickly the entrants can lap in qualifying and practice.
The potential of this year's entrants to generate exciting qualifying times was demonstrated when Allan Simonsen clocked an unofficial 2:04.956 overall lap record in his Ferrari 458 GT3 during practice in November 2011.
The 2:08.0s minimum lap rule does not apply during the race however, though drivers will be lapping according to a strict strategy aimed at travelling the furthest distance within 12 hours, rather than outright race pace.
The final entry list comprises 28 vehicles, 10 of which are international entries, and 14 professional drivers, making the 2012 race easily the most exotic since its 2007 return. Stay tuned for a detailed first-hand comprehensive account of the race on Monday.
The final entry list for the 2012 Bathurst 12 Hour can be seen here.
The complete lists of 2012 Bathurst 12 Hour regulations can be found here.
A minimum time of 2:08.0s has been set for the 15 entries across classes A, B, and C for both qualifying and practice sessions, with any lap eclipsing this benchmark being disregarded from the results and the vehicle being penalised with 50kg of ballast for the remainder of the event.
Classes D, E, and I are comprised of slower vehicles which have proven incapable of reaching a time near 2:08.0s in previous years.
The rule is based around an abandoned policy from the 2011 Australian GT Championship, which was abandoned after the first three rounds after protests from several teams.
The 12 Hour will see the rule reimplemented as used in the 2011 race, and incorporated into the race's other unique qualifying procedures. This includes each vehicles qualifying time being formed by an aggregate of each of the car's three drivers' best qualifying times.
The policy encourages consistency, teamwork, and an ability to drive to a nominated time - all established elements of successful endurance racing. However, this means nothing to spectators wanting to see just how quickly the entrants can lap in qualifying and practice.
The potential of this year's entrants to generate exciting qualifying times was demonstrated when Allan Simonsen clocked an unofficial 2:04.956 overall lap record in his Ferrari 458 GT3 during practice in November 2011.
The 2:08.0s minimum lap rule does not apply during the race however, though drivers will be lapping according to a strict strategy aimed at travelling the furthest distance within 12 hours, rather than outright race pace.
The final entry list comprises 28 vehicles, 10 of which are international entries, and 14 professional drivers, making the 2012 race easily the most exotic since its 2007 return. Stay tuned for a detailed first-hand comprehensive account of the race on Monday.
The final entry list for the 2012 Bathurst 12 Hour can be seen here.
The complete lists of 2012 Bathurst 12 Hour regulations can be found here.
Thursday 16 February 2012
HRT's “I Bleed Red and This Is My House” mantra revealed on the set of a gameshow?
The Holden Racing Team launched a new television commercial today encompassing their new mantra “I Bleed Red and This Is My House” .
Previewed on the 2012 HRT race transporter livery at last weekend's Sandown test day, the mantra is apparently used genuinely by team members around the workshop.
The creation of such an advertisement signifies a new echelon of marketing for a V8 Supercar team, and the professionalism of the series in general.
A cynic would suggest that this step has been taken to arrest some of the fan creep from the long-dominant HRT to the recently dominant, and also Holden-supported Team Vodaphone.
Interestingly, HRT chose to launch the mantra and associated TVC on the set of Channel 9's 'Hot Seat' gameshow. See images below.
Previewed on the 2012 HRT race transporter livery at last weekend's Sandown test day, the mantra is apparently used genuinely by team members around the workshop.
The creation of such an advertisement signifies a new echelon of marketing for a V8 Supercar team, and the professionalism of the series in general.
A cynic would suggest that this step has been taken to arrest some of the fan creep from the long-dominant HRT to the recently dominant, and also Holden-supported Team Vodaphone.
Interestingly, HRT chose to launch the mantra and associated TVC on the set of Channel 9's 'Hot Seat' gameshow. See images below.
HRT's story behind the campaign can be found here.
UPDATE 28/2/2012: Behind the scenes footage here.
UPDATE 28/2/2012: Behind the scenes footage here.
Thursday 9 February 2012
Chris Harris: GT 86 DRIVE video
Chris Harris has followed up on his initial drive story about the Toyota GT 86 with this fantastic 10 minute film of the launch.
Its a great watch, despite being filmed at Madrid's Jarama circuit with its surface smoother than 'Hugh Grant's post coital chat', and Harris' enthusiasm is palpable.
Remember, this is a bloke who personally owns a GT3RS 4.0!
It's offical: Nissan to join V8 Supercars in 2013
Kelly Racing will field a four car team of Nissans in the 2013 V8 Supercar Championship, as part of the series' Car of the Future strategy.
This will be the first time a manufacturer aside from Holden or Ford has been permitted to contest the category since its inception in 1997.
See Nissan's announcement in video form:
The exact model used to represent the brand is yet to be determined, but is widely tipped to be the mid-sized Nissan Altima, a model yet to be sold in Australia, but likely to be introduced after disappointing sales of the larger Maxima model.
The 2013 Altima is still under development, so the below image is the best clue to the appearance of the racecar.
The four car Nissan Motorsport team will adjust the current proportion of 17 Holden and 11 Ford competitors in the series to a more balanced 13 Holden, 11 Ford and 4 Nissan, assuming no other manufactuers enter the series in the meantime.
The only other manufacturer with rumoured links to the series at this point is Chrysler, who has been in discussion with Gary Rogers Motorsport.
The announcement was made at 11am this morning at a press conference at Melbourne's Crown Casino. The full press release from V8 Supercars Australia can be found here, and Nissan's here.
This will be the first time a manufacturer aside from Holden or Ford has been permitted to contest the category since its inception in 1997.
See Nissan's announcement in video form:
The exact model used to represent the brand is yet to be determined, but is widely tipped to be the mid-sized Nissan Altima, a model yet to be sold in Australia, but likely to be introduced after disappointing sales of the larger Maxima model.
The 2013 Altima is still under development, so the below image is the best clue to the appearance of the racecar.
The four car Nissan Motorsport team will adjust the current proportion of 17 Holden and 11 Ford competitors in the series to a more balanced 13 Holden, 11 Ford and 4 Nissan, assuming no other manufactuers enter the series in the meantime.
The only other manufacturer with rumoured links to the series at this point is Chrysler, who has been in discussion with Gary Rogers Motorsport.
The announcement was made at 11am this morning at a press conference at Melbourne's Crown Casino. The full press release from V8 Supercars Australia can be found here, and Nissan's here.
Tomic's M3 fails to sell at auction
Australia's newest tennis sensation, Bernard Tomic's distinctive orange BMW M3 has failed to sell at auction today, according to a report by goldcoast.com.au.
The BMW-Individual specific Fire Orange M3, with carbon trim and blacked out wheels was at the centre of Tomic's bizarre Australia Day run in with Police near his Gold Coast home.
19 year-old P-plater Tomic will face court this month over the situation, which has no doubt put a dent in his otherwise impressive emergence onto the world tennis scene.
Whilst initially reported to be a part of a sponsorship deal with BMW, it now appears that the vehicle truly belongs to Tomic, or his family at least.
The 2010 model with just under 7000km on the odometer, was passed in after bids failed to exceed $146,000.
Things that can be fit in an MX-5: Mountain Bike
Given we live in a world world where two-children families are buying seven-seat SUV's, I thought it prudent to highlight my recent triumph of interior packaging.
My beloved MX-5 has been in for a touch of rhinoplasty this week, after two recent instances of Sydney parallel parking love tapping.
See below in-progress shot.
When it came to collecting her from the surgery, the surgeon did not extend the same courtesy lift they did when I dropped her off. Fair enough.
So, faced with either a two-hour multiple bus ride or a one-hour bike ride, I elected to risk fitting my Giant XTC-2 onto my 5's passenger seat for the trip home, a feat I hadn't attempted in the past.
I'm proud to say that with the passenger seat moved forward to allow maximum reclining, the 19" frame Giant fit like a glove with both wheels removed and the bike seat left at full height.
With the use of a blanket and towel, there was no chafing of my precious tan interior either.
There you go, another great triumph to add to my MX-5's repertoire.
My beloved MX-5 has been in for a touch of rhinoplasty this week, after two recent instances of Sydney parallel parking love tapping.
See below in-progress shot.
When it came to collecting her from the surgery, the surgeon did not extend the same courtesy lift they did when I dropped her off. Fair enough.
So, faced with either a two-hour multiple bus ride or a one-hour bike ride, I elected to risk fitting my Giant XTC-2 onto my 5's passenger seat for the trip home, a feat I hadn't attempted in the past.
I'm proud to say that with the passenger seat moved forward to allow maximum reclining, the 19" frame Giant fit like a glove with both wheels removed and the bike seat left at full height.
With the use of a blanket and towel, there was no chafing of my precious tan interior either.
There you go, another great triumph to add to my MX-5's repertoire.
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