MOTORSPORT: Rallying legend's seventh heaven

October 4, 2010

It's Bathurst week and a big story is developing ... it looks like mining magnate Nathan Tinkler is buying forklift tycoon Charlie Schwerkolt out of his stake in Dick Johnson's team, Jim Beam Racing. Confirmation appears to have been delayed by the public holiday in some states today, but we'll report on this matter and more in this week leading up to the Great Race.

Tinkler, 34, controls coal mining company Aston Resources, has just taken over the Newcastle Jets A-league soccer team and is reported by BRW magazine to be worth $610 million and be the wealthiest person under 40 in Australia.

While V8 Supercar Championship leader James Courtney has had a close relationship with Charlie Schwerkolt, who saved Dick Johnson Racing from collapse in 2008, Tinkler is close to the team's other driver, Steve Johnson. The pair shared the driving of a FPV FG GT-P in last year's Bathurst 12-Hour with Nathan Callaghan.

Over the weekend Australia's Will Power had his first non-finish of the year and missed out on the IndyCar championship to Scotsman Dario Franchitti but fellow Aussie David Brabham clinched back-to-back American Le Mans Series titles.And today Ford driver Greg Biffle won the third round of The Chase in NASCAR's Sprint Cup at Kansas and made up 55 points as four-time champion Jimmie Johnson took the series lead in his Chevrolet and Australia's Marcos Ambrose finished 10 laps down in 34th. Check out the NASCAR race report.

But the most significant achievement of the weekend was French great Sebastien Loeb clinching his seventh straight World Rally Championship in his homeland – and indeed his home region. The 36-year-old Loeb claimed his 60th WRC event victory in eastern France. On top in the slippery conditions over the first two days of the Rally of France, Loeb drove cautiously to the finish on the final day.

Fellow Frenchman Sebastien Ogier, one of three Citroen factory drivers, had crashed his C4 on Saturday, meaning Loeb only needed to finish to secure yet another title with two rounds to spare.

"It's incredible to win here," Loeb said after finishing 36 seconds ahead of Spanish teammate Daniel Sordo.

Norwegian former world champion Petter Solberg in his privateer Citroen held off the Finn Jari Matti Latvala in a Ford Focus for third place - more than a minute behind Loeb. Organisers cancelled the second last stage out of fears for spectator safety as 40,000 people lined the roads to see their hero triumph.

Solberg paid Loeb perhaps the greatest compliment. "He is incredible ... he never makes mistakes," Solberg said.

World Rally Championship driver standings: Sebastien Loeb (France, Citroen) 226 points, Sebastien Ogier (France, Citroen) 166, Jari-Matti Latvala (Finland, Ford) 144, Petter Solberg (Norway, Citroen) 133, Daniel Sordo (Spain, Citroen) 125, Mikko Hirvonen (Finland, Ford) 104, Matthew Wilson (Great Britain, Ford) 60. (Finn Kimi Raikkonen, the 2007 Formula One world champion for Ferrari, is 10th on 21 points in his first full WRC season).

WRC team standings - Citroen Total WRT 388 points, BP-Ford Abu-Dhabi WRT 277, Citroen Junior Team 193, Stobart VK M-Sport Ford WRT 140, Munchi's Ford WRT 54.

Power was running fourth when he brushed the wall in the exit of turn four on the 135th lap of the 200-lap race. His crew replaced the right rear wishbone in a few minutes but Power was unable to continue after returning to the track and was classified 25th.

Scotsman Dario Franchitti finished eighth to take the title by five points as his New Zealand teammate Scott Dixon won the race. Franchitti started from pole position and led 128 laps to pick up two valuable bonus points and increase the pressure on Power before he stuck trouble.

Once Power was a non-finisher Franchitti only needed to wind up 10th.

"It's definitely disappointing," said Power, who had gone into the race 12 points ahead of Franchitti.

"I really wanted to win this championship. It was at a point in the race where I felt I really had to push because Dario had led the most laps and was leading the race. I was trying to get around Ryan Hunter-Reay and I got a little too high and brushed the wall and bent the suspension."

Penske's other Australian, Sydneysider Ryan Briscoe, finished fourth – behind American Danica Patrick and Brazilian Tony Kanaan - with the third Penske driver, Brazilian Helio Castroneves, in fifth.

Team owner Roger Penske has told the Indianapolis Star newspaper that Power is already contracted for next season and that, despite some recent doubts, the team is "very close" to securing Briscoe again and retaining its three-car program, with Castroneves already under contract.

"I'm very comfortable where we're at," said Penske, declining to comment on the future of his multiple IndyCar champion Sam Hornish Junior, who is losing his NASCAR Sprint Cup ride with Penske and may have to settle for a drive in NASCAR's second-tier Nationwide Series next year.

While Power came up a little short in the Indy points in the end, he had a remarkable season - winning five races, a record eight pole positions and the Mario Andretti Road Course Championship after breaking his back in the middle of last year.

"Like I predicted at the beginning of the season, the guy who made the least amount of mistakes would win the championship," Power said.

"Next year I'll come back very strong. The confidence I've gained on the ovals is very important. I knew going into this year that ovals were going to be my weak point, but now I feel like I'm on par with the other guys. Next year will be a tough fight. We'll be coming back to win this thing."

Franchitti had a late scare on the way to consecutive titles when Milka Duno spun in front of him 24 laps from the finish. But the Scotsman, who will drive with Steve Johnson for Jim Beam Racing at the Gold Coast 600 later this month, said: "At no point did I freak out. I was very aware that I might not win the championship, but there was no point in freaking out about it."

Briscoe will fly home to Australia this week to share the Bundaberg Red Holden Commodore with Andrew Thompson at Bathurst and will then switch to the Toll Holden Racing team for the Gold Coast 600 two weeks later, while Power will join Ford Performance Racing at the Gold Coast.

IndyCar series final driver points – Dario Franchitti (Team Ganassi) 602 points, Will Power (Team Penske) 597, Scott Dixon (Ganassi) 547, Helio Castroneves (Penske) 531, Ryan Briscoe (Penske) 482.

From eighth on the grid Pagenaud quickly passed championship rival Klaus Graf on lap two and grabbed the class lead from Mazda driver Chris Dyson within 20 minutes. Brabham brought the car home to the chequered flag with a double stint.

The Acura took the class victory by 11 laps and finished fourth overall. Highcroft was the first full-time ALMS  squad across the line, trailing the visiting LMP1 factory squads from Peugeot and Audi. The result clinched the LMP drivers' championship for Brabham and Pagenaud by 20 points.

Brabham also won last year's LMP1 drivers' title sharing with Scott Sharp.

"To become a double champion with the Patrón Highcroft team is really amazing ... very rewarding," said Brabham, who will race with Alex Davison in the Stone Brothers Racing/Irwin Tools Falcon in Sunday's Supercheap Auto Bathurst 1000.

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