MOTORSPORT: V8s get going again

Whichever way you look at it, four weeks between rounds -- or race meetings -- has been too long. Three weeks ought to be the maximum, and that's what it will be between the next few meetings, and two is ideal -- which is what it will be later in the season.

While some readers may feel we're a bit harsh on the V8 Supercars here at times, we like the show -- the cars (although not all the paint jobs) and the participants. It remains the country's major motor racing championship, and has become more so over the years.

It's just the bullsh1t figures on attendances and TV figures we too often hear or read that are a turn-off.

Anyway, round four -- or the fourth meeting of the season -- is here at last. And not a moment too soon. Perhaps it is that this weekend it's at the Symmons Plains circuit near Launceston where this author watched motor racing as a kid that's got us a bit excited. Or perhaps that, as much as we looked forward to the Monaco Grand Prix and Indianapolis 500 last weekend, those classics didn't quite sate our appetite.

Maybe because the Aussies taking part fell a little short of what we'd hoped for from them there. Maybe it was that, as much as they were/are great events, they weren't particularly great races.

So we're looking forward to seeing some racing on the shortest and, in some ways, tightest track on the V8 Supercar calendar. Maybe we will see the Ford domination of the season (wins in all six races so far; nine counting the non-championship races at the Melbourne Grand Prix) broken at last.

We remember back a couple of years to how dominant Holden's VE Commodore, or at least that of Garth Tander, was in its first season. Still vivid in the memory, however, is Jamie Whincup's string of successes at the end of last season. Triple 8/Team Vodafone's run has continued this year with Whincup and, at the GP (non-championship) and Winton four weeks ago, Craig Lowndes.

But we've seen a couple of statistics this week that emphasise this dominance even more. Team Vodafone has won 21 of the past 33 races -- a strike rate of 63.6 per cent. And Falcons have won 34 of the last 45 races -- a strike rate of 75.5 per cent.

Lowndes now has 73 Australian Touring Car Championship/V8 Supercar Championship race wins -- just 14 short of Mark Skaife's record.

While we greatly admire the performances of Team Vodafone and its two drivers, in the interests of balance we wouldn't mind seeing Holden turn the tables this weekend -- at least in one of the two races.

Whincup and Holden Racing Team's Tander have won 10 of the 12 races at Symmons Plains since the circuit returned to the championship in 2005.

You don't need to be Einstein to predict that they most likely will figure prominently again this weekend, along with teammates Lowndes and Will Davison -- although the series is tossing up a few wildcards at the pointy end of the field at times these days. And the soft tyre option, introduced at Winton a month ago, should spice things up again.

But there are a few storm clouds brewing over this weekend, quite apart from any wintery weather that Tasmania might deliver in late May. There is the Splittergate affair still, some arm wrestling over funding of another upgrade of the 2.4km Symmons Plains circuit ahead of contract renewal negotiations, and the future of General Motors, which looks like coming to a head in the next three or four days and what it may mean for Holden.

This week's Auto Action magazine has covered the Splittergate row extensively. Editor-at-large Mark Fogarty has detailed how V8 Supercar honcho Tony Cochrane had hoped the matter was at an end, but that five Holden teams (HRT, Walkinshaw Racing, Garry Rogers Motorsport, Brad Jones Racing and Rod Nash Racing) have protested.

Now, that protest was very late in lobbing, but the five teams are claiming "exceptional circumstances".

Stewards are to meet at Symmons Plains this morning (Friday) to decide, firstly, whether even to hear the protest. A couple of points here:
-- It is odd that Tasman Motorsport/Sprint Gas Racing is not party to the Holden protest, as it is our reading of the situation that it made the running on the issue at Winton
-- The agitation may not be so much about the technicalities of the front splitters made by Triple 8 for several Falcons, but about getting V8 Supercars technical director Campbell Little, formerly of Triple 8, in the gun.

We can understand there being some angst, but surely this is not that big an issue. It is crying out for a pragmatic solution. Let's see if anyone can devise one. The show has got to go on, and the history books can't be rewritten.

The Tasmanian press has carried reports this week that V8 Supercars wants safety upgrades and travel subsidies to extend the contract for Symmons Plains to remain part of the championship beyond next year.

One headline we saw read "Threat to V8 Supercars (in Tasmania)". One cynic suggested it should have read "Threat by V8 Supercars".

This same chap queried why the government should be called on to cough up for track changes and to subsidise getting the participants there if indeed there were almost 60,000 people at the track over three days for the V8 Supercars last November -- his thinking being that surely such a crowd would have generated enough to pay for everything.

Now this is normal argy-bargy in contract talks. V8 Supercars will probably get most, if not all, of what it wants. Governments around the country have shown themselves to be soft touches in such negotiations.

We note that Tasmania's tourism minister Michelle O'Byrne has said: "The state government is happy to work with the event organisers in relation to future upgrades and improvement (at Symmons Plains). However, the government has to work within its own budgetary constraints."

On the grapevine we've heard a stronger point of view, along the lines of: "The Tasmanian government is in deep muck, is on the nose big-time and the new premier, David Bartlett, isn't into sports. Tony Cochrane and Co might just get a shock if they try any bullying tactics -- that won't work with Bartlett."

Ms O'Byrne, in supporting the V8s this week, may not have done her case a favor by raising that Greens opponent Nick McKim had branded the supposed 60,000 fans "the George Bush NASCAR demographic". Anyway, we'll stick to our prediction that V8SA will get pretty much what it wants in Tassie.

Whether the premier is 'into' sports or not, the Symmons Plains race meeting is the state's biggest annual sporting event -- and he could face electoral repercussions if he lost it.

The General Motors issue -- imminent Chapter 11 bankruptcy -- is beyond anyone's control in Oz. While it casts a dark shadow over the future of one of the two car manufacturers competing in V8 Supercar racing, not much can happen -- surely -- to effect the performance of the Holdens in this weekend's races. Other than on the morale of the participants.

Perhaps the best approach to take is that of Holden's all-time favorite racing son, the late Peter Brock, and see the glass as half full rather than half empty. And hope that GM's motorsport involvement in Australia continues at something like full-on, rather than run on empty.

V8 Supercar Championship standings after six races: Jamie Whincup (Ford) 804 points; Will Davison (Holden) 690; Steven Johnson (F) 573; Lee Holdsworth (H) 534; Rick Kelly (H) 531; Garth Tander (H) 504; Craig Lowndes (F) 501; Shane Van Gisbergen (F) 453; Jason Richards (H) 417; Fabian Coulthard (F) 414

The deadline for entries for next year's F1 world championship is tonight. At the time of writing there are no signs of Ferrari, BMW, Toyota, Red Bull or Toro Rosso lodging entries. But we're sure an extension will be granted to ensure the red cars are on the grids in 2010.

Williams broke ranks with the recently formed/re-formed Formula 1 Teams Association (FOTA) by lodging its entry for next season midweek -- and was promptly "black-balled" by FOTA. McLaren-Mercedes may yet do as Williams did, and that would probably mean Brawn and Force India -- the best and worst teams this season --following suit as they run Mercedes customer engines.

Renault could go either way, perhaps entering because of team boss Flavio Briatore's loyalty to his close mate Bernie Ecclestone, or holding off knowing that it can (get an extension).

A couple of newcomers have nominated (including Peter Windsor and Ken Anderson's American outfit and Campos from Spain) and others may too, although David Richards/Prodrive/Aston Martin may not this time, wanting complete assurance on cost containment.

There's an abundance of coverage of all the politics of this great F1 bunfight about rules and budget caps in all the usual places -- grandprix.com, autosport.com, crash.net and The Times online -- but one particularly scathing assessment of the situation -- headlined "A corrupt, bankrupt charade . . . can F1 be rescued?" -- appeared in Scotland's Herald and it's here.

Webber's career, since 2002, has yielded four podiums -- hopefully with more, and better, to come. Brabham's 16 years in F1, from 1955 to 1970, produced 14 GP victories and three world titles (in 1959 and '60 with Cooper, and in 1966 with the famous Repco-Brabham).

Webber won't ever come near those results, but just one or two wins would be nice -- for him and Aussie fans.

Came across a Webber interview with a difference this week, see here.

>> Field of 82 entered for Le Mans 24-hour
One area of motorsport little affected by the global economic crisis is the entry list for next month's Le Mans 24-hour sportscar classic.

Eighty two entries have been received for 55 places in the field. Three manufacturers -- Audi, Peugeot and Aston Martin (run by David Richards of Prodrive/Ford Performance Racing fame) -- account for 12 cars.

Audi and Peugeot will be vying for outright honors with diesel cars, while Aston Martin is celebrating the 50th anniversary of its sole outright victory at the French circuit in 1959.

The entry list is six short of last year's 88 but six better than 2007's 76. The top prototype categories -- LMP1 and LMP2 -- account for more than half the entries with 44 cars.

A major assessment will be needed on the roads in northern NSW intended to be used for the revival of Rally Australia in early September after the recent heavy floods there.

Aussie Will Power's fifth place on Monday was worth $345,305 -- and Roger Penske is making noises about giving him more drives throughout the year.

Ryan Briscoe's 15th place earned him US$349,755 -- more than Power, thanks to bonuses for starting on the front row of the grid and leading 11 laps of the race.

There have been reports since the 500 that Indianapolis Motor Speedway boss Tony George is being forced out of his post, but so far he is insisting he is staying put.

It had a big element of luck, as Reutimann stayed out on the track at the wheel of his Toyota in rain as most drivers pitted and NASCAR's longest race ended prematurely. Reutimann is not really Ambrose's teammate but more of a step-teammate, as the Aussie drives for JTG Daughterty but his Toyota comes from MWR.

Ambrose started 23rd at Charlotte and was classified 26th.
This weekend the Cup is on the "Monster Mile" at Dover, Delaware.

NASCAR Sprint Cup standings after 12 of 36 rounds: Jeff Gordon (Chevrolet) 1722 points; Tony Stewart (Chevrolet) 1678; Kurt Busch (Dodge) 1607; Jimmie Johnson (Chevrolet) 1594; Denny Hamlin (Toyota) 1575; Kyle Busch (Toyota) 1540; Ryan Newman (Chevrolet) 1538; Jeff Burton (Chevrolet) 1472; Matt Kenseth (Ford) 1460; Greg Biffle (Ford) 1448; Carl Edwards (Ford) 1431; Mark Martin (Chevrolet) 1428; Marcos Ambrose (Australia, Toyota) is 20th on 1216 points.

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