MOTORSPORT: Webber conquers Alonso

Four straight now for Triple Eight Holdens in V8 Supercars
On a torrid weekend during which a survey of Formula One drivers acknowledged Fernando Alonso as the world’s best race driver, Mark Webber beat the Spanish dual world champion to win the British Grand Prix for the second time. And in V8 Supercar racing the pendulum has well and truly swung back Jamie Whincup and Triple Eight Race Engineering’s way after Ford Performance Racing’s early season dominance.

Plus it’s been a weekend of misfortune for the Aussies in North America, with Marcos Ambrose taken out in a “big one” at Daytona and Will Power losing the IndyCar series lead.

American Ryan Hunter-Reay completed a hat-trick of IndyCar wins this morning in Toronto to take a 34-point championship lead as Power, involved in a collision with rookie Josef Newgarden, and fellow Australian Ryan Briscoe finished a lap down.

The weekend’s NASCAR race at Daytona was a tale of 'Smoke' and drugs – Tony 'Smoke' Stewart came from 42nd at the start to notch his third win of the season, while Penske driver AJ Allmendinger was sidelined indefinitely after failing a random drug test. Penske’s former IndyCar star Sam Hornish Junior filled Allmendinger’s seat, but with the team switching from Dodge to Ford next season it may open up a seat for Ambrose – if Matt Kenseth doesn’t fill it first.

But the highlight of the weekend for Australian race fans was Webber’s second win of the F1 season – and the ninth of his career On a drenched Silverstone track on Saturday Webber qualified alongside Alonso on the front row, they almost collided off the start line on a surprisingly dry Sunday and the Aussie overtook the Ferrari ace with six laps to go, cutting Alonso’s world championship lead from 20 points to 13 with 11 rounds to go.

Not only did Webber topple the man regarded as the best in the field but he continued to outperform his Red Bull teammate and world champion of the past two years, Sebastian Vettel, who came in third – his first podium in five races.

"I love racing everywhere but here [close to Webber’s British home] it's extra special,” Webber said.

“I won my first [international] race here in '96 in a Formula Ford, so the love affair continues. You've got to grab these ones with both hands - and I was very keen to grab with both hands today.

"I had a single opportunity to pounce and I wasn't going to let that slip. It was obvious that he [Alonso] was pushing as hard as possible, but the balance wasn't with him. That's when you've got to smell the blood and you've got to go for it,” the Aussie stated.

Modestly Webber added: "I'm pushing to get a contract for next year. Going reasonably well, got a few points, a couple of wins and I will work very hard to try and stay in F1 next year."

As reported here at the end of last week, Webber is more likely to re-sign with Red Bull for another year rather than replace Brazilian Felipe Massa as Alonso’s Ferrari teammate.

Vettel is third in the championship while fourth-placed Lewis Hamilton is now 37 points off the lead after finishing only eighth at Silverstone in another disappointing weekend for the McLaren team.

Hamilton’s teammate Jenson Button picked up the final championship point in Britain and is still without a podium in his home race after 13 starts in it.

Australian youngster Daniel Ricciardo finished 13th in his Toro Rosso-Ferrari and ahead of French teammate Jean-Eric Vergne.

Formula One World Championship driver standings after nine of 20 rounds: 1 Fernando Alonso (Spain, Ferrari) 129 points; 2 Mark Webber (Australia, Red Bull-Renault) 116; 3 Sebastian Vettel (Germany, Red Bull-Renault) 100; 4 Lewis Hamilton (Great Britain, McLaren-Mercedes) 92; 5 Kimi Raikkonen (Finland, Lotus-Renault) 83; 6 Nico Rosberg (Germany, Mercedes) 75; 7 RomainGrosjean (France, Lotus-Renault) 61; 8 Jenson Button (GB, McLaren-Mercedes) 50; 9 Sergio Perez (Mexico, Sauber-Ferrari) 39; 10 Pastor Maldonado (Venezuala, Williams-Renault) 29.

F1 constructor standings: 1 Red Bull-Renault 216 points; 2 Ferrari 152; 3 Lotus-Renault 144; 4 McLaren-Mercedes 142; 5 Mercedes 98.

Whincup back in the box seat
Wins in the weekend’s two V8 Supercar races on the streets of Townsville by Jamie Whincup have made it four straight for Triple Eight Race Engineering and Holden after Ford’s early season dominance.

Whincup now has a 100-point lead in the championship and is well on course for a fourth title in five years.

The Ford Performance Racing Falcons remain highly competitive, especially in qualifying, and have still won more races for the year – nine to Triple Eight’s six.

FPR's Mark Winterbottom was second to Whincup on Saturday, but on Sunday it was Whincup's teammate Craig Lowndes who was runner-up, with FPR's Will Davison third. Holden Racing Team's Garth Tander was an improved third and fourth over the weekend, well ahead of teammate James Courtney.

After 15 races still only two teams and four drivers have won this season, with the next stop Queensland Raceway at Ipswich on the first weekend of August.

The appearance of 1997 F1 world champion Jacques Villeneuve at Townsville, in place of injured Holden driver Greg Murphy, was the non-event his record of the past 15 years always suggested it was going to be.

Villeneuve struggled at the back of the field, was an early retirement from Saturday’s race and finished 24th in the 28-car field on Sunday.

V8 Supercar Championship after 15 races: 1 Jamie Whincup (Holden) 1794 points;
2 Mark Winterbottom (Ford) 1694; 3 Will Davison (F) 1654; 4 Craig Lowndes (H) 1496; 5 Shane Van Gisbergen (F) 1280; 6 Garth Tander (H) 1239; 7 Lee Holdsworth (F) 1190; 8 Tim Slade (F) 1170; 9 Fabian Coulthard (H) 1030; 10 David Reynolds (F) 951.

The Tasmanian's Richard Petty Motorsports Ford was taken out in a multi-car accident on the high-banked superspeedway.

“Just in the wrong place at the wrong time," Ambrose said.

"Our restrictor-plate race program has been really strong this year, but we don't have the results to show for it.”

Ambrose was classified in 30th and lost a place in the championship for the second week.

He is 19th in the standings at the season’s midpoint ahead of next weekend’s round at the one-mile (1.6km) New Hampshire Motor Speedway next weekend.

Reigning series champion Tony Stewart has now won the July race at Daytona four times in the past eight years, but he’s still chasing a victory in the traditional season-opening Daytona 500 – the sport’s biggest race.

NASCAR Sprint Cup standings after 18 of 36 races: 1 Matt Kenseth (Ford) 676 points; 2 Dale Earnhardt Junior (Chevrolet) 651; 3 Greg Biffle (Ford) 632; 4 Jimmie Johnson (Chevrolet) 618; 5 Tony Stewart (Chevrolet) 592; 6 Kevin Harvick (Chevrolet) 586; 7 Denny Hamlin (Toyota) 585; 8 Martin Truex Junior (Toyota) 584; 9 Brad Keselowski (Dodge) 575; 10 Clint Bowyer (Toyota) 572; Marcos Ambrose (Ford) is 19th on 470 points.