Racefan's Racing Web
Archive 2 - The Cabbies Cud
 
 
Hi everyone Well latest news is that Magna might be joining the V8 Supercar ranks by the year 2005. Some would say 2004, but unless everyone really pulls their fingers out I can't see this happening. My opinion is yes; bring the Magna on, as it would be very beneficial to the series as a whole. People are tiring of the parity issues between Ford and Holden, so fresh meat will bring a whole new zest to the championship. The car will be a rear wheel drive Dodge sourced V8. My big hope is that Toyota will also join the ranks one day. Hopefully, someone from one of those companies see this letter and supply me with a new V6 Magna or Avalon for my new taxi. Cheers, Cabby Ps. See picture fore how things would probably look if Toyota joined tomorrow

Living in a dream.

2003 V8 Supercar review

16-12-03

Well, once again the v8 supercar circus has completed it's rounds for 2003. With what was considered at the start of the year by most a impossibility. Russell Ingal having a fantastic year with his new team the Stone Bros. outfit. Russell took out 12 of the 13 rounds this year with Ford having it's most successful year in history, with Glenn Seton from Pro-drive finally getting the monkey off his back and winning the Bathurst enduro for the first time.

After the race a jubilant Seton announced his retirement from driving, stating that he has achieved his goals with driving and is moving to a managerial role in the team. Back to the series, the Ford's were awesome this year with Holden obviously struggling with what Ford have had to put up with for quite some years now with Ford taking out all of the top 5 places in the championship. In second place was Craig Lowndes from the new Pro-drive team. Steven Johnson following in 3rd position after a successful turn around of luck for the Johnson team. John Bowe was 4th in the series with rumors surfacing that after 2004 he may retire. 5th position was filled by the Pro-drive team driver Glen Seton.

So, with Ford taking out the top five in 2003, there are some worried faces in the Holden camp, especially with the shock announcement that the 6th position in the series driver from HRT, Mark Skaife , will be joining Stone Bros Ford operation next year as Ingalls teammate.

Holden are not holding high hopes for 2004, but in 2005 are working with series ruling bodies to try to get the monster 427 homologated  so they at least have a chance of keeping up with the Ford's

 

What Goes around comes around

What a weekend at NZ for Greg Murphy. It looked at the QLD 500 and again that Murph was suffering a little Murphy's law. After disastrous results at Willowbank and Bathurst Murph's luck has finally come good. I must say I quite enjoyed the race. It provided different results to the HRT benefit we have seen the rest of the year apart from Q.L.D. and Canberra.

Now that I mentioned that, the funny thing is both Queensland and Canberra have been scratched from the series. Will the same fate become of Pukehoe? I certainly hope not as i like the track. Very fast and entertaining. I feel however, that once again Ford has snatched defeat from the jaws of victory but I was happy by the speed some of the Ford's displayed in the race. Besnard through some rotten luck was down in the field, but in the last race, even though he was a long way behind, he was matching Murphy's lap times.

Bring on Sandown, this should be another entertaining race, although I do feel that HRT will once again be winning here. Don't get me wrong but I was getting tired of the Skaife benefit this year. I know he is a class driver but it was getting a tad boring watching him win all the races.

Cheers for now,

Cabby Wayne

Confused Alligiences II

Hi all, Well look's like the dream of the perfect one winning the race will not turn to reality. In today's competitive racing and the speed the race will be run at, it would be highly unlikely if Brock can win the race starting from 26th position. The best I think we can hope for now is a top five position. Now what about that man Bowe, What an incredible lap in the qualifying session. This will definately be the Ford car to watch in the race on sunday. My heart goes out to David Besnard, who has now learnt the super highs of motor sport after winning the QLD500, to the lowest of lows after the car got withdrawn from the race after Wayne Gardner crashed after a failing front brake caliper. That makes the stone brothers job more difficult having the one car left. Now they might have to go into let's just finish this race mode instead of let's go win this one. Shell team car of Alan Jones and Ritter surprised me by getting in the top 15. I also thought Glen Seton would have been closer to the front.  Well it's almost time for me to go jump in the Taxi again for my daily 12 hour endurance event. Best of luck to all the drivers in the top 15, and a safe race for everyone on sunday. GO BROCKY, if not GO FORD

Wayne

Confused Alliances 1

By Wayne Buckley

Well, first I had better quickly introduce myself. My name is Wayne. Way back in 1972, a young boy watched his first full Bathurst race with his Dad, whom had just made the purchase of his very first brand new car. That car was a Holden Torana LJ. It was only the S model, which was the base nodel in those days. It had the 149CI engine which was about 2.25 Litres of 'Holden Red' 6 cylinder motor. Even though it was nothing like the mighty XU1 Torana which come out with a 3litre motor (186) with triple carbies, my Father was still very proud of this car.

That year against the might of the famous GTHO(Grand Touring Handling Option) Phase 3 Falcon that had a whopping 5.8 litre V8 motor, the Torana, through a little lady luck, with mother nature providing the right weather and a very brave drive by a young driver named Peter Brock managed to slip by Alan Moffat in the GTHO as Moffat had a spin at Reid Park and win the 1972 James Hardie 500 at Bathurst.

At a young age , I got caught up in the enthusiasm shown by my father at that race as he watched the type of car he had just purchased, go by the Ford. Hence my love affair with Bathurst began and another Holden supporter was born.

Through the years I remained a Holden supporter and more importantly, Peter Brock supporter, to me he was and still is the epitemy of Touring Car drivers in Australia. Then alas one sad day finally happened. Halfway through the 1997 Shell Touring Car series, Brocky announced his retirement. It was a sad day for me and a lot of fans, as the remaining rounds of that year was some of the most emotionally charged races I have ever seen, with grown men crying even at races as Brock smoked the tyres and did honour laps around the circuits that year.

Through the Brock years, whenever anyone asked me about Bathurst, my answer would always be the same.. Barring breakdowns/accidents, Brock will win. Even now that my preferences have changed from Holden to Ford in 2002 the answer will be the same. Barring breakdowns/accidents Brock will win.

After all that the owner of this site has asked me to write this from the perspective of a Ford fan, so at the risk of this article being miles too long, I will explain why my alliance has swapped from Holden to Ford. I am a Taxi Driver and for a long time now, through experience with driving both makes myself and the opinion of 98% of the cab drivers/owners out there, that in the 6 cyl cars that the Ford Falcon motor is superior to the dinosaur 40year+ old Buick V6 motor that the Holden runs. So I was a sort of a mixed supporter, following Ford in the 6 cyl range but still avid Holden fans regarding the V8s.

Recently with the boredom of the same Commodore team, winning the majority of races for nearly 3 years running, and the release of the BA Falcon, I have fully changed my support to Ford.

So if Peter Brock has that Breakdown/accident, I feel Bathurst is another place where the Fords will excel. Some Fords that impress me are the #21 Ozemail Falcon of Brad Jones and his talented (co)driver John Bowe. I feel this will be the strongest team on race day, followed closely by the Stone Brother machines of Marcos Ambrose and a recently confidence boosted David Besnard, who took out the recent Queensland 500 race.

I attended that race and a guy who I didnt have much time for as a driver, really took me by surprise , driving a brilliant race in an ill handling underprepared Falcon. That man was Neil Crompton. He did an outstanding race and through his efforts, with the ever smiling Craig Lowndes, they bought that car home in a well deserved Top 5 position.

So watch out towards the end of the race, because if the 00 Motorsport Falcon is still circulating late, I think theyll be right up there amongst the leaders.

Unfortunately I think the Shell team will still have not found why their going backwards and wont be serious contenders for the lead, with maybe a top ten position being a reward for a hopefully clean race for that team.

My Bathurst Top Ten:

1st Peter (perfect) Brock

2nd a fast closing John Bowe

3rd Russel Ingal

4th Craig Lowndes

5th Mark Skaife

6th Greg Murphy

7th Larry Perkins

8th Garth Tander

9th Paul Radisich

10th Marcos Ambroselist, will be that

The top 3 or 4 on that  order, but the rest, mixed .

Anyhow wherever you are and whoever you support, I hope youse all have a great day, whether watching at home, or are lucky enough to be going, and witnessing Brocks well deserved tenth victory