Australian Motor Racing Series F4000 Latest News

The 2006 Australian Motor Racing Series Expo is set to provide an excellent introduction to the Motorsport scene for new competitors in the lead up to the 2007 season.

A Future in Motorsport: The Expo, to be held at the Wakefield Park circuit 17 December, will provide a wealth of information and displays to interested visitors. There are over 30 confirmed displays, with more to be finalised over the next two weeks. Amongst the displays, visitors to the AMRS Expo will find drivers, teams and category representatives, who will all be extremely approachable, and eager to pass on information. This is the perfect opportunity for anyone considering competing or participating in motorsport to have an up close look at the cars involved and to get the inside information on participating. The presentations will also offer experienced competitors the chance to expand their racing knowledge in the lead up to 2007.

Something for Everyone: Everybody is welcome, and those who prefer to remain spectators will be catered for too, with Speed Off the Streets open practice sessions where they can get a taste of racing by taking their road car around Wakefield Park, there will also be Hot Laps where visitors can take a ride in a race car with an experienced driver. The displays will also give spectators a chance to see race cars in all their detail.

The Australian Motor Racing Series Expo - Wakefield Park, 17 December. Admission is free. A $5 lunch special (sausage sandwich and cold drink) will be available at the track. Fees apply for Open Practice sessions (see www.wakefieldpark.com.au), Driver Instruction sessions ($200 in your car, $300 otherwise) and Hot Laps ($300 for 5 laps).

There are still limited slots available for displays, so if you are part of a team or business interested in showing your wares, get in touch today: rod@amrs.net.au

If you are a driver keen to join the list of those offering Hot Laps, you will need to contact the AMRS for conditions: rod@amrs.net.au

Australian Motor Racing Series. Racing the way it's meant to be. Exciting. Affordable. Accessible.

With Calder Park's Round Seven fast approaching, amrs.net.au is proud to present a video preview for the penultimate round of the 2006 Australian Motor Racing Series. The video features highlights from the 2006 Series so far, and is recommended for broadband users due to the file size (15mb). To watch the video, click here, or visit the brand new AMRS Videos page by clicking here. The video will only be available for a limited time, so if you want to keep a copy, make sure you download it to your computer.

If any competitors have video they would like to see included on the AMRS Videos page, please contact the webmaster via email. Due to storage constraints, videos cannot be hosted by amrs.net.au, but we can link directly to videos stored on your own website, or stored free at YouTube.

Round Seven of the 2006 Australian Motor Racing Series heads to Calder Park 28-29 October. Click here for more details.

Ty Hanger has increased his lead in the points standings of the 2006 Yokohama Australian Formula 4000 Drivers Championship at Winton following a dominant victory at Winton Motor Raceway.

Hanger, who entered the round four points clear of championship rival Derek Pingel, now holds a 19-point lead over the Queenslander as the series approaches the penultimate round at Calder Park in two months time.

Hanger took two easy race wins in cool conditions but his success was overshadowed by a controversial incident late in the second race which saw Pingel collide with the rear of Italian driver Davide Amaduzzi.

To watch all the action, tune into SBS Speedweek, Sunday 10 September at 12 noon.

To see the next round of the 2006 Yokohama Australian Formula 4000 Drivers Championship, head to Calder Park, 28-29 October.

FOR the second time in 2006, Formula 4000 teams and drivers will descend upon Winton Motor Raceway in rural Victoria for the sixth round of the 2006 Yokohama Australian Formula 4000 Drivers Championship on August 26-27.

With only three rounds remaining in the 8-round series, this weekend’s round on the 3.0km circuit just outside of Benalla will see resumption to the season-long title battle between championship leader Ty Hanger and Derek Pingel.

After five rounds, Hanger leads the championship on 140 points to Pingel’s tally of 136, although on adjusted points whereby each driver drops their worst two race results, the pointscore sees Pingel on top by only 4 points from Hanger.

The tightness of the championship pointscores, standard and adjusted, underline the parity of performance between the two drivers this season. With 10 races completed so far, Pingel and Hanger have dominated race results with Pingel taking 6 race wins to Hanger’s 4, while both drivers have also hogged the share of qualifying sessions this season with Pingel taking 3 pole positions to Hanger’s 2.

Both drivers will be looking to add to their championship points accounts this weekend, but out to make life hard for the leaders will be Sam Dale, fresh from a maiden round win at Adelaide International Raceway last month, Les Crampton, the rapidly improving Matthew Fox and returning Italian star Davide Amaduzzi.

Amaduzzi, who impressed on debut at Queensland Raceway in June with a 2nd and 3rd placing is expected to throw a serious spanner into the works of the title battle and will no doubt benefit from a two-day test recently at Calder Park and Winton.

Bologna-born Amaduzzi’s performance on debut was promising given no prior testing mileage in the F4000 and no experience of Queensland Raceway, so with a round of racing and two test days under his belt heading to Winton, the Italian is more than capable of taking an upset win.

The weather forecast for the weekend’s event sees cool and fine conditions on Saturday afternoon with light showers expected for Sunday’s races, a prospect that drivers and teams will be prepared for following a mix of torrential rain, breaking sunshine and cold winds when F4000 last visited Winton for the third round of the championship in May.

On that occasion, it was Hanger who took two dominant race wins in inclement conditions while Pingel had a weekend to forget following off-track excursions and a collision in both races.

A full round report of this weekend’s proceedings will be online at f4000.com on Monday (28/8) following the end of the round.

A reminder that all the action from the fifth round of the 2006 Australian Motor Racing Series will air over the next two weekends. This Sunday (6 August), tune into SBS Speedweek at 12 noon for all the Citilink Touring Car Challenge and Production Touring Car Championship action. Next Sunday (13 August), tune in to catch all the Formula 4000, Thunder Sports and 3.3 Litre Holden action.

The coverage will also be shown on Fox Sports Inside Speed, the Wednesday night following each Speedweek episode.

And for the next instalment of on-track action, it's a little under four weeks to wait, as Round Six hits Winton Raceway, August 26 and 27.

MUMBO Racing’s Sam Dale has taken a popular round win in Round 5 of the Yokohama Australian Formula 4000 Drivers Championship at Adelaide International Raceway.

Dale, a 29-year old Navy helicopter pilot based in Nowra, NSW, is now in his second season of F4000 driving for Mumbo Racing, a team run by Sam’s father and AMRS director Rod Dale.

Despite not winning either of the two races held on the 2.41km Adelaide circuit over the weekend, Dale amassed enough points to win the round ahead of opening race winner and new championship leader, Ty Hanger.

Capping off a great weekend for Mumbo Racing was F4000 rookie Matthew Fox who took two well earned 3rd placings to finish 3rd overall for the round and vault to 6th overall in the championship standings.

Despite AIR being the scene of his first national level race win almost 20 years ago, previous championship leader Derek Pingel had a bittersweet weekend after spinning on the warm-up lap of the opening race and subsequently retiring when black flagged due to a mechanical problem. Pingel sought redemption in the second race though winning at a canter from Dale and Fox and setting the Formula 4000 lap record at 52.08 seconds.

Click here for the full round report, and here to see the photos from the round.

QUEENSLANDER Derek Pingel has reclaimed the lead in the Yokohama Australian Formula 4000 Drivers Championship after winning both races of Round 4 at Queensland Raceway.

Pingel led Italian driver Davide Amaduzzi and championship rival Ty Hanger home in both races and now leads the championship by four points ahead of Hanger as the season reaches the halfway mark.

Qualifying was held in windy conditions on Saturday afternoon with spins for Hanger, Amaduzzi and Les Crampton causing no less than three session stoppages and three local yellow flag periods meaning that most drivers only got one clear lap in. Luckily for Pingel, that lap was a 1:07.96 and good enough for pole position from Hanger (1:08.63) and Amaduzzi (1:09.16).

Amaduzzi, making his Australian racing debut, was pleased with his performance and confident for Sunday’s races, while also having his first run in F4000 was Queenslander Paul Hibberd who qualified 7^th in the ex-Skaife/Frentzen Lola T93/50.

A welcome inclusion to the field this weekend was Mumbo Racing’s Sam Dale who had only just arrived from Navy assignment in East Timor. Suffice to say, the paddock was pleased to see the Navy helicopter pilot back on shore (or the ground for that matter) and in safer surrounds.

Sunday’s opening 12-lap sprint got off amid controversy when Ty Hanger and Terry Clearihan jumped the rolling start. Hanger, who was starting off the front row, took Clearihan with him after launching as soon as the green flag had been shown.

With the race scheduled for just 12 laps, Pingel was immediately on the radio and requesting a restart. Hanger and other drivers claimed that as soon as the green flag was shown the race had started but Pingel was adamant that as pole sitter he had the right to control the pace to the start line and denied any suggestion he may have backed off.

"We’re coming down the straight, and my data will verify this, doing 123 kph. I’m the pole sitter and I have control but, as soon as the green flag

comes out Ty Hanger bolts and half the field go with him," an outraged Pingel said.

Race control soon dealt both Hanger and Clearihan with drive through penalties while Pingel carved his way back through the field from the rear. Hanger took his drive through penalty on lap five allowing Pingel to inherite the lead who was not headed again. Amid the mayhem, Italian driver Davide Amaduzzi grabbed second place in his maiden race on Australian soil.

Race 2 may have gotten off to a cleaner start than that of Race 1 but it was still Pingel who led the field on the run down to the first turn with Amaduzzi, Hanger and Dale filing in behind.

On lap 4, Mumbo Racing’s weekend came to an end as both cars simultaneously retired from the race after Matthew Fox shed a left-rear wheel at the end of the back straight and Sam Dale encountered gearbox problems. This necessitated a safety car intervention which tightened the field and gave Amaduzzi and Hanger some hope of challenging Pingel for the lead.

During the safety car period, one of the WISC Racing cars pulled out with a loose exhaust but unfortunately for most of the field it was debutant Paul Hibberd and not Pingel, who instead was leading the field as the green flag came out on lap 8.

The safety car period had led tyre temperatures to drop to less than racing levels and Amaduzzi found this out to his peril when he spun off at Turn 1 in an ambitious bid to reel in Pingel for the lead. The Italian managed to pull off a spectacular 360-degree spin and continued with no damage albeit now behind Hanger in 3^rd.

Out in front however it was the same old story as Pingel took a sensational race and round win on home ground from Hanger and Amaduzzi who was rapt with his debut. Pingel now leads the championship on 116 points from Hanger (112 points) and Sam Dale on 72.

Team Sydney is pleased to announce that Italian driver Davide Amaduzzi will drive the team’s Reynard 96D in the upcoming fourth round of the 2006 Yokohama Australian Formula 4000 Drivers Championship at Queensland Raceway on June 2-4.

Amaduzzi, who hails from Bologna, Italy, comes to F4000 with experience in FIA GT, Italian Formula 3, Formula Renault and testing mileage in Formula 3000 and Formula 1 cars. Amaduzzi will contest the next round of the championship at Queensland Raceway and the final three rounds at Calder Park, Winton and Wakefield Park. Amaduzzi is also committed to competing in the entire 2007 championship with Team Sydney.

“I’m very happy with my 2006 plans with Team Sydney as at last I will drive a real racing car. I’m not saying I haven’t in the past but an F4000 is the most similar to A1 Grand Prix, Formula Nippon and Formula 3000. The only problem is that due to logistical problems I have not taken part in the first three races and we will reach Queensland Raceway without any testing miles. From the second round I contest the situation will be changed as we will test at all three remaining circuits in order to increase my confidence in the car and the circuits.”

Amaduzzi is looking forward to travelling to Australia for the first time and is excited about the prospect of driving one of Australia’s fastest racing cars, but is willing to learn first

“In Queensland I will try hard to do my best but our target will be to get as much miles as possible in order to build more experience. I will be satisfied if we are in one of the first five positions in my first two races but from Calder onwards my target will be higher.”

Team Sydney will also continue to campaign a Reynard 95D for existing driver Alan Price who finished 2nd overall in the most recent round of the championship at Winton on May 7. Team principal John Calamos is pleased to be welcoming Amaduzzi to the championship and is confident about the team’s chances.

“It is very exciting to have a driver of Davide’s calibre taking part in our championship and Team Sydney will work towards acclimatising Davide to the car, the circuits and the Australian culture in the best way that we can. We also look forward to continuing our association with Alan who has gotten his and our 2006 campaign off to a great start which is very promising as we head to Queensland for the fourth round of the championship.”

The battle for the 2006 Yokohama Australian Formula 4000 Drivers Championship has intensified considerably following a wet and chaotic round 3 at Benalla’s Winton Motor Raceway today (Sunday).

Gosford driver Ty Hanger took his second round win of the season after two convincing race wins in extremely wet conditions and now leads the championship by 11 points from Derek Pingel who had a day to forget after off-track excursions in both races.

The revelation of the meeting however was Team Sydney newcomer Alan Price who finished 3rd and 2nd in the Sprint and Feature races respectively and set the fastest lap of the Feature race on the final lap. Click here to read the full round report.

Gosford driver Ty Hanger has put behind a disappointing start to the 2006 Yokohama Australian Formula 4000 Drivers Championship to win the latest round at Goulburn’s Wakefield Park today (Sunday).

Despite being shadowed in terms of outright speed throughout the weekend by championship leader Derek Pingel, Hanger drove judiciously to record a 3rd place finish in the opening race before taking a well-deserved win in Race 2 following a first corner altercation involving Mark West, Pingel and Les Crampton.

After a day of close and at times eventful racing, Hanger collected the round win from a consistent West and Pingel, who leaves Wakefield Park at the top of the overall championship standings on 66 points from West (57
points) and an ascendant Hanger (47 points).

Less than five months since the Formula 4000 fray last ventured to Wakefield Park for the final round of the 2005 season last November, Australia’s fastest racing cars are set to re-embark on the bumpy 2.20km Goulburn layout for Round 2 of the 2006 Yokohama Australian Formula 4000 Drivers

Championship on April 22-23.

While the idyllic plains of the Goulburn area surrounding Wakefield Park are renowned for their lush countryside and plentiful holiday retreats and B&Bs, there will be no rest for the F4000 drivers come a fortnight’s time as they and their winged monsters are faced with a bone-rattling ride of the tight and challenging Wakefield Park circuit, known for its abrasive and unforgiving surface and collection of winding sweeps and tight bends, which often make for close and hotly-contested racing as well as rigorous work for the drivers.

After first playing host to F4000 in 2003, this weekend’s round is the third Formula 4000 event to take place at Wakefield Park and is expected to be closely fought out following a competitive opening round at Melbourne’s Calder Park Raceway in March.

Heading into the round as championship leader is Derek Pingel (#8 Australian Lifestyle Management Group Reynard 95D) who clean swept proceedings at Calder following pole position and two race wins. Pingel leads the championship after the first round on 40 points from a brace of championship challengers headed by Mark West (27 points) and Sam Dale (22 points) who will both be looking to collect their first F4000 victories very soon after encouraging performances at Calder.

However it is anticipated that Pingel’s main opposition will come from Ty Hanger (#48 Pluim Interiors/Powrgard Mouthguards Reynard 95D) who is eager to take his first F4000 championship title after finishing runner-up in the last two seasons. Hanger’s quest for the 2006 title started inauspiciously at Calder following a disqualification in qualifying and a spectacular engine failure in the early stages of the Feature race

which meant that the Gosford driver came away from the meeting only 5^th overall in the standings on 15 points, some 25 points adrift of Pingel after one round.

On the contrary, Mark West and Sam Dale both left the Melbourne circuit with heads held high after registering their best ever F4000 finishes thus far, while for West’s Just Magazines-backed team, the result brought with it a much needed boost of morale after two difficult seasons in the category.

Dale meanwhile enters the upcoming round buoyant following a successful pre-season test at the Goulburn circuit in January alongside Australian

international Barton Mawer, who was able to use his vast open wheel experience to guide Dale and Mumbo Racing team-mate Matthew Fox to the finer points of adapting to the ‘wings and slicks’ nature of F4000, an environment foreign to Dale prior to 2005 following a career to date in touring cars.

Marking the 18^th year of Formula 4000 racing in Australia, the 2006 Yokohama Australian Formula 4000 Drivers Championship is an 8-race, 16-round competition with the champion at the end of the year to be awarded a test drive with the Tasman Motorsport V8 Supercar team as a continuation of Formula 4000’s commitment to developing the talents of young Australasian drivers embarking on careers in domestic and international motor sport.

Formula 4000 alumni includes current Williams Formula 1 driver Mark Webber, Team Australia Champ Car driver Will Power, former IRL IndyCar champion Scott Dixon and A1 Grand Prix stars Matt Halliday and Jonny Reid.

For all the details on the second round of the Australian Motor Racing Series, click here.

To take a lap around the Wakefield Park circuit aboard a Formula 4000, click here.

There may be no less than three international drivers in the Yokohama Australian Formula 4000 Drivers Championship in the near future as international competitors eye the Australian series!

2005 competitor, Kiwi Ben Crighton is set to rejoin the Championship with the RALT Australia team from Winton in early May (after conflicting committments in NZ are complete) . Italian star Davide Amaduzzi is set to compete in the Team Sydney machine, and an unnamed American driver is in negotiations with a Formula 4000 team to compete in the Championship. The competition is hotting up, and drivers around the world are finding out about one of the best value open-wheeler categories on the planet.

Round Two of the 2006 Yokohama Australian Formula 4000 Drivers Championship will be held at Goulburn's Wakefield Park circuit in two weeks time - 22-23 April. For all the information on the round, click here.

A final reminder that the TV coverage from Round One of the AMRS will commence this weekend, on SBS Speedweek 12 noon, Sunday 2 April, with the Yokohama Australian Formula 4000 Drivers Championship and Citilink Construction Group Touring Car Challenge featuring.

The following weekend, Sunday 9 April, all the action from Fantastic Furniture Kingswood Racing, Thunder Sports and Production Touring Car Championship, will screen at 12 noon.

In a new timeslot for 2006, the repeat of the coverage on FoxSports Inside Speed will now be shown the Wednesday following the Speedweek episode, at 8.30pm. For Round One, part one, watch FoxSports 5 April. For Round One, part two, watch FoxSports 12 April.

The TV coverage from Round 1 is expected to air on SBS Speedweek 12 noon, Sunday 2 April and Sunday 9 April.

The 2 April program will feature the Yokohama Australian Formula 4000 Drivers Championship, and the Citilink Construction Group Touring Car Challenge. This program will also be shown on FoxSports InsideSpeed, Thursday 6 April.

The 9 April program will feature the Production Touring Car Championship, the Thunder Sports and the Fantastic Furniture Kingswoods. The coverage will also be shown on FoxSports InsideSpeed, Thursday 13 April.

After 17 years away from national level motor sport prior to last year, Queenslander Derek Pingel has taken a stunning round win in the opening round of the 2006 Yokohama Australian Formula 4000 Drivers Championship at Calder Park in Melbourne today (Sunday).

Pingel headed home a hard-charging Ty Hanger and Mark West in a closely-fought opening race before taking an easy win in the 17-lap ‘Feature’ event after Hanger retired due to mechanical problems.

Pingel now leads the championship after the first round from West and Dale. After a perfect weekend which included pole position, fastest lap in the second race and both race wins, Pingel also made into the record books as the oldest driver to win an F4000/FHolden race at the age of 48 years, 2 months and 4 days.

Formula 4000 powered by Holden is pleased to announce that Yokohama Tyre Australia will be the official naming rights sponsor of the upcoming Formula 4000 racing season, to be known as the 2006 Yokohama Australian Formula 4000 Championship. The deal marks a return to the Japanese manufacturer for the category after using Yokohama tyres throughout 2001 to 2004.

Coinciding with the formation of the recently privatised F4000 International – a proprietary company set up by Formula 4000 team owners Derek Pingel and Chris Hocking to foster stability and direction for the category – the deal is the most recent in a steady line of announcements pointing growth for the future of Australia’s fastest racing cars.

“We are pleased that Yokohama has recognised the value and importance of supporting Australia’s longest running premier open wheel formula and believe that the association will be beneficial to competitors as a whole.”

“Together with the announcement that the 2006 Yokohama Australian Formula 4000 Champion will win a test drive in a Tasman Motorsport V8 Supercar and the stability of the recently privatized F4000 International body, there is reason for every F4000 car owner and competitor in Australia to be excited about the direction of the category for 2006 and beyond.”

The 2006 Yokohama Australian Formula 4000 Championship kicks off at Calder Park in Melbourne this weekend followed by rounds at Wakefield Park (NSW), Winton (VIC), Queensland Raceway (QLD) and Adelaide International Raceway (SA) between March and November.

Australian Motor Racing Series competitors have only five weeks to wait until Round One at Calder Park in Victoria, so it's understandable that they are excited. Today though, they have even more reason to be excited. Just by becoming a Registered Competitor in the 2006 AMRS, competitors can now enjoy between 10 and 25 % discount at Meridian Motorsport.

TASMAN MOTORSPORT V8 SUPERCAR TEST FOR REWARD FOR 2006 F4000 CHAMPION DRIVER

As further proof of its support of the development of future talent, V8 Supercar team Tasman Motorsport today announced that it will give a driver in this year’s Formula 4000 Powered by Holden category a test in one of its V8 Supercars at the end of the 2006 season.

The team conducted a similar test last year, with Formula Ford driver John Martin sampling V8 power for the very first time in December 2005 thanks to his victory in the ‘Search for a Superstar’ competition held in conjunction with the New South Wales Formula Ford Championship.

The Formula 4000 series is powered by Holden’s 3.6-litre V6 engine as fitted in the Holden Commodore VZ road car and has been the proving ground for plenty of Australian and New Zealand racing stars. Past graduates include current V8 Supercar stars Greg Murphy, Mark Skaife and Craig Lowndes as well as internationally-renowned talents including Mark Webber, Scott Dixon and Will Power.

“Obviously I have a previous involvement with running cars in the category and I still firmly believe, along with the opinions of a number of top drivers, that they are still an ideal basis for developing the skills needed in V8 Supercars,” said Tasman Motorsport Managing Director, Kevin Murphy.

“The category itself will nominate a driver who has shown the sort of speed, level-headedness and technical prowess that we are looking for.

“We’re only too happy to give an opportunity like this. While the category has been having a few tough years, its new directors Derek Pingel and Chris Hocking from Formula 4000 International are doing a lot of things to try and re-build it – this is a chance for us to help out.”

Established in 1989, the Formula 4000 series is heading into its 18th season in 2006. To be run over eight rounds and 16 races, the championship will begin at Calder Park on March 18-19 and will be broadcast on SBS’s ‘Speedweek’ and Fox Sport’s ‘Inside Speed’ programs.

23-year old New Zealander Ben Crighton has won the Tech 2U Internet Services Trophy at Eastern Creek International Raceway after a closely fought day of racing on the 3.93km western Sydney circuit.

Crighton, driving for Ralt Australia, drove consistently in both the Sprint and Feature races to take 2nd and 3rd places respectively en route to the round win.

The 10-lap Sprint race was won by Ty Hanger from Crighton and Sam Dale with both F4000 debutant Shannon O’Brien and Ricky Occhipinti being hit by mechanical maladies.

The afternoon’s 13-lap Feature race however saw a brilliant drive from O’Brien to claw from 8th and last on the grid to take a sensational victory ahead of a hard-charging Occhipinti and Crighton after Hanger retired two laps from the finish with a loose wheel.

Crighton finished the weekend on 27 points to win take the Tech 2U Internet Services Trophy and his first ever round win from Ricky Occhipinti on 25 and Hanger on 23 who was consoled by collecting three extra points for the fastest lap in each race and pole position on Saturday.

Qualifying for the Tech 2U Internet Services Trophy at Eastern Creek International Raceway commenced under sunny skies at approximately 1:35pm on Saturday afternoon with a 20-minute session to determine the starting grid for Sunday’s opening 10-lap race on the 3.93km western Sydney circuit, home of the recent A1 Grand Prix of Nations.

After setting the pace in Saturday morning practice, Ty Hanger took a convincing pole position after registering a time of 1:26.4534s to be the first man all weekend to dip into the sub 1:27s bracket.

Hanger, who was running twin shockers on his Reynard 95D as opposed to a more favoured mono shock system, complained of a slippery surface which saw times swell in comparison to those set during the championship round held at Eastern Creek in July.

Joining Hanger on the front row of the grid would be Formula Ford star Shannon O’Brien who qualified an impressive 2nd fastest in the Hocking Motorsport Reynard 97D. Labelling the F4000 a “rocketship” in his first drive, O’Brien was narrowly quicker than the returning Ricky Occhipinti with Ben Crighton qualifying 4th fastest despite being a curious 1.2s slower in qualifying than in practice earlier.

Sam Dale recovered from an electrical glitch to be 5th fastest ahead of Bob Muir with Tim Berryman, also making his F4000 debut, heading up the final row alongside Matthew Fox.

Drama began before the field even made its way to the grid for the opening 10-lap ‘Sprint’ race, with Occhipinti forced to start from pit lane exit after starter motor issues with the Formula Uno car.

While the field toured around on its formation lap, similar fate befell Shannon O’Brien in the Hocking Motorsport car, the Queenslander encountering a dying battery on the out lap caused by a recalcitrant alternator.

When the lights went green, Hanger left the field in his wake with Crighton, Dale and Berryman filing in behind as Occhipinti set off after the field from pit lane.

After an excellent performance in qualifying, O’Brien was out after three laps with the battery onboard the Hocking car finally going flat. On the same lap, veteran Bob Muir looped the Guardian Loans Reynard 94D at Turn 2 before stalling the car in a precarious position thus calling for intervention of the Safety Car whilst Muir rejoined the field.

Hanger’s lead fell back to nought when the green flag waved, with Crighton, Dale, Berryman and Occhipinti all bunched up behind the green and white machine. Occhipinti threw out a challenge to Berryman after the restart and succeeded, taking 4th place from the Wagga Wagga driver.

While Hanger looked unthreatened in front, Crighton managed to keep the Gosford driver honest whilst at the same time holding off a pursuant Dale. Occhipinti latched onto the back of the Mumbo Racing machine but was unable to make a challenge.

Behind them, Berryman was settling in well punching in his first sub 1:30s time for the weekend as Matthew Fox came to grief beaching the Reynard 91D at Turn 3. Although out of the race, marshals were able to retrieve Fox’s car without delaying the race unlike Muir’s spin earlier.

Out in front, Hanger took a well-deserved Sprint race victory from a fast-finishing Crighton who got within 3.2s off Hanger at the line and posted his best F4000 race finish in the process.

Dale also managed to notch up a personal best taking a narrow 3rd place from only 0.5s by Occhipinti who was frustrated with 4th while Berryman took a solid 5th in his debut ahead of Muir.

The 13-lap feature race would decide the outright winner of the Tech 2U Internet Services Trophy and was anticipated to be an enthralling encounter with rookie O’Brien buried in the field.

Matthew Fox’s day went from bad to worse clutch problems sidelining the F4000 new boy at the start.

As in race 1, Hanger got off to a good start from Crighton and Dale with O’Brien already into 4th by the end of the opening lap having disposed of Occhipinti, Berryman and Muir.

Occhipinti would battle the Queenslander to momentarily reclaim 4th position on lap two before the Hocking Motorsport machine powered past again one lap later.

After officials adjudicated a jump start for Dale, the Navy helicopter pilot served a drive-through penalty and dropped back to 5th behind the battling pair of O’Brien and Occhipinti who would soon surge past Crighton on the same lap to move up to 2nd and 3rd respectively.

Ahead of the young guns was Hanger who looked set for another unchallenged victory until a loose wheel on the Pluim Interiors machine saw the Gosford driver pull out on the 11th lap of 13.

Hanger’s tragedy proved to be O’Brien’s triumph with the Queenslander driving through to take the lead and ultimately complete the dream by collecting a popular race win ahead of Occhipinti and Crighton whose 3rd place finish was enough to clinch the round win.

O’Brien’s success marked the first win for the Hocking Motorsport team since Rob Nguyen at Winton in 2004 and underlined the Queenslander as a definite championship contender should he choose to contest the 2006 championship.

Although the 2005 Holden Australian Formula 4000 Championship concluded at Wakefield Park a fortnight ago, F4000 racing action is not over yet for 2005 with a non-championship round still to be held at Eastern Creek International Raceway as part of the final round of the Australian Motor Racing Series this weekend.

The Tech 2U Internet Services Trophy will consist of a 10-lap sprint and 12-lap feature race on Sunday at the 3.93km circuit, located 40 minutes west of the Sydney CBD.

Heading the entry list at Eastern Creek will be 2005 championship runner-up Ty Hanger and reigning F4000 champions Ralt Australia who will field its championship-winning Reynard 96D for Kiwi Ben Crighton. Hanger enters the Tech 2U Internet Services Trophy as clear favourite after a strong showing at the western Sydney venue in July where the Gosford driver took the fight up to eventual winner and champion Peter Hackett in both races.

Crighton, 23, finished 4th in the 2005 championship standings and will be returning to the F4000 field in 2006 for an all-out assault on the title with Graham Watson’s Ralt Australia outfit. Over the Antipodean summer Crighton will also contest the Toyota Racing Series in New Zealand which is currently being led by 2003 F4000 champion Daniel Gaunt.

Making his F4000 debut with Hanger Racing in the team’s Reynard 92D this weekend will be Goulburn resident Tim Berryman who comes to F4000 with results in Formula 3 and state level Formula Ford in New South Wales while the ever-improving Sam Dale will headline Mumbo Racing’s two car attack in the ex-David Coulthard Reynard 94D alongside Matthew Fox who will run the team’s older 91D model.

Fox is another driver looking to contest the full season in 2006 and will be using this weekend’s meeting as a valuable addition to his experience in Australia’s fastest racing cars.

Formula 2 and Formula 5000 legend Bob Muir will line up in the Guardian Loans Reynard 94D after an auspicious maiden outing in the category at Oran Park while as F4000 went to press, Hocking Motorsport were in the process of negotiating with a Formula 3 driver regarding the seat of its Reynard 97D as campaigned in 2005 by Les Crampton.

Further updates leading up to the event as well as qualifying and race reports throughout the weekend can be accessed from the new-look F4000 website at www.f4000.com.

Sydney’s Peter Hackett has added the 2005 Holden Australian Formula 4000 Championship to his curriculum vitae after collecting two race wins in resounding fashion at Wakefield Park in Goulburn today (Sunday).

Hackett, 29, held off Gosford driver Ty Hanger to claim his first F4000 title and the fourth consecutive F4000 championship for RALT Australia.

Hackett also becomes the first driver in history to win Australian championships in both Formula 4000 and Formula 3.

Hackett won 9 of the 10 F4000 races he contested in 2005 and used his year in the category as a springboard to test drives with A1 Team Australia in A1 Grand Prix and Team Australia in Champ Car Atlantic.

Hackett headed home Derek Pingel and Ty Hanger in both races, with Hanger overcoming an engine misfire in the final race to finish ahead of Pingel for 2nd.

Three drivers (Hackett, Hanger, Pingel) all lapped within the existing F4000 lap record of 56.4250s set by Jonny Reid in February 2003. Hackett capped off a dream day by setting the new benchmark at 56.3001s.

Qualifying for the final round of the 2005 Holden Australian Formula 4000 Championship at Wakefield Park commenced under sunny skies at approximately 1:33pm on Saturday afternoon with a 20-minute session to determine the starting grid for Sunday’s opening 14-lap race on the twisty 2.20km circuit, located in the rural NSW town of Goulburn.

Stephen Borness (#17 Mantis Racing Reynard 96D) set the opening race to go fastest with a lap of 57.2429s after two minutes. However, Borness would not improve on his early pace and was soon usurped by Derek Pingel (#8 ALMG Reynard 95D) and a hard-charging Ty Hanger (#48 Pluim Interiors Reynard 95D) who punched in two consecutive fastest laps to became the first man to dip into the 56-second bracket and consequently lap within the F4000 lap record.

Peter Hackett (#1 Snap-On/JVC Reynard 96D) then threw out a challenge after four minutes to take provisional pole position with a 54.7804s followed by a stunning 54.4232s. Hanger improved to set a 55.1684s but failed to make any inroads on the RALT Australia driver, settling for 2nd fastest and an intriguing front row battle for the two championship protagonists.

Pingel finished the session 3rd fastest with a sub lap record 55.9 second lap, ahead of Mark West (#50 Just Parts Magazine Reynard 97D) who managed his best ever F4000 starting position in 4th from Borness and Sam Dale (#12 Mumbo Racing Reynard 94D) making his return to the category after a Navy assignment in the South China Sea.

Terry Clearihan (#27 NNS / Braddon Auto Mart Reynard 92D) was a disappointing 7th fastest in front of Les Crampton (#74 Hocking Motorsport Reynard 97D) while making up the final row of the grid were two new names to the 2005 field, Chris Clearihan and Matthew Fox.

Clearihan (#26 NNS / Braddon Auto Mart Ralt RT23), whose brother Chris has been an F4000 stalwart since 2000, is a former Australian Sports Car Champion and was making his first F4000 start since 1993.

Fox (#24 Mumbo Racing Reynard 91D) made his debut in the category this weekend driving the second car from Rod Dale’s Mumbo Racing stable as driven by Brendan Julius in the last round at Oran Park.

The opening 14-lap sprint race was shortened to 13 laps after an aborted start due to Mark West stalling on the starting grid. Series returnee Chris Clearihan was unable to make the start after a leaking fuel tank in qualifying.

When the lights went green, Hackett took the lead from Pingel and Hanger with a fast-starting Les Crampton slotting into 4th position ahead of Borness.

West rejoined the race albeit seven laps down and ultimately would not be classified as a finisher. Hackett drove an untroubled race to win the championship by taking 20 points for the win as well as an extra point for fastest lap.

Pingel was 6.0s in arrears at the finish with Hanger struggling to 3rd some 18.0s seconds behind the Queenslander. Borness registered his best F4000 finish with 4th having managed to overtake Crampton on lap 5.

As in race 1, the 20-lap feature race was shortened to 19 laps after a first-lap incident involving Sam Dale and Terry Clearihan at Turn 7.

Clearihan spun off the circuit before returning back onto the racing line and in front of Dale, who had nowhere to go but into the side of the Canberra driver.

The race was red flagged with Dale using the temporary stoppage to fit a new front nosecone and wing assembly while Clearihan was unable to take the restart due to a damaged sidepod and punctured radiator.

When the race was restarted Hackett was again out in front with Pingel and Hanger in tow. On lap 6, Hanger was able to overtake Pingel who understeered on the cement dust left at Turn 7 following the earlier incident and would stay behind the 34-year old for the remainder of the race.

Two laps later, Borness took to the scenery allowing West, Dale and Crampton through. The Mantis Racing machine soon latched onto the back of Crampton who was struggling with a broken front wing assembly.

Crampton was able to hold off Borness but not without a great deal of defensive driving which caused Borness to yield from an overtaking attempt up the inside of the Hocking Motorsport car, causing the Sydneysider to spin on the dirty side of the circuit.

Out in front however Hackett took his nineth win of the season after a near perfect display all year round. Hanger held off Pingel for 2nd with Mark West and Sam Dale recovering after engine dramas in Race 1 and an opening lap crash to register their best ever finishes in 4th and 5th respectively.

The 2006 season kicks off at Calder Park in Melbourne on March 19 for the beginning of the category’s second year as part of the Australian Motor Racing Series.

Sydney’s Eastern Creek Raceway came alive on Saturday (29/10) as a series of drivers competing in next weekend’s A1 Grand Prix of Nations drove Formula 4000s to test and learn the circuit.

2003 Formula 4000 runner-up and A1 Team.NZL star Jonny Reid did 40 laps aboard the Ralt Australia Reynard 96D regularly piloted throughout the series by championship leader Peter Hackett.

Reid set a best lap narrowly outside that of Hackett’s pole time at the Eastern Creek circuit in July this year and was reported to be very happy with the power output of the Holden HFV6 Alloytec engine in his first drive with the new powerplant.

South Africans Stephen Simpson and Gavin Cronje also opted for Formula 4000 power to get a taste of the Sydney circuit, both drivers piloting the Formula Uno Motors Reynard 97D as raced in the category by Ricky Occhipinti.

A1 Team South Africa has officially purchased the Formula 4000 and will use it as a test car for its similarity in dimension and power output to the A1 Grand Prix machine.

Meanwhile last weekend at the Lexmark Indy 300 on the Gold Coast, 2002 Australian Formula 4000 Champion Will Power made his Champ Car debut for Team Australia.

Power, who has recently signed a two-year contract with the team, qualified an excellent 9th and was running 7th and on course for the best finish ever in a Champ Car event by an Australian driver until he was taken out in an incident involving his team-mate Alex Tagliani.

Formula 4000 powered by Holden in conjunction with the Australian Motor Racing Series (AMRS) is proud to announce the 2006 Formula 4000 powered by Holden racing calendar.

The 8-round, 16-race series will visit five (5) circuits across four (4) states in 2006, with races held in metropolitan and rural areas across the east coast of Australia. All rounds will be televised on free to air TV on Speedweek via SBS and on pay TV on Inside Speed via FOX Sports.

Kicking off at Melbourne’s Calder Park Raceway (VIC) on March 19, the series will reconvene at the regional Wakefield Park (NSW) circuit five weeks later for the second round of the championship on April 23.

From New South Wales it is back to Victoria for the third round at Winton Motor Raceway a fortnight later on May 7, before heading north to Queensland Raceway in Ipswich for the fourth round of the championship on June 4.

History will be made on July 9 when Formula 4000 heads to Adelaide International Raceway for the category’s inaugural race on the 2.4km circuit, where the sounds of Holden V6 power will reverberate from the walls of the circuit’s famed ‘bowl’ complex for the first time.

It is then back to Victoria for the next round at Winton on August 27 before a well-earned break prior to the penultimate round at Calder on October 29.

The series will culminate with the Formula 4000 Grand Final at Wakefield Park on November 26.

“The 2006 season heralds an exciting new era for F4000, supporting the AMRS National Series. Formula 4000 provides a unique opportunity for drivers to develop their skills in Australia’s fastest and most challenging race cars.”

“As an avid open wheeler fan I can’t wait for the upcoming 2006 season for the Australian Motor Racing Series which will include the fastest open wheelers in the country in Formula 4000, which will be at times complemented by the new Oz BOSS Series for Formula 1 and IndyCars.

“It is very exciting to have the fastest category in Australian motor racing as part of our series for 2006. I look forward to more of the homegrown Aussie quad-cam V6-engined cars coming on stream.”

The 2006 Australian Motor Racing Series calendar has been announced, and sees some exciting new inclusions on the AMRS schedule. An eight round series, travelling to four different states, the 2006 Australian Motor Racing Series looks set to be better than ever!

ROUND	DATE	CIRCUIT
1	18 - 19 March 2006	Calder Park
2	22 - 23 April 2006	Wakefield Park
3	6 - 7 May 2006	Winton Raceway
4	3 - 4 June 2006	Queensland Raceway
5	8 - 9 July 2006	Adelaide International Raceway
6	26 - 27 August 2006	Winton Raceway
7	28-29 October 2006	Calder Park
8	25 - 26 November 2006	Wakefield Park

Formula 4000 alumni have impressed in the recent 2.5-day A1 Grand Prix test held from August 24-26 at the Paul Ricard HTT Track in Le Castellet, France.

Both A1 Team Australia and A1 Team.NZL (New Zealand) were represented by past and present Formula 4000 drivers, with 2002 Australian Formula 4000 Champion Will Power heading the Australian contingent along with current HAF4C leader Peter Hackett, Will Davison and Christian Jones, while A1 Team.NZL were represented by former Ralt Australia Formula 4000 drivers Matthew Halliday and Jonny Reid.

At the conclusion of the 2.5-day test, the United States finished fastest thanks to Red Bull Racing Formula 1 test driver Scott Speed, setting a time of 1:24.177. New Zealand was 5^th fastest overall after Reid set a time of 1:24.590, with Australia finishing 14^th fastest after Power’s best efforts of a 1:25.312.

The Australian leg of the A1 Grand Prix of Nations will be held at Eastern Creek International Raceway in Sydney from November 4-6 and the series can be followed at www.a1gp.com.

Halliday finished 3^rd in the Holden Australian Formula 4000 Championship in 1999 and 2000 for Ralt Australia, collecting a best result of 2^nd place on seven occasions. Since competing in F4000, Halliday has contested the Infiniti Pro Series and Formula Renault V6 EuroCup (nee World Series by Renault). Halliday also tested a Champ Car for Mi-Jack Conquest Racing at Sebring earlier this year.

Like Halliday, Reid drove a Ralt Australia car in the 2003 HAF4C, finishing a joint 3^rd in the final points standings with Paul Trengove after scoring five wins and four pole positions. Post-F4000, Reid has both lived in and competed in Europe and the Far East, campaigning a Formula 3000 in the Superfund Euro 3000 Series last year before moving to Japan to contest the Japanese Formula 3 Championship in 2005.

Power, now competing in the World Series by Renault, won the 2002 HAF4C after seven wins and three pole positions. Power has since competed in the British Formula 3 Championship and now the World Series by Renault. Power has also tested a Formula 1 car for the Minardi F1 Team at Misano last year and recently test drove a Champ Car for Team Australia at Portland two weeks ago.

Davison meanwhile test drove a Formula 4000 at Winton Motor Raceway last November as part of his preparation for his Formula 1 test with the Minardi F1 Team alongside Power. Davison tested a Greg Murphy Racing Reynard 94D in a bid to become familiarised with the high power and downforce output of a Formula 4000, the closest relation to a Formula 1 car in Australia.

Like Davison before him, current HAF4C leader Hackett is using Formula 4000 as a platform to bigger and more powerful machinery, thus far leading the 2005 points standings after round victories at the last two rounds at Phillip Island and Eastern Creek.

Christian Jones has one Formula 4000 start to his credit at Phillip Island in 2003, and has previously tested for Simon Hardwidge Racing at Calder Park in 1998.

The fifth round of the 2005 Holden Australian Formula 4000 Championship took place at Oran Park Raceway last weekend, with championship leader Peter Hackett again taking a convincing two race wins from his nearest championship rival Ty Hanger, who finished 2^nd in both races.

Series returnee Christian Murchison scored Hocking Motorsport’s first podium finish of the season with a pair of 3^rd placings.

Hackett now leads the series by 14 points from Hanger heading into the final round of the championship at Wakefield Park on November 13.

Both drivers are vying for their first F4000 championship titles thus meaning that 2005 will see a new F4000 champion.

4. Derek Pingel - #8 Australian Lifestyle Management Group Reynard 95D (1:04.8155)

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