The Last AU Built...

[pete60]

With (hopefully) more VTs/VXs and AUs now coming out to play in the Shannons National Series (the Beikoffs have taken their AU to that series, as an example), I got to wondering...what was the last AU built that turned a wheel on a race track?

I think Craig Bastian claims that title for the AU he built in 2003 and raced a few times in the development series that year. That car resurfaced late last year in Sherrin Rental colours and was driven to victory in the Qld 500 at QR by David Russell and Grant Sherrin.

But I had an idea that the ex Briggs AU run by Gary Deane in the development series in 2004, 2005 and 2006 was built up from a spare shell acquired from Briggs Motorsport.

And, similarly, when Dean Wanless trashed his ex Briggs AU in 2005(?), Matthew White also acquired another spare ex Briggs shell from T8, to build up a replacement car while the original car was rebuilt.

Is this right? Are there any other late build candidates?

[sebringimsa]

Originally Posted by pete60

With (hopefully) more VTs/VXs and AUs now coming out to play in the Shannons National Series (the Beikoffs have taken their AU to that series, as an example), I got to wondering...what was the last AU built that turned a wheel on a race track?

I think Craig Bastian claims that title for the AU he built in 2003 and raced a few times in the development series that year. That car resurfaced late last year in Sherrin Rental colours and was driven to victory in the Qld 500 at QR by David Russell and Grant Sherrin.

But I had an idea that the ex Briggs AU run by Gary Deane in the development series in 2004, 2005 and 2006 was built up from a spare shell acquired from Briggs Motorsport.

And, similarly, when Dean Wanless trashed his ex Briggs AU in 2005(?), Matthew White also acquired another spare ex Briggs shell from T8, to build up a replacement car while the original car was rebuilt.

Is this right? Are there any other late build candidates?

Chris Smerdon is running an AU for Michael Bartsch in the Shannons Nationals this weekend. Is it the ex Craig Bastian one or another AU?

[pete60]

Not sure about the history of that car or the #50 car being run by Image Racing.

[bondy_racing]

I think the Image Racing car is the ex Ambrose AU.. not 100% sure though.

[barra]

I think the last AU built and raced in the main series was David Besnards Caltex AU, after Gardner wrote Car 9 off on Friday at Bathurst 2002. I am unsure if that car ever went onto PCR or was the car Winterbottom used in 2003 to win the Development Series.

There are also other AU's away from V8supercars that were built up after BA was launched. But they weren't for Supercar competition.

I think you need to define if its the Last AU Race Car, Last AU Supercar or exactly what stat you'd like.

[aussieracer]

Originally Posted by pete60

Not sure about the history of that car or the #50 car being run by Image Racing.

the #50 car is the ex ambrose au.

[aussieracer]

Originally Posted by barra

I think the last AU built and raced in the main series was David Besnards Caltex AU, after Gardner wrote Car 9 off on Friday at Bathurst 2002. I am unsure if that car ever went onto PCR or was the car Winterbottom used in 2003 to win the Development Series.

There are also other AU's away from V8supercars that were built up after BA was launched. But they weren't for Supercar competition.

I think you need to define if its the Last AU Race Car, Last AU Supercar or exactly what stat you'd like.

the #49 au falcon run by image racing this weekend is the ex caltex au. which was winterbottoms car, then went to pcr, then has been run by image racing since.

[pete60]

Originally Posted by barra

I think the last AU built and raced in the main series was David Besnards Caltex AU, after Gardner wrote Car 9 off on Friday at Bathurst 2002. I am unsure if that car ever went onto PCR or was the car Winterbottom used in 2003 to win the Development Series.

There are also other AU's away from V8supercars that were built up after BA was launched. But they weren't for Supercar competition.

I think you need to define if its the Last AU Race Car, Last AU Supercar or exactly what stat you'd like.

I am after the last AU built and raced as a supercar. As Bastian's car was only raced in the development series, any car built after this would also have raced only in the development series.

[B!tchie Renault]

Originally Posted by aussieracer

the #49 au falcon run by image racing this weekend is the ex caltex au. which was winterbottoms car, then went to pcr, then has been run by image racing since.

From my information SBR built 6 AUs

AU1 Car 10 was for Mark Larkham and was destroyed in Oran Park fireball in 2000.
AU2 Car 4 went to Gibsons for Craig Lowndes and I think is still owned by Forbes
AU3 Car 9, won QLD 500, Sold to Kevin Munday in 2002 (looked after by PCR), sold to Image Racing in 2006.
AU4 Car 4 started with Marcus Ambrose 2001&2002, sold to PCR 2003&2004, sold to Image racing in 2006.
AU5 Car 36 (Gardner), then Car 9 for enduros in 2002, destroyed at Bathurst. Reports was this car was repaired and was up for sale (Phil Nichols?)
AU6 Car 9 debuted at Indy event in 2002. Winterbottom Car 41 in Dev series 2003, Decina racing Car 60 in 2004, Sold to Chris Smerdon in 2005.

So I see the Image Car to be AU3 and the ex.Winterbottom Car as AU6

Briggs Built 4 AUs

JBMS001 for Bowe (Car 600) in 2001
JBMS002 & JBMS003 for Longhurst and Max Wilson in 2002
JBMS004 not fully sure if used by Briggs in anger, but must have been identified as a chassis, as the BAs started of as chassis JBMS005.
I think Chassis 1 & 4 went to Peters Motorsport and Chassis 2 & 3 went to Matthew White. I am not sure if Matthew White got a Chassis from Peters Motorsport. I also recall MW getting the ex. Thexton AU (originally built by Prancing Horse racing) when he got the BA.

As mentioned before I think the youngest AU that raced in the main series was SBR AU6 as it debuted in October 2002.
I am not sure that JBMS004 raced in the main series.
There was also the Rod Salmon AU which was sold to Craig Bastian

Sorry I digressed, but it may be information that others can use.

[bondy_racing]

Shane Beikoffs AU is Ex Rod Salmon which he bought has a rolling chassis from Craig Bastian in 2004.

[GTRMagic]

Chassis SBR AU3 is for sale Here

Chassis AU4 was advertised for sale on my105.com and sold to a collector, who was reportedly going to put the car back to Pirtek colours.

The ex-Rod Salmon AU built by Mr McLean is still running, actually ran today in the Shannons series at the hands of Mr Beikoff... the sister car to this is Here for sale...

[pete60]

Thanks to all!

A few comments..

The car built for Besnard by SBR in late 2002 to replace the car crashed by Gardner would be the last AU built and campaigned in the main series.

The ad for the Sherrin sponsored car takes us back to where I started, in that it is claimed to be the last AU built, in 2003.

But I don't think it is...

I am sure JBMS#1 was in fact the EL John Briggs built and ran briefly in Supercheap colours.in 1997 or 1998.

In any event, the ex Cat car didn't go to Matthew White. It was sold to Mike Olsen who ran it a few times. Steve Voight drove it at a Bathurst support race one year. I am sure it is JBMS#2.

Briggs built and raced 2 Betta AUs, #3 and #4. These went to Rod Dawson and Matthew White. That's why I reckon the Deane and replacement Wanless AUs were built up from spare new shells AFTER 2004.

Matthew White did also buy the ex Thexton ex McLean ex Noske AU when he bought the BA. That went to Peter Vicary to run in the TCC in Gulf Western colours. I think that has been sold to a collector as well.

And if the ex Ambrose chassis #4 has been sold to a collector, it can't be the other car Image Racing is running this weekend. Perhaps that is the ex Colourscan AU run by Rodney Forbes and erroneously described by its owners, when it ran in the TCC, as "ex Lowndes green eyed monster". Not quite, chalk and cheese there!!

[bondy_racing]

Pete, The ex colourscan falcon is still owned by Peter Vicary and is currently for sale so i dont think it is the #50 car.

[pete60]

you're right!

http://www.my105.com/classified.asp?id=11964&latest=1

[aussieracer]

the #50 car is owned by mark shepherd, but run by image racing. it was purchased from dean neville who was running it in the fujitsu series with kitome sponsorship, once again run by image racing. that may be where the collector comment came from, but im 99.9% sure that is the ex ambrose au. dean only sold the car to upgrade to a ex brad jones ba.

[B!tchie Renault]

Originally Posted by pete60

Thanks to all!

A few comments..

The car built for Besnard by SBR in late 2002 to replace the car crashed by Gardner would be the last AU built and campaigned in the main series.

The ad for the Sherrin sponsored car takes us back to where I started, in that it is claimed to be the last AU built, in 2003.

But I don't think it is...

I am sure JBMS#1 was in fact the EL John Briggs built and ran briefly in Supercheap colours.in 1997 or 1998.

In any event, the ex Cat car didn't go to Matthew White. It was sold to Mike Olsen who ran it a few times. Steve Voight drove it at a Bathurst support race one year. I am sure it is JBMS#2.

Briggs built and raced 2 Betta AUs, #3 and #4. These went to Rod Dawson and Matthew White. That's why I reckon the Deane and replacement Wanless AUs were built up from spare new shells AFTER 2004.

Matthew White did also buy the ex Thexton ex McLean ex Noske AU when he bought the BA. That went to Peter Vicary to run in the TCC in Gulf Western colours. I think that has been sold to a collector as well.

And if the ex Ambrose chassis #4 has been sold to a collector, it can't be the other car Image Racing is running this weekend. Perhaps that is the ex Colourscan AU run by Rodney Forbes and erroneously described by its owners, when it ran in the TCC, as "ex Lowndes green eyed monster". Not quite, chalk and cheese there!!

Pete,

I was trying to get some information about the chassis history from the Great Race Books, but there is some conflicting information. I was thinking the orginal Supercheap AU built by John Briggs may have been JBMS001. This is the car that went to Anthony Tratt, with the CAT Car JBMS002 and the Betta Cars JBMS003 & 004. This would then have the spare chassis as unlisted which were sold off and completed built by the development series teams.

Peters Motorsport also had the ex. Greenfields Mowers AU which Wayne Wakefield campained for a couple of years.

Thanks for the info on the Salmon/Bastian car going to Beikoff, I forgot about that link.

[sebringimsa]

So is the Michael Bartsch AU the ex Steve Ellery car?

http://www.speedshots.com.au/gallery...T0042.jpg.html

[GTRMagic]

Sure looks like it... there are still ads on my105 for that car too...

[Sultan]

Don't forget the Harris buit Castrol AU that only raced in the Konica series, not to be confused with the Longhurst Castrol car.

[GTRMagic]

Originally Posted by aussieracer

the #50 car is owned by mark shepherd, but run by image racing. it was purchased from dean neville who was running it in the fujitsu series with kitome sponsorship, once again run by image racing. that may be where the collector comment came from, but im 99.9% sure that is the ex ambrose au. dean only sold the car to upgrade to a ex brad jones ba.

Both #49 and #50 appear (from this distance) to be ex-SBR chassis...

Mr Neville actually has the Oran Park-winning ex-BJR chassis for sale Here

[pete60]

Thanks B!thchie, you're correct, the car John Briggs built and ran in Supercheap colours was an AU, not an EL.

The #50 car is definitely the ex Ambrose unit.

And, Sultan, I think Craig Harris ran the car he built himself in the main series in 2002...

There were two ex Ellery AUs. Michael Bartsch has the newer of them...what happened to the older?

And my money is now on Matthew White's "replacement" AU as the last one built and raced as a supercar.....

[B!tchie Renault]

I recall seeing a Ellery Supercar on display at the Southport RSL during Indy week (about 2004). It was dressed up as a BA but was too real to be a show car. I suspect that they reskinned SER1 to be the BA show car. Don't know of it's whereabouts now?

SER2 now with Michael Bartsch
SER3 now with David Sieders
SER4 destroyed in the Clark/Porter incident in 2006.

[GTRMagic]

Originally Posted by pete60

Matthew White did also buy the ex Thexton ex McLean ex Noske AU when he bought the BA. That went to Peter Vicary to run in the TCC in Gulf Western colours. I think that has been sold to a collector as well.

Its for sale... Here

I hope it ends up back in Speedyland colours

[pete60]

Originally Posted by B!tchie Renault

I recall seeing a Ellery Supercar on display at the Southport RSL during Indy week (about 2004). It was dressed up as a BA but was too real to be a show car. I suspect that they reskinned SER1 to be the BA show car. Don't know of it's whereabouts now?

SER2 now with Michael Bartsch
SER3 now with David Sieders
SER4 destroyed in the Clark/Porter incident in 2006.

Thanks B!tchie, that could be right, particularly if it had a red cage.

[B!tchie Renault]

Originally Posted by pete60

Thanks B!tchie, that could be right, particularly if it had a red cage.

Yes it did have a red cage. It was only SER4 that had a silver cage.

On this subject, Bowdens say that they have a DJR BA V8 Supercar in their museum and in fact it is the DJR AU12 car reskinned to a BA.