2012 Australian Sports & GT Championships

[Simon S]

Originally Posted by rich07

Exact numbers are unknown but its safe to say that there are more Mosler roadcars then Ascari ever built so to say that it isnt a true roadcar is garbage. The main reason the Mosler was never homologated was due to politics involving rival manufacturers who didnt want to be beaten by a specialist manufacturer who built a cheaper car.

BTW the Mosler that ran B24 with Martin Short had a 5.7L LS? engine and the Mosler GT3 racers these days run the 7L LS7 which you can also have in the Mosler roadcar, the specs seem to change from individual car to car (both road and race) which doesnt really help sort out any confusion.

The early cars all had 5.7 engines (all be it in various states of tune), and at that time, there was a GT2 compliant version.

When GT3 was first floated, mosler did not initially present a GT3 version, it was some time later they saw the way GT2 was heading, and then applied to homologate it as a GT3 car, by which time the big boys were all in and kicked up about it not being a product car (even though this was never a defined hence ascari).

[useless27]

Update on the regulation for this year

http://www.speedcafe.com/2012/01/20/...australian-gt/

[GTRMagic]

Originally Posted by GTRMagic

Speaking of Carrera Cup... it seems Mr Bates has achieved a switch to that class.. according to Mr Pattinson's graphic representation below...



There seem to be quite a few cars in that series without pilots at the minute, and maybe a couple of pilots now without cars..

It will be alright on the night, it always is

It seems Mr Bates is scheduled to be running with Mr McElrea's equipe in 2012..

[Simon S]

Originally Posted by useless27

Update on the regulation for this year

http://www.speedcafe.com/2012/01/20/...australian-gt/

on the face of it, that actually looks quite sensible....

(assuming they can police it right)

[nafe!]

UK Mosler developer to race at Clipsal

Thursday 2nd February, 2012
Author: SpeedCafe ©


The Mosler that Martin Short will race at Clipsal as it raced last year in the UK

The developer of the spectacular Mosler MT 900 – Brit, Martin Short – will return to Australia for the Clipsal 500, where he will partner John Briggs in the Australian GT Championship event in one of the English supercars.

Short last raced in Australia in 2003 at the Bathurst 24 Hour. The year prior, he finished second in the inaugural event in the Mosler to the Garry Rogers Motorsport-built Holden Monaro.

The car he will share with Briggs previously competed in the British GT Championship, and was purchased by the Queenslander mid-way through last year.

Short – who builds the Mosler racecars under the guise of his UK-based business, Rollcentre Racing – is a former winner of the British GT Championship and won the inaugural Britcar 24 Hour race aboard one of the iconic cars. He has also competed at the Le Mans 24 Hour in the LMP2 category under the Rollcentre Racing banner.

“I can’t wait to be back in Australia, especially for an event such as the Clipsal 500,” said Short. “John Briggs has given me the opportunity to co-drive with him, and given that the Mosler has been pretty competitive in Australia over the past few years, we are really looking forward to the challenge.”

Briggs himself is no slouch behind the wheel, having won the 1996 Australian Sports Sedan Championship, among piloting Formula 5000 and Formula Holden open-wheel machines, before moving into V8 Supercars.

His eponymous V8 Supercar team morphed into the current all-conquering TeamVodafone Championship team.

Briggs previously competed in the Australian GT Championship in a Dodge Viper before taking a sabatical partway through 2009 in order to battle prostate cancer.

In additional Australian GT Championship news, the international flavour will continue at Clipsal with the addition of Hong Kong’s Jackie Yeung. The Asian GT and Porsche series regular will campaign a Ferrari 360 Challenge on the streets of Adelaide.

[rich07]

Now thats some good news, its been a while since Short raced in Australia.

[Morris Dancer]

Originally Posted by rich07

Im guessing it would be the same car but with upgrades, why would you buy a brand new car if you could just upgrade the old one?

Cant wait to see the McLaren, one wonders if the sale of VIP would preclude the Quinns running in the famous black and yellow livery?

" ... the sale of VIP ..." Since when has it been for sale (or sold)?

[rich07]

Originally Posted by Morris Dancer

" ... the sale of VIP ..." Since when has it been for sale (or sold)?

Quinn has been wanting to sell the business for a while now, contingent on meeting the price he wants the buyer to stump up for. Not sure if the sale has happened yet.

[GTRMagic]

Originally Posted by Morris Dancer

" ... the sale of VIP ..." Since when has it been for sale (or sold)?

Story Here

The Fin Review has reported recently that the handover is not too far away...

I wonder if that frees Mr Quinn up to do even more motorsport events?

[fordo]

So if VIP sale goes through, how does that effect the DJR/Paul Morris VIP sponsored Ford ?

[GTRMagic]

Originally Posted by fordo

So if VIP sale goes through, how does that effect the DJR/Paul Morris VIP sponsored Ford ?

If I recall correctly, VIP Pet Foods has a 2 year deal with PMM for title sponsorship with that entity, presumably since they are now in their second year, it will expire at this season's end.

Stories around the place seem to suggest that Mr Quinn has a new business in mind, having tyre kicked a confectionery company or two, with the aim to take it up to Nestle & Mars! So a new brand will be out there soon it seems...

[cptkablamo]

Change in management at the GT Championship - http://www.speedcafe.com/2012/02/14/...australian-gt/

Interesting coming into the first round...

[GTRMagic]

Will it reduce the series entry fee at all?

[nafe!]

This is seriously dissapointing, what does it take to get some stability and forward motion in this category?

Well i guess we now have to wait for either tony quinn to unleash his thoughts in a media interview or hopefully some well informed members who are part of the gt circus will make a comment here regarding the story behind this change.

I really hope that Quinn could see a far better way of doing things with his business experience and has acted for the best interests of the category and thats its not a clash of ego's culminating in a dummy spit.

[osrg]

Spherix wanting guys to ship their vehicles to Winton a week out from Bathurst 12hr and 2 weeks out from Clipsal preparations to perform yet another BOP dick pulling contest was lunacy. It was always going to end up like this. I've said it a million times before...... Let the big boys in GT go all out. No parity, fastest man wins.

[GTRMagic]

Originally Posted by osrg

Spherix wanting guys to ship their vehicles to Winton a week out from Bathurst 12hr and 2 weeks out from Clipsal preparations to perform yet another BOP dick pulling contest was lunacy. It was always going to end up like this. I've said it a million times before...... Let the big boys in GT go all out. No parity, fastest man wins.

The public reasons for the split seem to be around the lack of pure focus on the GT series... Spherix is busy with the V8Utes, what with new cars (Ford) homologated this year, with some challenges around a balance of performance in that class with such a disparate way about building a technical package, it will take some time to see whether the Ford has too much, or not enough, to keep up with the Holdens...

... perhaps too busy to do the GT's to Mr Quinn's standard as well.

Its a good thing that Mr Quinn is willing to invest in the infrastructure of the category by making a permanent appointment to run the series. The challenge is that the competitors are funding this with the series entry fees...

I had heard something about Mr Simonsen perhaps being called upon again to do the Balance of Performance test for the GT series... it happened last year... and a couple of squads got some technical feedback that actually helped them with the setup of their cars (Mr Weeks especially...) The timing is wrong.. and makes no sense.. given that all the cars are here in Oz now.. and have been for some time...

What is Mr Collier's background? Has he run a series like this previously?

[Sheep Stations]

Sorry GTR, osrg is closer to the mark. What competitors fees are funding what? AGT under Spherix only had 2 series entered competitors. Nothings changed, plenty of starters for the sexy events like Clipsal...but only a couple prepared to stump up a huge chunk to go all year. TQ wouldn't have liked the look of this business plan, spend more on the back page than you earn on the front. I know it's Motorsport, but he is a canny scot.

Maybe a few old heads have seen and heard it all before hence happy to visit the establishment but wouldn't want a long term commitment. The BOP idea at Winton less than 2 weeks from B12 hour and 3 weeks from Clipsal was cynical and plain dumb. So dumb that the owner who is on the record for not having much time for the B12hr promoter wouldn't participate.

Ken Collier is no mug, was a big wig with Stihl and a regular assistant to the category manager at the track for Carrera Cup for several years.

[GROUPA]

Mean while Erebus were testing @ Winton today

[speedreader]

Originally Posted by GTRMagic
Its a good thing that Mr Quinn is willing to invest in the infrastructure of the category by making a permanent appointment to run the series. The challenge is that the competitors are funding this with the series entry fees...

???

Wouldnt the same competitor's series entry fees have been funding Spherix overheads too ?

If so, then bringing category management back in house where it can dedicate total focus to the one category might possibly mean less operating costs and potentially more proactive marketing

[GTRMagic]

Originally Posted by speedreader

???

Wouldnt the same competitor's series entry fees have been funding Spherix overheads too ?

If so, then bringing category management back in house where it can dedicate total focus to the one category might possibly mean less operating costs and potentially more proactive marketing

Perhaps... but it depends if you are selling the same overheads to two different people for the same price

[Oldtony]

I guess this points up the differences between operating at professional, or entirely dependent on sponsorship level, to the situation that dominates AGT where decisions are much more influenced by personal choice than financial need.
A series organiser has a far bigger stick to wave at someone who needs to participate for financial survival. Yes costs are important in AGT, BUT they are not the ultimate decision influence to many of the entrants.

[cptkablamo]

Originally Posted by osrg

Spherix wanting guys to ship their vehicles to Winton a week out from Bathurst 12hr and 2 weeks out from Clipsal preparations to perform yet another BOP dick pulling contest was lunacy. It was always going to end up like this. I've said it a million times before...... Let the big boys in GT go all out. No parity, fastest man wins.

Jeez, they must have been high if they thought that such a thing would have gone unnoticed in the GTs. Did they not read up on the history of the Series when they thought of this?

We know a big stick approach won't work here, so why try it again?

[Morris Dancer]

Originally Posted by fordo

So if VIP sale goes through, how does that effect the DJR/Paul Morris VIP sponsored Ford ?

A reliable source informs me that the stories about VIP Petfoods being sold - or even being for sale - have no foundation.

[deano2]

Originally Posted by Morris Dancer

A reliable source informs me that the stories about VIP Petfoods being sold - or even being for sale - have no foundation.

Time will tell

[rich07]

Well the series has a new sponsor in Sargent Security and will be known as 'Australian GT Championship protected by Sargent Security'.

http://www.speedcafe.com/2012/02/16/...australian-gt/