formula holden....

[gomick]

rick kelly won both races, disappointing field numbers, 12 cars, what the ****......hopefully Simon Wills and a few others will rumble at next round in adelaide gp (short) circuit.

[Fiorentina 1]

Emerson Newton-John finished just .14 seconds behind Kelly. He is the find of the season!

[elephino]

Not the best of racing, and as said a disappointing field and they were stuffed around a little too as they only had one run on Saturday. And the program was changed for Sunday so not all made it out for race 2 (only 10).

[WheelMan]

Interesting...
Newton-John (Olivia?) was lame in the NZ series, obviously he just needed some time to come to grips with the car.

What's with Murchison? Is he still rumoured for a Euro open wheeler drive?

[Marshal]

As I recall Murchison didn't set the world on fire in f3000 testing, so that might be your answer.

PS. Nice to be getting a global view on junior formulae, keep it up!

PPS Formula Holden, my perception from a long way away is that this a formula for people going nowhere (in single seater terms) and serious antipodean challengers will come to europe first? Is this fair or am being an uniformed pom?

[marcus]

Probably a fair assumption Marshal...allthough many have tried formula Holden and then gone to Europe..few have succeded...i think Mark Webber is the only success story out of it..i know Simon Wills did Brittish F3 before coming to Oz for F Holden..Jason Bright went from it to indy Lites but is now back in Oz doing v8 supercars..and now Andy booth and Steve owne will make their indy lites debuts on the streets of Long beach after running Formula holden last year..so there is still a chance that we can get a driver from the series into the big leagues.

Murcho is promising ..just wish he got the chance in Europe this year.

I think we need a European engine in the cars and call it Australian F 3000 so the European teams have a clue as to what it is...sadly they havent been a support class in melbourne for the last fews years to try and showcase our openwheeler stars...we have european f 3000 chassis ..so why not an engine to match what their doing in europe..but I guess Holden are paying good money to get their name out there and thats what talks these days.

I love the class and am totally amazed at the cars speed and performance..i think they are one of the greatest cars in any country ..but we dont have alot of ways to get them out there for the world to see.


oh yeh back to the original topic..great effort by rick kelly..this kid is a real talent..as good as his brother Todd ??? maybe time will tell..

Stuart McColl also did rather well.

[pv27uk]

Originally posted by marcus
and now Andy booth and Steve owne will make their indy lites debuts on the streets of Long beach after running Formula holden last year

Marcus, do you know which teams Andy and Steve will drive for? They should have a decent chance of scoring points anyway, what with the 12-car grid of Mexico...

[kev]

If Andy Booth and Steve Owne have stepped up to Indy Lights this year, and Jason Bright, Craig Lowndes, and Scott Dixon have previously. Doesn't that show the series is becoming a recognised stepping stone for drivers from this part of the world. The fact that some didn't have the talent (or money?) to progress further, doesn't invalidate the path they took there in the first place.
That said, it would be fair to say that most of the field are racing at the highest level they are able.

[WheelMan]

Both Bright and Dixon have said that the Lights and Holdens are similar to drive, and Dixon proved that with the Lights record pace in his very first drive of the car.
So good to see some more guys from downunder getting a go in lights this year.
Hopefully the yanks will cotton on to the pool of talented open wheeler pilots in this part of the world.

Come anyone put me onto sites for junior formulae, I can never find much online.

[marcus]

kev..Craig Lowndes drove in f 3000 in Europe and not in indy lites...I agree looking back on the drivers who have progressed through the series ..and yes several of them have done rather well but sadly have fallen down due to lack of money..hopefully more will come out of formula holden in the future.


wheel man you can check out the formula holden site at www.formulaholden.com.au

pv27uk..Both Andy and Steve will be driving for the brian Stewart team ..at this stage steve will only contest lonbeach but hopes to impress his sponsors (Gigawave ..free plug )enough to commit for the full year..while Andy will drive in the final ten rounds of the series...good luck to them.

[pv27uk]

Cheers Marcus,

Brian Stewart are a decent team, and should give Andy and Steve a good opportunity. I remember Andy from '98 I think in Formula Palmer Audi over here, and he impressed me. I think he will do very well. I don't know as much about Steve, but I hope he impresses the sponsor enough for more races.

[Fiorentina 1]

Originally posted by WheelMan
Interesting...
Newton-John (Olivia?) was lame in the NZ series, obviously he just needed some time to come to grips with the car.

Ya, 1 day of testing was all he needed to 'come to grips'! lol. Do you think it's possible that his results in NZ was more to do with that team? Ya, pretty obvios, isn't it, WheelMan....

NJ had 1 day of testing before Philip Island with NRC. He didn't do ANY driving, other then the 24 hours of Moroso in a Porsche 944, after the Tasman series....

[elephino]

As said before, Dixon (indy lights), Bright (indy lights, V8supercars), Lowndes (F3k, V8Supercars), Mark Skaife (V8Supercars) and a few others have a made it somewhere from FHolden.

Webber on the other hand, never raced in the category.

[Ray Bell]

I was going to say that Webber never ran FHolden, but went straight to Europe after running FF, taking his PR girl with him and dumping her when he made good...

Skaife was a different case, too, for Fred Gibson put him into the Lola for the purpose of expanding his experience, and at the same time gave his touring car sponsors some extra coverage and netted an easily-won championship.

Mark Larkham came up through it, though, and would no doubt have preferred to stay in single seaters...

There have been others who've recognised a value of some sort in the class. New Zealanders (like Wills, Murphy etc) have come to Australia just to move through the ranks, while Japanese have used it as a steppingstone as well (for licencing reasons perhaps?) over the years.

Shame it's almost unknown outside the most knowledgeable enthusiasts... how far our racing has sunk!

There have been highlights... once this happened:

WINTON, 1979 – a true story told in verse.

"Now listen here, John," said Larry, forlorn
that he couldn't leap in for his cause
at the sideshow at Winton, the politics borne
of the confronting of cars of two laws.

It would grow in excitement as the weekend progressed,
and the fur it would surely fly thickly,
as the fives and Atlantic men put to the test
their aims, which I'll tell you of quickly.

It was "Rose City" time at that place in the South,
where the bitumen winds around tightest,
and the thundering roar of the Chevys was loath
to give in to the Ralt, which was lightest.

Paul England was there, in his best stirring mood,
But his Chevron was giving him trouble.
Bespectacled Larry, though, hurled all this brood
as usual, as if on the double.

Jon Davo moved in with the new A F One crowd,
determined to make his own mark.
(Not hard for him, as his talking is loud -
a dog he don't need for its bark!)

Signs were put up to show all that came
the pit spots for all the top cars -
with the best spots reserved for the five thousands lame.
Then Paul said: "Let's fix this farce!"

He'd been camped there all week, in a spot that was marked
for a Lola equipped with an eight,
next to Graham McRae, who became very narked,
As also was Seaton, his mate.

For a musical sign game had Paul England played,
including Smith's Ralt just for fun.
John was given the spot Graham's sign was displayed,
Right up alongside the Chevron.

An argument flared up, it needn't be said,
between Graham and John (still recalling
that rash moves at Repco had near left him dead,
at Sandown, where fives were all falling.)

"TOO OLD," was the cry that came from Smith spry,
we could see that the Kiwi was shattered,
then Lee Seaton jumped in, fists ready to fly,
it was young John who almost was splattered!

The "Cowangie Kid" had to break up the fight,
at great risk to his sole pair of glasses;
So obvious was Mister England's delight
that he came out unmarked from these passes.

The next step, of course, was Larry's retort
when told that officials would fine him -
for having no licence, ("never been bought")
Of a frame-up it was much reminding.

Russell Lanyon said: "Yes, I'll give you a note
to tell them that CAMS got your dollars."
But later on - "No!" was the message he wrote -
the working out doesn't need scholars.

For big brother John (and his mates with the big cars),
had made Russell retreat from his pact -
go back on his word for these childish beggars -
it was such a despicable act!

Larry stood for his rights, his feet planted firmly,
and insisted his money would stay.
"I don't care," he said, "how you wriggle your wormy
way out of this mess, I won't pay!"

And so they relented, as Larry kept shouting
"This just doesn't happen in Britain!"
The compromise called for an end to this doubting,
by which deal he wasn't so smitten.

Then on into the night time, when the Mayor failed to show,
and so left them alone, to themselves,
so by the end of the evening (with shouting from Davo),
they near woke up all Hoot Gibson's elves.

Then, putting an end to the chaos he'd started,
Jon calmed them all down in the dark.
"We'll display our wares well," he now imparted,
"For our dough!" was his final remark.

The parade went like clockwork, impressing the throng
lining the streets to observe.
An outward appearance of a formula strong -
nobody showing their sore nerve.

And the race, yes the race, like fury and fast,
Thrilling the crowd and the viewers.
John Bowe led from Alfie, but it couldn't last,
Smith next in the Ralt so much newer.

It astounded the crowd that a car of that size
could press hard on Alfie - their hero -
but push him it did, while Bowe looked so wise,
and spun back to fourth - almost zero.

Back in the field Paul Hamilton lay
ninth in an Elfin so aged,
Until Butcher came up to a lapping game play
and chose the wrong side, it is wagered.

The Lola was out as it speared off the track,
the argument later was friendly.
Rob then was more certain of how he should act
when waved through on roads that are bendy.

Smith got beside Alfie, a few times at least
and set fastest lap in the trying,
but the power of the Chev, oh, such a beast
left him each time, almost crying.

So the win was Costanzo's, again out in front,
with the little cars filling three places
before Bowe came along, now bearing the brunt
for the damage he'd done for no aces.

As Hamilton finished (it is quietly said),
Smith's crew gave him great accolades,
'xcept the car he had tangled was the wrong Lola, red,
still left in the Winton grass blades.

But it still wasn't over, or not at least
till conspiracies 'mong all the CAMS men
had worn out their spirits and had all their feast
at the cost of the little-car men.

"Let's pull the thing down, and make sure it's right,"
said Russell Lanyon at last.
But despite all the sweat, Larry reached a new height,
and he gave him o-o-oh such a blast.

"Now show me your name in this programme I hold,
in the scrutineer's list just for preference!"
But his name wasn't there, so Russell was told:
"Get out, or I'll show you the difference!"

The programme did name, among others, Mick Ronke -
"Sec. of the Meeting," it said,
But still unimpressed, Larry was cranky.
"There's not a 'scrute's' tag on his head!"

The poor scrutineer, under orders rebounding
seemed to favour young Larrikin's tones.
But in the end, Perkins notwithstanding,
he pulled the cars down to their bones.

They were legal of course, and who would doubt that,
so's the action that Paul England's taking
Against Davo, but then, we'll not mention that,
for sub-judice laws we'd be breaking.

Now years have gone by, most forget this weekend
Even Larry, who drove Elfins later -
And the argument's over, for others contend
new issues o'er tintops and "data."

The Gold Star limps on in the shadow of tourers
costing millions to put on the track.
Oh, for the days of the open-wheeled furores,
Days that - sadly - we'll never get back.

[marcus]

great story Ray


actually mark Webber did drive in Formula Holden..allthough he never completed a full season in the category he competed at the 1996 Australian grand prix support races recording a DNF and a victory in the 2 races..he may have driven in one or 2 other races but he never did a full season in Formula Holden.