Anyone on this case?

Ray Bell · 22 Dec 2001, 23:52 (Ref:188914)

The Gold Coast local newspaper, The Hinterland Sun (sure hope I got that name right!), last week carried a headline story about a real schonk.

This guy allegedly ripped off millions from people with some scam, about six million, I think...

Now he's putting a V8 Stupidcar team together, with backing, it is said, to the tune of $6m over the next three years already signed up. Or on the verge of it or something... sorry to be so vague, but I don't have the paper and couldn't post this the day I saw it.

Now, this kind of news, in my view, is going to tend to depreciate the value of motor racing in the eyes of those reading the story about such a shark, and may tend to tar other drivers and teams with the same kind of brush.

Anyone else heard about it?

Crash Test · 23 Dec 2001, 00:35 (Ref:188926)

Yeah, his name is Andrew Haberfield, he is starting up a Commodore team with Alan Jones.

Apart from his $6mil scan, he has ripped a lot of people off in the past.... so he is one chappie to steer clear of.

Ray Bell · 23 Dec 2001, 00:38 (Ref:188927)

Can Jonesy, on top of all his problems over the past few years, afford to get caught up with a schonk like this?

Oh, yeah... he's here for a good time not a long time...

Crash Test · 23 Dec 2001, 00:49 (Ref:188932)

You would think that Jones would know by now what is going on, because the team originally came into creation in 1999, but since then not much has really happened....

marcus · 23 Dec 2001, 01:23 (Ref:188940)

yeah there was a bit about this in AA this week.

obviously we dont know the full details but it sure sounds a bit shonky doesnt it ?

and underneath the little snippet Mark Larkham even asked for a message to be put in saying "Mark Larkham motorsport has no affiliation with Andrew Haberfields team ..they just happen to share the same warehouse complex with him"

gotta feel a bit sorry for AJ really...would be good to see him back in V8's but I guess the team will not go ahead now ???

I dont know but reports a few weeks ago say that haberfield has purchased the Paul Dumbrell and David Parsons Konica Commodores ..so maybe the team is going to happen ....

can ya run a V8 team from prison ???

Ray Bell · 23 Dec 2001, 03:51 (Ref:188959)

I gather he's one of those Gold Coast types who can rip people off and still stay out of gaol... you see them on Today Tonight and A Current Affair at least once a week...

Would love to see Jones in the thick of it again...

mtpanorama · 23 Dec 2001, 10:23 (Ref:188992)

If i remember corectly, the premises that Larko rents are owned by Alan Jones, so that would be the reason for Andrew Haberfield being in the same complex.
This story about the team and AJ has been going around for a few years now. I wont be holding my breath waiting for it to happen.

One of the people chasing Andrew for money is Darren Pate (drove for wynns and AJ's formula ford team, and paid a lot of money for both drives). He has supposedly given him $50 000 for a drive a few years ago. The drive never eventuated.

We dont need AJ back anyway, just another whinging ex world champion who thinks motorsport owes him something

(sorry Luke

)

Ray Bell · 23 Dec 2001, 11:08 (Ref:189009)

I don't know that you could say AJ is a whinger... I don't think so at all...

The biggest question would be "can he still give his all in the car?"

RALFANATOR · 23 Dec 2001, 11:38 (Ref:189026)

Quote:

Originally posted by Ray Bell
I don't know that you could say AJ is a whinger... I don't think so at all...

The biggest question would be "can he still give his all in the car?"

Well Ray he hasn't done much in tintops in the past so what should change now?

Ray Bell · 23 Dec 2001, 11:49 (Ref:189031)

I seem to recall some pretty awesome drives at Lakeside...

racer69 · 23 Dec 2001, 11:51 (Ref:189033)

Quote:

Originally posted by marcus
can ya run a V8 team from prison ???

Ask englishman Vic Lee.

On Jones, when he has his race face on, he is just about one of the best out there (Bathurst 94, 96). If he has a good car he should shine.

marcus · 23 Dec 2001, 12:21 (Ref:189045)

Yes I remember reading about Vic Lee..I think he is out of prison now but im not sure if he is back involved in racing ?

AJ is a top driver when he is on fire and think he could still do the job well...as for him being a whinger ..I really dont know about that but I did happen to meet him and Darrel Eastlake once ...Dazza was good saying hello and asking us how we were but AJ totally ignored us ..didnt even say hello..might have been a bad time but he seemd like a right royal prick at the time..but i will give him the benefit of the doubt on that one.

Also I always wondered what happened to Darren Pate..I remember him getting lined up for this drive but then it didnt happen and I havent heard of him since...guess he is still chasing his money

racer69 · 23 Dec 2001, 13:01 (Ref:189057)

Vic Lee ran the factory Peugeot BTCC Team this year. He got out in '98 or '99.

Crash Test · 24 Dec 2001, 01:52 (Ref:189287)

I remember as a kid, trotting off to Lakeside and getting everyones autograph...and I stood outside of Jones's garage for go knows how long, while he stood inside and simply starred at the crowd outside...

Saying that, he was reasonably approachable at the 500 this year, not that anyone was lining up to talk to him.

D.R.T. · 24 Dec 2001, 04:42 (Ref:189296)

Vic Lee, what was he put in prison for? Running really slow cars ? Jonesy, I'm not sure he has still got it. I know age is no barrier, but he is really getting on now and even if he has the motivation there, how long will it stay with him for.

Ray Bell · 24 Dec 2001, 09:21 (Ref:189329)

Getting on?

He's only 55!

Crash Test · 24 Dec 2001, 11:55 (Ref:189366)

Paul Dumbrell is also getting on...he's what? 20?

There has to be a point where you stop going faster; it happened to Bob Holden and Murray Carter, Allan Grice et al. If he kept competing for the last few years he might still be a chance...but siting on the sidelines can't be a good thing.

**touringlegend** · 24 Dec 2001, 18:39 (Ref:189426)

Quote:

Originally posted by D.R.T.
Vic Lee, what was he put in prison for?

He was caught trying to smuggle drugs into the UK, across the channel seemingly. And he used one of Matt Neals transporters for it!

PS - Is "shonky" an Australian word??!!

Ray Bell · 25 Dec 2001, 09:48 (Ref:189516)

Quote:

Originally posted by touringlegend
He was caught trying to smuggle drugs into the UK, across the channel seemingly. And he used one of Matt Neals transporters for it!

PS - Is "shonky" an Australian word??!!

Heard a story a little while ago about a pommie team that smuggled a gearbox conversion from France to England and it got sold on to an Australian who needed it for a Special... little changes.... and there's the old one about the Bentley (or was it a Lagonda?) fuel tank filled with watches...

Schonky is most likely an Australian word...

DAVID PATERSON · 25 Dec 2001, 23:41 (Ref:189608)

Ray, 55 is well and truly getting on a bit. It's a lot closer to the finish than the start for most peoeple.

I didn't realise Jones was that old, he must have been one of the oldest first time champions in 1980.

I'm amazed that Peugeot are willing to take such a huge marketing gamble by being publicly associated with a convictred drug smuggler.

**Craig** · 26 Dec 2001, 01:14 (Ref:189621)

Vic Lee Motorsport was liquidated by receivers put in after Vic and a couple of others were convicted of importing drugs in one of the race transporters. Apparently he was caught when people became suspitious of the amount of times he would test at Zandvoort - it is even alleged that he grew so confident that he even made the journey once without a car on board!!

After he was released he took over the Bowman Motorsport team and ran in the National Saloons and then a joint campaign in both the National Saloons and BTCC Class B last season. He won them both in his Peugeot 306s. On the back of this he convinced Peugeot to take their 406 Coupe into the series with his newly renamed Vic Lee Racing team.

At the end of this season, Pug decided to withdraw from the series, and Vic is set to take over the running of the IS-200 Lexus cars from TMSR. He is also set to launch an attack on Le Mans... so, it seems, you can indeed do relatively well after a stretch...

racer69 · 27 Dec 2001, 10:16 (Ref:189840)

Nothing has come of that Le Mans bid so far, but the VLR Lexus' should go good, especially if Soper gets behind the wheel.

As for Jones, it's great he is back,what a legend, but i wonder why. He has come and gone from motorsport a few times - end of '81, Long Beach Arrows one-off in '83, Alfa in ATCC for half of '85, F1 '85-86, only bathurst between 88-89, then full time till 99, then only Bathurst.

What did he do in '87, i read somewhere that he raced touring cars and sportscars for Toyota in Japan, and this stopped him taking Mansell's place at Adelaide in 1987.

Ray Bell · 29 Dec 2001, 01:31 (Ref:190773)

I suspect he will be doing it more for the money than anything...

Wish I could make money like that.

Amaroo Park · 29 Dec 2001, 10:13 (Ref:190852)

The last time I saw Jonsey on fire as it has been put on this tread was Bathurst 1996.

Barry Sheene would be happy if Jonesy came back. He has an obcesion bordering on unnatural with Jones. You just have to hear how excited he gets when JJJooonnnssseeyyy is racing.

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