Maxwell Finishes Fifth on Debut in Australian Formula Ford Final Round

Thomas Maxwell racing to an impressive fifth at Island of Magic

NORTHERN TERRITORY’S Thomas Maxwell has finished an impressive fifth on debut in the final round of the Australian Formula Ford Championship, held in conjunction with Phillip Island’s Island of Magic.

The 16-year-old had competed throughout the Victorian State Series in Formula Ford throughout this year, but overcame all rookie odds to finish inside in the top five out of a 32 car field, racing with one of the oldest cars on the grid.

The teenager had also qualified in fourth for Race 1, which was a personal best for the rookie at Phillip Island.

“What a fantastic weekend it was,” said Maxwell.

“Being able to run up at the front and race wheel-to-wheel with Australia’s best drivers was unbelievable.

“The qualifying lap was crucial, being able to put it on the second row of the grid played a big part – especially with the amount of cars in the field.”

“It was a fantastic way to cap off an outstanding rookie year in Formula Ford!”

Maxwell had also recently raced at the Phillip Island circuit in October, finishing his first strong year in the Victorian State Series coming home in seventh in the championship.

The Bosch Car Service Centre driver has had a great first season in Formula Ford with the team at Sonic Motor Racing Services, and is looking forward for what is yet to come in the 2015 racing season.

Dan Ricciardo = Australia’s New Hero

Formula 1, Spultured

He’s the young pup who started out in Formula 1 with his teeth covered in braces and his ambitions high to make it to the top. Well, four years later and this rising star has clinched his maiden Grand Prix win in Montreal, with his dentist gifting Ricciardo the biggest smile any racer has ever had, making Aussies more proud than ever.

The world was not ready for his smile, let alone the skill and determination this Australian has to offer. Many non-believers thought he would end up in the same position as Mark Webber being defeated by his four-time world champion teammate Sebastian Vettel.

Oh boy, were they wrong.

Of course the Merecedes’ Silver Arrows have dominated the 2014 season so far, but Ricciardo has been the talk of the pits with his dominance in the Infiniti Red Bull team this year. He also broke the Mercedes winning streak, being the first driver this year to defeat the victorious Nico Rosberg and the swag of Lewis Hamilton.

Not only is the rookie sitting third in the championship, he’s out-performing Vettel. VETTEL! The guy who was booed every time he was on the podium last year. Just, wow.

Only two Australians have tasted Formula 1 world championship glory – Sir Jack Brabham and Alan Jones – I wouldn’t mind betting$1,000 that Ricciardo makes that tally three.

Ricciardo may have an Italian last name, but his heart is full of Aussie gold. He has the Australian fighting spirit and has blood the colour of wattle. This bloke is going to break history, and eventually will give us the Formula 1 championship that Webdog was so close to claiming.

And you know what, who cares about the Queen’s fake birthday. Let’s make this public holiday dedicated to Daniel Ricciardo and his firstFormula 1 victory. Happy Daniel Ricciardo Day people, hope you had a lovely long weekend.

And Dan, cheers to your maiden victory at the Canadian Grand Prix!

Published by Spultured

(Image source: ABC)

Australia v Vettel

Formula 1, The Australia Times

Published on The Australia Times Issue 3

Sebastian Vettel. Source: Wikimedia Commons

By Loren Hazelwood @LorenHazelwood

Sebastian Vettel. A name well-known in Australian households for being the German that caused fans to yell at their TV sets every time he was near or in front of our Australian Mark Webber.

He’s won world championship after world championship, and the more he won, the more frustrated Australian fans have become, saying, “Why can’t Webber achieve the same results?”

Well, this year should be completely different for our Aussie fans.

With Webber now retired and racing for Porsche, young-pup Daniel Ricciardo has graduated from his team at Torro Rosso, joining the German at the top of Formula 1. And to most people’s surprise (Vettel’s in particular), the young Aussie has outperformed his teammate on numerous occasions this season.

With the new generation of Australian racing overseas, Ricciardo has built respect with his new teammate, managing to outshine his world champion colleague.

In three out of four races this year, Ricciardo has blitzed Vettel in qualifying, and has also finished races in front of the German, causing a bit of tension in the pit paddock at Red Bull.

At the Chinese Grand Prix in Shanghai, Vettel was in front of Ricciardo, with both running different tyre strategies. Red Bull team principal Christian Horner immediately went on the radio to Vettel sending him a team order to let through our Aussie racer.

Vettel’s reply was simply, “Tough love.”

Ricciardo then raced Vettel passing him into Turn 1, enabling Ricciardo to finish fourth, with Vettel fifth overall.

Although Vettel is currently in front of Ricciardo in the Drivers’ Championship, this won’t stop Ricciardo over-achieving at his new squad.

With the new 1.6-litre turbo-charged power trains, this season of Formula 1 has been nothing but completely unpredictable.

We thought we’d see many surprises, but would never predict seeing an Australian finally stand on the podium in Melbourne only to later be stripped of second place due to a fuel system failure.

Everyone could see from the Australian Grand Prix that Ricciardo had pace, and that he knew how to drive these innovative cars.

With a year that has so far been dominated by Mercedes, with Lewis Hamilton taking the last three race victories, it’s easy to say that Red Bull seem not to have the pace and straight-line speed they had over the last four years.

Vettel has been struggling with the new car technology, and it wouldn’t be surprising if Ricciardo passed the world champion in the Drivers’ Championship.

Australia only has two Formula 1 World Champions including Alan Jones and Sir Jack Brabham. Webber was extremely close but was outshone by Vettel; can our Ricciardo defeat the German and make it three drivers to take the momentous championship? Only time will tell…

Are broadcasting rights killing motorsport?

Australian V8 Supercars, Fiasco Sports, Film and TV, Formula 1, MotoGP

With media deals happening in every category for 2015, are these new pay-TV deals pushing fans away from the sport?

With a sport that costs a lot of money to run with the fancy bodywork, complicated engineering and the drivers that are paid by the millions, there is also the media side of racing that costs channels millions each year, resulting in major series of motorsport no longer available free-to-air.

MotoGP is one category with a faint future on free-to-air, with fans purchasing a Foxtel sports package to watch their favourite rider or constructor win the world championship.

Network Ten are currently in their final year of televising the MotoGP, but will only retain full live coverage of the MotoGP until the end of 2014. Fox Sports are broadcasting every Moto2, Moto3 and MotoGP practice, qualifying and races live in 2014.

Another broadcasting amend includes the new contract in V8 Supercars, with Seven losing the rights to Network Ten, Foxtel and Fox Sports, with only six of the races in the 2015 championship to be available on free-to-air channels.

Former TEN CEO and current CEO of V8 Supercars James Warburton signed the new broadcasting rights deal, including a $241 million media deal with Foxtel, Fox Sports and Network Ten for all media rights including $196 million cash and $45 million of advertising, making this deal the biggest in V8 Supercars history.

The new deal means that only the Adelaide, Townsville, Sandown, Bathurst, Gold Coast and Sydney V8 rounds will only be shown free-to-air.

“This is a tremendous and significant deal for our sport,” Mr Warburton said.

“It is a great boost to our amazing race teams and fans and will lead to unprecedented coverage on multiple platforms for our sport, never before seen on such a scale.”

Formula 1 is set to stay on free-to-air with the coverage supported by Network Ten, the only major motorsport category worldwide not under the Fox banner in 2015.

Currently on free-to-air channels in Australia, only the Formula 1 and V8 Supercars are shown live to racing fans.

Other categories shown within free-to-air are broadcasted a week or so later, including ONE HD’s coverage of the World Series Sprintcars, Australian Rally Championship and NASCAR.

Fans have expressed concern about the new broadcasting rights, stating it is another expense they cannot afford.

After interviewing fans at Winton Raceway during the V8 Supercar event at the Winton 400, most said they were outraged and disappointed about spending money every month to watch motorsport.

Nothing yet has been confirmed towards the coverage for motorsport after 2015.

By Loren Hazelwood. @LorenHazelwood

– See more at: http://fiascosports.com/are-broadcasting-rights-killing-motorsport/#sthash.W2qBiesK.dpuf

V8 Supercars: Battle of Brands Begins

Australian V8 Supercars, The Australia Times

http://www.theaustraliatimes.com/emagazines/sport/issue203/#p=62 © The Australia Times

Repco and Airtec Join Hazelwood for 2014 Racing Campaign

Formula 3 Australian Drivers Championship, Todd Hazelwood Racing

TODD Hazelwood has secured more support for the 2014-racing season, with Repco Australia and Airtec Corporation announcing their bronze sponsorship for the South Australian.

Airtec Corporation will be continuing their support from Hazelwood’s successful season in the Formula 3 Championship, where the teenager finished second in the national series.

Airtec are a name to remember for digital tyre inflation, with their innovative technology suitable for a wide range of industries including mining, military, aviation, tyre retailers, service stations, mechanical workshops and transport.

“After a successful 2013 National Formula 3 championship, Airtec Corporation are again pleased to support Hazelwood Racing in 2014 and we are sure Todd and his team will achieve some great results in this years championship,” says managing director of Airtec David Hewett.

Repco Australia have joined Hazelwood’s racing career for 2014, with the automotive parts company having had a long history being involved with motorsport in Australia, and the 18-year-old is proud to be associated with a company with such an impressive racing history.

“It’s fantastic to be involved with great house-hold brands like Airtec and Repco Australia, and I look forward to what they bring for my 2014 racing season,” said Hazelwood.

Hazelwood is set to announce his racing plans for 2014 in the next coming weeks.

Australian Racing’s Biggest Crashes Of 2013 Part II

Australian V8 Supercars, Formula 3 Australian Drivers Championship, Spultured

Here’s the second half of our top 10 Aussie motorsport crashes of 2013. What’s your number one?

5. Scott Pye

V8 Supercar Championship
Symmons Plains, Tasmania

4. Steel Guiliana

Australian Formula 3 Drivers’ Championship
Hidden Valley Raceway, Darwin

3. Adam Marjoram

V8 Utes
Gold Coast

2. Brendon Tucker

Aussie Racing Cars
Homebush, Sydney

1. James Courtney

V8 Supercar Championship
Phillip Island, Victoria

Tecalemit Australia continue sponsorship for Todd Hazelwood in 2014

Formula 3 Australian Drivers Championship, Todd Hazelwood Racing

Todd Hazelwood with national sales manager Dean Rothapfel at the Tecalemit trade night

AFTER Todd Hazelwood’s successful 2013 season, Tecalemit Australia has announced they will continue their sponsorship for the South Australian’s racing career in 2014.

Hazelwood is pleased with Tecalemit’s continued bronze investment, making 2014 more possible for the 18-year-old.

“It is an absolute pleasure to be supported by a well-known South Australian company for 2014,” said Hazelwood.

“Without the support of Tecalemit and my other sponsors throughout 2013, the results I had achieved would have not been possible.”

National sales manager of Tecalemit Australia Dean Rothapfel is also pleased to continue supporting Hazelwood for next year.

“We are happy to join Todd again in 2014 as he enters a very exciting period of his professional racing career,” said Rothapfel.

Tecalemit has been a name synonymous in Australia with their lubrication and hoist equipment for over 75 years, starting their business in South Australia in 1941.

The young South Australian will also make his debut in the Dunlop Development Series this weekend at the NRMA Motoring and Services 500.

Working as hard as Steel: future F1 star Steel Guiliana

Fiasco Sports, Formula 1, Formula 3 Australian Drivers Championship, Sprint Karting

Motorsport is a long and hard road, and no one knows the international track more than Australian Steel Guiliana, who is on the way to his Formula 1 dream.

Steel Guiliana leading the pack at Mt. Panorama, Bathurst. Photo: Dirk Klynsmith

For 22-year-old Steel Guiliana, life is a juggle between working hard and driving with pure dedication and skill to make it to the pinnacle of world motorsport, Formula 1.

Raised on the Central Coast of New South Wales, Guiliana immediately impressed those competing against him, from the beginning in go-karts and winning numerous titles in the rookie and junior ranks, even against current V8 Supercar drivers and current F1 driver, Daniel Ricciardo.

Guiliana pursued towards his dream at a very young age, at just 15 years old he lived in Austria to compete in the European Rotax Karting Championship, where Guiliana went on to finish second in the series.

Austria kickstarted Guiliana’s international racing career, then he moved to Italy where he won the Italian Karting Championship and was also given the opportunity to race in the Formula BMW category.

The rising star then raced in America, but later returned back home to Australia to compete in the Australian Formula 3 Drivers’ Championship, where Guiliana claimed seven race wins in his first season in the national class and was also awarded a $50,000 scholarship to race in the series for the following year.

Guiliana continued to pursue his dream to the Formula 1 grid, testing in GP3 at the end of 2012, showing the world he has what it takes.

The Central Coast driver decided in November 2013 to team up with 1980 Formula 1 World Champion Alan Jones to travel to Abu Dhabi, to hopefully seal a deal for GP3 in the 2014 season.

Fiasco Sports motorsport reporter Loren Hazelwood recently caught up with Guiliana, asking about his future and delving into how hard he has worked to get where he is today.

Steel at Symmons Plains, Tasmania. Photo: Steel Guiliana’s official website

Loren: Racing is your passion and has always been in your blood, how did you first get involved with racing?

Steel: My Dad came from a racing background running Formula Ford earlier in his career, so he took me to a kart track when I was five years old and we went to Newcastle to see what it was like. I was instantly hooked, then Dad bought an old go-kart and started practicing when I was six. I started at Coffs Harbour and raced at Newcastle by the time I was seven.

Loren: You’ve raced all over the world and at some incredible circuits, what would be your favourite?

Steel: My favourite tracks would definitely be Monza and Singapore, mainly because of the atmosphere behind the venues, it makes it more exciting to drive around. Singapore is probably my favourite circuit to race at though, but Monza is awesome because of the venue.

Loren: All round, you have sacrificed a lot to go racing, what has kept your passion alive for the last 15 years?

Steel: Going fast. I love the speed and the adrenaline, and also the competition, I don’t like losing. I have a passion for fast cars and everything that goes on behind the scenes. It’s awesome to be honoured to drive a car that hundreds of people have prepared just for you.

Loren: Would you be able to describe a typical lap in an open wheel car?

Steel: It’s very challenging to start with, the harder you push under brakes the more stable the car is, you have to get rid of the fear of the speed and once you’ve done that you will be confident to go fast, and in saying that you have to be fit to handle the g-forces the car produces. You also can’t just plant your foot coming out of a corner, so there is a lot of different techniques that can be used. The hardest thing is to not make a mistake over 20-40 laps and hold concentration for that period of time, while other people are racing with you.

Loren: What is your plan for 2014?

Steel: To compete in the GP3 series in Europe.

Loren: Who is your racing idol and mentor?

Steel: That would be Alan Jones, and also Ayrton Senna. Ayrton was my first idol and when I started to learn a bit about what Alan did to get into Formula 1 and the hard route he had I started to look up to him and achieved world champion status from a difficult background.

Loren: What has the experience been like working alongside the likes of Alan Jones?

Steel: It’s ben great to get inside knowledge to how people work in Formula 1. It’s a very cut throat business and if you don’t know the right people it’s very difficult, so to be able to work next to Alan is a great pleasure for myself and it’s great having someone of his status to help support my racing. He’s been able to give me advice on fitness he used to do and it’s been incredible to talk to someone who raced in the 70s and 80s when the cars weren’t easy to drive.

Steel Guiliana and Alan Jones. Photo: Steel Guiliana

Loren: How big is the difference between racing in Australia against racing Internationally?

Steel: I think the level of competition is very similar, but the different is you may have the top two or three guys to take victory, which we saw in the Australian Formula 3 category this year, where as overseas there can be ten different drivers in a series that win races. The way the teams go about it is very different also, overseas you don’t get a lot of practice, where as over here you get a bit of time to try different things.

Loren: Where was your best ever race?

Steel: When i finished third in the championship round in England back in 2005, that was definitely a highlight to be able to be in the European championship as a privateer and run alongside factory teams on their home track and to end up on the podium was a big thing.

Loren: Anyone you would like to thank or any other comments?

Steel: Big thanks to my parents who have supported me since I was seven, my crew back home for their continued support, my manager Titus Day, my girlfriend for helping out with my media, Alan Jones and his manager Patrick Wedes, R-Tek Motorsport for preparing my Formula 3 car over the last three years and Peter Hawkes and Aaron Borg for mentoring me. The list could go on forever really, but these people have been crucial in helping me get to Formula 1.

Steel racing in Formula BMW. Photo: Steel Guiliana’s official website

Written by Loren Hazelwood. @LorenHazelwood

– See more at: http://fiascosports.com/working-as-hard-as-steel-future-f1-star-steel-guiliana/#sthash.RrOFXTEf.dpuf

Mark Webber to drive at Bathurst 12 Hour with Eric Bana and James Tomkins

Bathurst 12 Hour, Film and TV, Formula 1

Recently retired Formula 1 driver Mark Webber is tipped to head home to Australia for the Bathurst 12 Hour race in 2015.

Mark Webber has his eyes set on Bathurst 12 Hour. Photo: Martin Rickett/PA

Australian racing driver Mark Webber has today started rumours that he may race the Liqui-Moly Bathurst 12-hour in 2015.

Only days after racing his last Grand Prix in Formula 1 at Brazil, Webber already has his eyes on to conquer Australia’s endurance event at Mount Panorama, running under the Porsche banner.

The ex-Red Bull driver was asked on Twitter by a fan if he was going to run the Bathurst 12 Hour this year with the German team next year, with Webber’s reply “No 2015″.

Webber has also indicated that he will co-drive with Australian actor Eric Bana and Olympic rower James Tomkins.

Liqui-Moly Bathurst 12 Hour media manager Richard Craill believes this is fantastic news and can’t wait to see what Webber brings to the event.

“If Mark comes out, it will obviously be a massive boost for the event, he’s the biggest name in Australian motorsport on a global level and has a significant fan base both here and overseas,” said Craill.

“The reaction alone from him tweeting about coming and racing in 2015 has been massive, there is obviously a huge want for him to come and do it.

“The one thing we need to stress is that, at the moment, this is all coming off the back of Mark getting on Twitter – so fingers crossed he goes on record about it sooner rather than later and ‘officially’ commits to it!”

Webber is yet to officialy confirm if he will race in the Liqui-Moly Bathurst 12 Hour.