'02 Astc??

[Woody75]

Other people believe it is the ex Robson car i really have no idea

Walter Epple was not racing the Nick Rahimtulla M3 this meeting as he bought out his Porsche 911 that has been sitting in the garage since the last time the Porsche Cup visited Perth in 2002.

[David Towe]

News on next year's Touring Car Challenge. Alan Letcher who now owns the ex Playboy BMW, Peter Kelly, new owner of the ex Morris BMW and the guy that now owns the ex Faber Castell BMW, will all be joining the TCC next year. With Luke Searle returning the makes 4 BMW Supertourers together again and my M3 to make 5 BMWs in the same race, you've got to love that.

[rdmdog]

What happened to the big news coming soon for the TCC?

MAybe that would be time for a thread all of its own?

[David Towe]

I think that 3 Supertourers coming out of moth balls to join the series constitutes reasonably big news. A series aponsor will hopefully be announced at the presentation night in November along with a calendar and TV deal details.

A thread all of ot's own would probably be a good thing, but thena gain how do we get the thread to 2500 posts in as short a time as posibly.

[rdmdog]

Sorry, I was thinking more along the lines of the series sponsor. The more cars the better!

[racer69]

Any word on whether those Renault's are going to be allowed in?

David, you running your car in the Wakefield 500?

Someone needs to persuade Bob Forbes to bring his GTR out of mothballs and run it in a TCC race next year. Didn't Rodney drive it at Eastern Creek in a state meeting a few years back?

[rdmdog]

There was a meeting some years ago (97 might have eeven been the weekend Lady Di died IIRC), where Lintott ran his WRC Celica, the GIO GTR was there, and something else of notable history, I just cant remember what the othe rcar was, or what category they were racing in.

I think it was an ARDC Club meeting, not necessarily a State Championship meet.

[David Towe]

rdmdog, the series sponsor will be announced at the [resentation dinner in November, I have no idea who they've arranged for next year.
69, I don't know about the Renaults and am awaiting an answer for you.
I'm not running my car as it would cost as much as most of next year for just one race that I couldn't win outright anyway. Besides, I've scored a sponsored drive in the ex Morris Supertourer that Peter Kely now owns and will be running in the TCC next year. The GTR would set the cat amongst the pidgeons but fi he did I don't think it would entice Terry Ashwood to also bring his out. He owns the Winfield car.

[iconic]

is there any news on the venues being visited in 2005? will queensland get a vist?

[DAVID PATERSON]

I was very disappointed when the TCC didn't come to QR this year.

[David Towe]

They are working on the calendar as we speak, but I believe it will not be made public till November. I would imagine Qld will get a visit along wil Victoria and South Australia. Gary Willmington and the other organisers are keen to take it as far as possible. More news as it comes to hand.

[GTRMagic]

Originally posted by DAVID PATERSON
I was very disappointed when the TCC didn't come to QR this year.

Why didn't the Touring Car Challenge go to Queensland Raceway this year? Simple answer - because QLD Raceway wanted to run the TCC event under the auspices of the AASA...

With the TCC (or by its now official title the Australian Touring Car Challenge) having spent many months working out agreements and series regulations with CAMS, it would be logical that the organisers of the series were not going to put any of the work in jeopardy.

Sources from around the traps have indicated that approaches were made, many months ago, to have the meeting either brought 100% under a CAMS permit or have a multi-permited event i.e. CAMS and AASA - but the promoter of QLD Raceway apparently refused both alternatives.

It has also been said that representatives of Queensland Raceway had been informing numerous people who would listen that the TCC meeting would include a round of the Formula 4000 Championship - the main problem with this was that the F4000 organising group were never approached, and would never have agreed to run under a AASA permit anyway. A CAMS Gold Star run under an AASA permit... hmmmm.. I dont see it somehow.....

This same information was apparently disseminated right up to the date of the Eastern Creek F4000/TCC meeting (run under a CAMS permit) - when it became apparent that the only category which was continuing to say they would go to the proposed September TCC meeting at QR were the TraNZams!

At the same time, it became clear to persons connected with Queensland Raceway that their 'allocation' of CAMS permit events for 2004 was going to fall far short of the mark to which they had agreed to pay for with CAMS.

This was primarily because the initial event at the track (the Queensland State Championship meeting) was moved to Morgan Park (without reasonable consultation and thinking of the end game it now transpires) thus contributing to leaving Queensland Raceway with a shortfall of CAMS events.

When it was put to the track that running the proposed September meeting under a CAMS permit would assist them in this regard it appears that - not because of rational thinking, but more sheer doggedness - this was allegedly refused.

Interestingly you will also note that all AASA meetings have not had any results posted on any of the major result web sites this year - no official reason has been given, but unofficially from a scholarly wag or two, it has been suggested that the low entry numbers are 'an embarassment and we don't want them circulated'.

Does anyone know if the TraNZams eventually made it to this meeting or did they, also, pull out because of the AASA permit?

Short sightedness is still alive and well it seems

[David Towe]

I attended one AASA meeting (Winton, Historics, last Sept) and had a ball. The whole vibe around the place was one of officialdom just being happy to see cars racing and owners having a good time. Of course, I didn't due to a major collision with Nick Karadimis in an ex Moffat Falcon that was my fault. It was my first race in the M3 and I felt so bad for not only the damage I did to my car, but what I did to Nick's car.

[Crash Test]

All in all, I think there were 63 cars on the track at the QR AASA meeting, which turned out to be a one day event. There were 4 Tranz Ams, Phil Crompton's Mustang, Phil Barnes's Pontiac, Trent Young's Levin and Roger William's ex-Thompson Merc. There were a few other steel bodied sports sedans, with the lot of the sedans put intogether. Even though there were QLD Geminis up against the big bangers, there weren't any dramas.

The other classes at the meeting were Sports Cars, which included a few other Improved Production and Sports Sedans, and also a Formula Ford, which created some interesting moments!

There were also superkarts and MoPro MGs, Daewoos, & Lotii.

I'm not sure what happened with the Tranz Ams. There are a few Sports Sedan competitors on here, perhaps they know more than me. I know a few weeks out from the meeting there was a fair bit of confusion over what was happening. I don't think everyone grasped the concept of a one day national race meeting... oh well, maybe next year? At least it was good to see a few really cracking cars out there.

I think another thing that didn't work in their favour was the fact that 2 weeks beforehand there were 190 cars competing at the CAMS state champs out at Morgan Park. I know a few cars were fairly shagged after that, and weren't able to be repaired in time. Still, the AASA meeting pulled a fair few competitors who normally wouldn't race under CAMS, but it seems a few people have gone missing since the opening meeting of the year (such as the open wheelers). I beleive there is another AASA meeting at the end of October, it might be better attended because of the big gap between state championship events.

[kmchow]

Are all the classes racing at the same time on the track? Or will some of the larger classes get their own track time?

[racer69]

It depends how many cars are entered in each race. If the fields are small, then categories can be merged with eachother to provide a bigger grid, but individual results for each class are still determined.

[the man]

This has happened this year in nations cup a couple times this year as they were merged with the Australian Porsche Drivers Championship.

[racer69]

Happened many times.

Formula Holden/Brabham being propped up by old F2 cars.
Sports Sedans propping up GT grids (and later Thundersports)
Sportsman propping up AUSCAR grids

and so on...

[Shoey]

Originally posted by David Towe
I attended one AASA meeting (Winton, Historics, last Sept) and had a ball. The whole vibe around the place was one of officialdom just being happy to see cars racing and owners having a good time. Of course, I didn't due to a major collision with Nick Karadimis in an ex Moffat Falcon that was my fault. It was my first race in the M3 and I felt so bad for not only the damage I did to my car, but what I did to Nick's car.

I was there! I didn't actualy see the incident but i sure do remember seeing the damage to that beautiful M3.

Sports Sedans propping up GT grids (and later Thundersports)

Errr . . . not sure how you came to this senaro as there were only ever around four GT/Thundersports cars built ie, Whincup Monza, Pollard Porsche, De Tomaso with two logbooks and the triple rotor IMSA RX7. So who was propping up who?

[David Towe]

If you watch Speedweek this weekend Shoey, you'll see it's back to being as good as ever. I'm told the Touring Car Challenge meeting from Wakefield is going to be shown. Before you remind me yes we did forget to tihghten up a wheel nut.

[racer69]

Originally posted by White Knight
Errr . . . not sure how you came to this senaro as there were only ever around four GT/Thundersports cars built ie, Whincup Monza, Pollard Porsche, De Tomaso with two logbooks and the triple rotor IMSA RX7. So who was propping up who?

In 1983 Sports Sedans were given freedom's to upgrade their cars the GT-style specifications, or in some cases just added to the grids, as not enough true-GT cars could be mustered. Thats why we had the likes of Celica V8s and Torana's up against Porsche 935s.

As for Thundersports, wasn't the ultimate failure of the concept because not enough cars were built 'Thundersports style' that meant they relied on Sports Sedans to fulfill grid promises, despite the fact Sports Sedans also had thier own championship that year.

[D.R.T.]

Originally posted by David Towe
They are working on the calendar as we speak, but I believe it will not be made public till November. I would imagine Qld will get a visit along wil Victoria and South Australia. Gary Willmington and the other organisers are keen to take it as far as possible. More news as it comes to hand.

David in 2005, is it at all possible that we might see the TCC and the John Teulan series run together at any stage. Just thinkin aloud here, as I remember the TCC running on the same bill as the Premier series last year. Wondering if we might see the TCC run in a few different places in season 2005

[the man]

That sounds good, Australia's fastest cars with Australia's most expensive cars on the same bill. That will be amazing if it happens with good support catergories like Commodore Cup, TCC, etc.

[racer69]

Has this 'John Teulen Series' been mentioned anywhere else other than hinted at in the pages of Motorsport News?