A weekly wrap of motorsport from around the world.

A weekly wrap of motorsport from around the world.

JIM Richards and John Bowe will renew their Bathurst rivalry this weekend _ with a twist. Instead of strapping into V8 Supercars for the main event, the veterans will go head-to-head in the Biante Touring Car Masters races for historic touring cars. Both are aiming for victory, Bowe in a Chevrolet Camaro and Richards in a Ford Falcon Sprint, but admit they are happy just to be racing at Mount Panorama. "I just love the place," says Bowe. "It's exciting because it's genuine good fun. The result doesn't matter, but everyone wants to win," says Richards. They are part of a capacity field that starts with V8 American muscle cars and includes Falcons, Chargers, Monaros and Minis, although title leader Gavin Bullas in a Mustang - which looks a lot like Allan Moffat's famous Coca-Cola car - is the favourite ahead of Bowe and Brad Tilley in a GTHO Falcon. "I don't th ink anyone will beat Gavin in the Mustang. But that doesn't matter," says Bowe. "I honestly don't know what to expect this weekend with the Camaro. I've never driven a 40-year-old car at Bathust. "But being in the Biante series has been good to me. It's been a breath of fresh air. It's fun, it's about the cars, it's about great racing." Richards agrees. "I'm a great fan, because it's back to where I started. But these cars are so much better to drive than the ones I drove in 1970s," Richards say s. "The touring car masters series is brilliant. It's good fun, the cars are quick, and you've got to tinker with them a bit to get the best out of them. it's technology we've never known before with things like leaf springs. "It's exciting becuase it's genuine good fun. The result doesn't matter, but everyone wants to win. "I'm expecting to have a close battle and I hope to get a win. But if I don't win it won't bother me. "Sometimes the races you win are the dullest. This will be great racing. "

MECHANICAL problems cost John Martin - who will lead the Team Australia effort in the A1GP race on the Gold Coast - back in the pack in the Superleague open-wheel races at Monza in Italy last weekend. Martin had limited track time in practice but managed to run as high as fourth before troubles dropped him to 11th and 12th in twin heats.

DANIEL Erickson has taken fifth for Australia in this year's British Formula Ford championship, also finishing as the best rookie after fourth and seventh-placed finishes in the final round at the Castle Combe track. He is now hoping to start at the Formula Ford Festival, the biggest individual meeting of the season in the UK.

GLENN Seton is going Mini racing on the Gold Coast. The retired V8 Supercar racer and team boss, who is missing Bathurst this year for the first time in his life, is the celebrity driver in the Mini Challenge races at the SuperGP meeting in Queensland.

CODY Crocker has done it again, claiming a record fo urth Asia-Pacific Rally Championship thanks to victory with Ben Atkinson and Subaru in the Rally of Indonesia last weekend. The 2009 A-P cup will sit alongside his three Australian rally championship trophies.

MICK Doohan is confirmed as Jamie Whincup's partner in Team Australia for the Race of Champions in China on November 3-4. The knockout motorsport championship draws some of the world's best drivers, including Sebastian Vettel and Michael Schumacher, who compete on a custom-made indoo r track at the Birdsnest stadium built for the Beijing Olympics.

MARCOS Ambrose was 14th for the second straight Nascar race at Kentucky Speedway last weekend, keeping him a solid 17th in the Sprint Cup standings. In a result that mirrored his run at Dover the previous week he also qualified 27th, a position he hopes to improve at California Speedway this weekend.