Articles by Mark Hinchliffe

... and include former Formula One stars such as Martin Brundle, Jean Alesi and David Coulthard.V8 Supercars Australia boss Tony Cochrane said there was a possibility that all cars in the field could have an international driver next year if the formula proves a success this weekend. The 18 international drivers gathered at Queensland Raceway yesterday for a "Rookies Day" of familiarisation with the cars they will race at Surfers Paradise this weekend. Only half of the drivers have raced a V8 Supercar before."If ticket sales are anything to go by, it will be a success," Cochrane said. "Sales are up on last year. We're on target for 150,000 to 175,000 people this weekend. When we took over the event we had a three-year plan to get it back to its former glory. The previous promoter did a poor job really."After the IndyCars withdrew from the event in 2008, the promoters replaced them with the A1GP series, but it went bankrupt last year and V8 Supercars Australia took over the event.In February the new promoters suggested adding international co-drivers to ensure Queensland Government funding of $6.5m.Sport Minister Phil Reeves said the government had a contract with V8 Supercars Australia and it was "up to them" how they spent the money."This event will go on to bigger and better things," he said. "We're going to have to look at the (ticket) numbers over the weekend and whether we'll have something to do with it in the future."He said the event was important for the economy and accommodation bookings were going "really well".Cochrane described the line-up of international drivers as "arguably the best line-up of drivers in any touring car race in the world"."This is a ripper of a formula," he said. "But it's expensive. Our budget for the weekend is north of $16m."He wouldn't say how much they had paid for the drivers."These are the best drivers in the world," he said. "We rang around quietly at first to gauge interest and were blown away with the level of enthusiasm. Next year this event falls between the Korean and Indian F1 GPs so we could have former F1 drivers such as Jean Alessi, David Coulthard and Martin Brundle. It is realistic to see those names next year if we have an international driver in every car in the field. We've had a lot of drivers in the last two weeks asking if there is a last-minute drop-out."Three-time world touring car champion Andy Priaulx of the UK, who will co-drive with reigning Bathurst  champion Craig Lowndes, agrees that the standard of international drivers is high."Everyone in motorsport overseas knows about Bathurst and the drivers go back with a high opinion of the drivers, the cars and the teams," he said. "It's always a pleasure to come here and drive. The positive spin we can bring from competing here is with the foreign media. I'd love to come back again next year."Priaulx admitted that few Australian motorsport fans would know who he was."Hopefully being partnered with Craig, they will like me."Marino Franchitti, brother of IndyCar champion Dario who is co-driving with championship leader James Courtney, isn't racing but hopes to compete next year."James Courtney is my best mate and I was his best man at his wedding and he told me to bring my race suit, just in case," he said. "It's a big race with all the international drivers, but I think they could have filled up double the cars with the number of drivers who wanted to do it. It's such a great idea and it will get bigger and bigger every year."

The five-time Bathurst winner toured the circuit in his Holden Statesman before the road is closed to the public today, setting a time of three minutes, 25 seconds amid the tourist traffic, red lights and construction workers."We used to do about one minute 52 seconds around here on the longer track, but I reckon this shorter circuit will shave about 40 seconds off the time so the fans will see the cars go by more often," the reigning Bathurst champion said.The circuit was revised from 4.47km to 2.8km to reduce the construction and dismantling time by five weeks and lessen the impact on residents.  Lowndes surveyed the circuit and noticed several changes such as resurfacing and widening of the track which he said would make it better for the drivers."They appear to have widened the main straight by pushing the concrete barriers back which will make the approach to the first chicane straighter allowing passing under brakes," he said.The second chicane has been replaced by a hairpin, first-gear left, followed by a short straight and a left kink on to the beach straight."On the exit of the new turn two they've opened it up so you can pass by lunging under brakes and then doing a switchback coming out of the corner," he said.Lowndes approved of the resurfacing in several areas of the track including the main straight, the northern corners and the new southern section."They appear to have laid thicker bitumen patches where the load-bearing tyre will be, so the grip will be better and the track shouldn't break up as easily," he said.  Although the track has been shortened, Lowndes said the top speed of 260km/h on the main straight would remain.Team Vodafone has given its drivers a head start on the new track by preparing a computer simulator.  Jeromy Moore, race engineer for Lowndes, said the drivers would practise on the simulator and walk the track today to familiarise themselves with the new corners before they drive the circuit.   

He's joined by a majority of his fellow V8 Supercar drivers and other motorsport identities. "I'm lucky enough as a race car driver to be constantly learning new skills," he says. "But the general public just use a vehicle to go to work and holidays and the habits they learn at the start they carry through life and never get any more training. Current fines and penalties are not working as they should on repeat offenders. They need education." His sentiments are mirrored in a survey of racers in all forms of four-wheeled motor sport released today by the Confederation of Australian Motor Sport (CAMS). The CAMS survey of 1999 members found 59 per cent in favour of education as the way to deal with bad driving records. CAMS president Andrew Papadopoulos said the survey found one in five wants tougher driving restrictions for repeat offenders, 9 per cent think jail is the solution and 6 per cent say they should face tougher fines. "The Australian motor sport community is spot on with this," he said. "People who continuously break the law need to prove they can be safe drivers before they are allowed back on the roads. "A structured and controlled driving education course is the perfect way to help make sure these repeat offenders do the right thing.  And prison on its own is not always the answer, because as soon as the offender exits, their driving skills will be exactly the same as when they entered. "We are strict on learner and P plate drivers when they are first starting out, but as soon as they achieve their full licence, maintaining the driving education aspect is all but forgotten." Lowndes says driver education should start in schools and should continue throughout a driver's life. "We get an education for life, but if people want to drive a road car, you just pass a car test and that's it," he said. "There should be ongoing education throughout our driving lives. City people don't learn how to drive in the country and compensate for bad roads, wildlife and wandering livestock and country people don't learn how to deal with traffic and pedestrians." CAMS recently launched a young driver education program, CAMS Ignition Program, which focuses on a learner driver's attitudes. "We give young people the chance to drive a vehicle and gain invaluable experience before obtaining their learner's permit," Papadopoulos said. "This initiative will enable young people to develop skills and attitudes which will enhance their knowledge, but more importantly, reduce their crash risk on public roads." He called for the federal government to introduce and fund a national rollout of the course to all secondary schools.

One of the world firsts at the Australian International Motor Show in Sydney last week was the unveiling of the Forester S-Edition.  "We will see more world reveals with one show on the calendar," he says.The motor show in Sydney is the first for 18 months after the industry rebelled against the rising costs of the shows amid the economic downturn.  Melbourne and Sydney will now host the shows on alternate years with motor shows for Brisbane, Adelaide and Perth seemingly ruled out by car companies."We will also have some exciting displays at Melbourne next year," Senior promises.  "Maybe not a world first; but instead of five new things we will have one big thing."Such is the importance of the one major show in Australia now that we are working with the factory to get something of major significance, but it's too early to speculiate on what that might be."He also suggests July as a better time to stage Australia's one motor show.  "You just come off the high of June sales and July and August are a bit of a hangover, so a July show would put more spark into sales."The spark at the Sydney show comes in the form of a more powerful Forester S-Edition.  It is powered by a turbocharged 2.5 litre boxer engine with 193kW of power, which is 24kW more than the XT and produces 347Nm of torque, up 27 Nm.Other features are paddleshift five-speed automatic gearbox, revised sports suspension, Variable Torque Distribution (VTD) all-wheel drive, STI 17-inch high lustre alloy wheels, alcantara seat trim with S-Edition logos, drilled alloy pedals, luminescent instruments with centre design unique to the model and S-Edition badging and styling accents.The bonnet wing mirror on the display model is only for Japan which will not get to see the vehicle for another month.  Senior says it is an honour for Fuji Heavy Industries to unveil the vehicle in Sydney."It points towards an exciting development in our Forester range in January when the S-Edition goes on sale," he says.  "Forester is firmly established as Australia's best-selling compact sports utility vehicle, with the most recent addition to the range being the diesel variants that are proving a sales winner for our all-wheel drive brand."There's no denying Forester's appeal to Australians in both urban and rural environments, so we think this concept will only add to the huge interest."Since going on the market in June, diesel variants have represented 29 per cent of Forester sales.  The S Edition will have a $4000 premium over the XT.Senior says the high value of the Australian dollar has not affected Subaru prices as they deal in the Yen which has been as strong as $1.06 in the past year.  The Subaru stand also showed the recently revised widebody WRX and WRX STI, including the newly introduced sedan variant and paddleshift auto. 

Renault Australia managing director Justin Hocevar says the company has quadrupled its spending in the country to arrest a 30 per cent decline in sales so far this year.“Renault is investing proactively for growth in Australia,” he says.  He says an example is the Australian preview of the new Latitude which is slightly larger than the Laguna it replaces yet slightly cheaper."There will be two variants from the high $30,000s to the top spec in the low $40,000s,” he says.It will arrive early next year in petrol, and diesel variants with a host of features including sunroof, leather upholstery, electric seats with memory and massage functions, a satnav system with rear view camera, keyless entry, air purifier with freshener, multimedia connection box, Bose sound system, automatic parking brake, rear sunblind and auto headlamps and wipers.“We are not chasing huge volume with this model but there is a loyal Renault following who like a family car with features and dynamics,” he says.The Latitude is powered by a 2.5-litre petrol V6 with 12kEW of power and 235Nm of torque and has 9.7L/100km fuel consumption.  Hocevar says the new Fluence will become a volume seller alongside the new Mégane Hatch and Koleos compact SUV.The 4.6m sedan will sell for the drive-away price of $25,990 for the Dynamique manual.  It is listed at $22,990, the CVT is an extra $2000 and the top-spec Privilege with CVT and satnav is listed at $29,990.The sedan is a joint venture with Nissan and shares the Megane Hatch chassis and drivetrains.  The Megane Hatch not only loses the flabby bottom, but gains better ride and handling.  “It’s a less polarizing design,” Hocevar admits.Renault has announced a drive-away price of $25,990 on the Dynamique manual which is listed at $22,990. The CVT auto adds $2000 and the top-spec Privilege CVT with satnav is listed at $29,990.The two new sports models are the Mégane Renault Sport 250 Cup and Cup Trophée.  They are powered by 184kW turbocharged engines and come standard with a limited slip differential and Brembo brakes. They join the Clio Sport 200 Gordini Edition in traditional blue with white stripes that went on sale last month.The Mégane Renault Sport 250 Cup which features in the latest Need for Speed computer game, is priced from $41,990 while the Cup Trophée versions start from $46,990.To further emphasise the company sporting traditions and play on Mark Webber leading the F1 titles in a Renault-powered Red Bull racer, the Renault stand also features an eye-popping Mégane Trophy racer powered by a mid-engined 3.5-litre V6 and featuring Mercedes SLS-style swing-up gullwing doors.   

The company pulled the wraps on a Kizashi turbo concept car and now asks customers whether they want one.  Suzuki Australia boss Tony Severs says they started working on the concept project after initial positive media feedback for the car’s chassis and handling dynamics.“There was one minor criticism; that this car can handle more power,” he says.  “We have listened and acted.”He says it is now up to motor show visitors to provide feedback before they make a decision to go into production.  The turbo version features a Californian Road Race Motorsport turbo used in other Suzukis and Mitsubishi Lancer.It pumps out 179kW, 48kW more than the standard version with 330Nm of torque, up 100Nm.  Company spokesman Andrew Elllis says the turbocharger is available for about $7000, so the premium over the standard model would be more than that for the extra labour and other features.They include a lower ride height, uprated brakes, a front strut brace for increased rigidity, new rear deck spoiler and 19-inch alloy wheels wrapped in 40-series low profile sports rubber.The concept model comes in front-wheel drive with a six-speed manual, but company spokesman Andrew Ellis says Road race Motorsports is now working on an AWD version and a CVT model.Queensland importers Suzuki Auto Company did not know the concept was being produced.  New boss Adam Le Fevre it was “testament to the forward thinking of the company as a whole”.“We would be interested in it, but reliability would have to be up there with the Suzuki standard,” he says.Suzuki also showcased the updated Swift unveiled this month at the Paris Motor Show.  It comes with 1.2 and 1.4-litre direct injected petrol engines and a 1.5 litre K Series petrol engine, but Devers says powertrains have not yet been confirmed for Australia.  It is expected to arrive in the first half of next year. Prices are also yet to be confirmed.Devers says the model will have better performance, economy and emissions and come standard with ESP, seven airbags including a knee airbag and will has achieved a five-start Euro NCAP safety rating.“It will have the most comprehensive safety packages in its sector,” he says.  He says Suzuki has increase sales this year by 25 per cent while the market had risen 15 per cent, mainly due to the success of Swift.“It reached the magical one million sales mark faster than any car in the company’s history and racked up 63 car of the year awards in 19 different countries,” he says.“It also provided the basis for Suzuki’s dominance in the Junior World Rally Championship, securing two driver’s and manufacturer’s titles.  And we’re on target for a third in 2010.” Concept Kizashi Turbo specificationsEngine                        Turbocharged and intercooled JB24 2.4 litre in-line fourBoost                         7psiPower                        179 kW at 4800 rpmTorque                       330 Nm at 4400 rpmTransmission              Six-speed manualWheels                      19 inch Enkei RPF1 alloysTyres                         245/40 x 19 inch Pirelli P-Zero

The Forester S-Edition concept builds on the turbocharged following of the existing Forester XT.  It is powered by a turbocharged 2.5 litre boxer engnie with 193kW of power, which is 24kW more than the XT and produces 347Nm of torque, up 27 Nm.Other features are paddleshift five-speed automatic gearbox, revised sports suspension, Variable Torque Distribution (VTD) all-wheel drive, STI 17-inch high lustre alloy wheels, alcantara seat trim with S-Edition logos, drilled alloy pedals, luminescent instruments with centre design unique to the model and S-Edition badging and styling accents.The bonnet wing mirror on the display model is only for Japan which will not get to see the vehicle for another month.  Subaru Australia managing director Nick Senior says it is an honour for Fuji Heavy Industries to unveil the vehicle in Sydney."It points towards an exciting development in our Forester range early next year,'' he says."Forester is firmly established as Australia's best-selling compact sports utility vehicle, with the most recent addition to the range being the diesel variants that are proving a sales winner for our all-wheel drive brand."There's no denying Forester's appeal to Australians in both urban and rural environments, so we think this concept will only add to the huge interest."Since going on the market in June, diesel variants have represented 29 per cent of Forester sales.  The S Edition will have a $4000 premium over the XT.Senior says the high value of the Australian dollar had not affected Subaru prices as they deal in the Yen which has been as strong as 106c in the past year.The Subaru stand is also showing the recently revised widebody WRX and WRX STI, including the newly introduced sedan variant and paddleshift auto.  Senior commends the one Australian motor show per year concept.“We will see more world reveals with one show on the calendar,” he says.  “We will also have some exciting displays at Mebourne next year.  Maybe not a world first; but instead of five new things we will have one big thing.”He suggests July as a better time to stage the show.  “You just come off the high of June sales and July and August are a bit of a hangover, so a July show would put more spark into sales.”

Mazda also flew in chief designer Ryo Yanagisawa from Hiroshima for the event and the Australian International Motor Show.  Yamaouchi used the occasion to not only unveil the BT-50, but also announce its next generation of efficient Sky G petrol and Sky D diesel engines with Sky Drive transmission and i-stop stop-start technology will arrive in Australia over the next two years.The Sky G two-litre petrol engine improves economy and power by 15 per cent and will be here next year while the Sky D 2.2-litre has 4.2L/100km economy and 112g of Cos per kilometre and will arrived in 2012. The pick-up will begin production in Thailand in June and will be bigger, longer and wider with a deeper rear tub, a more car-like interior and more leg and knee room than the market-leading Toyota HiLux.  Apart from the promise of an "all-new drivetrain" to match the "all-new body and chassis", details of features, specification, crash rating, model line-up and pricing were not revealed. In the company's first major new release in 18 months, Mazda Australia managing director Doug Dickson says he can only reveal design details.  However, when pressed he confirms they will continue with a diesel-only strategy and he promises "keen pricing". "All I can tell you, apart from that, is the dual cab will have the same equipment levels as our passenger cars and we're expecting to start getting them soon after production," he says. This compares with the level of detail in the motor show launch of the Ford Ranger which shares the platform.  Ford announced it would have a better payload, towing and off-road abilities which could be reasonably expected from the same chassis in the Mazda.However, Ford went further announcing such specification detail as side and curtain airbags, electronic stability control, trailer sway control, six-speed transmission, rear park assist and rearview camera.  “We’ve taken a different approach to releasing that information later,” Dickson says. Yanagisawa describes his design as "athletic".  "I thought the relationship between the current BT-50 and the company's Zoom-Zoom ethic was weak," he says. The new model is shaped "like a wedge" with prominent fenders from the RX-8.  Up front, it features a five-point grille while the rear is highlighted by horizontal taillights rather than the industry standard vertical lights. This requires the taillights to be split into two with part on the tailgate. Cab chassis models will feature different taillights.  In profile, the BT-50 has a bulbous bonnet, high door sills, less glass and a deep 510mm tub with tie down points. Suspension remains a mixture of live rear axle and leaf springs with coil-over front springs.  Yanagisawa says the interior of the current model is "very truck like". The new "sporty" interior features a swooping dashboard, prominent centre stack, wrap-around driver's cockpit and the promise of creature features such as cruise control and satellite navigation, going by the buttons on the pre-production display model.  Thankfully the ancient and awkward umbrella-stick handbrake has been replaced by a conventional handbrake on the centre console. Dickson says their current pick-up customers are older than their competitors and more likely to use the vehicle for work.  "We expect customers (of the new BT-50) to be males aged 30 to 49, married with kids and small business owners," he says."We're going to kick some sales goals."HISTORY THERE has been a B series ute in the Mazda range since 1966, making it the longest-running model.  It has been known by several names, frequently referring to the engine displacement but also known here as the Bravo. More than 145,000 have been sold in Australia over the past four decades.  So far this year, Mazda has sold 3461 two-wheel-drive BT-50s, down 621 or 16 per cent, while four-wheel-drive sales are down by nine to 3513. Mazda Australian managing director Doug Dickson says the pick-up and cab chassis segments are up 14 per cent, with dual cabs outselling single cabs two to one.  Mazda currently has a 15 per cent share of single cab 4x4 diesel sales and a 35 per cent share in single cab 4x2 diesel, but only a 4 per cent share of dual cab 4x4 and 4x2 sales. "The market demands more car-like comfort and style," Dickson says.  "I expect to see big gains in this area with the new BT-50." Dickson says pick-ups are the new alternative to SUVs for private buyers.  "More than 70 per cent of BT-50 buyers are private and small business," he says. "There will be no formal fleet push.  We have a specific strategy to stay away from government fleet business.  Sometimes we can't get sufficient supply for private and small business, so we can't chase big business or government fleet sales." Dickson predicts Mazda will sell about 85,000 vehicles this year for an 8.3 per cent market share.THE DESIGNER THE chief designer of the Mazda BT-50 bought an older version of the pick-up when he joined the company as a designer in 1991. "I lowered the suspension and fitted wider tyres. I used it to go snow boarding and trail bike riding," says Ryo Yanagisawa.  "This was the starting point for new BT-50." In his first role as project chief designer, Yanagisawa spent two years at the Ford design studios in Melbourne designing the pick-up on the same platform as the Ford Ranger.  He says he was inspired by Uluru, the Great Ocean Rd and Tasmania.  "This has strongly affected the design of the BT-50," he says.  Yanagisawa drives an RX-8 which he has lowered and fitted with wide tyres, and lists his hobbies as furniture making and watch collecting.

Lexus staged the world debut of the first compact luxury hybrid car, introduced three F Sport models, revealed pricing for its IS 350 and announced it has sold all its eight allocated LFA supercars at $700,000 each.<56365 >The CT 200h F Sport hybrid model - the fourth Lexus hybrid - looks the part with “flame blue” paintjob and sports wheels.  Underneath it features ``body performance damper'' to increase rigidity, suppress vibration and improve ride and handling.It will also have a two-mode function that varies dynamics from economical to sporty and is the first luxury car with a top three ranking on the government’s Green Guide.  The CT 200h F Sport goes into production in December and will arrive here early next year.Lexus chief executive Tony Cramb says there is a trend to small vehicles that do not compromise on features.  "CT 200h F Sport models will add even greater appeal to a vehicle that - with its hybrid drivetrain and list of advanced features - is set to become Australia's most advanced luxury hatch,'' he says.Cramb also announced that Lexus will eventually offer a dedicated F Sport model on every vehicle line starting with the IS and CT 200h vehicles."Twenty years ago, Lexus offered just one dedicated luxury vehicle, the LS400. Today, that dynamic has changed and we have five model lines with 33 variants and a growing platform,'' he says."The coming years for Lexus will be defined by a growth in hybrid vehicles and performance-oriented product - driven by our two halo vehicles LS 600hL and LFA.''Cramb says the eight allocated 412kW/480Nm LFA supercars have all been sold with the first arriving early next year, but he would not reveal the identity of owners or who missed out.  He says they could have sold more and were originally only allocated five until they pleaded for more."Each and every Lexus LFA customer has had personal dialogue with senior Lexus Australia representatives,'' he says."Lexus has forged a strong relationship with each LFA owner. This relationship will continue well into the future, encompassing technical and service support and access to Lexus' exclusive Encore program.  “They will become collectors’ cars.”The carbonfibre-bodied 411kW V10 supercar was unveiled by US racing legend Scott Pruett who has taken potential buyers around US racetracks and helped sell 171 of the 500 vehicles built.Cramb also announced the new IS 350 will arrive in three trims, starting at $64,800.  The 233kW, 3.5-litre V6-powered IS sedan will be more than $20,000 cheaper than its nearest rival, with competitors cited as Audi A4 3.2 FSI Quattro, BMW 335i M Sport and Mercedes-Benz C 300 Avant."As part of Lexus Australia's negotiation process for IS 350, pricing was always top of mind,'' he says.  "IS 350 pricing is not apologetic. It's realistic and supports our long-held belief that luxury vehicles shouldn't be priced highly just because they can be.''The F Sport model will cost $71,800 and the Sport Luxury will be $81,300 and all will come standard with satnav.  Cramb says the IS 350 will not be the top seller but will “substantially” increase sales of the IS line which is its top selling line.  Lexus will extend its motor show presence with a travelling show around the country, featuring the CT 200h.The "Progressive Luxury Tour'' has already toured the US and Canada and features a mobile tech centre, with iPad information consoles and prototype vehicles.  Brisbane will play host to the first leg of the Australian tour, followed by Sydney and Melbourne.The free tour is in Brisbane at Redacliff Place, Queen Street Mall, from October 16 to 18, 10am to 7pm; Sydney, Palm Grove, Darling Harbour, October 22 to 23, 12-9pm and October 24, 10am-7pm; and Melbourne, Queensbridge Square, Southbank, October 29-30, 12-9pm and October 31- November 1, 10am-7pm.

Allan Boughen's rural property outside Gympie is littered with Fords. There's a 1956 Ford Victoria four-door hard top, a '63 Galaxie two-door hard top, two F250 trucks, two F700 tip trucks, a '56 Palm Springs police Fairlane, a '70 left-hand-drive Ford Torino, a '58 Mainline ute, and two races cars; a '56 Customline and a '64 Mercury Comet. "They're all born in the USA," says Boughen. "Dad had a Model T so some of that Ford blood must have flowed into me." Boughen started collecting Fords from the age of 14. "Things were different back then," he explains. "When you were 14 and had a bit of size you could get away with a few things ... until you opened your mouth, that is." Over the years he's bought and sold an untold number of Fords and today runs Customline Motors spare parts business. "I've not really made much money out of buying and selling them, but I've had a good lifestyle," he says. Boughen has also raced a lot of Fords and currently runs his Customline in the historic series and the Mercury in the new Trans Am series. "I was inspired by the likes of (Norm) Beechey and (John) Goss," he says. "I started off drag racing in the '70s to late '80s and then jumped from straight line to circuit racing in 1990." It's not always been Fords, though. "I raced in the Thunderdome series in Melbourne for three years in a HQ," he admits. "A guy offered me a test drive in a HQ and I was addicted. I did quite well with it. Second in the championship. Seems I'm always the bridesmaid, never the bride. I get older but not slower; just hungrier for that win." Spectators will attest to Boughen's will to win and his showy style, sliding his big Fords sideways, smoke pouring out of the wheel arches. "It gives the spectators something to look at. You've got to give them entertainment. It's good for the category," he says. He bought the Mercury he races in the Trans Am series five years ago from Ballarat for $8000 and has since spent about $40,000 on it. "Working out the cost would frighten me more than going sideways under the bridge at Lakeside," he says. Boughen dropped the 289 (4.7-litre) Windsor engine out of the Mercury and replaced it with a 302 (five-litre) V8 with alloy heads he bought from Ford Motorsport. The big V8 has roller cams, custom headers and produces 372kW of power. "It's still in the set-up stage, but in its third meeting we were fastest in class and third place outright so it's coming along quite well," he says. "The suspension is all standard except for Koni shocks but we've got plenty of time to sort it out before the first round next year at Morgan Park in February. I love motor racing. It's the best feeling. It's hard to explain until you sit in one and go full on. It's the biggest high I've ever had."