Motorsports

It marks a return to the main game for Owen, second at Bathurst this year with Jamie Whincup and already a two-time Fujitsu champ.  "It's a great Christmas present - a great sponsor, great team and a great car," said Owen, himself the owner of a blue heeler."I've proved (this season) that with a good car I can drive straight to the front. All the ingredients are here and I don't think we'll be far behind those Vodafone cars at all."The new, all-Queensland venture, sees VIP Petfoods return to V8 Supercars and Paul Morris Motorsport continue their technical alliance with Brisbane's Triple Eight Race Engineering. Morris will run two cars in 2011 with Russell Ingall in the Supercheap Commodore and now the 36-year old Owen replacing Kiwi Greg Murphy.Along with undoubted speed Owen, who ran endurance races this season with the Vodafone-backed Triple Eight, will bring initiatives and ideas learnt from that outfit.  A confident team owner Morris reckons Owen will be fighting it out for podiums, warning some of the series 'seat warmers' better move over: "This thing (Commodore) will be up the front."As for VIP Petfoods owner Tony Quinn, a part-time racer, motors racing is about promoting his business.  "I'm a pet food maker that's found motorsport does wonder for the brand," said Quinn. "It's up to Steve now."

There will hardly be a chance to dab the brakes all year once the motorsport and motoring calendar hits the road with the Dakar Rally on New Year's Day.

DICK Johnson and Colin Bond have been awarded Confederation of Australian Motor Sport (CAMS) life membership. Johnson, 65, and Bond, 68, join 23 other distinguished officials and competitors who have been recognised since the Life Membership program was introduced in 1982. Johnson drove touring cars from the mid-60s until 2000, when he retired to concentrate on the running of his iconic Ford team Dick Johnson Racing. He won five Australian Touring Car Championships and three Bathurst 1000 crowns. Bond was renowned in a variety of motor sport disciplines, winning the '75 ATC, three Australian Rally Championships the 1969 Bathurst. Both have also been inducted into the V8 Supercar Hall of Fame. EIGHT former champions have been inducted into the V8 Utes Hall of Fame including: Rod Wilson (2001), Warren Luff (2002/03), Marcus Zukanovic (2004/05), Damien White (2006/07), Grant Johnson (2007/10), Layton Crambrook (2008) and Jack Elsegood (2009). Luff is now driving for Lucus Dumbrell Motorsport in V8 Supercars. The top three drivers of the season were Grant Johnson, 2009 champion Jack Elsegood and Andrew Fisher who also claimed the title for the best driver aged over 40. The most improved driver Award went to Gary Carson who improved nine spots from his Rookie year in 2009. THE winning Bathurst 12-Hour BMW will front a three-car assault on the February 6 race. GWS Motorsport will return with the BMW 335i Turbo that won the 2007 and 2010 races outright. It will be driven by Garry Holt, John Bowe and Paul Morris. The team will also enter a pair of BMW 130i models to battle for class victory. The 2011 Bathurst 12 Hour will include GT vehicles with 31 manufacturers eligible to compete. WORLD under 21 speedway champion Darcy Ward, of Brisbane, will take on an international field on Saturday in Brisbane. The 25 top solo riders competing at the Mick Doohan track including two Swedes and four from England in a five-team tournament over 26 heats. Many of the riders are aged between 16 and 20 and will use the match to get a feel of the track in preparation for the Australian Under 21 Solo Championship staged there on January 8. SYDNEY driver Andrew Cowin has been dubbed the "comeback kid" of top-fueler drag racing heading into round three of the ANDRA Championship at Willowbank Raceway, Ipswich, on January 2-3. In 1999 Cowin became the world's quickest and fastest teenager and the youngest US Nationals finalist in history at age 19, going on to appear in multiple NHRA finals. After a hiatus from drag racing, he is making a full-on assault on Top Fuel this season. He scored a shock first-round loss but won the second event in October to be second in the points. Cowin last raced at Ipswich in 2002, running a 4.7 second pass which was the first 500km/h top fuel run and his first win. In testing before this season he ran a 4.59-second pass. ONLY one lap separated the top two competitors in the inaugural Eastern Creek 8 Hour race in Sydney at the weekend. The Jim Hunter Motorsport Subaru WRX driven by Jim Hunter, Gavin Bulla and Barton Mawer completed 11 pit stops and 249 laps, one ahead of the Morcom Motorsport BMW 335i of Barry Morcom, Nathan Morcom and Garry Holt. Veteran Gold Coast campaigner Tony Quinn and his son, Klark, finished third after being plagued by trouble in their VIP Petfoods Evolution 9 Lancer. Channel 7 motorsport commentator Neil Crompton had a lucky escape when his car caught fire du ring a driver change and fuelling stop. The production car endurance race was a preview of the two-round 2011 Australian Production Car Endurance Championship which features a six-hour race at Phillip Island Grand Prix Circuit and an eight-hour race at Eastern Creek International Raceway.

The 28-year-old Sunshine Coast cattle farmer crashed at high speed in the opening round at Phillip Island, retired from the season for major knee surgery five months later and after another five months he is still walking with a cane and won't be able to ride a motorcycle until next Tuesday, December 21. But the year has ended on a high note with his engagement to long-time British girlfriend Toni Pinion, 32. "He didn't get down on one knee to propose, but I suppose he had a good excuse" Pinion said yesterday at their Yandina cattle property. Vermeulen says they haven't fixed a date for the wedding yet. "I'm in no rush," he said. "But being married didn't do any harm for Casey Stoner, Troy Corser or Troy Bayliss." The world number-one rider for Kawasaki says his rehabilitation from surgery has taken longer than expected, but he plans to be fit enough to test the new ZX10-R bike in Malaysia on January 10. "The operation involved new technology not done in Australia, so I had it done in southern Spain," he said. "But there was a lot more damage to my knee than expected and I've only just graduated this week from crutches to one walking stick. One month ago I would have said I'd be fully fit by the start of the season, but I've had to learn to walk all over again. "Realistically I won't be fighting fit until the middle of the season. But I still intend to be the first Kawasaki rider to win a World Superbike race since Akira Yanagawa about 10 years ago." Vermeulen was heavily involved in the development of the 2011 ZX10-R road bike on which the race bike is based. "It has ABS and traction control so it's a BMW beater," he said. "I'd prefer to race without the electronics but this is development and it makes road riders safer and it makes racers more competitive." While he has been convalescing, Vermeulen has been cycling and surf skiing to keep his fitness levels high for the punishing 26-race season. "The surf ski is goof for upper body and core strength which is important in bike racing," he said. "Cycling is good for cardio which is also important because my heart rate is about 170 beats per minute for the whole race. Testing in Malaysia will be really physically demanding because we do about 500km at race pace over four days in blistering heat and humidity." Vermeulen was the 2005 World Supersport (60cc) champion before moving to World Superbike the next year and finishing second. He then spent four disappointing years in MotoGP before returning to World Superbike last year. "I don't have an urge or desire to go back to MotoGP," he said. "I'm happy to be Kawasaki's world number one rider, but if they want to return to MotoGP and are committed to winning, then I would go." Vermeulen hasn't ruled out switching to four wheels when he retires from motorcycle racing like former world champion Wayne Gardner. "I test drove Jason Bright's V8 Supercar three years ago and did about 15 laps around Winton," he said. "The thing that surprised me was the brakes and how deep you can go into a corner, but the acceleration from a 600 horsepower car was less than exhilarating. It's much less than a bike. "I wouldn't mind racing cars, but for me it's not a love like bikes."

Former F1 champion Alan Jones has helped developed a AJF1 supercar prototype which will be developed into three pre-production cars early next year with the first handbuilt production model rolling out of a Gold Coast factory later in the year. "I can't say when we will build the first production cars; maybe late next year," the 1980 Formula One champion says. "I don't want to let the car out until it is spot on." The AJF1 was designed and engineered over three years by Gold Coast electrician and refrigeration engineer Darrell Barnett who sparked his supercar dream when he built a kit car in 2000. "I thought that wasn't hard, so I decided to build a supercar," he says. Barnett then took the idea to Jones and long-time business partner Greg Wilson. "I didn't want to put my name to it until I knew it would be a real supercar," Jones says. "It has to have looks, finish, performance and power." The prototype looks like an amalgam of Italian sportscars and at 2150mm is slightly wider than a Lamborghini Murcielago. Jones says they will produce a luxury model "with all the trimmings" and a lightweight, 1220kg, stripped-down, supercharged, track-day special, which he believes will be the most popular. "I can see that people will keep this in their garage under wraps and only take it out to a track," he says. It is fitted with a mid-mounted Lexus V8, but the production model will be powered by a Chevrolet LS9 6.2-litre V8 and will sell for about $250,000 to $270,000. "I don't believe you need a V10 or a V12," Jones says. "You want reliability and the Chev engine gives power, performance and reliability." The body is made of strong and lightweight carbonfibre and kevlar over a multi-tubular steel space frame, and it will come with a choice of six-speed manual transmission and a seven-seed double-clutch auto with manual and sports modes. Despite the global financial crisis, Jones says sales of supercars have never been so strong. "Every country seems to have a supercar now and I see no reason why we can't build one," he says. "Five years ago people hadn't heard of the Pagani Zonda." Jones believes the car will sell well overseas, particularly in Asia. "We've had expressions of interest and one guy who wants to buy one, but what exactly are we selling? We don't have final specifications yet. It's still a work in progress," he says. Jones says the finished car will have a 0-100km/h time of about three seconds. The AJF1 has been government approved to be built at a limit of 25 for Australia and 75 for export. "I can understand limiting local sales to 25, but why limit exports to 75? It's only money that's going to come back to Australia," Jones says. Wilson says the project has so far cost $700,000, not including labour. The car will be built by Alan Jones Signature Vehicles with a fourth business partner, New Zealand businessman Tony Richards. Wilson says they are considering a public float. The car has been shown at the Gold Coast V8 Supercars event and the inaugural Festival of Speed in Perth last month, and will be on display at the Clipsal 500 in Adelaide in March. Jones says he has tested the car on road and track and had "input into everything" including suspension, design, fit-out and powertrain. But he admits there is still a lot of work to do. "For a start the roof needs to be higher so you sit up a bit more," he says. "I have to admit, it's not an easy car to get in and out of." Jones says they will also investigate alternative powertrains, including a two-litre twin turbo, electric motor, hydrogen and even a magnetic engine being developed on the Gold Coast. DRIVING Carsguide was privileged to have a short drive in the prototype, but Jones stressed that the vehicle had teething problems and was only a pre-production model with the wrong engine. Like other concept cars, prototypes and pre-production vehicles that I have seen at motor shows and driven, the vehicle doesn't stand close scrutiny. The trim is slightly rough, the noise dampening is limited and it feels unfinished. But it still feels like a purpose-built machine destined for production, even in limited handbuilt numbers. Barnett says there is an oil leak problem and we are limited in revs on the short drive, but the clutch feels light, the gearshift positive and the steering light and responsive for such a high-powered, low-slung supercar with wide tyres. It seems to deliver on Jones's intention that the AJF1 is a supercar you can use every day. However, Jones is also right about the roof. It's too low, making it almost painful getting in and out. Once inside, the seats are raked back too far, yet your head still scrapes the ceiling. While there is sparse noise dampening material inside, the glorious roar of the V8 just behind your head is delightful and there is only a slight rumble in the seat. Suspension feels stiff and although there is 140mm of clearance, we take it cautiously slow over the speed bumps. With limited revs it is difficult to vouch for its performance, besides the engine will be replaced. However, Jones says it is "almost certain" that the car will have some motorsport involvement. AJF1 Fusion Series 358 & 480 Price: about $250,000-$270,000Engine: 6.2-litre V8 (358); supercharged 6.2-litre V8 (480)Power: 358kW @ 5750rpm (358); 480kW @ 6500rpm (480)Torque: 644Nm @ 4500rpm (358); 820Nm @ 3800rpm (480)Transmission: 6-speed manual (358); 7-speed double-clutch auto with manual and sports modes (480)0-100km/h: 4 secs (358); 3.4s (480)Top speed: 325+km/h (358); 335+km/h (480)Suspension: double A with castor, camber, toe, damper and height adjustment (front), alloy upper A arm, triple-link lower with camber, toe, damper and height adjustment (rear)Turning circle: 10mDimensions (mm): 4170 (l), 2150 (w), 1030 (h)Net weight: 1220kg

Richards, 38, is one of the most experienced drivers in the category, having started in 1996, and he is particularly good at long-distance races, such as the Melbourne 500 and Bathurst 1000. Driving for Ford Performance Racing, he has not had good success over the past few years, yet took second place in the final race of the 2010 season, in Sydney, last week. ”By no means is this … retiring from driving fulltime in the V8 Supercar Championship,” he stressed yesterday. Who knows what lies beyond 2011.” He said he would be evaluating opportunities to be a co-driver at the endurance races next year. Richards was 1994 Australian Formula Ford Champion and is the only driver to have won the Bathurst 1000 in successive years driving different brands of car in 1998 in a Ford then in 1999 in a Holden. He has six podium finishes at Bathurst. Richards will believe he is not too old to remain a racer: his father Jim Richards won the Bathurst 1000 at age 53. His departure from FPR leaves a seat vacant possibly for Will Davison who has left rival Holden Racing Team.

NEW Fujitsu V8 Supercar Series champ Steve Owen believes he's done enough to return to the main series in 2011 after a title-clinching weekend at Sydney Olympic Park. The Commodore driver finished the season as he started it, with a clean-sweep. The Victorian won won four rounds from seven and was runner-up in the Bathurst 1000 and winner in the Gold Coast 600 partnering Jamie Whincup. Tim Blanchard's fourth place in Sunday's race was enough to secure the Falcon driver second in the championship.VETERAN driver Charlie O'Brien won his first V8 Ute race on Sunday and clinched the Sydney round with a sixth on the Saturday. Meanwhile, the series win went to Grant Johnson despite being stripped of his qualifying points and race one results when his car was deemed illegal due to a brake component irregularity. Johnson drove from the rear of Sunday's grid to fifth place. The Holden driver beat Falcon drivers Jack Elsegood and Andrew Fisher in the series. The series returns for eight rounds next year with the V8 Supercar Series at Adelaide, Perth, Darwin, Townsville, Bathurst, the Gold Coast, Sandown and Sydney.CONSISTENT driver Chris Alajajian took out the third and final Mini Challenge series crown at the weekend after losing to Paul Stokell last year by a narrow margin. The 25-year-old also won the round which will be the last as the series has been axed by BMW Group over a lack of TV coverage.AUSTRALIA'S Super X crown has gone overseas for the first time in its three-year history. In the absence of multiple world, Australian and American supercross champion Chad Reed for all but the first round, American import Josh Hansen clinched the open title in a muddy final round at QSAC Stadium in Brisbane at the weekend. Heavy rain forced organisers to cancel practice and qualifying while in the final Australian Jake Moss crashed out twice in the treacherous conditions slipping to third in the series behind Jay Marmont. Moss's twin brother  Matt  also crashed on the slippery track, but managed to finish the race to claim the lites championship from American PJ Larsen who also crashed and failed to finish.HONDA duo Josh Brookes and Wayne Maxwell emerged victorious from a see-sawing battle in the Bel-Ray 6-hour Race at Phillip Island at the weekend to claim the Australian Endurance Championship. They finished the 215 laps just 1min 16.737sec ahead of fellow Honda riders Glenn Allerton and Jamie Stauffer, followed by the Suzuki pairing of Shawn Giles and Josh Waters. All three factory-supported teams led the race at various stages, with Team Suzuki's chance of victory evaporating when Waters crashed while passing a lapped rider in the last hour of the race.WAYNE Gardner's 12-year-old son Remy could be a star of the future. The world motorcycle champion's son unexpectedly took out the MRRDA National Junior Nippers Road Racing Championship for under 13 year olds at Phillip Island at the weekend. "I could see Dad hanging over the pit wall with his thumbs up and I nodded to him when I went pass - it was pretty cool," he said. It was Remy's first Australian road race event. He scored three third places and a fifth on his Moriwaki Honda 70cc bike.WORLD under-21 speedway champion Darcy Ward has been named the FIM Rookie of the Year in Portugal. The 18-year-old Brisbane rider took out the coveted award on the back of a brilliant season competing in the United Kingdom and Europe, highlighted by his victory in the FIM Under 21 Speedway World Championship for the second consecutive year. He is only the second rider to win the prestigious title twice. Ward is expected to return to Australia for the 2011 Australian Solo Speedway Championship to compete for his first national title at the open level.FOR the first time, CAMS national championships will be recognised with a parade lap during the Australian Grand Prix next year. the parade decision comes after negotiations with the Australian Grand Prix Corporation in which CAMS will provide more than 700 trained officials and track services for the March 24-27 event.BRISBANE teenager Nick Foster will compete in the opening two rounds of the Toyota Racing Series in January. The 18-year-old has signed with Giles Motorsport for his debut in the New Zealand open-wheel category. Foster, who finished third in this year's Australian Formula Ford Championship, will team up with former Australian Formula Ford Championship runner-up and defending Toyota Racing Series champion Mitch Evans and Kiwi Nick Cassidy.AUSTRALIA could play host to an expanded the Superleague Formula international open-wheeler series in which teams are themed with football club names and colours. Competitions director Robin Webb says several venues in Australia have expressed interest in hosting the event. The series features V12-powered, 560kW single-seater cars racing in Europe and two Chinese venues this year. The US and Brazil are also claimed to be interested in hosting events. Australia's only driver is 2006 Australian Formula Ford Champion John Martin of Queensland who this year finished ninth in the points but fourth in the prize money. MOTOR racing legend Jim Richards added another series title when he wrapped up the Touring Car Masters with a race win in the final in Sydney at the weekend. The seven-time Bathurst 1000 winner only needed to finish in the last race to beat two-time and reigning champion Gavin Bullas. However, the 63-year-old launched his Falcon Sprint off the start line in a drag race with John Bowe to lead the field from the first corner and set a new lap record. AUSTRALIAN Superbikes will share the stage with V8 Supercars at three events next year and will also return to Western Australia. The calendar for the eight-round championship features rounds at V8 Supercar events at Perth's Barbagallo Raceway, Queensland Raceway at Ipswich and Tasmania's Symmons Plains. Superbikes featured at only two V8 rounds this year. Ipswich will again host two rounds of the titles and the opening round will again be part of the World Superbike round at Phillip Island.Australian Superbike Championship Feb 25-27, Phillip  Island, VicMar 4-6, Symmons Plains TasApr 14-17, Hidden Valley NTMay 6-8, Barbagallo Raceway, WAJun 3-5, Queensland Raceway, IpswichAug 19-21, Queensland Raceway, IpswichNov 11-13, Symmons Plains, TasNov 18-20, Phillip Island, Vic

John Martin, 26, this year won more races than any other driver in the European-based Superleague series and pocketed more than $500,000 in prizemoney.  Next year, the former national Formula Ford champion could be racing in front of a home crowd as the international football-themed series seeks to spread to an international audience. "There's been a lot of talk about coming to Australia, also Brazil, Abu Dhabi and another race in China," he said.  The Superleague put up its hand in 2009 to fill in for the A1GP when it failed to show for the Gold Coast "Indy". "They'd still really like to come to Australia and are really pushing for it," Martin said.  "I'm in the loop a bit but they play their cards close to their chest so we won't know until they are near a deal. "(Superleague co-founder) Robin Webb has been out here a couple of times in the last couple of weeks.  "I've heard that Adelaide and a few other places have been mentioned. Adelaide would be good because it's a former F1 track." Martin scored six pole positions this year for his Beijing Guoan FC team, 10 podiums and won six races, including two super finals, but finished ninth in the convoluted points system.  "The year didn't go quite as planned, but it was still a good one," he said.  "We wanted to challenge for the championship but had a few problems. But towards the end of the year we went really well." Since he arrived back in Australia last month the former Gosford-born Queensland karting champion has been racing karts at Rockhampton and Bundaberg "for some fun" and to keep his eye in, winning all four races.  He says he will race a full season of Superleague next year but has not yet signed a contract. "Motorsport is a crazy world and things change all the time," he said.  "I'm still just chasing the F1 dream. I'd also like to be in GP2 but I don't have the budget for that.  Maybe if I make some more money out of Superleague I can think about GP2 or an F1 test." Martin said it costs about $675,000 to race a season in Superleague and about $2.7 million "just to turn up" in GP2.  "And then there's crash damage and things aren't cheap to fix," he said. "My prizemoney this year paid for my season, so basically I raced for nothing. Sponsors and my family help out with living expenses.  "My dad (Greg) worked as a mining contractor in Blackwater and he's spent a quite a bit on my career." Martin congratulated Perth 21-year-old Daniel Ricciardo scoring a contract with F1 team Toro Rosso as the third and reserve driver for next season, but said there were drawbacks. The former Red Bull reserve driver will drive in the free practice sessions on the first day of each GP, alternating with regular drivers Jaime Alguersuari and Sebastian Buemi. If either is injured or their performance is diminished, Ricciardo is likely to get a drive. "That's the way into F1 these days, not being a test driver," Martin said.  "There's not much testing in F1 these days as they put a ban on it, so it makes it harder to get in. "A few years ago when Webber started he test drove for several years and go lots of miles in.  "But as a reserve driver you do a lot of standing around hoping someone gets sick. Plus it takes you away from other competition. "You need to be racing to keep your name out there and keep your race craft up as well.  "You can do all the time in the gym you like but you have to go out and get match fitness."FAST LANE Driver: John Martin, 26, from Blackwater , now living in YeppoonCareer: Qld karting champion, Australian Formula Ford champion, also raced British Formula 3 and A1GP2010: finished 9th in Superleague points and 4th in prizemoney, with 4 race 1 wins, 2 super finals, 6 poles, 10 podiums, 13 front row starts, qualified front row for the last 5 rounds.Superleague history: Started in 2008 in the UK with sponsorship by international football clubs such as AC Milan, Liverpool, Atletico Madrid and Totenham.Superleague cars: Teams run identical cars with 560kW V12 engines in open-wheel, single-seaters.Superleague rounds: 12 rounds each consisting of qualifying, race 1, a reverse-grid race 2 and a super final of the top 6 drivers from race 2.

The original word was that he was going to stay with Ford and had a handshake deal to go to FPR.  Now he's changed his views and apparently is signing up with HRT.  I suppose it's not called the silly season for nothing.I've been there and done that myself, so I can't say I blame him.  He's naturally looking for the best opportunities for himself and his sponsors to win races next year and he feels he has to look outside his team because of the internal strife they've had this year.There are a few other movements around the pits, notably Will Davison apparently moving from HRT to FPR.  For both Will and James it will be interesting times swapping manufacturers, but it won't be anything like the controversy that I've experienced in my two switches.There are a lot more manufacturer swaps among drivers these days and they will become more common as drivers look for the best opportunities and as more and more fans follow a driver or team, rather than a manufacturer.The season couldn't have finished in more bizarre circumstances with the two red flags at Sandown in the second-last round and then the top five crashing out in similar circumstances in last Saturday's race.Some people say that race should have been red flagged like the Sandown races and that might have yielded a completely different championship result.  But I think it was the right decision to allow the race to continue under a safety car and then re-start.They managed to clear the circuit very quickly, the track wasn't blocked and there were no safety issues, so there was no need for a red flag.The crashes happened because teams and drivers made the wrong decision on tyres. Bright and a few others made the right decision and they benefited, so good luck to them.I had radioed my race engineer Jeromy (CORRECT) Moore and said we should get the wets ready but I didn't imagine it was that wet at the time.  The previous lap the track hadn't changed condition, but on the restart the rain had come down at that corner and it was like a river.I nudged the wall but got around the corner without any major damage only to find James stopped right in front of me with no way to avoid him.  I aquaplaned right up the back of him but it didn't do as much damage to his car as mine because the back of these cars is basically cosmetic, not structural.On Monday night we had our annual awards night in Sydney. It's the one time each year I actually get dressed up!  But it was quite strange this year for me because it was the first one I've been to without my wife, Nat. She's been recovering from an illness and couldn't make it.It was still a great night and our engineers gave an inspiring speech when they accepted the best team award.I've also thought about my own choices for awards.  Best and fairest driver award went naturally to James, but I would split the award into fairest which would probably be Frosty and best which would be my teammate Jamie just going by his race wins and pole positions.We won the best team award and I think we deserved it from then number of wins, poles and enduro round victories.  Most improved driver and team award went to Paul Dumbrell and his team which is fair enough, but I'd also like to recognise Alex Davison, Tim Slade and Tony D'Alberto and their teams.The best event award went to Townsville which I thought put on a great show. I think an award should also go for the best race and that should be the last race at the Gold Coast. The closing stages with Shane van Gisbergen chasing Jamie were incredibly exciting.I'd also like to give a best track award to Abu Dhabi for the great facilities.  If I could give an award for best passing move it would be James's move on Jamie at Winton around the outside on turn two.Biggest crash award would have to go to Fabian Coulthard for his massive roll at Bathurst. It was amazing to see him get out and walk away from that crash. It was a testament to the safety in our industry.  And finally I'd give an award to the stewards. Normally we bag them for being inconsistent but largely they did a pretty good job this year.For me, it was one of my best years yet, despite finishing fourth in the championship.  I've achieved what I wanted to achieve this year winning both of the enduros and staying in championship contention for much of the season, while winning the Australasian Safari was an unexpected bonus.I didn't expect to have an opportunity to race in the Safari, let alone win it.  For me the season has finished on a higher note than it began.If you look back on the whole year, it shows I need to be more consistent at the beginning. There were no problems with the back half of the season, only some bad luck.  Also, there have been occasions where we could have finished the race with some points instead of not finishing at all. That certainly hurt my chances.This is my last column after a very long and hectic year that started in February in the Mid East and finished just before Christmas in Sydney and included the Safari and the release of my first book.So over the Christmas holidays I'm planning on doing absolutely nothing.  Basically I'm going to sit at home and spend some time with family and friends, especially Nat who I haven't been able to spend near as much time with over the past few months as I would have liked.I hope all my fans also get to spend some valuable time these holidays with the people they love.

... and today we can reveal the unlikely man who snared Pink for the V8 Supercars. Many suspected it was former rodeo and V8 Supremo Tony Cochrane who snared the biggest female name in would rock, but it was in fact race car driver and team owner Paul Morris who snared the music megastar. But Carsguide can reveal Morris approached a disbelieving Cochrane claiming he could secure her for the campaign, and with a budget he did. Morris spends a lot of time in the US and is believed to have formed a friendship with the star through his network of motorsport contacts. Morris is close to a number of NASCAR drivers and Pink is right into her motorsport with her boyfreind Cary Hart a professional motorcross rider. After coming accross this yarn, we were not surprised to see the greatest metal front man in Morris' garage at Sandown last round. Taking a break from his Australian tour, none other than James Hetfield watched practice with Morris before having a ride with Greg Murphy. Hetfield left in awe of the V8s and invited a host of Supercars to his final show in Melbourne.