Race track

The McLaren superstar has revealed the vital role his Brisbane-born trainer Adam Costanzo plays in his preparation.Hamilton, 23, said Costanzo was like family and helped keep his mind focused.“Adam plays a huge role, not just in my preparation but in my life,” Hamilton told the Herald Sun yesterday.“He's made a big sacrifice in moving from the UK to Switzerland with me."“He's almost like a brother because I spend nearly every day with him. He really is working very hard to make sure I'm in the best possible shape for the first race."“He tries to take a lot of the stress and strain off my shoulders and make my life easier."“With the training as well, he's got such drive. I've already got that so I can do that on my own, but having someone else, two is better than one and it makes us even stronger.”The pair spent last week in Queensland, spending time with Costanzo's family in what was a low-key build-up to the first Formula One race of the season.“We usually go up there because he (Costanzo) has an opportunity to see his family,” Hamilton said.“So we stayed with his family for a day and then we went to the Gold Coast and did our training there. It's good for running on the beach, great weather — it's just a nice atmosphere up there."“We get on so well that it's such a great laugh, it makes the training more fun."“He spices it up, he changes it around a lot. It's just good to be able to do these things."“Sometimes we go on bike rides for four hours and if you did that on your own you'd be pretty bored. It hypes us up so it's good to have him around.”After coming within two points of winning the F1 championship last year, Hamilton believes he is driving better this time around.“Yep, definitely,” he said.“I'm just taking my time to work on developing certain parts of my driving style. The balance of the car and understanding my car more."“I feel in the last test I thought I was driving quite well. I'm happy the way I'm driving.”Despite his success in his rookie F1 season, Hamilton isn't expecting wins to come as easy this time around.He said adapting to the rule changes that ban traction control, launch control and engine braking would be a challenge.“With the (driving) aids taken away, the new regulations this year are definitely going to make it harder,” he said.Ferrari is the hot pre-season pick, but Hamilton isn't playing favourites.He said he is unconcerned by his rivals ahead of the Australian Grand Prix despite the strong testing form of BMW-Sauber, Renault, Williams and Red Bull.“To be honest, I haven't focused on any other team,” he said. “Mainly because last year we came here (to Melbourne) and we knew the Ferrari's were a little bit quicker than us."“This year, forget all that — it's not so important. And also I know we've got a better package than we did last year. I'm confident in our abilities.”Although he won't predict a win at Albert Park on Sunday, Hamilton is determined to make sure he gets off to a strong start to the season.“Just to start with getting points is a key,” he said.“We want to get as many points as we need. For sure having a win in the first race could be a major boost for the team and, obviously, my confidence.“That is definitely the goal and that is what we have all been working towards.” 

The Bathurst build-up begins today when the long-distance co-drivers have their first hitout of the year at Eastern Creek, the first time organisers have given drivers in the two endurance races special practice sessions at race meetings.Eastern Creek is one of four events where the extra drivers will have a chance to become familiar with their machinery before the Phillip Island 500 and Bathurst 1000.Not all teams have finalised co-drivers, but the session will be a great way to get a headstart for those that have.The Holden Racing Team will run veterans Glenn Seton and Craig Baird in its two Commodores. Seton will drive Mark Skaife's usual machine and Baird will use Garth Tander's car.Ford Performance Racing will run Dean Canto in Mark Winterbottom's regular ride and Luke Youlden will drive Steven Richard's Castrol-sponsored Falcon.The HSV Dealer Team will give experienced Kiwi Paul Radisich time in Rick Kelly's car, while Marcus Zukanovic will steer Paul Dumbrell's machine.“It's an important part of getting them used to the team and the cars,” Dick Johnson Racing team manager Adrian Burgess says.His team will run new signings Warren Luff and Steve Owen.Finding the right co-drivers and getting them up to speed is becoming an increasingly important issue. This year's race at Phillip Island will feature two short qualifying races on the Saturday of the meeting to determine the starting order of the long race. Each driver will compete in one race, making it critical to give the inexperienced driver more seat time.Stone Brother's Racing will get extra use out of the session. James Courtney's huge shunt at Adelaide has forced the team to use the team's spare car, Russell Ingall's car from last year.It hasn't been used in months and the session will allow rookie Jonathon Webb to gain valuable miles ahead of the enduros and shakedown the car before Courtney races it. 

Formula One machines and rally cars were relegated to background ornaments on Toyota’s monstrous Melbourne Motor Show stand this morning.

New V8 Supercars driving standards observer Tomas Mezera will be under pressure to keep a lid on tempers in round 2 of the Championship Series at Sydney's Eastern Creek, starting on Friday week.Several collisions and controversial passes triggered an unprecedented level of trash talk among drivers and team owners at the Clipsal 500 at Adelaide last weekend.The normally measured David Richards, team principal of Ford Performance Racing, was seething after his driver Mark Winterbottom's race ended when he was an innocent victim of the Craig Lowndes and James Courtney incident.Stewards investigated the incident between the pair at turn 10 and declared there was no breach of the rules.Mezera, at his first V8 meeting in the role, had been unfairly blamed for letting Clipsal winner Jamie Whincup's forceful pass on Winterbottom in Saturday's opening 250km race go without reprisal.Most thought Whincup's move, which resulted in minor side contact forcing Winterbottom wide, hard but legal.“This mess was endorsed on Saturday,” Richards fumed.“It leads to someone getting seriously hurt and that is a disaster for the championship and we are all victims in this at the end of the day.“The sponsors don't want it and the car manufacturers don't want to see their cars smashed up every day.”Richards plans to approach Mezera, who has stepped into the policing role this year to replace Colin Bond, to address the driving standards issue.Points: 1 Jamie Whincup (Ford) 300, 2 Lee Holdsworth (Holden) 258, 3 Rick Kelly (Holden) 192, 4 Steven Johnson (Ford) 186, 5 Todd Kelly (Holden) 180. 

Now you can own the car that leads the Formula One cars; a Mercedes-Benz CLK 63 AMG Black Series based on the official F1 Safety Car.According to Mercedes Car Group Australian managing director Horst von Sanden, the company had secured 50 CLK 63 AMG Black Series for the Australia Pacific region, despite strong demand overseas."Our allocation of 50 will be among the last to be produced in this strictly limited run of vehicles," he said.Since orders started in mid-November more than half of the allocation has been sold with delivery in the first quarter of 2008.Each vehicle will be individually numbered with a compliance style plate and a certificate of authenticity, along with a signed letter of provenance and despite the name, comes in colours other than black.Owners also will have access to special hospitality and driving events.The $299,000 coupe is powered by the AMG 6.3-litre V8 with its performance boosted to 373kW and 630Nm of torque.Thanks to the extra 19kW of output, the black Benz races to 100km/h in 4.3sec, making it .3sec faster than the standard 354kW model. The top speed is electronically limited to 300km/h.The extra power of the high-revving, naturally aspirated 6208cc AMG engine was extracted through an overhauling of the intake and exhaust systems.Power is transmitted through the AMG Speedshift 7G-Tronic gearbox with a shortened final drive ratio for better acceleration.Outside there is '6.3 AMG' and 'Black Series' badging, side sill panels that extend back to the rear wings and two twin AMG tailpipes.The new AMG sports exhaust system with full-length twin pipes features new silencers and a lower exhaust backpressure.Benz claims this also produces a deeper V8 bass rumble.The black Benz sits on 19-inch AMG forged lightweight wheels shod with Pirelli P Zero Corsa sports tyres size 265/30 R 19 (front) and 285/30 R 19 (rear).Carbon fibre abounds on the diffuser fins, spoiler boot lip and enlarged intake ducts.The interior also gets plenty of carbon fibre trim, AMG logos, aluminium door handles and a start/stop button in matt black with AMG Black Series lettering.This car has been specifically designed for use at track days.It is a dedicated two-seater sports car with no rear seats and front AMG sports bucket seats covered in flame-retardant nylon velour with white AMG logos.It also has new AMG sports suspension featuring adjustable ride height, adjustable compression and rebound shock absorbers, rear-axle track and front axle track and camber, allowing drivers to personalise the setup for competitive driving.The carbon fibre AMG instrument cluster features a race timer to record lap times and distances along with average and top speeds. 

In doing so, Kelly has passed up a chance to defect to Ford, and a potential place with the Toll-HSV Dealer Team alongside his brother Rick.

A string of thefts and vandalism attacks on custom cars in Tasmania has prompted a Hobart car club to start a public awareness campaign; to stop theft and encourage people to report car crime.

The race is estimated to generate about $60 million a year for the Queensland economy, and it is regarded by the United States-based Champ Car organisation as the 'jewel in its crown.'While the Champ Cars previously held top billing they now share equal status with the Aussie-bred V8 Supercars.While the Champ cars are purebred, state of the art racing machines that scream through the streets of Surfers Paradise at speeds of close to 300km/h. The V8s are not far behind in speed and thunder through one of the toughest overtaking tracks on the motoring calendar.For all the latest coverage on Indy this weekend, go to www.goldcoast.com.auThe traditional V8 rivals; Ford and Holden; command huge armies of followers that descend on the Coast each year to witness their heroes battle, it's ours on the demanding street circuit.The event is held in late October each year (18-27 October, 2007), providing organisers with a huge logistical challenge, to erect a 4.2km track through the streets of Surfers Paradise.The heart of the holiday capital is transformed into a motoring mecca which boasts not only the Champ Cars and V8 Supercars but also drag races, Carrera Cup (Porshces), V8 utes and a bevy of other motoring attractions.And if you can’t get here then you can join the estimated half a billion television viewers that tune in to watch the motoring extravaganza each year.But it hasn’t always been smooth driving for the race that winds through the streets of Surfers Paradise and boasts the best scenic backdrop of almost any motor race in the world.When the event was established in 1991, Queensland’s political leaders were sceptical of its long-term future and when it hit the skids in 1998, losing $8 million, it took a courageous Queensland Government to come forward with a $10 million a year funding grant to keep it afloat.Now, to complement the racing schedule, scores of off-track events are held, including a Brazilian street parade and the Indy ball, which attracts 800 heavy hitters.Indy chairman terry Mackenroth says the event’s future is secure after negotiations took place recently to extend the contract with Champ Car bosses to 2012.“It’s the pre-eminent major event in Queensland and we want to keep it that way,” he said.“I think the success of Indy is very much a reflection of what can happen when a go-ahead city like the Gold Coast embraces it with such enthusiasm.”  Will you be watching the Indy race from your lounge?   View great photos of the 2008 Bartercard Miss Indy finalists 

Toyota announced at the Australian International Motor Show, that a near stock-standard Aurion TRD will tackle Australia's premier tarmac rally in 2008.News of the competitive future for the locally developed performance car follows the announcement the TRD Aurion will go back on sale next week, after being withdrawn three weeks ago while the company investigated an engine failure in one car.The Toyota Racing Development-designed-and-built 3.5-litre supercharged V6 Aurion, which has been prepared for Targa by the Neal Bates Motorsport team; the same group behind Toyota's multiple-championship-winning TRD rally outfit.Former Targa winner Bates was an integral part of the TRD Aurion's development; and believes the car has the potential to knock off some of its race-bred competitors on the 'testing Tasmania roads.'“We have only made minor modifications to the standard car, like fitting a roll cage, racing seats and safety equipment,” Bates says.While the TRD Aurion may have supplied the flash and dash of Toyota's motor show presentation, the most significant event was the world premiere of the next-generation 200 Series LandCruiser.Toyota's senior executive director for sales and marketing, David Buttner, says the LandCruiser has been a pivotal part of the company's history in Australia.“New LandCruiser has been tested and evaluated here for several years over more than 200,000km,” he says.The all-new 200 Series LandCruiser features a twin-turbocharged V8 diesel engine; with more than 600Nm of torque, and will also be a delivery platform for some of the world's most advanced off-road technology.High on the features lists are the Australian-designed Kinetic Dynamic Suspension System (KDSS), which provides greater stability on all surfaces and an extended suspension stroke in off-road driving.The LandCruiser will also feature the world's first 'crawl control' system for negotiating surfaces such as rocks, sand or steep hills (petrol models only), a Torsen limited-slip centre differential and a multi-terrain anti-skid braking system.Safety advances include a stronger body structure, standard vehicle stability control and up to 10 airbags; front, side and knee airbags for the driver and front passenger, side airbags for the outboard second-row seats and curtain shield airbags for all three rows.For the first time in Australia, LandCruiser 200 has four-zone climate-control airconditioning at the top of the range. This system gives first- and second-row passengers access to individual climate controls on both sides of the vehicle with air being distributed through 28 vents.Toyota also announced the arrival of the RAV4 V6 which is now on sale in dealerships.The new model continues the growth of what was once Toyota's small off-roader for the funky-inclined. “Last year, we launched a new RAV4; and this month we add more than 200kW of V6 power to the range,” Buttner says.The company also confirmed that the second TRD-badged Toyota will be the 4.0-litre supercharged HiLux.  

Craig Lowndes and Jamie Whincup showed nerves of steel in the final laps after a roller-coaster ride in the wet at Mt Panorama yesterday to make it successive Bathurst 1000 titles.The Lowndes-Whincup combination also made it a winning enduro double after success at the Sandown 500 three weeks ago.A mistake from Whincup when he misjudged his line into pit lane on the last driver change nearly cost the Ford Triple 8 Team Vodafone victory.“Craig brought the car home nicely,” Whincup said.“This was an amazing win ... a bit special. To have won Bathurst back-to-back and also win at Sandown, I can't put into words.”Team owner Roland Dane described Lowndes and Whincup's drive as “brilliant”.The win also saw Whincup take over at the top of the leaderboard on 461 points, followed by Lowndes (445) with four rounds remaining before the grand finale at Phillip Island in December.James Courtney (Stone Brothers Racing) was second yesterday and Steve Johnson (Jim Beam) third to make it a Ford trifecta, the first since 1988.Greg Murphy (Tasman Motorsport) was the highest-placed Holden driver, in fourth.Yesterday's race turned in a fraction of a second on lap 150, 11 from the end.Jason Bright (Britek Motorsport), Mark Skaife (HRT) and Russell Ingall (Stone Brothers) were caught out by the change in weather as rain turned the circuit into a skating rink.Bright was leading when he gambled on a late pit stop, to drive the final kilometres on cold slicks as the weather closed in from the southwest.The ploy badly misfired. Across the top of the mountain, at McPhillamy Park, he ended in the sand pit as did Skaife after a close shave with the concrete wall.Ingall also hobbled into the pits on three tyres and no brakes.But the heart-breaking story of the day belonged to Rick Kelly and Garth Tander in the No1 Toll HSV Commodore, after the car was retired on lap 132 of the scheduled 161.Kelly started the day as series leader on 443 points, nine in front of Tander, with Whincup and Lowndes on their rear bumper.“We worked pretty hard and believed we had a package to be up the front, but it just wasn't our day,” Kelly said, knowing he had lost his championship lead.Kelly and Tander ran without luck all day. Mechanical problems plagued the car as early as lap 10.With Kelly and Tander out of the frame in the points, it was left to Skaife and Kelly's brother, Todd, in the No2 HRT Commodore, to take the race to the Falcons of Whincup, Lowndes, and early pacesetters Mark Winterbottom and Steven Richards in a FPR Ford.Richards won the start after Winterbottom had put the car on pole by beating off Holden top guns Skaife and Kelly into the first corner and up Mountain Straight.Kelly had no luck, nearly coming to grief on lap 25 as he diced with Lowndes.He shredded the left rear tyre at the end of Conrod Straight at almost 290km/h.The car went into a violent backward skid across the track as Lowndes dived inside, narrowly avoiding being T-boned.The young driver from Mildura nursed the stricken Commodore into the pits for the mechanics to make some hurried temporary repairs, add new rubber, take on a full tank of fuel and swap seats with co-driver Tander at the start of the second hour of racing.When Tander entered the fray for the first time, the Toll Holden entry had dropped to 26th.In the pre-race warm-up, John Bowe's co-driver Jonathon Webb, at the wheel of the No111 Glenford PCR Falcon, sustained mechanical failure halfway up Mountain Straight and hit a concrete barrier.That left pit-crew chief Hayden Morris and his mechanics less than two hours to replace the damaged front-end panels.Another hard-luck story came from Cameron McConville in the No50 Supercheap Auto Commodore. McConville was to have been 16th on the grid, but never got to the start line after the engine on his car blew up on the warm-up lap.“This is hard to believe,” McConville said. “We had some sort of a misfire, but I just couldn't get time to roll the thing back into the pits before the race start. I think we may have dropped a valve or something.”The McConville incident led to the first of seven occasions when the safety car had to be called out.Andrew Jones in the BOC Ford came to an end on lap 53 after fire broke out under the bonnet.