Classic Ford Falcon torn into four in shocking crash - Torquecafe.com

We have had some discussions, but this is a 2027 (and maybe 2028)ssue.

Quote[font="Source Sans Pro", sans-serif]Matt Payne is contracted to Grove Racing until the end of 2027, but that has not stopped General Motors from mounting a sustained campaign to lure one of Supercars' most exciting young talents away from the Ford fold.[/font]
[font="Source Sans Pro", sans-serif]The question was put directly to Brenton Grove at a media conference at Taupo at the weekend, with the co-owner of Grove Racing confirming Payne's contract runs through to the end of the 2027 season.[/font]

There is not much comment of the Grove family racing many different company products over time.

Sure, they race Fords but that may be as a result of buying a Ford Team.

If GM really have buckets of money to spread about, why spend it on a top driver and place him in a less-than-top team?

It would make a lot of sense to sign the entire Grove Supercar Team to convert to GM cars. GM would then get two top drivers in a front running team.

Grove aren't commenting because the question isn't being asked.

Matt Payne linked to GM Supercars move amid Cadillac hypercar lure and Reynolds retirement talk

Father of IndyCar champion Will Power speaks about allegedly being held at gunpoint in carjacking ordeal | 7NEWS

As someone with a training in Electronics and Physics, I am totally lost.

Can anyone explain how a vibrating battery can be a problem with the Honda engine?

It is all beyond my, obviously dated, understanding of batteries. Such is the curse of aging.

Maybe I should harness up my horse and cart and retreat to a retirement home.

It is unlikely to affect Tickford sponsorship, yet.

QuoteHow the deal is structured
Under the agreement, Stonepeak will acquire a majority controlling interest in Castrol from BP, which has owned the brand for more than two decades.

BP will retain a 35% minority stake, while Canada Pension Plan Investment Board (CPP Investments) will invest up to $1.05bn (€891mn), giving it an indirect holding in the company.

Castrol is one of the largest lubricant producers in the world, supplying engine oils, industrial fluids and greases to customers in around 150 countries.

Its products are used across consumer automotive markets as well as heavy industry, manufacturing and energy systems.

Though best known for motor oils, Castrol has also supplied lubricants for aviation, space missions and professional motorsport, and is increasingly positioning itself for growth in electric vehicles and data-intensive infrastructure.

https://www.msn.com/en-au/money/news/unlikely-bedfellows-castrol-deal-draws-private-capital-into-industry/ar-AA1T0OX7?ocid=msedgntp&pc=HCTS&cvid=0f4b1d38f7d94696fc6492bd68fb652b&ei=38

The current motor racing safety fencing is much improved and getting better, with an emphasis on spectator safety. Watch what can happen without those standards.

https://www.msn.com/en-au/news/australia/he-s-blacked-out-demolition-derby-car-ploughs-into-crowd-at-nsw-show/ar-AA1QuBJe?ocid=msedgntp&pc=HCTS&cvid=69192f50e95a4648ae4d722913d63041&ei=67

Quick edit: That is post 1,000 for me/

There is a lot of talk about allowing Gen 3 cars in Super 2 after next year.

Many of the current Super 2 teams are resisting the move due to the higher costs of running a Gen 3 and it was supposed to be a cheaper car. Some will just leave the class. We already lost one major team with the last upgrade.

Terry Wyhoon is talking of not updating and he currently has two Super 2 Commodores advertised in https://www.v8sleuth.com.au/emh03-holden-commodore-zb-super2-car/

Apparently, drivers are able to run TA2/TransAm for considerably lesser budget and the gap will increase with mooted changes to Gen 3.

There are also 9 TCR for sale. I wonder if the cars can compete in another class or do the owners just wait until they qualify for Historic Racing.

Quote"A fire ripped through our facilities, destroying absolutely everything – our product factory, our stock warehouse, and our race team.

"The heat was so intense it melted solid gearbox casings, reduced entire engines to warped molten metal, and left nothing but ash and twisted steel of the buildings. Years of work, equipment, and investment were destroyed in a matter of hours. All tools, spare parts and components have been lost."

That included the Power Maxed Vauxhall Astra race cars,

https://www.autosport.com/btcc/news/power-maxed-on-btcc-grid-despite-fire-destroying-cars-and-factory/10750436/

After watching the latest video from BJR:
https://speedcafe.com/supercars-news-2025-jaxon-evans-crash-chassis-replacement-darwin-townsville-brad-jones-racing-bjr-comments/

Among the shows that popped up was "70 Years of Harrop". I well remember the Harrops Howler FJ and had a look.

It is amazing just how many racecars benefited from Ron's involvement as an engineer and race driver.

Well worth a view.

I am heartedly sick of the media telling us of some local skirmish or civil war.

Too often the government of Australia finds a reason for Australians to die in these foreign skirmishes. e.g., The Malaysian Crisis, The Korean Police action. The Vietnam civil war, the Afghanistan civil war etc. etc. and a heap more etc.

Some of these have been going on for all of my long life and beyond.

Let's look at India and Pakistan skirmishes. "They shot first", " "no they shot first", since at least 1947.

How about they get fair dinkum and bomb the **** out of each other and get a resolution.

Maybe a few million less humans would alleviate the famine crisis.

https://autoaction.com.au/2025/05/10/brad-jones-racing-tipped-for-toyota-switch-xiberras-still-undecided-on-2026-move

QuoteMeanwhile, Peter Xiberras has confirmed that he has yet to settle on a manufacturer for 2026 but hopes to make a decision before the next round of the championship.


PremiAirs Peter Xiberras and recently appointed CEO Gwyn Dolphin are still thinking about which brand they will run beyond 2025.

The PremiAir Racing boss remains one of the key wildcards in the ongoing manufacturer shake-up. Despite running Chevrolet Camaros and being heavily invested in GM-aligned race car programs, Xiberras is understood to be genuinely conflicted about his next move.

Reports suggest he is weighing up a switch to Ford and retaining his alignment with Triple Eight or doubling down on his existing GM relationship. Both camps are reportedly pushing hard, and Xiberras will meet with new Supercars Program Manager for General Motors, Simon McNamara, for the first time tomorrow.

If PremiAir do move to Ford, I would surmise that it would be in 2027 after another year with existing 88 GM equipment.

Peter has an extensive, no very extensive, collection of past GM Commodores. If he goes to Ford, the collectors' market may get a real shakeup.

I suspect that Simon McNamara has a large bucket of incentive available.

4 less GM with the BJR switch. There are a diminishing number of GM cars.

I really wonder why GM persists considering the GM range of vehicles available to the Australian buyer, and generally relatively expensive.

GM could take their tents and go quietly into the night.

They sell Fords in Australia.
They sell Toyotas in Australia mass market.

I just caught the tail end of a press conference at Bathurst.

Among other goodies, there will be a plan to resurface the track and upgrade facilities for Marshalls, subject to post election Legislation.

Quote from: Trevor on March 01, 2025, 01:28:22 PMif you want a s.h.i.t. leader just look to the USA right now

Quote from: stevo qld on March 01, 2025, 02:59:46 PMTrevor, I do not like Trump and would never vote for him, but I will also never be in his electorate, so that is a moot point.

But I have noticed, for many years, that the USA is effectively insolvent and has to raise their loan limit again and again. There are a lot of poor or disadvantaged USA citizens who see successive governments chucking aid to a lot of overseas countries, like Germany, instead of helping them at home, with their medical, housing and food needs.

The chattering classes whine, moan and criticize Trump endlessly for many years.

But funny thing: When USA citizens entered the privacy of the polling booth, Trump got the most votes at the most recent election.

It appears that Supercar drivers can wear less safe helmets than required for other minor classes.

QuoteBrown is embarking on the first of three Toyota Formula Regional Oceania Championship appearances this weekend at Taupo International Motorsport Park.

The driver's first open-wheel outing in six years hit an early snag when his own helmet, which he tested with on Thursday, was deemed an incorrect specification for the class.

Brown subsequently hit the track in Friday morning's opening practice wearing a lid borrowed from Lawson, who is also set to make an appearance at the event this weekend.

https://speedcafe.com/supercars-news-will-brown-liam-lawson-taupo-helmet-swap/

https://speedcafe.com/supercars-news-super3-series-cancelled-super2-2025/

QuoteCars currently eligible for Super3 – the Car of the Future-specification Holden Commodore VF, Ford Falcon FG X and Nissan Altima – will from 2025 be allowed to compete in Super2.

Nissan teams were rather upset that they were barred from Super2. Further, as I seem to recall, cars had to be retro downgraded to an earlier specification to run in Super3. If allowed to run the latest specification, the cars might surprise some of the Ford and Holden competitors.

QuoteGerman automotive brands Recaro and BBS have both filed for bankruptcy in the same week, showing times are tough even for well-known suppliers.

Recaro has filed for insolvency with the Local Court of Esslingen, following "significant financial difficulties due to extreme price increases in recent crisis years and the loss of a major contract".

QuoteBBS – the only wheel supplier for Formula One and another producer for new car manufacturers – also entered administration in Germany this week, with Motor1 reporting the firm filed for insolvency with the Rottweil Local Court.

Sorry, I lost that quote, but heres another. Google has a long list of similar stories.

https://www.autoexpress.co.uk/news/363925/recaro-folds-and-wheels-come-bbs-financial-trouble-strikes

I thought that this may be of interest.

https://www.msn.com/en-au/news/australia/how-two-perth-sisters-are-selling-off-the-largest-toy-car-collection-in-the-southern-hemisphere/vi-BB1qlpF7?ocid=msedgntp&pc=HCTS&cvid=a423bfd555f14a809125d2d10cd24de4&ei=52

I think that this news is rather ironic.

Tesla Cars are frequently purchased or used by green and left-wing political supporters including top level Green Party leaders.

Yet, every single one of them is ,collectively, financially contributing to the election campaign of the allegedly right-wing Donald Trump.

QuoteTech billionaire Elon Musk has pledged his support to former US President Donald Trump.

Mr Musk has pledged to donate to a super PAC that supports Donald Trump $US45 million a month, leading up to the election.

The tech billionaire had formally endorsed the former US President after an attempted assassination on Mr. Trump's life.

https://www.msn.com/en-au/news/other/elon-musk-pledges-45-million-donations-to-support-donald-trump/ar-BB1q6izP?ocid=BingNewsSerp

QuoteRace driver's bankruptcy led to 'medley' of drug abuse a former V8 Supercars driver and nightclub owner has been released from court on a suspended sentence for drug possession after a more serious trafficking charge was dropped.

Wayne Jason Wakefield, 53, pleaded guilty in the Brisbane Supreme Court on Tuesday to a string of charges relating to two police raids on his homes within a year starting in May 2020.
...
 sentenced Wakefield to 15 months' imprisonment to be immediately suspended for a period of 15 months.

Wakefield said he felt "good" as he left the court building.

https://www.brisbanetimes.com.au/national/queensland/race-drivers-bankruptcy-led-to-medley-of-drug-abuse-20240709-p5jsa7.html

There is a whole lot of speculation over the future of Adrian Newey.

He says he is tired and is having a break and a family holiday. Good on him.

I wonder if he could later turn up at Andretti, who need to build car from scratch plus they can spend up big because they are not yet under the salary cap.