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.

It is great to see another Mustang competing in this class and winning both races.

George Miedecke is a proven very good driver but not up to Supercar standards (although better than some current Supercar drivers).

Young Ryland Gray seems to be the real deal and we will hear a lot more from him in the future.

Plaudits to Andrew Miedecke for importing this car.

 touringcarmasters.com.au is not working.

Have they a new site?

QuoteIn short: Klark and Brooke Quinn have taken over the Sara Lee factory on the NSW Central Coast.

Sara Lee went into voluntary administration last October, owing millions of dollars.

What's next? The new owners will look at the business model and consider how to secure the company's future.
The new owners of dessert manufacturer Sara Lee say they intend to stick around for the "long run".

Australians Klark and Brooke Quinn received the keys to the Lisarow factory on the New South Wales Central Coast on Monday.

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2024-02-13/new-sara-lee-owners-klark-brooke-quinn-tour-lisarow-factory/103441680

Historical financials show V8 Supercars owner got off to a shaky start.

The operator of the Supercars racing competition booked a $2.7m loss in its first 15 months of operations and was likely reliant on its owners tipping in more money to stay afloat, documents lodged with the corporate regulator show.

The 2022 financial accounts for Racing Australia Consolidated Enterprises (RACE) show that the organisation turned over $112.5m in the 15 months to the end of 2022, booking a $2.7m loss in the process.

The reporting period covered 15 months due to the creation of the company in September 2021, with the company then acquiring V8 Supercars Holdings and its subsidiaries.

RACE's current liabilities exceeded its current assets by $4.9m, with a current asset deficit a key indicator of financial distress.

The company flagged this in its financial statements, saying the directors, including former V8 champion Mark Skaife and former QSM Media boss Barclay Nettlefold, had a plan in place to ensure the company could continue to operate.

...

This creates a material uncertainty that may cast a significant doubt as to whether the group will continue as a going concern and therefore, whether it will settle its liabilities and commitments in the normal course of business.''

The organisation's main revenue source for the 15 month period was sponsorships, coming in at $34.7m, followed by broadcast revenue at $31.2m, with "other race related income" accounting for $17.1m.

Ticket income was $12.7m while corporate hospitality income was $9m.

The Australian reported in July last year that the RACE ownership consortium rejected a buyout offer at that time from European media and entertainment business FanTech.

It is understood that offer included buying out shareholders, taking on $45m in debt and the obligation to pay Supercars team owners about $17m annually calculated on a per-car basis.

The RACE board rejected the FanTech offer, and in a statement at the time, Mr Nettlefold said RACE "has received a number of unsolicited approaches", but did not comment directly on the FanTech offer.

RACE bought Supercars in November 2021 from Archer Capital, which had owned 60 per cent of the series for more than a decade, in a $58.1m transaction.

The 2022 financials show $42.3m in debt owed to Equity Trustees and $5.8m worth of "other facilities''.

It was rumoured in August this year that the billionaire Shahin brothers Sam and Yasser, who own The Bend racetrack in South Australia, were in talks to buy the Supercars competition, however Supercars said at the time the business had not been sold.

"Supercars has not been sold and is still owned by RACE,'' Supercars owner Racing Australia Consolidated Enterprises (RACE) said.

"If Supercars were to be sold or discussions of that nature were taking place, it would be communicated to fans by Supercars.''

The Shahins agreed to sell their OTR petrol and convenience business to Viva Energy for $1.15bn in a deal announced in April, with that deal still yet to be signed of by the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission.

Both Yasser and Sam Shahin are accomplished competitive drivers in their own right, and the family has invested well over $100m into the world class motorsport facilities at The Bend at Tailem Bend southeast of Adelaide. The Bend boasts the second longest permanent circuit in the world after Germany's Nurburgring, and has played host to events such as the Asian Le Mans series and Supercars itself.

https://www.theaustralian.com.au/business/companies/historical-financials-show-v8-supercars-owner-got-off-to-a-shaky-start/news-story/891e82b7e5ba00cb516efff7f6d19a54

very impressive.

QuoteA South Australian farmer has built a 60-kilometre circuit for off-road racing on his farm, attracting competitors from across the country to compete in an inaugural event.

Known for taking on big challenges, Ben McNamara turned a section of his property, located between Tumby Bay and Port Lincoln, into a 60-kilometre dirt circuit in just under a year.

Mr McNamara said he wanted to tick off-road racing off his bucket list and needed a circuit to practise on if he were to ever race on the Finke track in the Northern Territory.

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2023-04-20/jamalka-off-road-racing-hosted-by-eyre-peninsula-farmer/102240322

QuoteThe current record is held by the Cobra Jet 1400, which ran the quarter mile in 8.128 seconds at 276.76 km/h in June 2021 with Bob Tasca III at the wheel. The Super Cobra Jet 1800 was created with the aim of breaking this record easily.

Compared with the Cobra Jet 1400, the Super Cobra Jet 1800 is equipped with four PN-250-DZR inverters and two pairs of DS-250-115 dual-battery motors to produce 1,800 hp at the rear wheels. A Liberty transmission and a lighter battery system improve the car's efficiency, making it even faster.

Now that's an electric Mustang that I would like to see. A bit out of my price range, methinks.


https://www.msn.com/en-au/news/other/mustang-super-cobra-jet-1800-the-new-record-breaking-electric-car-is-an-1800-hp-monster/ss-AA19YN3S?ocid=msedgntp&cvid=ccce4c7f040c4fc1aae3a0b2d8e1782f&ei=30#image=3

QuoteAustralian Trans-Am is a category paying tribute to the great American Trans-Am Series of the late 60s and early 70s, catering for 2-door, 4-seat, rear wheel drive, V8 American Sedans built from 1963-1974. The ultimate American automobile showdown on Australia's best race tracks!

Run in Queensland with about 12 cars, the website has no information about the series going forward.

I wonder: Coul these cars be converted to historic classes or to TCM or will they end up just as local racers?

I know at least one car was converted to TCM and run through Peters Motorsport.

https://www.australiantransam.com.au/

 I am impressed with the expanse of Formula Ford competition, both oldies driving for fun and youngsters aiming higher and people who just enjoy competing at an affordable level.

To think that CAMS, as it was then, tried to downgrade the cars and effectively kill the series. To misquote "The Phantom of the Opera", FF never dies.

This series has led some drivers to Formula One and extensively to Supercars and TCR and F5000.


PS: I wonder what happened to the Formula Four cars that cost CAMS member so much money?

https://www.v8sleuth.com.au/familiar-names-feature-in-formula-ford-bathurst-field/

[moved from F1 thread.]

Quote
Mysterious Ferrari Formula 1 Car Spotted Again On Czech Highway
Jacob Oliva - Yesterday 9:48 pm

The driver risks getting banned from the road and tens of thousands of dollars in total fine.
Formula 1 is back in the Czech Republic, and no we're not talking about a Grand Prix schedule in the nation located in Central Europe – something that has never happened before.

We're talking about the infamous Formula 1 car that's being driven on public roads. A few years ago, a red Ferrari F1 car was seen coasting on the D4 highway between Příbram and Dobříš.

The Czech police asked for help then to track down the driver, which they did. The 45-year-old suspect escaped the penalties since he wasn't clearly identified, thanks to the helmet he was wearing. The penalties would have involved getting banned from using the thoroughfare for up to one year, plus tens of thousands of dollars in total fines.

Those penalties appear to have no effect on the offender as he's back on the road again. This time, he was captured on an up-close video by one of the readers of iDNES, embedded atop this page.

https://www.msn.com/en-au/news/other/mysterious-ferrari-formula-1-car-spotted-again-on-czech-highway/ar-AA10Eesy?ocid=msedgdhp&pc=U531&cvid=8620bdaa90de440f95b7d0cece8d74b0

However, learned observers suggest that the car is actually a 2008 GP2 car stickered as an F1 Ferrari. It would be powered by a V8 and be a lot less technical to maintain. Apparently he was driving at normal road speeds.

Police are hunting the driver.

Quote

Quote from: stevo qld on July 25, 2022, 11:34:31 AM

Quote from: Tommo on July 12, 2022, 02:26:55 AM
Do we think that Piastri will actually get a seat? A few weeks ago there was noise about Williams but that has gone quiet. Also in F2 Logan Sargeant is going well and is a Williams academy member. He is also American and these days sadly the series is very much more American focused.

Vettel's seat might become available, or better still Hamiltons.

I would not be surprised if  HAAS is sold, in part or full, to Andretti.

Well there is one prophecy fulfilled. Vettel's seat is now available. Well done Sebastian.

https://www.speedcafe.com/2022/07/28/vettel-announces-formula-1-retirement/

QuoteSebastian Vettel has announced he will retire from Formula 1 at the end of the 2022 season.

The German currently drives for Aston Martin, but has had stints at Ferrari, BMW Sauber, and Toro Rosso.

The 35-year-old enjoyed the bulk of his success with Red Bull, winning four world championships from 2010.

"I have had the privilege of working with many fantastic people in Formula 1 over the past 15 years – there are far too many to mention and thank," he said.

"Over the past two years I have been an Aston Martin Aramco Cognizant Formula 1 Team driver – and, although our results have not been as good as we had hoped, it is very clear to me that everything is being put together that a team needs to race at the very highest level for years to come.

"I have really enjoyed working with such a great bunch of people.

"Everyone – Lawrence [Stroll], Lance [Stroll], Martin [Whitmarsh], Mike [Krack], the senior managers, the engineers, the mechanics and the rest of the team – is ambitious, capable, expert, committed and friendly, and I wish them all well.

"I hope that the work I did last year and am continuing to do this year will be helpful in the development of a team that will win in the future, and I will work as hard as I can between now and the end of the year with that goal in mind, giving as always my best in the last 10 races.

"The decision to retire has been a difficult one for me to take, and I have spent a lot of time thinking about it; at the end of the year I want to take some more time to reflect on what I will focus on next; it is very clear to me that, being a father, I want to spend more time with my family.

"But today is not about saying goodbye. Rather, it is about saying thank you – to everyone – not least to the fans, without whose passionate support Formula 1 could not exist."

Alongside his four world titles, Vettel has to date recorded 53 wins, 122 podiums, and 57 pole positions.

"Supercars runs into financial issues after rejecting takeover bid from European investment consortium
Investors in the Supercars motor racing series are hoping their funds do not go up in smoke.
...
EXCLUSIVE
JOHN STENSHOLT
EDITOR, THE LIST
@JohnStensholt

2 HOURS AGO JULY 20, 2022
NO COMMENTS
The privately owned Supercars series recently rejected a takeover offer that would have delivered shareholders a 20 per cent return in only nine months, and a board member has since had to tip in $10m to shore up its short-term finances.

Sources have told The Australian that Supercars, the popular motor racing circuit that includes the iconic annual Bathurst 1000 race each October, also needs to raise $10-12m in fresh capital from existing or new investors by the end of the year.

The offer by European media and entertainment business FanTech included buying out shareholders, taking on $45m debt and the obligation to pay Supercars team owners about $17m annually calculated on a per car basis.

Supercars is owned by Racing Australia Consolidated Enterprises (RACE), a consortium led by former QSM Media boss and now Supercars chairman Barclay Nettlefold and also including the Domazet family, the Canberra-based owners of hotel and property business Doma Group, Melbourne advisory firm Henslow and other motorsports series owners.

The RACE board recently rejected the FanTech offer that sources say was worth 20 per cent more of the value of the equity component of the transaction used to acquire Supercars from private equity firm Archer Capital last year.

In a statement, Mr Nettlefold told The Australian that RACE "has received a number of unsolicited approaches," but did not comment directly on the FanTech offer.

READ MORE:Supercars value reverses $200m in sale|V8 Supercars owners gear up for investment
"Whilst the Board owes a duty to its shareholders to consider any approaches, none have progressed. RACE acquired the business on the basis of a long-term investment in the sport and remains committed to being long-term owners," he said.

The FanTech offer would have united several racing series given it would have also included the circuits owned by Australian Racing Group (ARG), such as SpeedSeries, TCR Australia, Touring Car Masters and GT World Challenge Australia.

RACE bought Supercars last November from Archer Capital, which had owned 60 per cent of the series for more than a decade, in a $70m equity and debt transaction.

There is a $25m equity component to the valuation, while Supercars also has $45m in debt used to finance the acquisition using a six-year 6.25 per cent secured note issued by FIIG Debt Capital Markets last year.

Supercars has at least 13 races on its schedule this year, including Bathurst in early October and the popular Gold Coast 500 later that month.

...
While Supercars achieves strong television ratings on Foxtel and Seven Network, the circuit's owners are understood to have had some short-term funding issues, which has led to the Domazet family providing a $10m loan to help with cashflow.

Mr Nettlefold said RACE "is a privately held company and does not comment on its financing" but added "Supercars is a profitable business and RACE (and its shareholders) are long-term investors in the sport."

"In addition, RACE sees substantial upside in the sport with the continued investment in the business, the people, the teams and the sport," Mr Nettlefold said.

"We are pleased to say that since acquiring Supercars, all key indicators of the business are encouraging, including ticket sales, hospitality and sponsorship, which are all tracking well ahead of pre-Covid numbers.

Jure Domazet, a former member of The List – Australia's Richest 250 with his father Ivan, is the managing director of the family business Doma, which has commercial and residential property projects in Canberra and Newcastle and owns hotels such as Little National Sydney and Hotel Realm in Canberra.

An additional and fresh capital raising of $10-12m from investors could dilute existing shareholders.

ARG is also a Supercars shareholder and is owned by Brian Boyd and John McMellan from Payce Property and Payce Security, along with well-known racing identities Garry and Barry ­Rogers.

FanTech is led by Belgian Wim Ponnet, the former chief strategy and commercial officer of global television and distribution giant EndemolShine Group, and its executive ranks includes ex-rugby union administrator David Gibson.

The FanTech offer was received by the Supercars board in recent months, and it is understood the group was allowed to undertake due diligence before a firm offer was lobbed.

But the bid was rejected, and at least one or potentially multiple shareholders are now disenchanted with management and the Supercars board and could walk away from motorsport.

The shareholders' stake could be bought by other existing investors, or be offered to an external party by Henslow.

Supercars has been hit by Covid disruptions in recent years, but documents seen by The Australian show that the series recorded "EBITDA before appearance and grid fees" of $23.8m from $118m revenue in 2019, the last completed year of racing that was not interrupted by the pandemic.

An information memorandum circulated by Henslow at the time of the deal last November had a range of financial projections, ranging from a low base scenario of earnings before interest and tax of $7.4m from revenue of $110m, and after $17m was distributed to teams, to a high of $12.3m EBIT and revenue of $124m with distributions of almost $20m.

The $45m debt used to buy Supercars last year was raised on the bond market by fixed income firm FIIG, which said that "acquisition funding is unusual in bond markets" in a statement about the transaction on FIIG's website.

JOHN STENSHOLTEDITOR, THE LIST
John Stensholt joined The Australian in July 2018. He writes about Australia's most successful and wealthy entrepreneurs, and the business of sport. Previously John worked at The Australian Financial Review an... Read more

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https://www.theaustralian.com.au/business/supercars-runs-into-financial-issues-after-rejecting-takeover-bid-from-european-investment-consortium/news-story/b7798423cc98773ab4a25b85904c3155


I don't know how true this is. Media posted approx 6 pm Wed 20/07/2022