PCC News

Heath Opens the Ledger

2008-05-05T19:56:00.000+10:00

Newcomer to the PCC David Heath has enjoyed a stunning debut, blitzing the competition during Round Two at Calder Park.

Friday evening brought grey skies and rain to the Calder Park circuit, and the surface was greasy on Saturday morning. So much so that proceedings were a little delayed. When things did get underway, it was Clark Stott in his BlackberryStore.com.au Mazda 3 MPS who jumped to the top of the timesheets with a 1m09.2s lap. Round 1 winner, Jeremy Gray (AU Falcon XR8) was next quickest, heading Hans Riehs (Mini Cooper S), Anthony Soole (Toyota Celica), David Heath (BF Falcon XR8), Joshua Riehs (Mini Cooper S), Daniel Flanagan (Hyundai Sonata), Phil Buggee (Fiat Punto Sport), Lauren Gray (Toyota Echo), Shane Tanner (Proton Satria) and John Willmington (Nissan Pulsar).

By the time the cars finished qualifying, the order had changed somewhat, with the V8-powered Falcons able to stretch their legs, and enjoying the long straights of Calder. David Heath moved his carstockade.com BF XR8 to the top of the timesheets, with a 1m08.2s lap. Just 2 tenths behind (and at the top of the sheets for most of the session), Jeremy Gray was running strongly. Within half a second of pole was Clark Stott, followed by Hans Riehs - the first of the Class B cars, Soole, Flanagan, Buggee (top Class D), Tanner (top Class C), Lauren Gray and John Willmington. Josh Riehs didn't make it out as his car was suffering hydraulic problems. Neil Byers was also relegated to spectator duties, with his Mitsubishi 380 suffering an electrical gremlin that could not be resolved.

Again the rain fell overnight, and the competitors were faced with a slippery circuit for Race One on Sunday morning. Jeremy Gray got off to a terrific start, and held the lead for most of the race, from David Heath. He relinquished it on the last lap though, Heath sneaking through for the win, with under a second between the two at the finish. A strong performance from Hans Riehs in the Hansinsure Mini Cooper S saw him finish 3rd (and first of the Class B cars), ahead of Clark Stott, Soole, Flanagan, Buggee, Tanner (first Class C) and Willmington. Flanagan ran as high as third early in the race, but slipped back as the race progressed (he was also handed an 11 point penalty for his part in an incident during the race). Absent from the race was Lauren Gray after problems with her Toyota Echo.

The circuit dried out in time for the reverse-grid Race Two, but again it was Jeremy Gray who took the early lead, holding onto it for the first 5 laps. Flanagan also did well out of the reverse grid, holding second place for the first lap. He was gobbled up by David Heath and Anthony Soole on the second lap though, and eventually dropped back to 6th. Heath made the pass stick on Gray on the sixth lap, and held the lead to the finish. Clark Stott ran as low as 6th early in the race, but drove forcefully to make his way up to third by the 5th lap. Soole was the best of the Class B runners, finishing 4th overall, ahead of Riehs, Flanagan, Buggee, Tanner (top Class C) and Willmington.

For the third and final race the grid positions are determined by each driver's fastest laptime from the previous races. This gave Heath pole position, and he used it to full advantage - never headed throughout the race. Behind him Gray held second place throughout, while Clark Stott ran strongly in third until he ran into fuel pressure problems which put him out of the race. Hans Riehs was elevated to third (and first Class B), ahead of Flanagan, Soole, Tanner (first Class C), Buggee and Willmington.

Overall, David Heath's clean sweep saw him take overall honours for the round, and Class A honours. Second outright was Jeremy Gray, and third was Hans Riehs after a strong performance in the Mini Cooper S. Hans also took class honours in Class B, and Shane Tanner won Class C. Philip Buggee took out the Diesel Class D honours.

The next appearance for the AASA Production Car Championship will be at Ipswich's Queensland Raceway 17-18 May.

AMRC Presentation Lifted by Super Hoist Plus

2008-03-16T20:34:00.000+11:00

The presentation of teams racing in the 2008 Australian Motor Racing Championships is set to be raised to a new level, with support and prizes from Super Hoist Plus.

The presentation of the cars and teams will be judged by scrutineers at each race weekend. The best three cars will be announced at each event, and will then gain points that will be added to a tally to determine the top three cars at the end of the year. The top three cars in the final tally will be eligible for the following fantastic prizes:

First Place: Tyre Changer and Wheel Balancer Package. The fantastic NHT-821 Tyre Changer makes changing tyres a breeze. Adjustable for wheel diameters from 12" to 23", and widths upto 13", with a bead breaker force of 2500kg, this tyre changer makes a welcome addition to any workshop. And it is complemented perfectly by the NHT-251 Wheel Balancer. Suitable for wheel diameters from 10" to 24", and widths up to 20", and with an amazing accuracy of +/- 1g, the tyre changer will help you totally eliminate vibrations.

Second Place: Two Post Hoist. The Super Hoist Plus YSJ-3000 is the perfect two post hoist for any workshop. With a lifting capacity of 3000kg, and capable of lifting to a height of 1.8 metres, this two post hoist will help the second best presented competitor to be even better presented and prepared.

Third Place: Moveable Hoist. The Super Hoist Plus YYJ-2800 is the ideal solution for lifting cars where space or installation is limited. The moveable hoist can be used on any flat (and hard) surface, and has a lifting capacity of 2800kg, and can lift to a height of 1.2 metres. This hoist will be awarded to third placegetter in the Super Hoist Plus Best Presented competition.

A fantastic prize pool from the terrific guys at Super Hoist Plus, valued at over $10,000, this provides even more incentive to turn out a well presented car and team.

In addition, Super Hoist Plus are offering a 10% discount to all AMRC competitors. Just quote this article when discussing your purchase.

Super Hoist Plus P/L is a national company with distributors in all states of Australia. They offer a great range of top quality, Australian Standards compliant workshop equipment at very competitive prices. For more information on the company, check out their website: www.superhoistplus.com

The Super Hoist Plus Best Presented Competition will be judged at each round of the Australian Motor Racing Championships, with the scrutineers nominating the top three cars at each event. Judging criteria will include the presentation and preparation of the car, as well as the preparation of the team. First place at each round will be awarded 10 points. Second place will be awarded 5 points, and Third will be awarded 3 points.

The next round of the Australian Motor Racing Championships will be held at Melbourne's Calder Park, 26-27 April. Keep track of all the latest news via the official website: www.amrc.net.au

Free Private Practice and Garages at Round 2 of the 2008 AMRC

2008-03-13T18:19:00.000+11:00

Melbourne's Calder Park Raceway will host the second round of the Bob Jane T-Marts Australian Motor Racing Championships (AMRC) on April 26 and 27.

Calder Park has thrown in a couple of major competitor incentives to further promote the fact that the AMRC has been designed to provide low cost, highly enjoyable motor racing competition for all entrants.

Calder Park will provide FREE private practice for all AMRC round entered competitors on Friday April 25 and in an added value incentive, the popular Melbourne motor racing complex will also supply pit garages (until all available garages are allocated on a first in, first served basis) to all AMRC competitors at no further cost throughout the weekend of April 26 and 27.

The venue will also host a free barbecue for all entrants and officials on Saturday evening, April 26 to further enhance the social interaction that is enjoyed at all AMRC rounds.

According to Calder Park Raceway CEO Bryan Nokes, "The main aim of the Australian Motorsport Club and the AMRC is to provide an affordable and enjoyable national motor racing alternative for everyone from the grass roots levels of the sport to the professional competitor. By providing free private practice and garage use until they are all taken up, we are delivering on our promise to make the 2008 Bob Jane T-Marts AMRC the most affordable and enjoyable national motor racing series in the country. We are expecting a bumper number of entries for our first Victorian round of the year."

Calder Park's AMRC round on April 25 and 26 is the first of two AMRC rounds to be held at Melbourne's traditional home of motorsport. Categories that will be competing over the weekend include:

AASA Australian Touring Car Championship - highly competitive racing with fields containing V8 Giants (V8-powered sedans from all major manufacturers, with older 5 litre V8 Supercar specification cars, 4-litre, quad-cam cars, all the way up to 7-litre pushrod engines, plus the newly introduced 3 litre turbo Giant Killer class.

AASA Production Touring Car Championship - any street legal sedan, fitted with roll-over protection, fire extinguisher and racing seat belt is eligible.

OzBoss ("Big Open Single Seaters") such as F4000, F3000, F/Atlantic and ANF2 cars, plus Prototype Sports Cars - with makes such as Saker (NZ), Minetti, Radicals and West in these fields this year.

Thundersports - Motorcycle engined cars with a fiberglass body, super-fast high power to weight designed cars that allow for extremely low cost racing.

Super TT - Utes, Commodore Cup, Sports Sedans and 3.3 Litre Holdens - popular old classic Touring Cars, also including HQ Holdens.

Of course, the all new 2008 Pirelli Gran Turismo Championship returns to Calder Park at Round 2, with a number of exotic Maserati, Porsche and Dodge sportscars taking part.

New Contender Joins the Fray

2008-03-09T09:10:00.000+11:00

New competitor, Dave Heath, is set to shake things up in the AASA Production Car Championship from Round Two onwards.

After conquering the mountain at the Bathurst Motor Festival, 27 year old Heath is set to join the PCC for an all-out assault in his beautiful BF Falcon XR8. He was partnered by veterans Warren and Ian Luff at Mount Panorama, and plans to use some of the lessons he learned driving alongside them in his pursuit of success in the PCC.

Heath is supported by The Car Stockade, Autotech21, The Blue Oval Garage, Penrite, Xtreme Clutch, Rural Welding Sheds & Garages and Xtreme Industries, and is expected to mount a strong challenge to the dominance Jeremy Gray enjoyed at Wakefield Park.

Round Two of the AASA Production Car Championship heads to Melbourne's Calder Park, 26-27 April. Keep track of all the latest developments on www.productioncarchampionship.net.au

Gray Wins PCC Round One

2008-03-04T15:15:00.001+11:00

Newcomer Jeremy Gray has won the opening round of the 2008 AASA Production Car Championship, driving his AU Falcon XR8 at Goulburns Wakefield Park circuit.

Gray suffered an engine problem during official practice on Saturday morning, and as a consequence missed the qualifying session (while he headed home to install his spare engine). In his absence, fellow newcomer, Clark Stott set the fastest time to take pole position in his fantastic Mazda 3 MPS. Stott was joined on the front row by Daniel Flanagan in his Hyundai Sonata. Anthony Soole's new Celica took him to third on the grid, with Bryan Fitzpatrick alongside him in his Renault Clio. Neil Byers, John Willmington and Hans Riehs made up the remainder of the qualifiers, with Shane Tanner unable to be present, and Gray still busy installing his spare engine.

On Sunday mornings Race One, Clark Stott led the field away, and was never headed during the race, improving his qualifying laptime to set a 1m10.95 in the race. Close behind was Daniel Flanagan, with Gray third after having made his way through the field from the back of the grid - giving an indication of his raw pace by setting the fastest time of the race in the process (1m10.77). Hans Riehs was next up and first of the Class B cars, having come to grips with his new Mini, and also setting a 1m10 lap. Anthony Soole placed 5th, with Bryan Fitzpatrick, Neil Byers, John Willmington and Shane Tanner rounding out the results.

For the second race, the starting order was decided on laptimes from race one, only reversed, so John Willmington had pole position, and again, Jeremy Gray was starting from the rear. Despite starting close together, Gray was able to make his way through the field where Stott could only make his way up to 5th place - possibly the power of the big V8 giving Gray an advantage on the straights, and allowing him to make some efficient passes. Stott's efforts in his first reverse-grid race were commendable all the same. Daniel Flanagan made his way through to second place, but not without controversy - he made contact with Hans Riehs in the Mini, causing the latter to come perilously close to the wall at the exit of turn 10, and ultimately causing Riehs to retire from the race. Neil Byers put in a very strong performance in the Magna (ex-Nat Willmington) to take third place. Anthony Soole was 4th, Bryan Fitzpatrick 6th, Shane Tanner 7th and John Willmington 8th.

The grid for the final race was again determined by fastest times from the earlier races (only this time not reversed), this put Gray on pole, and he was never headed on his way to victory. Clark Stott held second place for the duration of the race, holding out in the face of strong pressure from Daniel Flanagan (who ultimately finished in third).Hans Riehs finished fourth, with Bryan Fitzpatrick fifth, Anthony Soole sixth, Tanner, Willmington and Byers filling the rest of the positions.

For the round, Jeremy Gray amassed enough points to take the outright victory. Daniel Flanagan took out second, with Clark Stott a very impressive third. Soole, Tanner, Fitzpatrick, Byers, Willmington and Riehs rounded out the results. Division A honours went to Gray, Division B to Anthony Soole, and Division C to Flanagan.

The next round of the 2008 AASA Production Car Championship will be held at Melbournes Calder Park, 26-27 April.

Television broadcast details from this round will be announced shortly.

Gray Wins on Debut

2008-03-02T20:35:00.002+11:00

Newcomer to the AMRC, Jeremy Gray has taken out the very first round of the AASA Production Car Championship. Using his spare engine (after blowing his primary engine in practice), Gray won two of the three races on his way to taking the round win.

Check back tomorrow (Monday) for a full report, and full round results.

Debutant Takes Pole

2008-03-01T21:07:00.000+11:00

New driver Clark Stott has taken pole position for tomorrows first AASA Production Car Championship race.

Stott will be driving his brand new Mazda 3 MPS, and will lead the Hyundai Sonata of Daniel Flanagan (a Division C car on the front row!) and Anthony Soole's brand new Toyota Celica.

Newcomer Jeremy Gray suffered a blown engine in his AU XR8 Falcon and will start from the rear of the grid with a spare engine fitted. His car showed good pace early and is expected to make a thrilling attempt at getting through the field.

The PCC field will compete in 3 races tomorrow, the first getting underway around 10am. Head to Goulburn's Wakefield Park to see all the action from the PCC and six other categories.

Round 1 Preview

2008-02-28T17:09:00.000+11:00

Round One of the brand new AASA Production Car Championship will burst into life at Goulburn's Wakefield Park circuit this weekend.

The PCC will feature near-showroom standard Production Cars, in hard fought on track action - ultimately showing which is the best performing manufacturer. And the manufacturers are well represented, with no less than NINE manufacturers fighting it out at the opening round - Toyota, Renault, Ford, Nissan, Proton, Hyundai, BMW, Mazda and Mitsubishi.

The new surface at Wakefield Park, and the number of new drivers and cars makes picking a winner just about impossible - the action is sure to be frenetic, and looking at the field, there are a plethora of potential winners: Anthony Soole should make a strong showing in his new Celica ZR, Bryan Fitzpatrick just keeps getting faster in his Renault Clio, Jeremy Gray is a newcomer, and has the strength of an AU Falcon XR8 behind him, John Willmington will be hoping to impress his new sponsors in his Nissan Pulsar, another newcomer - Shane Tanner will drive the proven Proton, Daniel Flanagan seems to make his Hyundai Sonata do things it was never intended to do, Hans Riehs has a new weapon in the form of a BMW Mini Cooper, while Malcolm Rea returns in his Celica. Clark Stott is a new driver in a brand new car - the very fast Mazda 3 MPS, and Neil Byers will be driving a Mitsubishi, but not his regular steer, he'll be in the ex-Natalie Willmington Magna as his 380 is not quite race ready.

All in all, it's set to be a cracking start to the season. The cars hit the circuit for unofficial practice on Friday. Official practice and qualifying is scheduled for Saturday (1 March), while the races will take place on Sunday (2 March). Head to Goulburn's Wakefield Park to see it all live, and if you head to the pits, you can get a look at the cars up close.

If you can't make it to the track, stay up-to-date here at www.productioncarchampionship.net.au, with the News page, and Live Gallery due to receive regular updates during the weekend.

Is it a Bird? Is it a Plane?

2008-02-28T17:00:00.000+11:00

No, it's John Willmington!

Willmington, who made his first appearance in the Australian Motor Racing Series last year, has secured support for 2008, to make his assault on the Division C title of the newly formed AASA Production Car Championship as strong as possible.

Willmington's support comes from a brand new product - Super Diesel.

Super Diesel is a revolutionary new fuel with benefits that include:

Fuel economy improved by 4 to 7%
Black smoke reduced by up to 24%
Engine noise reduced by up to 15%

With the rapidly increasing application of diesel engines in passenger cars, Super Diesel is just what the doctor ordered!

John Willmington will proudly wear the Super Diesel name on his Nissan Pulsar (pictured) from Round 1 onwards.

For more information on Super Diesel, head to their website: www.superdiesel.com.au

Recognising the Unsung Heroes

2008-02-21T22:18:00.000+11:00

From its very first days as the AMRS, the Australian Motor Racing Championships has been about innovation and pioneering new paths in Australian Motorsport. And in 2008, the tradition continues - the latest development is about recognising the often overlooked efforts of the officials that make our events possible.

Every race meeting has an army of officials working behind the scenes, working in race control, working on the circuit, manning flagpoints and recovery vehicles, driving the course car, and keeping things in order in pitlane. Without these hardworking, and for the most part volunteer, people, there could be no racing.

Quite frequently, drivers will thank the officials when accepting awards, and give them a wave on the slow down lap, but now, in 2008, the AMRC, in conjunction with V8RACE Experience and QR Raceway RACE Experience, officials at Australian Motor Racing Championships events will have the chance to enjoy one of the fantastic experiences on offer from V8RACE Experience and QR Raceway RACE Experience.

The experience includes Pre-Drive Tuition, Use of Race Suit and Helmet, a Personal in-car coach, and the chance to drive a V8RACE car, at one of Australia's premier circuits. One experience will be up for grabs at each AMRC round by way of a raffle draw.

For more information on V8RACE Experience, head to the official website: www.v8race.com.au
For information on QR Raceway RACE Experience, head to the official website: www.qldraceways.com.au

For information on how you can become an official, head to the AASA Contact Us page, and get in touch with the AASA staff.

To our officials we say THANK YOU, and good luck in the next draw to win a V8RACE Experience!

New Logo Unveiled

2008-02-19T11:02:00.000+11:00

The brand new AASA Production Car Championship logo has been unveiled.

Intended to reflect on the Production Cars that make up the PCC, the logo is based on a generic vehicle badge, with a glossy badge and chromed text.

We would like to take this opportunity to thank competitor Anthony Soole for his numerous contributions to the Logo Competition, and we hope that he finds his Permatex product pack useful!

A variety of file formats of the new logo are available for download from the

Admin

page.

Kumho to Support Production Car Championship

2008-02-16T14:55:00.000+11:00

Kumho has announced it's support for the 2008 AASA Production Car Championship today, in an exciting coup for the category. In the spirit of the Championship (pitting various manufacturers against each other) and in order to allow competitors continued freedom of choice, Kumho has come on board not as a control tyre for the category, but as a supporter nonetheless - so confident are Kumho in their product, that they are prepared to let results speak for themselves.

The support from Kumho comes in the form of a free set of Kumho tyres (to the value of $1,500) awarded to one competitor per round (for use at the following round).

The criteria for awarding the tyres will be division based for the first four rounds, with the Division C winner at Round 1 taking the first set of Kumhos. The winner of Division B will take them at Round 2, Division A at Round 3 and Division X at Round 4. For the second half of the season, the "Kumho Top Gun" award will be introduced, where the tyres will be awarded to the competitor who is judged to have demonstrated the most consistent performance, and who has maximised their machinery to the highest level.

In order to be eligible for the awards indicated above, competitors will display Kumho Tyres logos below their side number panels.

The 2008 AASA Production Car Championship will bring 'showroom racing' to four different circuits during 2008, between March and November, and travelling between New South Wales, Victoria and Queensland. The Championship will be televised on Fox Sports Inside Speed.

Round One is set to take place at Goulburn's Wakefield Park, in two weeks time - 1-2 March. If you can't make it to the circuit you can keep track of all the action via the official website:

www.productioncarchampionship.net.au

Getting the most out of this website

2008-02-13T20:38:00.000+11:00

For 2008, the PCC website has had a major overhaul, and raced ahead into the leading edge of website technology to bring you more accessible content and a better experience when visiting the site. To help you get the most out of the new features of the site, we've added an article to the "

About

" page, highlighting some key areas for attention, including:

• Using the latest version of a good web browser
• Staying up to the minute by accessing the latest news a number of different ways
• Exploring the various areas of the website, and making the navigation system work for you
• Giving us your feedback
• Making a contribution to the site

To read the full article, click

here

. Or access it at any time through the "

About

" page.

New Cars for AASA Production Car Championship

2008-02-08T14:46:00.001+11:00

Production Car Championship competitor, Hans Riehs, is set to shake things up, with his brand new car.

Riehs will tackle the 2008 PCC in this BMW Mini Cooper S. The car features a Supercharged 1.6L 4-cylinder engine, boasting 175hp, a 6-speed manual transmission and a top speed of 240km/h.

Hans (our current featured driver - click

here

for more info) placed 8th outright in the 2007 Production Touring Car Championship, then driving his Peugeot 206 Gti. It is believed that car will reappear this year, in the hands of a new driver - watch this space for details on that one...

Joining Hans in getting to know a new car will be Anthony Soole in his brand new Celica ZR. Anthony faces a tight preparation deadline to make the first round at Wakefield Park in three weeks time. Check back soon for photos of Anthony's new car.

The brand new AASA Production Car Championship heads to Goulburn's Wakefield Park for Round One, 1-2 March 2008.

2008 Regs and Forms Finally Out of the Box!

2008-02-01T23:57:00.000+11:00

After many hours of work and review, and plenty of anticipation from the competitors, the 2008 AASA Production Car Championship Sporting and Technical Rules are now available for download.

For those who just want to go to the download, click on the image to the right. To save, right click and select "Save file/target as".

For a brief rundown of the highlights, please read on.

• Four major class divisions: X, A, B and C, two seat vehicles permitted (classified by power-to-weight ratio)
• Provision for two alternate race weekend formats - in addition to the regular 3 race event
• Provision for limited brake upgrades depending on weight
• Budget data acquisition systems allowed in the interests of driver development and vehicle troubleshooting
• New points system

The rules are available by clicking

here

, or clicking the image on the right. They are also available from the "

Admin

" page, by clicking on the "Regulations" section.

In other news, the Round One entry form is now available to download from the "Forms" section of the "

Admin

" page. To access the form directly, click

here

.

The entry fee for PCC competitors is $860. This includes a levy for 20 minutes of TV time on Fox Sports Inside Speed.

Meeting Rules for Round One are expected to be available in the next couple of days. The schedule is available now though. Click

here

, or access it through the Admin page.

PCC Logo Competition

2008-01-24T21:42:00.000+11:00

The 2008 AASA Production Car Championship is set to get a brand new logo to replace the existing interim logo, and you have the chance to play a major role in its design!

We're running a design competition, for interested parties to design the new logo for the AASA Production Car Championship. The winning logo, as selected by the PCC administrators, will be used on the website, on the cars, and other promotional material, so you have a chance to really make your mark on the championship.

And not only that, we're offering a great prize to the winner. The winning designer will be given the choice between a Permatex product pack (containing sealants, adhesives, threadlocker and lubricants) or a ZX1 Extralube engine treatment (which reduces engine friction, freeing up power, improving fuel economy and increasing performance) or a two-pack of passes to the AMRC round of his or her choice.

To enter this great competition, simply send your design (in JPG, PNG or AI format) to webmaster@productioncarchampionship.net.au Include your own details in the email (contact phone number and obviously email address), and by sending it in, you are agreeing that if selected, your design may be used by the AASA PCC as the category sees fit. Submissions should feature either the words: "AASA Production Car Championship" or "AASA PCC". The AASA component may be smaller than the remaining text.

2008 Regs Coming Very Soon

2008-01-23T06:56:00.000+11:00

The 2008 AASA Production Car Championship Sporting and Technical rules are in the advanced stages of development, with approximately 90 percent of the work completed. This is the number one priority of the PCC management, and the rules will be available as soon as they are completed.

For competitors who participated in the 2007 Production Touring Car Championship (PTCC), the management are committed to ensuring that nobody who is compliant with those 2007 rules is disadvantaged or excluded.

Check back in the next few days for the 2008 AASA PCC rules.

Driver Profiles Being Sought

2008-01-14T16:47:00.000+11:00

Drivers intending to compete in 2008 are requested to complete a Driver Profile & Registration Form.

This information will be passed to TV commentary teams, circuit commentators, print media and will form the basis of some "Featured Driver" articles on this website. The form also doubles as a registration form for the 2008 Championship, and is an opportunity for drivers to request their preferred race number

The form can be found by clicking

here

or clicking the icon on the right. There is also an opportunity at the bottom to attach a headshot of yourself

If you can't submit the form over the internet, please email profiles@amrs.net.au and request a form you can print out. Or, you can visit the website and print it from your browser, and fill it in by hand. Then post to: PO Box 163, WEST KEMPSEY, NSW, 2440. If you can't send an email call 0412 785 486 and request a printed form.

2008 AASA Production Car Championship Website Launched

2008-01-14T13:32:00.000+11:00

The 2008 AASA Australian Production Car Championship website has officially launched today. With a slick new look, and plenty of nice features, the PCC website is the place to go for all the latest news and information regarding the PCC. It's also the central place for competitors to get all their information, and keep up-to-date on everything.

The new website is laid out to provide a wealth of information on the PCC to fans, and provide important information and documents to the competitors.

The website is arranged into the following areas:

Home

The central page which provides a brief outline of the PCC, as well as the 2008 Calendar

News

The central location for all the latest developments. Press releases, information bulletins and category and series news items will be available from the News page.

Results

All the results from the year will be available here. Round results will appear as the events occur, and the Championship standings will be available on this page.

Features

From time to time, the PCC site will publish feature articles. In the past on our sister website, we've had articles on a lap of various circuits, a comparison of data-logging from a V8 Supercar and a Super Tourer, and analysis of how tyres work. We plan to have more of these technical articles in 2008, and also feature articles on some of the drivers of the PCC.

Multimedia

This part of the site has been named to better reflect it's true content. As we move into 2008, the Multimedia section will feature not only photos from all the rounds, but will also feature selected videos, and possibly some other multimedia downloads like wallpapers and screensavers. If you have anything special you would like to see on the Multimedia page, visit the Contact Us page, and share your ideas with us.

Admin

Previously known as Competitor Info and/or Downloads, the Admin section of the site groups together all the administrative aspects of the PCC that competitors need to know about. From Registration and Application Forms, to access to the online Entry Form System, to Technical and Sporting Rules, to Event Information like Schedules and Meeting Rules, and even to logos for use by signwriters or graphic artists, the Admin section of the site is a one stop shop for all the little bits and pieces competitors might need throughout the year. The Admin section also features links to the Contact Us page which provides a contact form that allows readers to send a message to the Category Director, and/or Webmaster. If you have feedback about the site, a question, or a suggestion on how to make it better, head to the Contact Us page, and let us know your thoughts.

AMRS Evolved

2007-12-16T13:40:00.000+11:00

For three years, the Australian Motor Racing Series has brought exciting, affordable and accessible racing to competitors and fans across Australia. The AMRS accomplished this task with a small team of dedicated personnel, and in order to keep costs to a minimum, with relatively modest marketing and promotion. Despite this, the series has built an excellent reputation, and a strong core of top-quality competitors and categories.

Today sees the announcement of the evolution of the AMRS into the newly titled AUSTRALIAN MOTOR RACING CHAMPIONSHIPS (AMRC), a development that is designed to promote further growth, and secure the future of the series into the future.

The series will cater for Racing, Touring, Sports and GT cars at five different circuits through 2008, commencing 1-2 March. The rounds will be sanctioned by the Australian Auto Sport Alliance (AASA) and run under the auspices of the Calder Park-based Australian Motorsport Club (AMC). The 2008 series will be the first season of a five-year plan that will provide competitors with Australia’s most affordable National competition.

Sponsored by Australia's leading tyre, wheel and battery retail group, Bob Jane T-Marts, the series will comprise of nine meetings at the following AMC circuits: Calder Park (VIC), Winton Motor Raceway (VIC), Adelaide International Raceway (SA), Wakefield Park (NSW) and Queensland Raceway.

Owner of the Calder Park and Adelaide raceways, Bob Jane, joined with Michael Ronke of Winton Motor Raceway and Wakefield Park in announcing details of the exciting new Championship programme.

"This series answers the call by drivers and fans for affordable motor racing," Mr Ronke said, "and they'll find it friendly and enjoyable as well."

"With the inclusion of Queensland Raceway, the rounds will be run on circuits right along the Eastern seaboard," Bob Jane added, "enabling competitors and their sponsors to reach a huge market of enthusiasts."

It is planned that a highlights package from all nine rounds will be televised nationally, with details yet to be announced.

Principal categories in the Series, with rounds run at each of the nine meetings, will be the AASA Australian Touring Car Championship and the AASA Australian Production Car Championship.

The ATCC will cater for such categories as V8 Giants, while the inclusion of the 3-litre Turbo "Giant Killer" class is expected to rapidly swell the existing field of around 15 cars.

"We plan to have longer races," Mr Ronke said, "and handicaps will be eliminated, so competition will be close and rewarding."

A similar number of cars will be on hand to start the 2008 Production Car Championship, Bob Jane said. With "hot hatches" ideally suited, growing fields are expected.

"This category will also contest every one of the nine rounds," he said, "and there will be handsome rewards for them," Bob added.

The popular Rod Dale, creator and director of the original AMRS, will continue to play an important part in the running of the series, with his primary responsibility as competitor liaison, ensuring that the re-developed series is smooth running and enjoyable.

"Rod will also work with us to cost out entry fees," Mr Ronke said, "as well as to innovate and manage the website for the various categories."

An exciting new category will be competing for the Pirelli Gran Turismo Championship, with organisers expecting to flag away at least 15 cars.

"Most of them initially will be high performance, late model Maseratis," Mr Ronke enthused, "with a few Lotus and Porsche models ready to register.

"One innovation we'll be looking at," said Rod, "is an online entry system - and anything else to make life easier for competitors."

Despite the health of the categories, AASA and AMC are on the lookout for new racing categories for entrants to compete in and lift the profile of the Championships.

"This is a big step forward and the AMRC for 2008 looks very exciting," Mick Ronke offered. "There's still a long road ahead, but with us all committed to making it work I am certain that it will get there."

As might be expected, Bob Jane had the final word: "We're here to conduct a series with no bullshit," he said, "with everything done in a friendly and enjoyable manner that excites people to come to the events.

"This is the affordable future of Australian motor racing," he said with the same colour and enthusiasm that has marked the 50-year career of the legendary racer!

THE Australian Motor Racing Championships includes a comprehensive line-up of classes designed to cater for just about everything racing on four wheels.

The principal categories are:

AASA Australian Touring Car Championship - highly competitive racing with fields containing V8 Giants (V8-powered sedans from all major manufacturers, with older 5 litre V8 Supercar specification cars, 4-litre, quad-cam cars, all the way up to 7-litre pushrod engines, plus the newly introduced 3-litre turbo "Giant Killer" class.

AASA Production Touring Car Championship - any street legal sedan, fitted with roll-over protection, fire extinguisher and racing seat belt is eligible.

Pirelli Gran Turismo Championship – Maserati, Porsche, Lotus and many more GT Sports cars fight for the prestigious title.

Oz BOSS - "Big Open Single Seaters" such as F4000, F3000, F/Atlantic and ANF2. Seriously the fastest cars in Australia.

Thunder Sports - Motorcycle engined cars with a fiberglass body, super-fast, high power to weight designed cars that allow for extremely low cost racing. This category was well represented in 2007 and fields of approximately 15-20 cars are expected to take part in 2008.

Prototype Sports Cars - with makes such as Saker (NZ), Minetti, Radical and West in the fields this year, and with several new Wests coming off the jigs, 2008 will be a great year for Sports Cars.

Super TT - in the closing 2007 races there were excellent fields, culminating in 27 cars at Oran Park. Areas of growth are older Utes, Commodore Cup, Sports Sedans and 3.3 Litre Holdens, with the latter representing an important base for the category. The popular old Classic Touring Cars are well catered for as well, with everthing from Utes to HQ Holdens ready to burn rubber in "Super TT".

THE 2008 BOB JANE T-MARTS AMRC CALENDAR

March 1-2 - WAKEFIELD PARK (NSW)
April 25-27 - CALDER PARK (VIC)
May 17-18 - QUEENSLAND RACEWAY
June 14-15 - WINTON RACEWAY (VIC)
July 26-27 - ADELAIDE INTERNATIONAL RACEWAY (SA)
August 30-31 - CALDER PARK (VIC)
September 27-28 - QUEENSLAND RACEWAY
November 1-2 - WINTON RACEWAY (VIC)
November 29-30 - WAKEFIELD PARK (NSW)