AMRC - New Motor Racing Championship For 2008

BUILDING on the three-year success of the Australian Motor Racing Series (AMRS), an exciting new series of Championship events has been announced by two of Australia’s leading circuit owners.

After three years of steady growth, Australia’s most affordable and competitor-friendly series of motor racing events, run under the title of the AMRS (Australian Motor Racing Series), has undergone significant redevelopment.

Newly titled the AUSTRALIAN MOTOR RACING CHAMPIONSHIPS (AMC), 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 nine meetings at the following AMC circuits: Calder Park (Vic), Winton Motor Raceway (Vic), Adelaide International Raceway (SA), Wakefield Park (NSW) and Queensland Raceway (Ipswich).

Owner of the Calder Park and Adelaide Raceways, Bob Jane, joined with Michael Ronke (Winton Motor Raceway and Wakefield Park) and John Tetley (Queensland Raceway) in announcing details of the highly charged 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.”

All nine rounds will be televised nationally, with details yet to be announced.

Touring Car Titles Head The List

Principal events 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 Touring Car Championship will cater for such categories as Super Tourers and V8 Giants, while the inclusion of the 3-litre Turbo “Giant Killer” class will rapidly swell the existing field of around 15 cars as entrants realise the cost advantages over such events as the Fujitsu series.

“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, and with “hot hatches” ideally suited, rapidly 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.”

Concept Creator Joins The Team

Organisers took time out at this stage to introduce an important entity in the Championships: the popular Rod Dale, creator and director of the original AMRS.

Rod will be responsible for competitor liaison, ensuring the capacity fields have an enjoyable as well as smooth running series.

“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 introduce in 2008,” said Rod, “is an online entry – taking advantage of the economics that prevail in motor sport world-wide through entry and payment on-line systems.”

Always Room for More

Despite the obvious health of the categories, AASA and AMC are on the lookout for new ones for entrants to flex their muscles 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 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 new face, the future of Australian motor racing,” he said with the same colour and enthusiasm that marked the 50-year career of the legendary racer!

THE CATEGORIES and THE CHAMPIONSHIPS CALENDAR

THE AMC Australian Motor Racing Championships comprise 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 (the current V8 Supercars and anything from 4-litre quad-cam to 7-litre pushrod), matched against Improved Production, Sports/Racing and Commodore Cup cars, 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- ran with approx 10-13 cars late this season – with a possible three new cars expected from Terry Robertson, there could be regular 15-car grids.

Thundersports – motorcycle-engined cars with a fibreglass body and super-fast high power-to-weight ratio provide extremely low cost racing; 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 as many as seven or eight new Wests coming off the jigs, 2008 will be a boom 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 and on line for their own championship.

The popular old Classic Touring Cars are well catered for, too, with everything from Utes to HQ Holdens ready to burn rubber in “Super TT”.

For further information contact

Paul Marinelli, Marinelli Motorsport PR – 03 9387 1333
Bob Jane, Calder Park – 03 9091 0800
Michael Ronke, Winton Motor Raceway – 03 5766 4235
Rod Dale, AMRC Competitor Liaison – 0412 785 486
Bryan J Nokes, Manager AMC – 03 9091 0800