After the announcement came in early June that Triple Eight Race Engineering will lose the backing of Vodafone at the end of the 2012 season, the hunt was on for a new sponsor. Triple Eight Race Engineering and Red Bull have today confirmed that they have agreed on key commercial terms for the Holden V8 Supercar team’s naming rights sponsorship in a multi-year deal. The news was leaked last week in some media publications although none of the news was confirmed until today. “We are thrilled by the prospect of Red Bull becoming our naming rights partner from 2013 and are confident that the deal will be finalised in the coming weeks,” said Roland Dane, Managing Director of Triple Eight. Red Bull have had a long history in motor sport the world over and currently sponsor World Champions in Formula One and the World Rally Championship. “Given Red Bull’s successful history in motorsports, we are very excited to form a partnership with Australia’s leading motorsport team,” said Jason Sargent, Managing Director of Red Bull Australia. Drivers Jamie Whincup and Craig Lowndes both re-signed with Triple Eight Race Engineering earlier this season. Lowndes signed for three seasons which will take his contract till the end of 2015 and Whincup re-negotiated his 2012 deal and extended his overall contract until the end of 2014.

In the lead-up to the Sydney Motorsport Park 360 next month, TeamVodafone driver Craig Lowndes has driven the first V8 Supercar laps around the new extended track at the western Sydney circuit. On a cold, wet day, Lowndes was let loose on the 4.5km ‘long circuit’, drifting his way around the new section with its dramatic changes in elevation, blind crests and tight hairpins. The TeamVodafone Commodore showed incredible speed through the new section, and Lowndes said he was excited about returning to the refurbished Sydney Motorsport Park on August 25 and 26 for round nine of the V8 Supercars Championship, and the possibility of racing on the extended track in the future. “The new section is fantastic. It’s a technical part of the track, and a great inclusion for the circuit,” said Lowndes. “Everyone is used to the fast, flowing section of turn one into turn two, but now to have that added extra, with blind corners, crests, and then down into that fairly tight hairpin. “I can see a fair bit of overtaking going on into there, especially in the V8s and that’s something the spectators want to be able to see. The better viewing areas for the spectators are fantastic. “The only disappointing thing for me is that this year we’re not going to use it, so hopefully in the future we’ll be able to get to that section of the racetrack.” The V8 Supercars return to Sydney Motorsport Park, Eastern Creek next month for the Sydney Motorsport Park 360, round nine of the V8 Supercars Championship on August 25 and 26. Footage of Craig Lowndes doing the first V8 Supercar laps of the extended track can be seen at http://youtu.be/ziSjOEusPcI and http://youtu.be/l5DSuKiGCSo.  

Australian Driver Magazine wants to get to know the driver behind the helmet. With these questions you will learn a little more about who you are watching on track or racing against. Troy Marinelli is a qualified motor mechanic and runs the Midas workshop in the bayside suburb of Capalaba in South-East Queensland. Being a mechanic Troy was always around cars but did not get in to racing until 1997. It took a friend of Troy’s to get him started. Having a mad Mini owner living down the end of his street, Matt Read, Troy decided one day to pop in and have a look at all the hotted up Mini’s. From there Troy became involved and joined the SPARC racing club and began running in sprints. “From that point on I have been broke ever since”, said Marinelli. Having won multiple class and club championships, Troy’s goal is to win the CAMS Championship one year in Improved Production. Name:  Troy Marinelli D.O.B:01/10/73 State: QLD Race Car: Nissan Silvia Turbo – Improved Production Other Cars: Ford Escort – Improved Production Race Car Q: Are you the kind of person to have a backup plan? Yes but it never comes to fruition Q: Who are your motor racing heroes? Craig Lowndes/Dick Johnson Q: Most liked race track/event? My most liked event is the Phillip Island Nationals but Bathurst is up there as my most liked race track. Q: The best moment in racing you have had so far? Going thru the chase at Bathurst with the pedal buried on the floor and rev limiter banging. Q: Your ideal non-race weekend? Relaxing without the kids…lol. Don’t have an ideal weekend as long I am enjoying myself. Q: What was your first car? HQ Wagon V8 Q: When was your last infringement notice and what was it for? My last infringement notice was for speeding. I was out getting the paper on a Sunday morning. 69 in a 60 zone in 2009. Q: What is your favorite high? When my kids were born. Q: Who is your dream date? The Misses Q: Which film do you enjoy the most? Any war movies. Q: Is there anything you are afraid of? On land I am not a fan of snakes and while in the water sharks can keep right away. Q: What was the last book you read? Auto Action/ Catalogues in the mail Q: Name five things that you hate? Red flags, traffic lights, people turning up late, lying politicians and speed cameras. Money should be spent on other things. Q: Have you ever dyed your hair? No. Q: What did your teachers say about you in your school reports? Always said could do better if showed more interest. Q: Do you have any guilty pleasures? No Q: Do you collect anything? 5O cent pieces. Q: What was your worst buy? Big screen T.V from Brashes years ago.  Must have broken down 30 times in 2 years. Q: How do you take your coffee? White and One Q: What’s the most embarrassing moment you’ve ever had? Can’t tell!! Q: What is the best thing that you can cook? Roast pork. Q: When was the last time you were really angry? Never get really angry. Final Word: Anyone thinking of getting into motorsport should just do it and stop thinking about it. I wish I had the chance to do it earlier in life. Great friends, great times and a great bunch of people involved. . Photos by Phil Melvin and Chris Nissen

Ford Performance Racing finally had some luck attached to their race craft as Will Davidson stepped up over the weekend to win race two in Adelaide and lead the championship heading into round two.   Albeit only the first weekend of a long year ahead, Davison won his first race since taking Bathurst with Garth Tander in a Holden in 2009. The first Clipsal 500 win in Adelaide for an FPR team that has been constantly thriving for lead status in the shadow of TeamVodafone.   Davison’s team-mate Mark Winterbottom was second in the Orccon Steel FPR Falcon meaning they are 1-4 in the Championship. Holden Racing Team’s Garth Tander was third and in the same position in the Championship. Current Champion Jamie Whincup is second in the points after Sunday’s race with his win on Saturday keeping him at the pointy end.   Davison defected to Ford in 2010 from HRT and had a horror year. It was more shattering given the year before he had pushed Whincup all the way in the 2009 year.   He admitted to having his confidence absolutely shattered in 2010.   “In 2010, that was just an absolute nightmare,” he said.   “All of last year proved to me that things will come right. In the back half of last year there were a lot of races I was in contention to win. As long as you are a contender every weekend and consistently your time will come.”   With FPR flying home late last year they have clearly continued that form. TeamVodafone might well have a team challenger.   “We know we have got good cars. We’ve had a year of hard work last year with good and bad results. We knew we would start the year well but it’s never guaranteed, let alone a whole team of results,” said Winterbottom.   “You need all those cars doing well. When you finish 1-2 it doesn’t get much better.”   It was a solid weekend for Tander as well. He has finished the last two years in the Middle East with next to no points before Adelaide was restored to the opening event of the season.   “Whenever we go to the Middle East it’s a sour start for me,” Tander said.   “So I’m very happy to be here third in the points with two solid podiums this weekend. Just happy to get this behind us and get on with the Championship. Everyone has talked a big game in the off-season but now we know where the level is at.”   Tander’s team-mate James Courtney had a bad start to the day when he caused a red flag in qualifying with a mechanical issue that followed an overnight rebuild of his car by his Holden Racing Team.   Further issues just before the race meant he started from pit lane. The nightmare continued with further dramas and he scrambled to complete 65 of the 78 laps.   The day ended early for Jonathon Webb in his Tekno Autosports Commodore and Greg Murphy in the Pepsi Max Holden with a heavy crash in qualifying that took them both out of the later race.   Only 13 cars finished on the lead lap in Sunday’s 78-lap marathon which, amazingly, went from start to finish without the appearance of a Pedders Safety Car.   Craig Lowndes was fifth from Shane van Gisbergen, David Reynolds, Lee Holdsworth, Fabian Coulthard and Tim Slade.   Just one car – James Moffat – failed to finish with power steering problems in his Norton Falcon, while Courtney had a second tail shaft failure and limped home in 25th, 13 laps down.   The V8 Supercars teams will move to Albert Park for the non-championship event at the Formula 1 Australian Grand Prix in a fortnight’s time.   The next championship event will be at Symmons Plains in Tasmania on March 30-April 1.   Championship Standings 1 Will Davison 288 2 Jamie Whincup 270 3 Garth Tander 258 4 Mark Winterbottom 222 5 Craig Lowndes 206 6 Lee Holdsworth 201 7 Fabian Coulthard 186 8 Shane van Gisbergen 174 9 Rick Kelly 168 10 Tim Slade 147

TeamVodafone’s Jamie Whincup carried a passenger with him across 78 of the most scintillating race laps in a most heart-stopping finish at the Clipsal 500 in Adelaide. Whincup’s father David passed away after a short battle with cancer just six days ago but he refused to let his professionalism or attitude wilt under the enormous emotional strain. He rode with his dad and the Gods to win a classic race when best mate Will Davison ran out of fuel before the finish line in his Tradingpost FPR Falcon from Garth Tander (Holden Racing Team) whose fuel was so low he had to pit six laps from the end to top up. ‘We used all our cookies up today,” Whincup said. “It was a very important race for me today (Saturday) and we threw everything at it. Although I will come out and battle tomorrow (Sunday) it was all about today for me. “Anyone that understands motorsport knows you need everything to go right on the day to have a result like that and everything just turned my way. Will could have made it stupidly difficult for me at the end but clearly he was out of fuel. “I never like to make bold statement but I believe that was the best race I have ever been involved in.” Whincup’s team-mate Craig Lowndes had led and was looking strong before it all ended suddenly with an off-track excursion that allowed Davison, Tander and Mark Winterbottom to slide past. Whincup’s strategy to put on lap 15 and make three stops was still on with 15 laps to go. To add to the dramas for Lowndes he has been penalised 25 championship points post-race for contact with Todd Kelly at turn nine in the final laps. Lowndes keeps his fourth place in Race 1, however the penalty moves him back to seventh in the pointscore behind Rick Kelly. Fuel was getting tight for the lead three which brought Whincup right into the picture. All the while Tander past Davison for the effective race lead given Whincup had to pit. He came in on lap 67 and the race was on. Davison backed off to save fuel. Tander had to come in on lap 72 for a ‘splash and dash’. “We gave it our best shot today. It’s a crazy game we play,” Davison said. “I was driving into the corners hard and do nothing in the straight. I thought I had it in the bag and then I heard Whincup’s name and though there’s no way he can catch me, you are kidding. There was not much more I could do. “I’m extremely happy for Jamie – a really great mate. My day will come.” Whincup knew he was still a chance and went hard to make up time with several lap records in the final stint. He had to step up given he still had to stop. The top 10 was made up of Lee Holdsworth, Fabian Coulthard, Rick Kelly, Todd Kelly, Mark Winterbottom (who elected to pit for fuel with just laps to go) and Steven Johnson. There were 17 cars on the lead lap at the end of the 78 laps, however there are four teams who have damaged cars. It took only five laps for the notorious turn eight, a 245km/h sweeping right-hander, which first claimed Holden Racing Team’s James Courtney who pelted in the wall after ‘something broke’. “All of a sudden I had a snap in the rear and it was all over for me,” Courtney said. “The boys are going to see of they can put it back together. It was a big hit.” He was followed by Championship newcomer Taz Douglas in the iSelect Commodore followed by Team BOC’s Jason Bright was next when both appeared to slip on oil or debris and fire into the fence. Bright was taken to hospital for checks having complained of shoulder pain.