ASTC breifs

[Crash Test]

FRIDAY, APRIL 14: Queensland driver DAVID AUGER has signed the
American-based Leatherman Tool Group as principal sponsor for the
2000-2001 BOC Gases Australian Super Touring Championship, which starts
at Oran Park in Sydney on May 28.

The 39-year-old Brisbane businessman, who has raced in the championship
since 1997, will contest this year's series in a front-drive Alfa Romeo
155 with an updated engine from Germany. The car's livery will change
from red to yellow and black and the team will be known as Leatherman
Racing.

Auger tested his Alfa Romeo at Queensland's Lakeside circuit on April 1,
and is confident he can challenge for the Independents Cup this year. He
was fifth in the Independents Cup in 1999.

"The new sponsorship and engine will give us a boost, both in backing
and performance, so we're expecting to improve," said Auger. "Our car
usually goes quite well at Oran Park so I'm hoping get the championship
off to a good start."


Newcastle's 23-yer-old LUKE SEARLE will drive the SAE College-Roadchill
BMW 318i throughout the 2000-2001 championship. In 1999 he shared
driving duties in the rear-drive BMW with his 26-year-old elder brother
TROY SEARLE. It is understood that while Troy Searle will not be
driving, he will have a managerial role in the team. The team's
technical staff will include Dave Homer, who previously worked in the
championship with Queenslander Cameron McLean.

Sydney driver JAMIE MILLER will make his championship debut at Oran Park
in the Toyota Camry previously raced by Mark Adderton and Ron Searle.
Miller drove the Camry in the 500km Super Touring endurance race at
Bathurst in 1999 and finished ninth. The car will be prepared by Mick
Quinn of Phoenix Motorsports. Miller said he had tested the Camry three
times and that the engine was being rebuilt.

Another Sydney driver, PAUL LEABEATER, will take over driving the
Hyundai Lantra previously raced in the 1999 championship by CLAUDE
ELIAS. Leabeater has purchased the car and Elias will assist with team
management and car preparation. The pair shared the Hyundai in the 500km
Super Touring endurance race at Bathurst in 1999.

The annual Super Touring charity activities for Camp Quality will be
held at Oran Park on April 25. Drivers taking part will include 1999
Independents Cup champion PETER HILLS in a Ford Mondeo, and Sydney's JIM
CORNISH in a Honda Accord. The Camp Quality charity is for children with
cancer and they will be taken for rides around the track. The activities
will also displays by the fire brigade and Harley-Davidson motorcycles.

Sydney-based TONY NEWMAN is brimming with confidence for the 2000-2001
championship after encouraging performances in the South Island
Endurance Series in New Zealand. Newman was second in the opening round
at Teretonga on March 19, and claimed pole position as fastest qualifier
for the second round at Timaru on April 2 before being forced to retire
from the race. The final round is at Ruapuna in Christchurch this
weekend. Newman said the series had provided him with extensive
preparation for the championship.


okee dokee, here we go- Good to see Davud get some support. I know if he were to get this sort of money together s while back he would have considered an Audi...sticking with the old Alfa isn't going to make him a championship threat, the car dtes back to at least 1995.

Luke Searle getting the drive..well good on him, but that car is soooo old, would it be of 94 or 95 vintage? Its pretty quick, but not a front runner, but Luke should improve when he gets some miles under his belt.

The camry....the car which will never die.... Correct me if im wrong, but after Winton several years ago they were going to take it to the tip because the uprights kept breaking...

The Hyundais....wow what a car!! They are from 1994.

It's good to see them get behind camp quality, there should be more of that sort of stuff going on...

Best of luck to them all, but really, i swear i saw the ASTC at the emergancy ward at the hospital the other day...

Do we them putting off the 2000 Bathurst until 2001 is just delaying the death...i have reservations whether 2001 will ever happen, im thinking that 7 will pull the plug before then...

[kmchow]

Thanks for the great update Crash Test. I am just so happy and excited to the ASTC is alive and well, at least for privateers. If this is the last year of ST, at least it's the year of the privateer?

I am very happy to hear that David Auger finally got a big sponsorship deal!! yeah!!

I think the Carinas are older as one is a '91 I think!

I sound like a broken record player, but I'm okay with seeing older cars as long as the majority of the cars are older ones. Then that means we have some very close racing!!

But if the Camry is really that run down, I assume they will tear down and rebuild the car?

[Crash Test]

Well the camry has been raced a lot since they said it was going to the dump... so lets just hope it doesnt fall apart on a fast corner....

Mal Rea and his Carinas...well who knows what is going on there. He is becoming very involved in local sport sedan racing, so im not sure whether or not he is going to run the Carinas in the ASTC, run the carinas in sport sedans, or just run the corrolas in sport sedans.

Hope to get an interview with David some tiem shortly, he is in my racing car club so that would be interesting.

[DAVID PATERSON]

Mark, I believe David's car is one of the BTCC winning cars of 1994 and the Searle team car is actually a '97 model, I believe it replaced the '95 model they used to run. The Carinas must surely be the oldest cars in ASTC.