`midget' Stands Taller
Newcastle Herald
Saturday March 2, 2002
B EN Hancock is a young man on a mission. The 13-year-old Cardiff High student has been racing karts for three years and, after starting off in the 80cc Midget class, has made the break into the 100cc Junior National Light class.
With two meetings under his belt this season Hancock, a member of Newcastle Kart Club, is ready to get serious at tomorrow's third outing at the club's Mount Sugarloaf track.
`At the first meeting I had some brake problems and last time out I ran a fourth and a DNF (did not finish) in the heats, sixth in the pre-final and sixth in the final,' he said.
The youngster is not only proving adept at settling into the bigger karts but is also showing he has the right stuff when it comes to cutting deals.
After presenting a sponsorship proposal to Sandgate car dealer Kel Squires, Hancock is now racing with Parador Motors signage on the sidepods of his kart.
* HUNTER Motorcycle Club is running its annual Track Masters meeting at its Barleigh Ranch speedway track tomorrow.
The meeting, which features the Rod Allen Memorial, has attracted a strong field of solo riders including three of the State's best, Chris Watson, Mick Poole and Tony Primmer.
As well as the long track and speedway solo events the meeting will include races for quad and motocross bikes.
Barleigh Ranch is off Italia Rd, 11km north of Raymond Terrace. Racing starts at 10am and admission costs are $10 for adults, $5 concessional. Admission is free to under 15s.
* FORD Australia has extended by a year its contract with triple Australian V8 Supercar Champion Craig Lowndes, guaranteeing hima drive to the end of 2006.
The company has extended its deal with Lowndes' team owner Bob Forbes for the same period, and Forbes will rename the ex-Gibson Motorsport outfit `Team 00', using Lowndes' season-old racing number as its new name.
This season 00 Racing will partner Neil Crompton with Lowndes in the team's black and silver cars with Bob Forbes' son Rodney in a third Falcon.
* HOLDEN Motorsport is about to attack Australian Nations Cup racing with a hot and heavy version of its new Monaro coupe.
The first racing example of the big `Munro' (there will be four) is taking shape in the Melbourne workshops of Garry Rogers Motorsport and when it appears mid-yearit should have drop-dead looks and bulk performance.
An aerodynamic pack with big front splitter, flared fenders and a huge rear wing will be the giveaways to what hides beneath the metal ? a 7.0 litre, 375kW derivative of the production cars' 5.7 litre V8, a six-speed sequential gearbox and 18x10-inch alloy wheels.
Who will drive it in Nations Cup events? Pit Notes understands that Garth Tander's name has come up more than once in discussions.
* SUZUKI'S Telefonica Movistar team has been testing its new four-cylinder, four-stroke grand prix motorcycles at Phillip Island this week for 2002 season's April start.
Kenny Roberts, Sete Gibernau and Yukio Kagayoma put the 990cc machines through their paces before the next testing at Spain's Catalunya.
© 2002 Newcastle Herald