EASTERN CREEK BIDS FOR WORLD GT1 CHAMPIONSHIP

Sydney's Eastern Creek Raceway is making a strong bid to host a round of the inaugural World GT1 Championship for sports cars in 2010.

The raceway now has four months in which to stake Australia's claim to the ground breaking championship.

The series is being hailed as the first world title that has been purpose-designed for the Internet.

Series promoter, the UK-based SRO Motorsports Group, intends to field a 24 car grid with live "conventional" TV already confirmed across Europe, the Middle East, Asia and South America.

Six of the twelve rounds are locked in and the other six, including Australia, are now on offer and under negotiation.

GT1 vehicles from Nissan, Ford and Lamborghini have been confirmed.

Aston Martin, Audi, Ferrari and Chevrolet have the series under evaluation.

SRO has presented sporting regulations for the fledgling series to the FIA Motor Sport World Council last week.

Confirmation of series venues is required by October and entries must be lodged by the end of November.

Eastern Creek promoter, the Australian Racing Drivers' Club, claims the GT1 World Championship is, "the most cost effective world championship that could possibly come to Australia".

ARDC CEO Geoff Arnold said his group was ramping up its bid to seek support from authorities at local, state, and federal levels.

"Return on investment will be high," Arnold said.

"Conventional TV reach is estimated at more than 150 million viewers, but the true value lies in the net where SRO is developing substantial breakthrough opportunities."

The ARDC has a proposition in front of the NSW Government for a staged upgrade of the 20 year-old state-owned circuit.

However the World Championship proposal does not depend on the improvements being made.

"Eastern Creek's facilities and track design benefit from a Grade 2 FIA Homologation, which is the level required to host a round of the FIA GT1 World Championship," SRO President and CEO Stephane Ratel said.

"One of the attractions of the venue is that it is within the boundaries of one of the world's most desirable cities, and it is walk-in-walk-out."

Mr Arnold said adoption of Phase One of the ARDC's improvement plans would be desirable, but it was not mandatory.

"Our immediate concern is to have relevant tourism authorities buy into the opportunity and partner with us."

SRO is one of the world's most successful motorsport promoters. Its portfolio includes a ten-year involvement with the FIA's European GT Championships and management around the world of another nine national and European titles.

"SRO's credentials are impeccable and their offer is compelling," Mr Arnold said.

"Tourism and sporting authorities should take this opportunity very seriously and work with us to explore the potential."

Eastern Creek celebrates its 20th anniversary as a race track this year.

It was purpose built to host the world Moto GP Championships, which it did for seven years, before the title was taken back by Victoria's Phillip Island circuit.

"Eastern Creek is now Sydney's only permanent race track and it is one of only a handful of government-owned permanent motor racing facilities," Mr Arnold said.

"It is the logical venue to bid for this series."

Subaru: When the Going Gets Tough

OUTthere Issue 60 - All Torque

In just 35 years, Subaru has flourished in a land known for its hard knocks and even harder drivers.

Subaru’s 1973 entry into the Australian automotive marketplace coincided nicely with flared trousers, platform heals and the euphoria of a new reformist government under Gough Whitlam.

The awkward-looking Subaru Leone was reminiscent of the lonely geek in the corner at the party and ownership was for those attracted to the little sedan’s undeniable practicality and reliability. Style and street ‘cred’ would have to wait.

We saw a glimpse of the future when the unknown actor Jackie Chan piloted a wild, high performance Subaru Station Wagon in 1981’s madcap ‘Cannonball Run”, even if it was disguised as satire. Today, Subaru’s ‘recreational’ wagons, the all-wheel-drive (AWD) Outback and Forester, deliver a staggering performance package in line with their ‘drivers’ stable mates, the Impreza and Liberty.

Unlike the front-wheel-drive Leone of the ‘70s, Subaru have only offered AWD vehicles in Australia since 1998, reinforcing their niche specialty in driver-focused performance and recreational vehicles. So successful have Subaru been that, in the right (or wrong) hands, Subaru’s WRX Impreza is an uncatchable getaway car!

A lot has changed in 35 years and one thing is certain, people don’t point and giggle when you rock up in a Subaru these days. After total domination of our local rally championships until 2005, Australia is now the third biggest market worldwide for Subaru vehicles, after Japan and the United States.

For the regional user, Subaru’s promised diesel engines are possibly the most exciting development and Australia will see them here shortly.

Subaru Australia MD, Nick Senior

All Torque spoke with Subaru MD, Nick Senior, about the present and future Subaru.

All Torque: Subaru enjoys a strong position in the Australian marketplace. How does the company expect to meet the challenges ahead?

NS: Our unique combination of Symmetrical All-Wheel Drive and Boxer engine continues to be our unique selling proposition. Combined with our safety focus, engineering reputation, durability and proven whole-of-life costs, it makes Subaru a compelling proposition - especially in an economy where people are looking for low-risk, proven performers. The fact that our range covers everything from niche performance models such as Impreza WRX STI to Australia's best-selling compact SUV in the form of Forester, means we have products that appeal to a wide variety of audiences and we believe this positions us well for the future.

All Torque: What is Subaru’s take on the current market and which models are standout performers?.

NS: As with so many industries currently, the automotive market is very tough. However, this has actually presented an opportunity for us, with the attributes outlined above actually attracting new as well as existing customers to Subaru. For example, new generation Forester was Australia's best selling compact SUV last year and is presently the best selling SUV across all categories so far this year. New generation Impreza is achieving our best-ever small car figures and our largest vehicle, Tribeca, has introduced Subaru to a whole new set of customers, looking for a larger vehicle. Together with the new generation Liberty and Outback which will be introduced in September, this gives us cause for optimism in challenging times. It's also encouraging for us that we are selling an increasing volume of range-topping vehicles.

All Torque: Subaru are well known for technical innovation. What new engineering and planning exercises are ahead?

NS: Without giving any secrets away, we have some exciting technologies pending, including the introduction constantly Variable Transmission (CVT) options in our new generation Liberty. This contributes greatly to fuel economy and performance. At the end of the year we will also introduce our first diesel variant, in an Outback. This engine has been getting rave reviews in Europe for its low fuel consumption and refinement, and we've had a lot of interest already. We're also introducing a six-seat family wagon, the Exiga, late in the year. This will expand our appeal to families, with a versatile and spacious cabin that underlines the clever use of interior space by Subaru engineers.

All Torque: Is Subaru exploring hybrid or other “low carb” alternatives?

NS: We demonstrated the plug-in STELLA electric concept in the lead-up to Melbourne Motor Show. This four-door micro car has a range of 80 kilometres, a top speed of 100 km/h and can be recharged to 80 per cent of capacity in just 15 minutes, using a special fast charger, or plugged into a home outlet overnight for a full recharge. This car is going into limited production for sale in the Japan domestic market as a city commuter, from June. It's an exciting development which will be refined and developed considerably in the coming years.

All Torque: Will Subaru diesels find their way into other models here in Australia?

As mentioned, we will launch Outback diesel at the year's end. We've had some cars on test and have been delighted and amazed by the fuel consumption figures we've returned. Depending upon the level of interest, yes, we may have the option to expand this engine into other models in our range.

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Subaru has 106 dealers across Australia with an excellent rural and regional coverage from Broken Hill to Kalgoorlie.

For more information about Subaru vehicles, call 1800 22 66 43 to find your local dealer or visit the comprehensive website: www.subaru.com.au

The Supercar Club

The Supercar Club garage is home to an immaculate collection of sports and luxury cars including top of the range Maserati, Porsche, Aston Martin, Ferrari, Lamborghini, Bentley and Rolls Royce models as well as lightweight track specials and cult off-roaders.

The fleet is constantly updated, giving members access to the world's best cars without the setbacks of depreciation, insurance and maintenance.

Membership costs range from $17 000 to $72 000 annually, along with a one-off joining fee. In return, members are allocated a pool of points that they trade for days in their choice of the Club's cars. There are several levels of membership and members typically receive from 20 to 80 days driving per year, depending on which level they join and what cars they drive.

If you don't want to fork out the big bucks consider taking in part in one of The Supercar Club's Drive Days through The Hunter Valley, Mornington Peninsula or Gold Coast Hinterland. Discover your inner Bond behind the wheel of five different cars throughout the day including top of the range Aston Martin, Lamborghini, Ferrari, Aston Martin and Lotus models. Drive Days are $1, 320 and that includes a gourmet lunch and refreshments at pit stops along the way.

The Supercar Club operates out of Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane. For more information visit www.thesupercarclub.com.au or call 1300 798 900.