We interview Bryson Lloyd, winner of the H1 Class of the Winton Sprint Series in 2011 and back for more in 2012

Track time format:

Saturday Feb 25th – 10AM to 10PM
Sunday Feb 26th – 10AM to 5PM

Drift Matsuri offers drivers maximum track time with no competition or beginners section slowing things down. A very popular format occurring in Japan, which many drivers fly overseas to experience but can now enjoy at Winton Motor Raceway.

The level of drifting displayed will be intense with many pushing the limits of their cars and making the most of this unbelievable format. It will certainly get interesting with many high level interstate drivers also making their way down to see what Victorian drift is all about.

Tickets can be purchased at the gate and are only $20 on Saturday and Sunday. On site camping is also available and can be organised via Winton Motor Raceway. Passenger rides will be available for entrants with approved roll cages, make sure you don’t miss out on seeing the action up close and personal.

Competitors – please see Conditions for use of Tyre Changing Machine.

The tyre manufacturer, which recently became the world’s fifth largest, has thrown its support behind the two multi-class endurance events, which will form the “Kumho Endurance Series.”

The Wakefield and Winton 300 races are the most affordable way to experience endurance racing in Australia. They are open to a variety of production cars, which are separated into divisions based on their lap times. Each car must be shared by at least two drivers and there are compulsory pit-stops for refuelling.

According to the NSW distributor for Kumho Tyres, David Atkin, the two events provide an ideal platform to showcase the benefits of Kumho Tyres.

“We were looking to get exposure through Australian motorsport, for less money than it costs to sponsor categories at V8 Supercar level,” he said. “Kumho are already involved in motorsport as the control tyre supplier for the V8 Touring Cars and Formula 3, but the open tyre format for the Wakefield 300 and Winton 300 is a way of demonstrating the advantages of Kumho Tyres compared to other brands.”

Competitors and fans will both be winners out of the new sponsorship deal, thanks to an expanded television package. Both the Wakefield 300 and Winton 300 events will be televised on SBS Speedweek as well as Fox Sports Inside Speed.

“The television packages are excellent, and add value to competitors,” Mr Atkin said. “They are also replayed a number of times on Speed TV, which provides a lot of exposure.”

The 2012 Wakefield 300 will be held on March 3-4, while the Winton 300 is scheduled for November 10-11.

The 2011 Wakefield 300 was won by Stephen Anslow and Ric Shaw (Mazda RX7) and the Winton 300 was taken out by David Raddatz and Shane Otten (Mazda MX5).

For more information about the upcoming Wakefield 300, please visit: http://www.wakefieldpark.com.au/events/wakefield-300.

The new series is open to a range of motorcycle-engined miniature race cars, including Aussie Racing Cars, Future Racers, American Legends and Baby Grand Race Cars (miniature NASCAR-style vehicles).

The series has been introduced to give owners of these vehicles the opportunity to race their cars at an affordable state level, without the expense and tough competition of a national series.

The inaugural series will feature six rounds at Winton and Wakefield Park, and is sanctioned by the Australian Auto Sport Alliance (AASA).

The series will be co-ordinated by Ted Homeyer, a former touring car team owner and manager with over 40 years of experience in national motor racing.

“The purpose of the series is to give owners of these unique racing cars the opportunity to race at state level race meetings at an affordable cost,” Mr Homeyer said. “Entry fees for the first event are only $260, which makes for a very inexpensive weekend of racing. We are hoping to get about 10 cars on the grid at the first event, with grids increasing up to around the 20 car mark by the end of the year.”

Winton Motor Raceway CEO Mick Ronke has welcomed the new series, explaining that it provides a cheaper level of racing for a lot of car owners.

“This will be an ideal series for beginners to learn how to drive these cars before they progress to national competition,” he said.

For more information about the Miniature Race Series, please email Ted Homeyer at miniatureraceseries@live.com.au.

Ever wanted to drive your own car around a track the V8 Supercars race on? Well here is your chance!

Come along and experience a Fun Day at Winton Raceway! Our Fun Days give you the chance to drive your own vehicle around the ‘Nation’s Action Track’ for a small fee of just $35 for the day per participant (whether you are a driver or passenger). One of the highlights for the day is allowing drivers to take passengers out on the track, making it an awesome experience to share with your family and friends. 

Cars will be safety checked for road worthy/race worthy condition, so make sure there are no loose objects inside  your car or boot, no oil or fuel leaks, and an effective muffler (must not exceed 95dB). All participants must have a helmet and be wearing a long sleeve shirt and pants (flame retardant material).

The Fun Day is for cars only and will be structured with sessions for ‘drivers only’ and sessions for ‘drivers and passengers’. A compulsory drivers briefing will be conducted in the morning at approx. 9.30am.

So come along to the next Fun Day and take advantage of this opportunity to share your passion of motorsport with other enthusiasts!

For Frequently Asked Questions about the Fun Day, click here: 2012 Fun Day Frequently Asked Questions

Otten & Raddatz claim inagural Endurance Championship

David Raddatz and Shane Otten in the MX5 Mania Mazda MX5 have claimed the Inaugural Australian Endurance Championship sanctioned by the AASA.  The pair won the Winton 300 and placed second in the Wakefield 300 giving them just 10 points shy of a perfect championship score.  Second was MX5 team mates and father and son team of Jake and Steve Shelley.  The Shelley’s are both in their first  season of racing and have made a major impact in the racing scene.  Wakefield 300 winner Steve Anslow had major mechanical problem in the Winton 300 but managed to scrap together enough points to score ninth in the championship.

Third was the Future Racer of Natan Jess and Matt Thompson who were delt a major blow in their campaign when the were black flaged for a fuel leak in the Wakefield 300.

Richard Renato who used different Cars in the two 300 races and teamed with different co-drivers took fourth whilst his father and Winton 300 co-driver in their Volvo S40 took 6^th in the championship.

Next years Championship will again consist of two rounds;

Round 1               March 3-4            Wakefield 300    Goulburn, NSW

Round 2               Nov 10-11            Winton 300         Benalla, VIC

David Raddatz and Shane Otten winners of the 2011 Winton 300

Shane Otten and David Raddatz have won the 2011 Winton 300.  With a absence of more than 20 years the Winton 300 one of the most prized events in Australia motorsport returned with over 30 entrants.  Henry Draper a previous winner from the 80′s ran most of the race in fourth in his BMW Mini before mechanical drama hit.

The pole sitters and the Wakefield 300 winner Steve Anslow teamed up with sometime Fujitsu V8 driver Hayden Pullen  had early technical  dramas and hand the lead over on lap 10 to the Future Racer of Nathan Jess and Matt Thompson.

The Jess/Thompson pair being a division one car had to make two pitstop handing the lead over to Raddatz/Otten on lap 60.  From there Otten taking the finish stint was never headed and took victory one lap ahead of team mate Jake and Steve Shelley in another MX5 Mania prepared car.

Third Place went to Matt Holt and Brett Howard who piloted their HSV GTS to third place just holding off Jess and Thompson who finished fourth.

The victory gives Raddatz and Otten First place in the Australian Endurance Championship thanks to their second place in the Wakefield 300.

Steve Anslow & Hayden Pullen will piolt the Rx7 together for the first time

After winning the Wakefield 300 at Goulburn’s Wakefield Park in July, Sydney driver Steve Anslow will be chasing the endurance double this weekend when he contests the Winton 300 at the Winton Motor Raceway in rural Victoria.

With regular co-driver Ric Shaw unavailable, Anslow has chosen wisely and has opted for the vastly experienced and well performed Wagga driver Hayden Pullen to take the plum drive in the magnificent Mazda RX7 powered by a 6 litre Chev powerplant.

In his search of a suitable co-driver for the 300, Anslow turned to Facebook where he asked for expressions of interest to share the driving in his ‘prize possession’.

“After I posted the drive on Facebook, it seemed as if everybody wanted to drive the little red car. I finally settled on Hayden (Pullen) who comes with vast experience and is the perfect team mate for me, for I happily confess to be mechanically challenged. Only downside is we both talk too much through excitement,” Anslow said with a laugh.

Pullen has raced in the Fujitsu V8 Supercar Series, and this year has acted as engineer for Paul Freestone Motorsport. He has also raced trucks, utes, production touring cars and won the 2010 Victorian Super TT championship.

He has also competed in two Wakefield 300’s, in 2009 with Terry Nightingale in a Future Racer, and 2010 year with Ross Wood in a HSV.

From his HP Dyno workshop in Wagga Wagga, Pullen and his team have also prepared some very well known racecars and has a reputation of being the builder of big horsepower engines.

With this weekend being Anslows first start at Winton, Pullens experience on the track will be invaluable to assist the Sydney driver who only started racing mid-age.

The Winton 300 was once one of Australia’s most popular event, but has not been conducted for some 20 years and has attracted a strong 33 car field. All up there are 66 drivers, with 37 Victorians, 26 from NSW, 2 Queenslanders and one from South Australia.

According to Anslow the team has certain goals for this weekend.

“Firstly we’d love to finish what will be a gruelling race, hopefully win our Division and take a top 3 outright finish, but an outright win would be an absolute joy. On top of that we hope to improve our singing and guitar skills,” he joked.

The Mazda has created an amazing amount of interest since it first had the 6 litre Chev installed in 2010, particularly with its striking red colour scheme, which Anslow revealed was designed by his car crazy four year old  grandson Jack Edward Smith way back in 2008.

Anslows idea was to combine the world’s best lightweight affordable V8 and arguably the world’s best handling chassis. Well known Sydney race driver and engineer Terry Bosnjak, did the major engineering on the car.

In summing up Anslow says the Mazda V8 is like a Geisha Girl who ran off with a Redneck. Mum and Dad were not impressed but it made her very happy and it’s a marriage made in heaven – the car nearly drives itself.

“The one thing in our favour is our great crew, with 3 brilliant RAAF engineers – Ben Westcott, Rod Frizzel and Cameron Chircop who truly exemplify the ANZAC spirit even when the chips are down. Real doers these boys. We also are lucky enough to have Haydens son Mitch on the team.”

The Mazda entry is supported by www.mainlube.com www.haltech and www.surefloexhaust.com.au.