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00:00Melbourne's Sandown International Raceway. 3.1 kilometers of high-speed bitumen.
00:18Today, this famous track plays host to three 20-minute sprints.
00:22A battle which could prove decisive in the fight for Shell Series supremacy.
00:26Mark Scape and Craig Lowndes, they win the Aussie Vale 500 in Queensland. Well done.
00:32Four weeks ago, at the Queensland 500, Lowndes and Scape showed once again why HRT is at the top of the tree.
00:40Consistent race speed, fast pit work, sharp race tactics, the Red Barons in a class of their own.
00:46While the competition either ran out of steam,
00:49Goodbye crew, well, ran a little too lean,
00:52Oh, we've got a problem here, that Brad Jones of the Aussie Vale forward.
00:55Or forgot their counting beams, if you know what I mean.
00:58See, that's wrong. He should have followed the lead car into the pitch.
01:03Scape, Tander, Seton, Lowndes.
01:06The championship is on the line, so buckle up for what should be an enthralling afternoon.
01:12This is round 12 of the 2000 Shell Championship Series.
01:16Exclusive to your home of motorsport.
01:18Network 10.
01:19It's a place that's steeped in Australia.
01:49Motorsport history and tradition, and perhaps today it'll go down in the record books as the venue where the 2000 Shell Series champion will be crowned.
01:58Hello, I'm Greg Rust.
01:59Welcome to Sandown International Raceway for the penultimate round of the season.
02:03Well, the weather hasn't been too kind to us here in recent days.
02:06We've had some intermittent showers and rain, but today, bright, beautiful blue skies, and let's hope it stays that way,
02:12and that the Bureau's prediction of rain later this afternoon doesn't materialise.
02:16Well, after 11 of 13 rounds of the 2000 Championship, this is how the point score looks.
02:21Mark Scaife on top with 1296 points.
02:24He needs to score 51 more than Garth Tander today to wrap up the title, but that's not going to be an easy task.
02:30Tander is on a mission this weekend.
02:32Glenn Seton, well, he's out of the title hunt, and we'll talk more about that shortly.
02:36Outside the top 10, former champion John Bauer, Stephen Johnson, and Craig Baird.
02:40Well, they've both had a tough year, their 15th and 16th respectively, and Stephen Ellery is 20th.
02:45He had a stunning run in qualifying yesterday, equaling his best ever performance in the 2000 Shell Championship Series.
02:52Well, yesterday, series organisers had a fairly major news conference here, and to quickly encapsulate what came out of that,
02:58we are going offshore next season.
03:00There will be a round staged in Pukakoe, New Zealand, next November,
03:03and the promise of another round offshore, probably to Asia, in the year 2002.
03:08Bathurst, good news for fans.
03:10After unprecedented demand, the FAI 1000 will move from November to October next year.
03:16In format changes, well, we're going to have a shootout for pole at every round next year,
03:20and a move away from sprint rounds.
03:22We'll see shorter distance endurance races with mandatory pit stops in those,
03:26and Barry Sheehan, I'll tell you what, that has got to make for some interesting racing next year.
03:29Oh, it's going to be great for the championship.
03:31You know, there's no doubt about it, you have to handle it to a Cochrane slot.
03:36The thing they've got to keep their eye on is the safety side of it,
03:39because if you look at Glen Seton's crash, it was really bad,
03:43and now the cars are to 180-odd mile an hour, they weigh sort of 1,500 kilos,
03:48and as an example, in the rain yesterday, I was thinking if they went off the end of the straight,
03:52160 mile an hour, 1,500 kilos, 50 feet straight into an Onco barrier,
03:59so hopefully they're going to keep their eye on it.
04:02Well, we'll take a look at what happened in qualifying yesterday.
04:04Without doubt, it was one of the most scintillating sessions we have seen all year,
04:08and the times kept changing, and so did the person who was on top of the leaderboard,
04:11and in fact, it went down to the dying seconds.
04:13Craig Lowndes grabbing pole by the narrowest of margins from Paul Radisic,
04:17who's debuting a brand-new car here this weekend.
04:19Steve Ellery, third, gee, that's a great performance.
04:21Tony Longhurst, his former teammate, will line up beside him.
04:24Series leader Mark Scape on row three,
04:26and the man who's out after him for the title, Garth Tander on row four,
04:30John Bowe and Jason Barguana, both sneaking inside the top ten.
04:34Well, as Barry mentioned, Glen Seton won't be here this weekend.
04:37He's been sidelined, and Mark Osler caught up with him a short time ago.
04:41Well, one man who won't be joining us on the track today,
04:44in fact, missing his first championship series round for 11 years,
04:48is Glen Seton.
04:49Glen's surviving a horrific crash at Phillip Island in testing.
04:52You're a very lucky man to be walking around the way you are, I think.
04:54It is, really, and probably many people will be looking at me at the moment
04:57and wondering why I'm smiling,
04:58and the reason I'm smiling is because I am here today.
05:01Really, at the end of the day, when I look back on it,
05:03it was an incident that could have took my life.
05:05There's no doubt about that,
05:06and it's one that has been the biggest in my career,
05:08and it's one, hopefully, it'll be my last in my career,
05:11as in a big shunt.
05:12But still, when you look back on it now,
05:15I remember the whole incident right up until the time
05:17that I actually hit the bank.
05:19Mark Scaife was actually first on the scene
05:21to help me get out of the car,
05:22and I was sort of a bit sceptic for about five minutes
05:25of what happened from then,
05:25but then I remember the rest of it,
05:27but all I remember is it hurt.
05:29It just goes to show,
05:30when you look at Craig Lowndes' crash at Calder last year
05:32and yours now in testing,
05:34these are big, fast, powerful cars
05:36that can really bite you if they get away from you, can't they?
05:38But there's no doubt about that,
05:39and I think it's just really,
05:41you've just got to have your wits about you
05:42and make sure these things don't happen,
05:44and it's caught me out once,
05:45and hopefully it'll never catch me again.
05:47Good to see you on your feet, mate.
05:48Best of luck.
05:48Thanks, Mark.
05:50Here is the Sandown layer.
05:513.1 k's in length
05:53and characterised by those two huge straights,
05:55one on the front and one down the back.
05:57Neil Crompton is the sole FTR pilot this weekend,
06:00and here he is to take you for a scare
06:01around Sandown Raceway.
06:03Welcome to Sandown.
06:12This is one of the famous tracks in Australia.
06:14It's a terrific facility,
06:16beautiful grandstand,
06:17and a heap of Ford and Hold fans up there
06:19on the right on race day.
06:21Now, this is into Turn 1,
06:22a little bit smoother than it used to be in yesteryear.
06:24They've resurfaced it.
06:25Quite a quick third gear corner.
06:28Damp around the edges at the moment,
06:29so you've got to be a bit circumspect.
06:31Second gear for the S's.
06:32This is two and three.
06:34You can launch her over that kerb on the inside if you wish.
06:38Onto the back straight.
06:39Very, very tight and slow.
06:40Just a little over 70 k's.
06:42Then up through the box onto the back straight.
06:44Third.
06:47Fourth.
06:50Fifth and ultimately sixth up the back.
06:53Now, you've got about 250, 255 k's.
06:56You need big boy bits for this stuff.
06:58Back to fourth gear.
06:59Hard on the brakes.
07:00Great viewing from up on top of the hill.
07:02Up over the ripple strip.
07:04On the peaks real hard.
07:05Be careful not to drill that fence down there.
07:08Second gear for Dandenong Road.
07:11Third.
07:11Fourth.
07:12Very bumpy in this next section.
07:14Under brakes here going into Turn 8.
07:16Back to second gear.
07:19Very short little squirt on the throttle.
07:21Very important to get a good exit here onto the straight
07:23because you get a free ride all the way down the front straight.
07:27It always turns on great racing.
07:29And watch for the action at turn 1.
07:31That's Sandown.
07:32It's the last quick round of the season.
07:36I tell you what, the action is going to be coming at you.
07:38Thick and fierce from Sandown International Raceway.
07:41Stay with us more right after the break.
07:43He's got the red logo side by side.
08:07Oh, that's good.
08:08Oh, look at that.
08:10Whoa.
08:11And Will Blake Lounce has got the start.
08:14Indeed he has.
08:15Oh, look at that.
08:17Wow.
08:18That is a major.
08:20Oh, no.
08:22Oh, again.
08:23Good.
08:23Oh, one's gone right up.
08:28Oh, that's one of the wins cars.
08:30That's Stephen Richards.
08:31Car 7.
08:34Hasn't there been some mighty moments at Sandown International Raceway in recent years?
08:39What will today's round hold in terms of another chapter in that book?
08:44It is round 12 of the 13-round Shell Championship Series.
08:47We get set for race 1.
08:48Lowndes on pole.
08:49He'll start beside Paul Radicic, his best qualifying effort of the year.
08:52Stephen Ellery, a sensational performance alongside Longhurst.
08:55The third row of the grid, Scaife and Ingle, Road 4, Mark Larkin and Garth Tander.
09:00Starting out of Road 5, John Bowe and Jason Barguana.
09:03Larry Perkins and Paul Morris.
09:04Good effort by the big Kev car.
09:06Starts out of 12.
09:07Neil Crofton, the only FTR representative this weekend.
09:09Greg Murphy alongside Stephen Johnson and Craig Baird.
09:12We'll start out of 16.
09:13For the back, Rodney Forbes and Brad Jones in the Aussie male racing entry.
09:17Karen McConville, Mick Donahue on Road 10.
09:1911 is John Faulkner and Paul Wheel in the brand new K&J Thermal Falcon.
09:23Stephen Richards, who was well up in qualifying, dropped right down at the end of it from position 23 alongside Ashby.
09:29Teammate Steve Reid and Rick Bates in the colour scan forward.
09:32Paul Romano and Dougal McDougal starts out at 28.
09:34Derek Van Zell making another appearance in the Shell Series.
09:37Rod Nash alongside in the auto pro machine.
09:39Mike Imory and Anthony Trapp in the AU Falcon starts out at 32.
09:42Thomas Mazira is the lone man at the back of the grid because Damien White has developed oil pressure problems and is a late withdrawal in the One World Sport Falcon.
09:51Gee, I felt sorry for Thomas Mazira after practice yesterday.
09:55He had a loose coil lead, put him out at a critical time.
09:57Here's our in-car cameras covering every angle of the action.
10:01The Walker in-car with Greg Murphy and the Kmart Commodore.
10:04Just one of the many cars we'll be covering today.
10:06Brad Jones, who is carrying the Colton United on-board camera, had a terrible run in Queensland.
10:12Let's hope he can have a change of luck here at Sandown.
10:16Great view there as the cars thunder up Repco Hill.
10:19Reaching 250 kilometres an hour in the approach to that frightening drop-off.
10:22There's Neil Crompton.
10:23His team mate, Glenn Seaton, will be joining us in commentary a bit later on.
10:26Ford Livert in-car camera.
10:28Come under the Dunlop Bridge, John Bauer in the Cat Racing Falcon.
10:34The big, clear and simple in-car camera.
10:36He was very fast in the opening phase of qualifying yesterday.
10:41Got bumped down the order right toward the end when we had a rush of very fast times.
10:45And look at this man, talking about fast times.
10:47The Shell Helix in-car camera.
10:49The brand new number 18 Shell Falcon for Paul Radicic.
10:52He's qualified second.
10:54He was second fastest in the warm-up this morning.
10:56Fords are on fire at Sandown today.
10:58He is pumped up too.
10:59And so is Mark Larkham.
11:01The Mitre 10 Ford Racing entry.
11:04Looking for a good result here at Sandown.
11:06Got to say, that was an outstanding performance from Stephen Ellery in the super cheap car.
11:10Take third fastest amongst this quality of field.
11:13A brand new team this year.
11:14That's an outstanding achievement.
11:15Certainly is.
11:15And when you consider too that Ellery is struggling,
11:18he's rumoured to be suffering from glandular fever.
11:20I'm on the tail end of that.
11:22And I have made some improvements to that car.
11:24Here's the Ford Livert race analysis.
11:26Yeah, 34 starters.
11:2716 laps the distance for the three 20-minute heats.
11:30They're just under 50 k's in length.
11:32First to 12th, covered by one second.
11:34A tight qualifying.
11:35And last year's winner, of course, Craig Lowndes starts off pole position.
11:38Very strong at Sandown.
11:39It's going to be interesting because it was raining for qualifying.
11:42It was damp and sort of wet.
11:44And it'd be interesting to see if everybody, how many people got their set up right for today.
11:48Because it's completely dry and nice conditions.
11:51There'll be lots of interest in this one.
11:52Particularly two, three and four rows back where the main championship contenders,
11:58Scape and Tander will be battling it out as we get set to go racing in round 12 of the Shell Championship Series.
12:04Who will get the launch off the line?
12:05Away!
12:06Lowndes gets a good start.
12:07So too does Radisic.
12:09Ellery bogs down a little bit and that allows Longhurst to launch his way through.
12:12Look at Russell Ingle carving up through the field as well.
12:15Side by side as they head towards turn one for the first time.
12:18Who's got the edge?
12:19Is it the Rat or is it Lowndes?
12:21The Rat is going to try and muscle Lowndes out here.
12:23But Lowndes comes back through.
12:24Well the big test here will be the Shell Falcon Horsetower.
12:28We saw the enormous speed in a straight line at Mount Panorama last year.
12:31The real test is going to be up the back straight on the first time.
12:34Let's see how Radisic gets out of this turn onto the back straight and unleashes all that power.
12:38Look at Stephen Ellery in third position.
12:39Scape up to fourth.
12:41Tony Longhurst up to fifth.
12:42Cars really muscling each other.
12:43Look at the paint swapping as they come out of the...
12:46Eastern S turn on the back straight for the first time.
12:48Neil Crompton of Oz in the thicker things with Stephen Johnson.
12:51Crompton flying the flag for Ford Tickman Racing this weekend.
12:56His team mate, Glenn Seaton, a little nervous with us up here in the commentary box.
13:01A little nervous, looking a little bit pale.
13:05Yeah, a little bit pale, especially after...
13:07I actually feel pretty good compared to where it was two weeks ago, that's for sure.
13:11Must be hard though, sitting up here in the commentary box.
13:13Oh, Jonesy, yeah.
13:15Aussie male Falcon.
13:16What a shame.
13:17He's gone right to the back of the pack.
13:19He's having a disastrous year.
13:20Oh, look at this.
13:21Rodney Forbes, two.
13:22Ooh.
13:23Looks like contact on the opening lap.
13:25He might have a cut tyre there.
13:26He's going to try and lift it back to the pits.
13:28Oh, look at this.
13:29Oh, look at this.
13:30Oh, look at that.
13:30Oh, look at that.
13:30Oh, good save.
13:32Contact there between the Optus Commodore, Steve Reid it was.
13:37And Anthony Trapp, the cold express car.
13:39Oh, there's been some contact there too.
13:40He's got smoke puffing off that right front wheel.
13:43It's all happening at Sandown Park this afternoon.
13:45And the opening here, the Shell Championship Series round here.
13:50It's a busy night for the boys in the Toll Express team.
13:53They had a, they dropped a valve yesterday in that car.
13:57And overnight they had to change engines for the car.
13:59They're using it at IndyCar.
14:00They've only got a couple of hours sleep.
14:01That tyre confirmation has come off.
14:03Rodney Forbes' car as he limps his way back to the pits in the Winds Racing Commodore.
14:07Well, what a start.
14:12Has not had any luck so far in this championship.
14:15Just continues at Sandown.
14:17Lips into the pits.
14:17I'll try and put a, get that wheel off and put a tyre back on.
14:21But he's dropped right to the back of the pack.
14:23Shell Hillock's replay of the start.
14:25Just look at it.
14:26Oh, slightly more.
14:28There's hardly anything in it when you look at it.
14:30Yeah, look at Radish's thing now.
14:32It's getting, you'd say, a bit of a little bit of a hole.
14:35Oh, good start by both of them.
14:37Both Radish and Craig Lowndes.
14:39And Lance, yeah, just manages to force his way through.
14:42And this is apparently the corner where...
14:46Oh, look at Fulton's tyre.
14:47Oh, yeah, mate.
14:48Yeah, it was cut.
14:49You could see it was falling off the rim.
14:50Look at the guy he's running.
14:51I don't blame him.
14:52There it goes.
14:53Meanwhile, back at the front.
14:54Here's the battle.
14:54Craig Lowndes in first place.
14:56Paul Radish in second.
14:57Stephen Ellery holding on to that qualifying position of third.
15:00He's doing a good job too.
15:01Markscape right up his rear bumper.
15:04Tony Longhurst in fifth.
15:05And it's Ingle, Tander, Larkham, Jason Barguana, Greg Murphy and the Kmart Commodore in there too.
15:10Larry Perkins just outside the top ten.
15:11They've had a change of position there.
15:12Radish has managed to get around Craig Lowndes by the looks of things.
15:15So something's happened in that back series of corners.
15:17Radish is the new leader from Lowndes.
15:19In third position, Stephen Ellery just holding out Markscape in the second of the Holden Racing Team Commodore.
15:25So a position change up front.
15:26Could Radish be the man now to take his third race win of the season?
15:30Well, the Ford fans have gone mad up in the grandstand.
15:33I think our man alongside here, Glenn Seed, is a little bit excited too.
15:36The Fords are flying around here, aren't they, Glenn?
15:37Yeah, it's great to see.
15:39It's been a struggle most of the year.
15:40But it's good to see the Fords up there this weekend.
15:43And Paul will do the job.
15:44There's no doubt he's a very talented driver.
15:47He's done a lot of overseas racing.
15:48And he'll be able to handle the pressures, no doubt.
15:51And the speed of those DJR cars in a straight line, especially at a circuit like this, will really show up.
15:56Look at the crowd erupts as the Rat leads him across the line.
16:00Once again, Lowndes back to second place.
16:02Stephen Ellery defending hard from Markscape is really on a chance.
16:05Tony Longhurst in there too.
16:07Big field of cars.
16:08Stranger.
16:09Oh, he's trouble there for Murphy.
16:10What's going on?
16:11That looks really quite weird.
16:14I guess we're not flying.
16:15Yeah, I don't know, either went off flying and got on the marbles or something.
16:19But it looked like it seemed to happen so effortlessly, didn't it?
16:22Just sort of rolled off.
16:23It actually looked like he went a little bit deep under brakes.
16:26And it just locked the rears.
16:27And it just sort of ran him wide.
16:29And especially on a circuit like this, it ain't used very often throughout the year.
16:35There's a lot of dirt on the outside of race line.
16:38And once you hit that, you're gone.
16:40I was going to say before, it must be tough for you.
16:42You've been in this championship battle all year just to have to sit back and watch.
16:45As I say, you've missed the first round you've missed in 11 years.
16:48It must be a bit of a shock.
16:50It is really, Mark.
16:51But it's probably good in one way.
16:53I get to see what it's like from the other side where I normally aren't.
16:57So it's good in that way.
16:59But I'll be back very soon.
17:01I'm not giving up that easy.
17:02Not going to get ready, then.
17:04Well, we can see it going to be back in action too.
17:05Let's check the Shield Helix replay.
17:07Just up the inside there in the old horsepower.
17:09Look at that.
17:10Well, it looks like Craig got a...
17:11Yeah, he looked like he actually went in a bit hard onto the back straight and understeered
17:16a bit wide where it gave the opportunity for Paul to get up to the inside and get past him.
17:22Stephen Ellery doing a remarkable job there to hold out Markscape in third position.
17:26They've done a lot of work on this car.
17:27They debuted it at the beginning of the season.
17:29They recently upgraded the brake system on it.
17:31And Stephen said it's an incredible car to drive now.
17:34Despite the fact that he's suffering a little bit in terms of his illness, driving exceptionally
17:38well here at the moment.
17:40Yeah, I think he's a very underrated driver.
17:41You see some of the efforts he's put in over the years.
17:44He's had a lot of speed, don't you think, Glenn?
17:45I think there's no doubt about that.
17:46And really last year showed that when he had the EL, the old Stoneboys car, and the limited
17:52races he did, he did a fantastic job.
17:55Shield Helix replay.
17:56Yeah, he went in a bit deep and just...
17:58I think that's what's happened.
17:58Yeah, just got the back brakes just slightly locked, enough to put it offline and get into that dirt.
18:03Expensive mistake for Murphy.
18:05That puts him right to the back of the pack.
18:06He's got a lot of work to do.
18:08This man's very busy too.
18:09Stephen Ellery, Queenslander.
18:11This is a marvellous effort by this team.
18:14Five full-time employees.
18:16Engines by Paul Hasted.
18:19Craig Hasted, I should say, a man who builds engines for a lot of speedboats.
18:22There's a bit of speedway engine preparation as well.
18:25They are really enthusiastic.
18:27Lee Geyer, former chief engineer from Dick Johnson Racing, switched over here as well.
18:31He's really enjoying his time there.
18:32So it's a good, cohesive team.
18:34Looks like a fair bit of potential for the future.
18:36A tight-knit family there, isn't it?
18:37It's a good feel when you walk into the garage.
18:40Paul Radisic leading the way at the moment from Craig Lowndes.
18:42Stephen Ellery in third position.
18:43Mark Scaife, our championship leader in fourth.
18:46Tony Longhurst is in fifth position.
18:48Garth Tan.
18:48Oh, no, we've got a spin.
18:49That's Russell.
18:49Russell Engel.
18:51Now, where or why did that happen?
18:54It's the start of the straight there.
18:55Yes, the corner coming on to get straight.
18:57He's taking a long while to turn around and get going again too.
19:00Like, there's something wrong.
19:02Not in his characteristic silver car.
19:06So, back in the traditional Castrol colours.
19:09Here's the battle though.
19:10Stephen Ellery's doing a great job here.
19:12He's under a heap of pressure.
19:14It's enormous pressure, isn't it?
19:15For a young guy, and I think if he can hold his pressure, he just shows that he is a better driver than what most people rode him as.
19:22He's been very, very quick this year.
19:25He just hasn't had much luck, has he?
19:26He has, really.
19:27And also, he had a fantastic opportunity last year, Barry, at Bathurst to drive with Paul Radisic.
19:31And really, he equalled Paul in that car.
19:33And he has got a lot of talent.
19:35And it'll be great to see into the future with the opportunity he's got now with Supercheap.
19:40I think Steve will just grow from here.
19:41There's no shortage of horsepower from that Falcon.
19:44It's pulling a male in a straight line.
19:45Markscape not able to do anything about getting past.
19:49That's 26 years of age.
19:50Stephen Ellery, originally from Chelsea in Victoria, now lives up on the Gold Coast in Queensland.
19:56And they are a very close-knit team.
19:58Works very closely with his father, Bruce.
20:01They're about to move into a new facility.
20:05Expand their operation.
20:06Big eyes on the future in V8 Supercar for the Supercheap Autos team.
20:10Lap 7 of 16 on the Mitre 10 lap scorer.
20:13There's a tremendous battle.
20:14Enormous pressure here for Stephen Ellery.
20:16The championship leader behind him.
20:18Sniffing around his rear bumper, looking for the slightest error so he can get past.
20:22But so far, Stephen Ellery has not put a foot wrong.
20:24Radisic was two tenths of a second quicker than Louns here that last lap.
20:28So he's doing all of the best.
20:29Ellery ran a little wide on that corner and up the ripple strip.
20:31That's allowed Scaife to come through.
20:33But he'll get muscle wide here.
20:34Wrong side though.
20:35Yeah, he's got to be careful here too, Scaife.
20:38Keep in mind the championship situation.
20:39He's got to outscore Garth Tander by 51 points if he's going to take the championship.
20:44He's well positioned here though.
20:46Has a sniff up the inside.
20:47They're going to go side by side past the grandstand.
20:49250 kilometres an hour on the approach.
20:51Look at the speed of that Supercheap car in a straight line.
20:54Mark Scaife is going to have to get a particularly good run out of the corner.
20:57Or wait for Ellery to make a mistake if he's going to get alongside.
20:59The word we have from the pits is that Russell Lingle may have been involved in some sort
21:04of tangle with Garth Tander who's still in the hunt for this championship against Mark
21:08Scaife.
21:09He's in sixth position there.
21:10And I guess, Glenn, maybe a question of tactics here for Garth Tander now too.
21:13If he stays in sixth position, he'll be on pole for that reverse of the top six in race
21:17two.
21:17That's right.
21:18And it'll be a smart thing for him to do because really to get up the front in these
21:22cars is very difficult.
21:23To be able to have that opportunity to start on the pole from being sixth in this race is a
21:28great opportunity.
21:29Look at how close Scaife is on the approach.
21:30Have they come up Repco Hill that time?
21:32Yeah.
21:33And Ellery's still defending.
21:35We thought he might have got alongside.
21:37I think Tony's sitting there hoping that these two guys come up and he's actually going
21:40to get a couple of spots here.
21:42Well, there's a lot of pressure for Mark Scaife.
21:44He couldn't find a clear lap in that 40 minute, I should say, qualifying session yesterday.
21:49Found himself fifth on the grid.
21:50This is what happens.
21:51We've seen the whole racing team lead so many times and when they get back in the pack it's
21:55very hard to pass.
21:56Paul Radisic leading the charge at the moment.
21:58Lowndes.
21:59Stephen Ellery and Thurman.
22:00Mark Scaife right behind him.
22:01Tony Longhurst.
22:02Garth Dander.
22:03Mark Larkam and Jason Barguana rounds out the top eight.
22:05Race one an absolute ripper at the moment.
22:07Larry Perkins and John Bauer wrap up the top ten.
22:09Neil Crompton not too far behind them.
22:11Stay with us more.
22:12Right after this.
22:13We are back and it's a rat attack here at Sandown.
22:23Paul Radisic leading the way in race one in the penultimate round of the Shell Championship
22:28Series for 2000.
22:29Could he give his brand new car on debut a victory?
22:34Gee, it's been impressive.
22:35Craig Lowndes sitting in second position.
22:37But Stephen Ellery, the real talking point at the moment.
22:40The youngster in the super cheap Autos Falcon.
22:42There he is continuing to battle away with Mark Scaife and Tony Longhurst.
22:45And gee, he's resisting that pressure so well.
22:47Glenn, it just goes to show what a good starting position can do for you in V8 Supercar.
22:52The top 20 cars are so close, so difficult to overtake.
22:55If you get qualifying right, it can move you right up the order.
22:57That's exactly right.
22:58And really, if you aren't in the top first two rows, you've really got not much of a chance
23:03of actually winning one of these races.
23:04And the competition has been just growing so much over the last couple of years.
23:08And to see this sort of calibre, you see all this colour.
23:11What a fantastic circus to be a part of.
23:13It really is.
23:14Wonderful spectacle here at Sandown Park this afternoon.
23:17A very important afternoon for four teams.
23:20They've gone through Season 2000 without winning a single Shell Championship Series round.
23:25They've only got two more chances to avoid a winless season.
23:28It should be the first time in the eight year history of V8 Supercar racing.
23:31So plenty of pressure on the Blue Oval teams this weekend.
23:34But Paul Radisic and Steven Ellery, I should say, have responded magnificently.
23:39Look how many forwards there are in this leading bunch.
23:41That thing of Radisic, it looks really good.
23:43It looks really nice and sharp and clean.
23:45It's definitely not down on the horse pass, eh?
23:50Well, he's done the fastest lap of the race so far.
23:52A 1.12.45 for the Rat on lap four.
23:54That's still a long way away from the official lap record set by Lowndes last year,
23:58which was a 1.11.63.
24:00But look at this pressure coming from Markscape, our championship leader,
24:05Holden Racing Team Commodore.
24:07And he's in a Falcon Sandwich.
24:09Tony Longhurst just sitting in behind there.
24:12Garth Tander in a strong position as well.
24:15And keep in mind, I mentioned before, Tander is in sixth,
24:18which means when they invert the top six positions for race two,
24:21had to put him on pole position.
24:23Pretty handy place to be at the moment.
24:25Biggest mover in the field is on the tail of this bunch coming through now.
24:28That is Stephen Richards in the Kmart Commodore.
24:30He started out of grip position 23 and has moved himself up into 13th position.
24:34That is a phenomenal effort in the Kmart Commodore.
24:37And here's Neil Crompton.
24:39Great battle here.
24:40Up the inside goes Stephen Johnson looking for a run on the inside of Paul Morris.
24:44He elbows him up on the kerb.
24:46They're going to go side by side.
24:48Out of Eastern Nats turn.
24:49Look at this drag race on the back straight.
24:50I also think Stephen Richards is going to get a great opportunity.
24:53He's got a pass too.
24:54So at the end of the back straight,
24:55there's a couple of spots that Paul Morris has just lost.
24:58Big Kev Commodore caught hanging out wide there.
25:00Richards moves up another place.
25:02Morris losing two spots very, very quickly.
25:06Down into XR.
25:08Malkin corner.
25:10Great battle here between Stephen Johnson,
25:13Stephen Richards and Paul Morris.
25:15Neil Crompton just in behind this bunch.
25:1914th position.
25:20Craig Baird in 15th.
25:23Little battle damage here.
25:25Stephen Johnson right in the thick of things.
25:28The order at the moment.
25:29Paul Radisic, Craig Lauz still in second.
25:31Position's remaining standing.
25:32Stephen Ellery, Mark Scaife, Tony Longhurst, Garth Tander in that all-important sixth spot at the moment.
25:37Mark Barkham, Jason Bargwana, Larry Perkins in ninth and Bauer rounds out the top ten.
25:42That car that Stephen Johnson is driving is actually Paul Radisic's old car.
25:46Dick Johnson Racing team recently offloading Stephen's old car.
25:50We jump aboard.
25:51The Ford Liverton in-car camera.
25:53You ride with Neil Crompton.
25:55Around sound down.
25:57Just talk us a lap around.
26:00Yeah, this is coming onto the back straight.
26:02This is probably, this is the fastest part of the circuit by the time you get up the top here.
26:06Neil's just gone to fifth.
26:08Just about the sixth gear now.
26:10Use the engine to the maximum revs.
26:12Usually about 7.450 before you change gears.
26:15Back a gear.
26:16Back two.
26:17Back to fourth.
26:18Off the end of the back straight.
26:19Very high speed corner.
26:21About 180 k's.
26:22Hard on the brakes.
26:23Back to second.
26:24This is what we call Danny Long Road corner.
26:26Very slow.
26:27Low revs.
26:28Very hard to get traction out there.
26:30Third up to fourth.
26:31Now going back to second before you come onto this little tight, sort of almost a chicane coming on the pitch straight.
26:37This is very difficult to get good traction here.
26:40It's very important.
26:41There's a very big bump on the exit here.
26:43You'll hear the cars brake traction sometimes.
26:45Up to fourth.
26:46Up to fifth.
26:47Up to sixth going past the star finish line.
26:52Then you brake it about 200 yards down the end here.
26:55Hard on the brakes.
26:56Back to third.
26:57And this is quite a good corner off.
26:59It's a little bit off camera.
27:00It's a corner that you've got to get really right because you can actually slide off the road very easy,
27:04which you saw Greg Murphy early in the race.
27:07So back onto the back straight.
27:09And that's a lap of Sandown.
27:10It's a fantastic circuit of something that I love coming back here every year.
27:14Full lap of Sandown with FTR.
27:16Glenn Seaton doing the commentary.
27:17Neil Copton driving the car.
27:18Check out on the Mitre 10 of the lap score.
27:20You can see lap winding down and Craig Lowndes powerless to do anything about the big horsepower Shell Helix Falcon.
27:26It's debut performance at Sandown.
27:29Round 12 of the 2000 Shell Championship Series.
27:32Could this be the day when Ford turned their fortunes around in 2000?
27:35Looking very strong at the moment.
27:37Paul Radisic been very fast.
27:39Oh, yes!
27:40Scaife's got it!
27:41Scaife's got it!
27:42Just took our eyes off it for a second.
27:43Well done.
27:44Sniffing around the back of that bumper applying enormous pressure to Stephen Ellery.
27:48And he's finally found a way past.
27:50Especially Mark to come down the outside and pass him around there.
27:53That was actually a really good move on there.
27:55Good stuff under pressure with the championship on the line.
27:58Mark Scaife going for every point he can.
28:00That car behind him.
28:01The Valvoline Cummins Commodore.
28:03His closest pursuer in the championship.
28:05Garth Tander playing it very cool at the moment.
28:08Still sitting back there in that all-important sixth position.
28:12Three laps remaining.
28:13Mark Scaife on a charge.
28:15Now up into third position.
28:18The gap, as you can see, between himself and the leaders is quite huge.
28:21Here's a replay of the passing move.
28:24Ah, see.
28:25Yeah.
28:26Steve was slow.
28:27Just a little bit sideways.
28:28You made a mistake.
28:29Yeah.
28:30Stephen could still have made it hard here.
28:33But Mark's outbraked him on the outside.
28:36That was a great pass move by Mark.
28:38Good piece of driving by both of them there, in fact.
28:41We figured that would be a mistake from Steve to allow Scaife to get a sniff.
28:46And you just see there, he came out of that corner, got the wheels up on the curb.
28:49Yeah, that's right, Mark.
28:50And they're unbelievably slippery, those curbs down the back there.
28:53And as soon as you do get a wheel over, it's amazing the amount of ground you lose,
28:57which you saw when Mark got up the side.
28:59And the interesting thing here is whether these teams or the HR whole racing team are going to play team tactics here.
29:05Because I wonder if Craig will let Scaife up into that second position.
29:09What do you think?
29:10What do you think?
29:11What do you think?
29:12I'm not asking you from a racer's perspective.
29:13I'm putting you on the spot.
29:15I think it'll stay status quo at the end of the race.
29:18I think Craig's out there to win this round.
29:21And Mark's out there to win a championship.
29:23And I think if he stays in the position he's in, I think it's probably better than whatever else I could do.
29:29Mark Larcombe carrying our Mitre 10 in-car camera.
29:32Mark goes back in seventh just behind Garth Tander.
29:35This bunch travelling around nose to tail has been that way since the start of the race.
29:41Raps winding down in this opening heap.
29:43Shell series hostilities.
29:45Marco would be desperate to try and get around Garth Tander as well because that would give him pole for that second race at the moment.
29:51He sits in seventh position so he won't gain anything unless he gets one position forward in terms of race two.
29:58Garth's trying pretty hard to get around him.
30:00You saw him darting around and going up the back straight there.
30:03So Garth's on a mission and there's only a lap to go so it's going to be fairly tight for him now.
30:09One lap to reigning 3.1 kilometres of Sandown International for Mark Larcombe.
30:15And that really is a critical position with these top six reverse grids.
30:20You're in seventh, you lose a bundle.
30:22If you're in sixth you get a maximum going.
30:24Isn't it amazing when you look at the competition that's out there today with so many different teams,
30:28so many different engineers but yet the cars are so close and the teams are so close.
30:33It's just fantastic of really V8 supercars in this country just to show what really the Australian people can do.
30:38Absolutely.
30:40I want to thank you for joining us in commentary today Glenn.
30:42I know it's a bit hard when your confidence hurts the ribs and everything but you're on your feet,
30:46you're okay and you're going to continue racing.
30:48I'm sure I speak on behalf of all the Australian fans and they're wishing you all the best.
30:51Yeah, thanks Mark and it's great to be here just after the incident that I went through.
30:56It was a bit of a shock to me.
30:58As I said once before I've done over two and a half thousand laps around Philadelphia and never had an incident at all.
31:05Been saving it eh?
31:07To leave the road with 190 cars and go straight into a barrier was something that I never expected.
31:13Well Glenn is one of two special guests who will be joining us this afternoon.
31:16The other is Paul Radisic's team mate for Mathis, Jason Bright.
31:20But Radisic will take out race one in round 12 of the Shell Championship Series.
31:25A sensational effort the fourth fans rejoice. Dick Johnson speechless.
31:30And Craig Lowndes gets home in second position. Our Championship leader Mark Scaife.
31:35Valuable points for him third. An awesome effort by Stephen Ellery in fourth position.
31:40Tony Longhurst gets home in fifth and Garth Tanner will have polled for that second race.
31:45The reverse of the top six. So that's going to make it very interesting Baz.
31:49Dick Johnson speechless. No, no, no, no.
31:53Well that's the Rats third race victory this season.
31:57Had a race win at Eastern Creek. And a race win also at Call the Park.
32:01Could this be their first round win? They desperately need that don't they?
32:05And it's the front row of the grid there. It's going to be Tanner and Longhurst the next one.
32:08It should be interesting.
32:09Certainly should be. There is the Rat. Victorious.
32:13I have to say it's about time, isn't it? It certainly is.
32:15It certainly is. Great for the team too.
32:17I mean, a brand new car. They had some dramas with it.
32:20An electrical fault in practice.
32:23That's the amazing thing now, Greg, is the fact that they can get it off the drawing board,
32:28on the circuit, all the teams, and it's competitive straight away.
32:31A bit more fast. Yeah.
32:33The Rat is the man who has taken out race one.
32:36Craig Lowndes home in second position.
32:38Mark Scaife, third. Ellery, fourth.
32:40First. Garth Tander in sixth position.
32:42Mark Larkham couldn't quite get past Tander for that front row berth for race two.
32:46Larry Perkins rounds out the top eight in the Castrol Commodore.
32:49And it's Bauer, Barguana, Steve Johnson.
32:51We go further back through the field.
32:52Mick Donagher, a good performance, wrapping up the top 16.
32:58If you could change one thing in the world, what would it be?
33:01I don't know that I'd change anything.
33:02I'm a pretty lucky guy.
33:03I reckon I've got a good life and a beautiful life.
33:05Four healthy kids.
33:06No complaints from me.
33:08It'd take a bit, but I'd build a bridge between New Zealand and Australia
33:12so I could get home easy to see the folks
33:14instead of having to wait four hours on an aeroplane.
33:18Recently, I was at the children's hospital,
33:20and I'd have to say a cure for all those sick kids that are in those wards there.
33:25Oh, look, you've got to get rid of all these bureaucrats
33:27and all these officials, all the officious officials.
33:29We've just got far too many of them.