For three years, the Australian Motor Racing Series has brought exciting, affordable and accessible racing to competitors and fans across Australia. The AMRS accomplished this task with a small team of dedicated personnel, and in order to keep costs to a minimum, with relatively modest marketing and promotion. Despite this, the series has built an excellent reputation, and a strong core of top-quality competitors and categories.
Today sees the announcement of the evolution of the AMRS into the newly titled AUSTRALIAN MOTOR RACING CHAMPIONSHIPS (AMRC), a development that is designed to promote further growth, and secure the future of the series into the future.
The series will cater for Racing, Touring, Sports and GT cars at five different circuits through 2008, commencing 1-2 March. The rounds will be sanctioned by the Australian Auto Sport Alliance (AASA) and run under the auspices of the Calder Park-based Australian Motorsport Club (AMC). The 2008 series will be the first season of a five-year plan that will provide competitors with Australia’s most affordable National competition.
Sponsored by Australia's leading tyre, wheel and battery retail group, Bob Jane T-Marts, the series will comprise of nine meetings at the following AMC circuits: Calder Park (VIC), Winton Motor Raceway (VIC), Adelaide International Raceway (SA), Wakefield Park (NSW) and Queensland Raceway.
Owner of the Calder Park and Adelaide raceways, Bob Jane, joined with Michael Ronke of Winton Motor Raceway and Wakefield Park in announcing details of the exciting new Championship programme.
"This series answers the call by drivers and fans for affordable motor racing," Mr Ronke said, "and they'll find it friendly and enjoyable as well."
"With the inclusion of Queensland Raceway, the rounds will be run on circuits right along the Eastern seaboard," Bob Jane added, "enabling competitors and their sponsors to reach a huge market of enthusiasts."
It is planned that a highlights package from all nine rounds will be televised nationally, with details yet to be announced.
Principal categories in the Series, with rounds run at each of the nine meetings, will be the AASA Australian Touring Car Championship and the AASA Australian Production Car Championship.
The ATCC will cater for such categories as V8 Giants, while the inclusion of the 3-litre Turbo "Giant Killer" class is expected to rapidly swell the existing field of around 15 cars.
"We plan to have longer races," Mr Ronke said, "and handicaps will be eliminated, so competition will be close and rewarding."
A similar number of cars will be on hand to start the 2008 Production Car Championship, Bob Jane said. With "hot hatches" ideally suited, growing fields are expected.
"This category will also contest every one of the nine rounds," he said, "and there will be handsome rewards for them," Bob added.
The popular Rod Dale, creator and director of the original AMRS, will continue to play an important part in the running of the series, with his primary responsibility as competitor liaison, ensuring that the re-developed series is smooth running and enjoyable.
"Rod will also work with us to cost out entry fees," Mr Ronke said, "as well as to innovate and manage the website for the various categories."
An exciting new category will be competing for the Pirelli Gran Turismo Championship, with organisers expecting to flag away at least 15 cars.
"Most of them initially will be high performance, late model Maseratis," Mr Ronke enthused, "with a few Lotus and Porsche models ready to register.
"One innovation we'll be looking at," said Rod, "is an online entry system - and anything else to make life easier for competitors."
Despite the health of the categories, AASA and AMC are on the lookout for new racing categories for entrants to compete in and lift the profile of the Championships.
"This is a big step forward and the AMRC for 2008 looks very exciting," Mick Ronke offered. "There's still a long road ahead, but with us all committed to making it work I am certain that it will get there."
As might be expected, Bob Jane had the final word: "We're here to conduct a series with no bullshit," he said, "with everything done in a friendly and enjoyable manner that excites people to come to the events.
"This is the affordable future of Australian motor racing," he said with the same colour and enthusiasm that has marked the 50-year career of the legendary racer!
THE Australian Motor Racing Championships includes a comprehensive line-up of classes designed to cater for just about everything racing on four wheels.
The principal categories are:
AASA Australian Touring Car Championship - highly competitive racing with fields containing V8 Giants (V8-powered sedans from all major manufacturers, with older 5 litre V8 Supercar specification cars, 4-litre, quad-cam cars, all the way up to 7-litre pushrod engines, plus the newly introduced 3-litre turbo "Giant Killer" class.
AASA Production Touring Car Championship - any street legal sedan, fitted with roll-over protection, fire extinguisher and racing seat belt is eligible.
Pirelli Gran Turismo Championship – Maserati, Porsche, Lotus and many more GT Sports cars fight for the prestigious title.
Oz BOSS - "Big Open Single Seaters" such as F4000, F3000, F/Atlantic and ANF2. Seriously the fastest cars in Australia.
Thunder Sports - Motorcycle engined cars with a fiberglass body, super-fast, high power to weight designed cars that allow for extremely low cost racing. This category was well represented in 2007 and fields of approximately 15-20 cars are expected to take part in 2008.
Prototype Sports Cars - with makes such as Saker (NZ), Minetti, Radical and West in the fields this year, and with several new Wests coming off the jigs, 2008 will be a great year for Sports Cars.
Super TT - in the closing 2007 races there were excellent fields, culminating in 27 cars at Oran Park. Areas of growth are older Utes, Commodore Cup, Sports Sedans and 3.3 Litre Holdens, with the latter representing an important base for the category. The popular old Classic Touring Cars are well catered for as well, with everthing from Utes to HQ Holdens ready to burn rubber in "Super TT".
THE 2008 BOB JANE T-MARTS AMRC CALENDAR
March 1-2 - WAKEFIELD PARK (NSW)
April 25-27 - CALDER PARK (VIC)
May 17-18 - QUEENSLAND RACEWAY
June 14-15 - WINTON RACEWAY (VIC)
July 26-27 - ADELAIDE INTERNATIONAL RACEWAY (SA)
August 30-31 - CALDER PARK (VIC)
September 27-28 - QUEENSLAND RACEWAY
November 1-2 - WINTON RACEWAY (VIC)
November 29-30 - WAKEFIELD PARK (NSW)
Today sees the announcement of the evolution of the AMRS into the newly titled AUSTRALIAN MOTOR RACING CHAMPIONSHIPS (AMRC), a development that is designed to promote further growth, and secure the future of the series into the future.
The series will cater for Racing, Touring, Sports and GT cars at five different circuits through 2008, commencing 1-2 March. The rounds will be sanctioned by the Australian Auto Sport Alliance (AASA) and run under the auspices of the Calder Park-based Australian Motorsport Club (AMC). The 2008 series will be the first season of a five-year plan that will provide competitors with Australia’s most affordable National competition.
Sponsored by Australia's leading tyre, wheel and battery retail group, Bob Jane T-Marts, the series will comprise of nine meetings at the following AMC circuits: Calder Park (VIC), Winton Motor Raceway (VIC), Adelaide International Raceway (SA), Wakefield Park (NSW) and Queensland Raceway.
Owner of the Calder Park and Adelaide raceways, Bob Jane, joined with Michael Ronke of Winton Motor Raceway and Wakefield Park in announcing details of the exciting new Championship programme.
"This series answers the call by drivers and fans for affordable motor racing," Mr Ronke said, "and they'll find it friendly and enjoyable as well."
"With the inclusion of Queensland Raceway, the rounds will be run on circuits right along the Eastern seaboard," Bob Jane added, "enabling competitors and their sponsors to reach a huge market of enthusiasts."
It is planned that a highlights package from all nine rounds will be televised nationally, with details yet to be announced.
Principal categories in the Series, with rounds run at each of the nine meetings, will be the AASA Australian Touring Car Championship and the AASA Australian Production Car Championship.
The ATCC will cater for such categories as V8 Giants, while the inclusion of the 3-litre Turbo "Giant Killer" class is expected to rapidly swell the existing field of around 15 cars.
"We plan to have longer races," Mr Ronke said, "and handicaps will be eliminated, so competition will be close and rewarding."
A similar number of cars will be on hand to start the 2008 Production Car Championship, Bob Jane said. With "hot hatches" ideally suited, growing fields are expected.
"This category will also contest every one of the nine rounds," he said, "and there will be handsome rewards for them," Bob added.
The popular Rod Dale, creator and director of the original AMRS, will continue to play an important part in the running of the series, with his primary responsibility as competitor liaison, ensuring that the re-developed series is smooth running and enjoyable.
"Rod will also work with us to cost out entry fees," Mr Ronke said, "as well as to innovate and manage the website for the various categories."
An exciting new category will be competing for the Pirelli Gran Turismo Championship, with organisers expecting to flag away at least 15 cars.
"Most of them initially will be high performance, late model Maseratis," Mr Ronke enthused, "with a few Lotus and Porsche models ready to register.
"One innovation we'll be looking at," said Rod, "is an online entry system - and anything else to make life easier for competitors."
Despite the health of the categories, AASA and AMC are on the lookout for new racing categories for entrants to compete in and lift the profile of the Championships.
"This is a big step forward and the AMRC for 2008 looks very exciting," Mick Ronke offered. "There's still a long road ahead, but with us all committed to making it work I am certain that it will get there."
As might be expected, Bob Jane had the final word: "We're here to conduct a series with no bullshit," he said, "with everything done in a friendly and enjoyable manner that excites people to come to the events.
"This is the affordable future of Australian motor racing," he said with the same colour and enthusiasm that has marked the 50-year career of the legendary racer!
THE Australian Motor Racing Championships includes a comprehensive line-up of classes designed to cater for just about everything racing on four wheels.
The principal categories are:
AASA Australian Touring Car Championship - highly competitive racing with fields containing V8 Giants (V8-powered sedans from all major manufacturers, with older 5 litre V8 Supercar specification cars, 4-litre, quad-cam cars, all the way up to 7-litre pushrod engines, plus the newly introduced 3-litre turbo "Giant Killer" class.
AASA Production Touring Car Championship - any street legal sedan, fitted with roll-over protection, fire extinguisher and racing seat belt is eligible.
Pirelli Gran Turismo Championship – Maserati, Porsche, Lotus and many more GT Sports cars fight for the prestigious title.
Oz BOSS - "Big Open Single Seaters" such as F4000, F3000, F/Atlantic and ANF2. Seriously the fastest cars in Australia.
Thunder Sports - Motorcycle engined cars with a fiberglass body, super-fast, high power to weight designed cars that allow for extremely low cost racing. This category was well represented in 2007 and fields of approximately 15-20 cars are expected to take part in 2008.
Prototype Sports Cars - with makes such as Saker (NZ), Minetti, Radical and West in the fields this year, and with several new Wests coming off the jigs, 2008 will be a great year for Sports Cars.
Super TT - in the closing 2007 races there were excellent fields, culminating in 27 cars at Oran Park. Areas of growth are older Utes, Commodore Cup, Sports Sedans and 3.3 Litre Holdens, with the latter representing an important base for the category. The popular old Classic Touring Cars are well catered for as well, with everthing from Utes to HQ Holdens ready to burn rubber in "Super TT".
THE 2008 BOB JANE T-MARTS AMRC CALENDAR
March 1-2 - WAKEFIELD PARK (NSW)
April 25-27 - CALDER PARK (VIC)
May 17-18 - QUEENSLAND RACEWAY
June 14-15 - WINTON RACEWAY (VIC)
July 26-27 - ADELAIDE INTERNATIONAL RACEWAY (SA)
August 30-31 - CALDER PARK (VIC)
September 27-28 - QUEENSLAND RACEWAY
November 1-2 - WINTON RACEWAY (VIC)
November 29-30 - WAKEFIELD PARK (NSW)
