Latest / Rusty's Garage / The Motorsport Brief | Nash’s big break & Triple 8 contract extensions

Transcript

The Motorsport Brief | Nash’s big break & Triple 8 contract extensions · Rusty's Garage

• 0:02
  A listener production.
• 0:04
  A young racer gets his big break and a powerhouse team locks away its line-up until the end of the decade.
• 0:12
  All that and more on this edition of the Motorsport Brief.
• 0:15
  G'day everyone, Rusty here in the garage.
• 0:17
  We'll kind of go radio style for this ep of the short cast.
• 0:21
  In a moment to Mark Dutton from Red Bull Ampol Racing on the news that Brock Feeney and Will Brown...
• 0:27
  aren't going anywhere for the foreseeable future.
• 0:30
  How the switch to Ford and Mustang for 2026 is progressing, plus the end of the incredible Lowndes era that's on the horizon, and how their wildcard Super 2 champion, Zach Bates, is settling in there.
• 0:43
  Quick mention for our most recent edition of The Brief with Ryan Walkinshaw.
• 0:48
  He shares the latest on Toyota's Supercars project and when Walkinshaw Andretti United expects to have a Supra on track.
• 0:56
  It is close.
• 0:57
  Plus, the incredible new plant the group is building at a cost of $100 million and how good it will be for the automotive sector in this part of the world and when the race team is expected to move in.
• 1:11
  Now there is a new feature episode as well, this one with Scott Pedder, a two-parter, over two hours worth of chat that covers his early years, showing that he could Scandinavian flick a pedal cart all the way to winning the Australian Rally Championship title in 2014.
• 1:30
  coming back from a huge crash in South Australia, wowing fans in Finland with one of the longest jumps they've seen there, plus the difficult decision to park up for a few rounds of the ARC.
• 1:42
  You can check that out when you're finished with this one, perhaps.
• 1:45
  We begin this edition by crossing to Queensland Raceway.
• 1:48
  Nash Morris has been confirmed alongside Richie Stanaway at Premier for the upcoming Supercars Endurance events.
• 1:56
  It'll see the 22-year-old make his debut in the big league.
• 2:00
  He's currently third in the Super 2 standings.
• 2:03
  He's a former champion of Super 3 with a really diverse racing CV that essentially began only six years ago.
• 2:11
  He's kindly taken a break from coaching duties with some of Norwell's 86 drivers there to talk about it.
• 2:17
  Welcome to the pod, mate.
• 2:19
  Congratulations.
• 2:20
  Yeah, thanks, Rusty.
• 2:21
  It's pretty cool to finally get the shot to make my Supercars Championship debut at the Enduros this year.
• 2:27
  You have grown up around this.
• 2:29
  Everybody knows that.
• 2:31
  At what point in your life did you go, that's me, that's what I want to do, and how does it feel that that tick has happened to give you the chance to play in the main game?
• 2:41
  Yeah, it's definitely pretty cool.
• 2:42
  I only really started racing in 2019.
• 2:46
  There is a funny reason behind it, and I've said it on some other things.
• 2:50
  It's not the same reason I do it for now, but, you know, when my dad ran Anton Di Pasquale and a lot of other young drivers in his Super 2 team, I realised that race car drivers pull chicks.
• 3:03
  That's basically why I did start.
• 3:07
  Yeah, it's not the reason now.
• 3:09
  I've happily got a girlfriend for the last couple of years, but that was my initial reason to start.
• 3:13
  And I actually was mechanicing on Brock Feeney's Super 3 car at Winton one year, and I saw the XLs race with the supercars category.
• 3:21
  And there was one upside down.
• 3:23
  There were four wide run into each other.
• 3:24
  And I thought, oh, that looks like pretty good fun.
• 3:26
  So Dad's like, yeah, well, if you do your mechanical apprenticeship and finish that, you can go start racing.
• 3:31
  So...
• 3:33
  He's always made me work hard for it, which I really appreciate because it's given me good appreciation for what everyone does for me and being able to work on my own car and everything like that.
• 3:43
  It's really helped me out.
• 3:44
  Great stuff.
• 3:45
  Now, this was a bit of a process.
• 3:48
  Can you just share what you can?
• 3:49
  Obviously, there was an evaluation day very recently.
• 3:52
  Nathan Hearn was a part of it, who you've raced against in Trans Am and so on.
• 3:56
  Just tell us a bit about the day and what you kind of had to do to help finally get it rubber stamped.
• 4:03
  Yeah, so me and Nathan and Cody Brzezinski were obviously evaluated for the drive of car 62 at Bathurst this year and the bend.
• 4:12
  Pretty much, yeah, lat times don't lie.
• 4:15
  That's what I've always believed in and it's good to be able to put on an even playing field with...
• 4:22
  him and Richie and Cody and be able to lever yourself against some good drivers there.
• 4:27
  It's pretty cool that Premier have chosen me for that spot, which I believe I'm the best man for the job.
• 4:33
  So I'm just looking forward to it and hopefully learning a lot and having a lot of fun and hopefully achieving a good result along the way.
• 4:40
  A few people have kind of suggested that it maybe lent more in your direction.
• 4:44
  I mean, was it as straightforward as you getting this as some have suggested?
• 4:48
  No, it was pretty hard.
• 4:51
  And it's all come down to running Super 2 again this year, which is the main factor behind it.
• 4:58
  As you know, Ross, I've felt like I've been very competitive against some big names in supercars and Trans Am, being along the lines of Jimmy Golding, Slade and Hazelwood.
• 5:07
  But unfortunately, unless you're not doing Super 2, that's where the teams look.
• 5:12
  You see where they pick Brock Feeney out or Ryan Wood,
• 5:15
  uh Brody they they pick all the good talents out of Super 2 so that's what you're going to be racing to to get in front of the supercar teams and you know it's the most relevant car to to the V8 supercar as well obviously it's a previous generation car so um it all handles the same the tires the same you got to manage the race the same qualify the same so it's that's where they basically look for.
• 5:36
  What is the lead up like for you now?
• 5:38
  Do you get much in the way of miles in the latest gen machine?
• 5:41
  And you just alluded to the fact that, you know, you're with Tickford, obviously.
• 5:44
  You've had that great win at Simmons Plains this year in Super 2.
• 5:49
  Does that help or is the double duties thing a little something you'll have to manage and so on?
• 5:54
  It is something I'll have to manage at Bathurst.
• 5:57
  I will be doing, obviously, Super 2 next weekend at the Ipswich event and then the ride day and the test day a couple of days after.
• 6:02
  So I'll get my first taste of kind of doing double duties then.
• 6:06
  Obviously, it's a pretty short time frame from the race event to the test day.
• 6:11
  So I'll be able to gauge what the difference will be like.
• 6:14
  But the good thing is the tail and bend, it's just the standalone supercar event.
• 6:19
  There's no Super 2 there.
• 6:21
  But I'm also very lucky.
• 6:22
  I've got someone like Dave Russell there that has done double duties a lot of years and is a very good resource.
• 6:28
  He's always helped me out when I've got a question for him.
• 6:30
  So I'll lean on him about how he does manage doing two different classes at one event.
• 6:35
  But yeah, I'm just going to play it as it comes and do a lot of study on both the cars and just try to do the best job I can do.
• 6:42
  Well done.
• 6:42
  You can obviously draw on some good people around you in the run up to this.
• 6:47
  We learnt recently, for example, that Matty McCutcheon had some conversation with Shane Van Gisbergen about sand down and what it was like when it was wet and so on.
• 6:54
  Are there a couple of people that maybe we don't think of beyond your immediate circle that you might call on for a little bit of guidance or mentoring?
• 7:01
  Yeah, obviously I've got my old man there who's very good at that.
• 7:04
  But he doesn't help me as much, but he kind of gets the other boys to help me.
• 7:08
  So I've got some pretty cool people like Brock Feeney, Anton, Declan Fraser, Brodie.
• 7:13
  Even Shane's helped me out a lot through the years, and he's a very good resource for me to have there.
• 7:18
  Yeah.
• 7:19
  And then, yeah, I just pretty much use them as I need them, which is the great thing about being a part of the Norwell family as it is.
• 7:26
  We're all happy to help each other.
• 7:28
  And obviously I have Richie Stanaway there now as a resource for me to engage, which is pretty cool.
• 7:34
  Well done.
• 7:35
  Obviously, I got to be around your dad when he was in the super touring era and to see how proud he was when he won Bathurst in 2014.
• 7:41
  Really, and you alluded to it before, I mean, your granddad, Terry, TM, has some racing experience as well.
• 7:47
  So you're third generation.
• 7:48
  This is a pretty special moment, isn't it?
• 7:50
  Yeah, it's a very special moment.
• 7:52
  And as you probably know, when I've known you since I was a kid, I wasn't interested in racing at all.
• 7:57
  So to be making my Bathurst debut after not really doing any karting or having any interest in it, it's pretty amazing.
• 8:05
  And as I said before, Dad's made me work pretty hard and kind of be my own man about it.
• 8:10
  And pretty much I wouldn't be doing it without...
• 8:14
  the helper Scotty Taylor, you know, he's someone I've got to thank tremendously for getting me in this position.
• 8:19
  A couple of years ago, I was pretty much going to stop racing until he wanted to help me out and pick me up.
• 8:24
  And he's just been really good about putting me in the right situations with his Porsche last year, running separate teams to running my own cars.
• 8:32
  And obviously with Sixfoot Autosport this year, it's just about putting me in the right situation to shine, which he's been very good at.
• 8:40
  I know you will.
• 8:41
  Grab this with both hands, make the most of it, and importantly, spend a little moment and just soak it all in too.
• 8:47
  Congratulations, Nash.
• 8:49
  Thanks very much.
• 8:50
  I'm really looking forward to it.
• 8:51
  We are not done yet on this edition of Rusty's Garage to Mark Dutton at 888 headquarters in just a few moments with the ink still drying on some big new contracts.
• 9:04
  We're back.
• 9:05
  Fair to say a few of us weren't expecting the championship leading team to extend their existing deals with Brock Feeney and Will Brown even further.
• 9:14
  But they've moved to lock them in for the long term.
• 9:16
  And with the Enduros just around the corner and a Ford Mustang switch less than six months away, I thought we'd get Mark Dutton on for a quick update.
• 9:25
  Hello, mate.
• 9:25
  Welcome back to the garage.
• 9:27
  Mate, thanks for having me, Rusty.
• 9:28
  Good to be here.
• 9:29
  Locked them up until the end of the decade.
• 9:32
  That took a few of us by surprise.
• 9:34
  What prompted this?
• 9:36
  Mate, just the continuity and the certainty.
• 9:39
  Yeah, it's a big call.
• 9:41
  And obviously it sounds awesome when you can say to the end of the decade.
• 9:45
  That just puts it up another notch in our book sort of thing.
• 9:48
  So we just couldn't be happy with both of them.
• 9:52
  They've got such a good dynamic, not only working together at teammates, but the right amount of...
• 9:59
  you know, competitiveness against each other.
• 10:02
  That's a real fine balance.
• 10:03
  It's easy to get it, they're too competitive with each other, but to have the right balance is special, we feel.
• 10:12
  And also the balance of they both bring, obviously, a lot of similarities in the skill and determination and the drive, but then they do things their own way as well, which is good for the whole team to just have that balance between personalities.
• 10:29
  Well done.
• 10:29
  Were you at risk of losing one of them at all, or was that not as bad as perhaps some have question marked?
• 10:38
  No, I don't think so.
• 10:39
  Jamie did all the hard negotiations, but speaking with everyone, they were super keen.
• 10:46
  They were super keen to do it.
• 10:49
  You've seen Will in particular do a bit of overseas stuff, and we want to encourage that.
• 10:57
  We want to sort of frame it as you're having your cake and eating it too.
• 11:00
  You've got your day job.
• 11:02
  Yeah.
• 11:03
  This is the primary one.
• 11:05
  This is the priority.
• 11:06
  But whenever possible, we will 100% support you in these other endeavours.
• 11:14
  And let's all be in it for the ride.
• 11:16
  Andrew Edwards going over doing some stuff.
• 11:18
  We want to expand on that.
• 11:19
  How can we get more of the team having these experiences, these shared experiences outside
• 11:27
  Obviously, what we do is already pretty cool.
• 11:29
  We do professional motorsport as a living, so things are pretty good.
• 11:33
  But when we can take it to the next level, to some of these overseas trips, learning, but also the fun of it.
• 11:41
  Can I come back to what you said a moment ago too, just around the importance of stability too, given the switch to Ford next year and the size of this project?
• 11:49
  I know that signing them away is further beyond that, but is this a part of that stability you're talking about, keeping those two guys who know the system, who know AAA so well through this important time of change?
• 12:02
  Yeah, definitely.
• 12:03
  I think you saw that with how long Craig's been here, Jamie clearly.
• 12:09
  Even Shane, having those drivers of that calibre for the continued period is everyone just works better.
• 12:16
  We develop together.
• 12:19
  There's so much to be said to being able to execute what the engineering team, and it's Triple Eight Race Engineering.
• 12:26
  So we've always said we're engineering
• 12:32
  the correct drivers who can maximize what you're doing, you 100% need that.
• 12:38
  All right.
• 12:38
  I don't know what you can tell us.
• 12:40
  We had Ryan Walkinshaw on the pod last week with an update on their Toyota and Supra project.
• 12:46
  How are you traveling in relation to the switch to Mustang and juggling, you know, a very important finish to your chapter with GM and trying to win the championship in Bathurst and so on?
• 12:58
  We have got so much going on here, it's not funny.
• 13:02
  We like a challenge, but we've got lots of spinning plates at the moment type thing.
• 13:06
  So we've got, clearly as you said, you're trying to do the handover, and we're trying to do that as right as you can, as supportive.
• 13:16
  But also the interesting one is with part of the transition to Ford for next year, that doesn't start January 1.
• 13:24
  So you've got to be doing some of that now.
• 13:27
  And, yep, they probably might help them fight against you this year while you're still in the GM colours.
• 13:34
  So it's a tough balance.
• 13:38
  We just try and have really, really good transparency.
• 13:41
  We try and make engineering decisions so that you remove any bias.
• 13:45
  As much as you'd love to keep something, some advantage, we've always said if we've got the same tools, we back our people to maximise and work harder than everyone out there.
• 13:58
  So...
• 13:59
  That's a big balance.
• 14:01
  The chassis are coming along.
• 14:03
  We've also, you know, we're doing the engine shop as well.
• 14:06
  So that's in full swing.
• 14:08
  We're knocking down some things.
• 14:10
  We're building other things.
• 14:12
  The dyno itself is a decent lead time piece of equipment.
• 14:16
  That's actually on the ocean on the way over.
• 14:19
  So that's pretty exciting.
• 14:21
  Absolutely.
• 14:21
  It's good because these looming deadlines, you know, motorsport, mate, we need deadlines to, we'll keep fluffing until the deadline comes, mate.
• 14:29
  Until that truck door closes, we're always thinking of a better way to do something.
• 14:34
  So having some of those deadlines is really pushing us to get things done.
• 14:40
  Yeah.
• 14:42
  And then we're doing a factory refurb as well.
• 14:45
  So, you know, the ownership group took control and bought this building.
• 14:52
  So they wanted fresh coat of paint and some changes as well.
• 14:56
  So just put that on top of the list for everyone.
• 14:59
  It's exciting times.
• 15:00
  Okay.
• 15:01
  Have you also been perhaps needing to bolster the workforce?
• 15:06
  Maybe you've been looking for new people or are you able to do all of this with the lineup that you've currently got?
• 15:12
  No, you do need new people.
• 15:13
  So with the engine side of things, that's something that we've been working with DGR and some of their people because we've
• 15:23
  Just so there's some continuation there, some continuity with the people that they'll be offered positions here should they want to come over.
• 15:32
  That helps with the engine program in itself.
• 15:35
  So it's not massive numbers, but it's still good quality people.
• 15:40
  We've got a really good quality, experienced engine builder with Cam Clancy taking the lead here.
• 15:46
  He used to work with Kenny Mack, who's the best in the business in Australia for sure.
• 15:53
  So we're good there.
• 15:55
  We're getting some engine people on board.
• 15:59
  The rest of the stuff you're pretty much absorbing.
• 16:03
  So we're not getting a lot of new people for the transition to forward.
• 16:08
  Everyone who's doing GM stuff will be doing the forward stuff, et cetera.
• 16:12
  There is workload that does go up in that transition phase.
• 16:17
  There's always the ramp where you've just got to get over that sort of hurdle.
• 16:22
  Yeah.
• 16:24
  Hopefully there's a crest where it plateaus for a bit and maybe calms down at some point in time.
• 16:30
  But, mate, we'll sleep and we're dead.
• 16:33
  All right.
• 16:33
  Craig Lowndes, you talked about before there.
• 16:35
  I mean, I can vividly recall the 06 Bathurst win and the emotion around that after Brock had departed, mate.
• 16:40
  It seems like yesterday.
• 16:42
  Effectively 20 years.
• 16:44
  It will come to an end after Bathurst.
• 16:46
  Is that sort of stuff and his chapter with you guys, has that begun to sunk in?
• 16:51
  Yeah, not 100% to be fair.
• 16:55
  But it does with every sort of, every day there's another reminder that it's looming and it's coming sort of thing.
• 17:03
  It's one of those things that he's such a good bloke and such a good friend that you know...
• 17:08
  even though he's not going to be in this building racing for you, he's not going to be a stranger.
• 17:13
  You're not going to, it's not going to get awkward.
• 17:15
  That's the most important thing.
• 17:16
  You know, the most important thing in our, in our business is relationships.
• 17:19
  And, and that that's as strong as ever.
• 17:22
  No, one's done foul by anyone.
• 17:24
  And that's the most important thing.
• 17:25
  Everyone can hold their heads up high.
• 17:27
  That relationship should still be strong between everyone.
• 17:31
  Um,
• 17:31
  It's quite funny.
• 17:32
  I don't know if you saw the clip that came out today.
• 17:35
  Of course you would have.
• 17:36
  That's part of this track.
• 17:37
  But with Lounsey with the box of trophies.
• 17:41
  Yeah, that was...
• 17:43
  I didn't know that one was coming when I was looking at the clip and I'm like, oh, wow, yeah, yeah, good on you.
• 17:48
  That's pretty cool.
• 17:50
  That's funny.
• 17:51
  Yeah, that one sort of is a...
• 17:54
  Yeah, probably for a lot of the things that's happened, that's one of the ones that, yeah, really widened the eyes and said, yeah, it is close.
• 18:02
  I love the character coming through with all of them.
• 18:05
  That's good fun.
• 18:05
  It'll be a tough moment there because there have been some wonderful things that he's chalked up along the way with you guys, together with you.
• 18:11
  And we'll finish, I guess, with the close work with a bright young racer, a Super 2 champion in Zach Bates.
• 18:17
  He took the covers off that wild card entry yesterday
• 18:20
  In recent weeks, he's had a run at Queensland Raceway in recent days before we recorded this.
• 18:25
  How's he going?
• 18:26
  Mate, really well, really well.
• 18:28
  And Lowndes, he's always been perfect for those things ever since we've done the wildcard program with him.
• 18:35
  He takes it seriously.
• 18:37
  It's something that he puts a lot of his personal time and effort in the development of the young up-and-coming drivers sort of thing.
• 18:44
  He gives back, and it's what you'd expect from Anze.
• 18:47
  He's such a legend.
• 18:50
  And with Zach, it's the same.
• 18:51
  And Zach's focused.
• 18:54
  He's going to be good.
• 18:54
  He's going to be good.
• 18:55
  It'll be interesting to see how QR goes.
• 18:58
  Yeah.
• 19:00
  Our formats are pretty tight these days.
• 19:03
  You don't have a lot of practice time.
• 19:06
  Obviously, they're different cars, even though, as you said, he's a champion in Super 2, but the cars are a bit different.
• 19:12
  Qualifying, you typically only get one shot type things.
• 19:16
  Different tyres, yeah.
• 19:18
  Exactly.
• 19:19
  It's tight, but we've got faith in him and we think he'll race well as well.
• 19:24
  And it is sort of cutting the teeth, getting ready for the Enduros where they can really sort of get comfortable, increase that seat time and really start to show their wares off.
• 19:37
  Awesome.
• 19:37
  Great to get you on the podcast for a bit of an all-round update today.
• 19:41
  Thank you very much for coming back on The Garage.
• 19:43
  Thanks, mate.
• 19:43
  Sorry, it was a bit scatty gun.
• 19:44
  There's so much going on.
• 19:47
  Before we wrap up, some thoughts on Formula One.
• 19:50
  Oscar Piastri dominated at Spa.
• 19:52
  Very cool win at that legendary track.
• 19:54
  Many of his family were there, including his grandfather Hugh, who ended up with an autographed winner's bottle of champagne.
• 20:02
  That's awesome.
• 20:03
  I'm glad the family could see it live and not the broadcast because they probably would have been disappointed with the lack of airtime that Oscar got and the constant pondering over whether...
• 20:14
  His medium tyres would last and if teammate Lando Norris could catch him and the permutations in all of that, really?
• 20:20
  A bit more credit should have been given to the quality of Oscar's drive.
• 20:26
  That move on lap one was ballsy and it set things up.
• 20:31
  But the way that he managed the medium tyres is a huge asset of Oscar's.
• 20:36
  Now, I've blued previously here on the pod about the call leaning toward British bias, and I note that some mainstream publications are talking about that at the moment.
• 20:46
  That's the race fan in all of us from our part of the world.
• 20:50
  The reality is we take a Sky UK commentary.
• 20:54
  I think I saw someone comment about this on Facebook, and it's bang on.
• 20:59
  That's what Fox has an arrangement for.
• 21:01
  You could probably try F1's World Feed as an alternative, which I quite enjoy.
• 21:06
  But having worked in television, in the Fox Sky set-up, you're always going to get producers angling for stories and threads around potential success or drama for one of their own, one of their country's athletes.
• 21:19
  That's just a reality.
• 21:20
  Yeah.
• 21:20
  World feed pictures, but UK-based call and coverage around that.
• 21:26
  So that's my little explainer for the day.
• 21:28
  Do I like it?
• 21:29
  Not always.
• 21:31
  Do I think that Martin Brundle, Karun Chandock, Anthony Davidson, etc.
• 21:36
  are biased?
• 21:37
  No, they're racers who tend to always celebrate good racing.
• 21:42
  Would their heart be warmed by a Lando, George or Lewis win?
• 21:46
  Of course it would.
• 21:47
  Just like we would get up and cheer for Oscar or Daniel Ricciardo and Mark Webber back in the day.
• 21:53
  Oscar's sixth victory of the year means he now moves ahead of Sir Jack Brabham and Alan Jones for most wins by an Aussie in a single season of F1.
• 22:04
  Now, I know the race calendars were kind of shorter back then, but that's a very cool achievement.
• 22:10
  Supercars are off to Queensland Raceway August 8 to 10.
• 22:13
  F1 is in Hungary this weekend.
• 22:15
  There is a long way to go in the fight for the title.
• 22:19
  But Oscar now has a 16-point lead in the championship.
• 22:23
  He is heading back to defend a breakthrough win of his in this sport.
• 22:27
  Daniel Ricciardo won there in 2014.
• 22:30
  Mark Webber in 2010.
• 22:32
  Hopefully that Aussie anthem gets another workout this weekend.
• 22:36
  That is it for today.
• 22:37
  We'll catch you next time.
• 22:38
  Bye for now.