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The Motorsport Brief - Aussies vs the Kiwis · Rusty's Garage

• 0:02
  A listener production.
• 0:04
  The Aussies versus the Kiwis.
• 0:07
  The race of champions isn't just a battle of global nations.
• 0:10
  It stoked a bit of that Tasman rivalry.
• 0:13
  Sort of, anyway.
• 0:15
  G'day, everybody.
• 0:16
  Rusty here for a fun ep of the short cast.
• 0:18
  Not one, but two guests today about to join us in a battle of words and wits.
• 0:23
  ahead of a great event at the Olympic Stadium in Sydney this weekend.
• 0:26
  What is ordinarily NRL or rugby turf has been transformed into this cool one kilometre racetrack to our drivers in a moment.
• 0:36
  Quick plug for the recent feature episode with Robbie Farr, a two-parter that is all loaded up in our garage library for you to enjoy over an hour.
• 0:44
  hour of chat with a gun of the Australian speedway scene.
• 0:48
  We tend to think of his mighty efforts in a sprint car, but we also talk midgets or speed cars and a whole lot more.
• 0:55
  Did he fudge birth dates to get his racing license early, or is that an urban myth?
• 1:00
  Plus, a moment of realisation that a team owner he was racing for had saved his mother's life decades earlier.
• 1:08
  Some thoughts on the sport more broadly and what can be done, in his opinion, to improve it.
• 1:13
  And his new passion, TA2 racing, and how he feels about the chance to tackle Mount Panorama in a month's time.
• 1:20
  Now, I feel like this ep needs a UFC-style intro in the green and gold corner.
• 1:27
  Technically, the All-Stars corner is a two-time Bathurst winner from Walkinshaw and Dretti United, who has just been given a late call-up for the race of champions.
• 1:35
  And in the other corner for this pod, proud bearer of the Silver Fern.
• 1:39
  We need a harker for this intro.
• 1:42
  He's a WRC winner, European rally champion, and he has more New Zealand titles than we can count.
• 1:48
  Hayden Padden, Chas Mostat, Kia ora, g'day.
• 1:51
  Welcome to both of you.
• 1:52
  Thanks so much.
• 1:53
  Hey, guys, thanks for having me.
• 1:54
  Chas, you've only just been announced.
• 1:55
  How did this all come about?
• 1:57
  Did it take much arm twisting?
• 1:59
  I definitely didn't take any arm for a thing, but, yeah, probably about 24 hours ago, obviously a bit of bad news that Matthias couldn't make the event, which, let's be honest, we're all a pretty big fan of what Matthias has been able to do over a lot of years.
• 2:12
  So, yeah, 100%, my arm was pretty twisted around.
• 2:16
  I'm ready to go.
• 2:18
  If I wasn't racing there, I was probably very keen just to go to the event and have a look anyway.
• 2:21
  So, yeah, but looking at the photos of the track they've made inside of a course stadium, it's something –
• 2:27
  Really, really impressive.
• 2:28
  I must say, I'm probably looking forward to this chat the most because I'm going to pick Hayden's brain as much as I can because I don't think I've ever driven really a rally type car.
• 2:38
  So I'll be there just like, hey, how do I get this thing off the line?
• 2:42
  What's its capability?
• 2:44
  I'm so far out of my element, it's ridiculous.
• 2:46
  I think I might go right like in the KTM where I can actually see where the car wheels are.
• 2:50
  I'm going to be terrible in the rallycross car.
• 2:52
  I'll give you a hot tiz.
• 2:54
  Do you share information, Hayden?
• 2:55
  It seems like a fun event.
• 2:56
  Will you be forthcoming with that?
• 2:59
  I don't know, Emily, yeah, I'm just turning up over here and hoping for the best, to be fair, so sometimes that's the best way to prep for these sort of things, but hey, that's the beauty of Champions of Champions, or Race of Champions, so it's obviously a variety of different cars, and I don't think you really get a chance to get in the groove of one particular car because you're just constantly changing, so between the Polaris off-roader and the rallycross cars and things, they're all going to be so different to drive to each other.
• 3:23
  Yeah, no, I mean, for you, though, you have watched this, I think, as far back.
• 3:27
  It's been going for 30 odd years now.
• 3:29
  And you've watched it, I think, as far back as the Grand Canaria event.
• 3:32
  And you were watching Colin McRae back then.
• 3:34
  So this is a pretty cool moment for you too, isn't it?
• 3:37
  Oh, this is something I've always dreamed to be part of.
• 3:39
  And obviously, heaven in this part of the world gave us, all us Kiwis and Aussies, an opportunity to be part of it.
• 3:44
  Yeah, I remember the days back when I think one of the finals back in Grand Canary was Colin and Alistair McRae in the finals side by side in the 555 Subaru WRC cars.
• 3:54
  And it always had that rally twist to the event.
• 3:57
  It's more gone away from that over the years.
• 3:59
  And I guess now it's in the stadiums and on tarmac and everything.
• 4:03
  But yeah, it's an event that's got a lot of history, particularly in Europe.
• 4:06
  In this part of the world, not a lot of people have heard of it before.
• 4:09
  So it is a little bit newer, but it is an event with a lot of history.
• 4:12
  Chas, on paper, a lot of fun, right?
• 4:15
  I mean, but you look at the roll call of winners over time.
• 4:18
  I mean, from Sebastian Loeb to Sebastian Vettel.
• 4:22
  Are you relaxed about this?
• 4:23
  Are you serious about it?
• 4:24
  How are you playing the weekend ahead?
• 4:27
  Yeah, I feel pretty nervous to be, like, even in a drive area where those guys are.
• 4:31
  So, like, I think there's about 20 of us drivers.
• 4:33
  But if there's, like, only 18 seats, then I'll be sitting on the ground and making sure...
• 4:37
  Mr. Vettel's seat's nice and polished and just looking up there like a schoolboy just ready for class.
• 4:42
  So, yeah, look, it's super exciting.
• 4:46
  Like I said, it's just an honor for us, Australian and Kiwis, to be involved in this event.
• 4:51
  But, yeah, watching the facilities that they've been able to put together, it's pretty, pretty exciting.
• 4:57
  Yeah, on the flip side, I know there's a couple of supercar drivers involved in this event too.
• 5:01
  So there's a championship inside of a championship.
• 5:03
  So if I get beaten by those two other guys, especially Winkup, you know, I'm going to be really, really upset.
• 5:08
  So we're going to have a red hot crack and see how we go.
• 5:12
  then let's talk a little bit more about this.
• 5:14
  I mean, first time in the Southern Hemisphere for Race of Champions, and I get that Australia is hosting it, so we probably have a few more on our side of the ledger, but the All Blacks could do with a bit more, couldn't they, Hayden, in this Tasman fight at the same time too?
• 5:29
  Oh, that's right.
• 5:30
  We don't need a big team to come over and win.
• 5:31
  LAUGHTER
• 5:34
  But no, I'm looking forward to it.
• 5:35
  Obviously, you've got the Trans-Tasman rivalry, but also, you know, it's predominantly European drivers that are coming down as well.
• 5:41
  So I think between Kiwis and Aussies, if we can try and show the way, you know, first and foremost, it's a fun event.
• 5:46
  That's the first thing.
• 5:48
  But we're all competitive people too.
• 5:50
  So, you know, we put on the helmet and...
• 5:52
  And we all want to do well.
• 5:53
  And, you know, the guys are not travelling from the other side of the world just to compete and make up numbers either.
• 5:58
  So it will certainly be competitive on the night.
• 6:00
  Tell me a little bit more about that.
• 6:01
  I mean, the chance for you to potentially go head-to-head with a Sebastian Loeb again, you'd be relishing the thought of that.
• 6:09
  Chas's teammate in the All-Stars as well.
• 6:11
  I mean, when you look at Johan Christopherson's team,
• 6:15
  seven-time world rallycross champion.
• 6:17
  There's some really decent stars from that side of the sport, isn't there?
• 6:21
  Yeah, some of those guys are freaks, though.
• 6:24
  They're hugely tumbled to drivers no matter what they drive.
• 6:27
  And I must say, personally, I'd love to have the opportunity to go side-by-side with Sebastian Loeb.
• 6:32
  He's obviously always been one of my heroes in rally years.
• 6:35
  the goat of rallying, but I've never actually competed against him in a world rally car.
• 6:39
  So when we were there in the WRC, he wasn't there.
• 6:41
  And then when he come back from retirement, I wasn't there.
• 6:43
  So I've never actually been up against him side by side.
• 6:46
  So that'd be something pretty cool if that was to happen.
• 6:50
  Awesome.
• 6:50
  Just for our listeners, you have a young teammate in Louis Sharp.
• 6:54
  Not everybody knows about this young kid.
• 6:56
  It's a great chance, I think, that the Kiwis have taken the opportunity to showcase a bit of a star of the future.
• 7:03
  He'll be in Formula 3 this year.
• 7:05
  He's been doing some terrific things in the UK and it sort of makes sense on his way to Albert Park that he's a part of this with you.
• 7:11
  Yeah, Louis is a very motivated and talented young driver.
• 7:14
  We've known Louis for quite a number of years here in New Zealand and they've sort of been on that, I guess, ladder to Formula 1 for a number of years already.
• 7:21
  So here locally, he's well known and followed.
• 7:26
  People are definitely suggesting that he's going to follow on Liam Lawson's steps and hopefully be in Formula 1 and maybe only a matter of years.
• 7:34
  But yeah, he's certainly a very quick and talented driver and,
• 7:36
  And the beauty when you've got someone young in your team mate is that they're fearless as well.
• 7:39
  So he might be able to set the bar and I might have to do the chasing.
• 7:43
  Let's talk to both of you about the cars.
• 7:46
  I mean, you've talked about the variety of cars, the fact that you're constantly jumping into different things.
• 7:50
  I think there's six different cars across the weekend that you get a chance to sample.
• 7:54
  But the one that stands out, the FC2 Rallycross car, 550 horsepower.
• 7:59
  Have you driven one of those before?
• 8:01
  Not me.
• 8:02
  I was looking up the stats this morning.
• 8:03
  I'm like, okay, I think five of the six cars, I'm like,
• 8:06
  zero to 100 and i think that the quickest one ever well the second quickest one was 3.6 i'm like okay that's pretty similar to supercar so it's gonna the acceleration slowly eventually get there but then i saw i think the rally car you're talking about is like zero or two seconds it's only 100k an hour thinking mate i hope they've got a bit of range on this track in case i absolutely stuff it up because it's gonna be probably the quickest accelerating car that i've
• 8:30
  Yeah, I guess the rallycross car is probably the most similar to what we normally drive, I guess.
• 8:34
  So, firing a horsepower, the more power, the better.
• 8:36
  At least with these chassis, we've got four wheels driving them.
• 8:38
  So, if you split the power across four wheels, it actually evens itself out.
• 8:41
  But, yeah, they're normally pretty forgiving.
• 8:44
  It looks like the track's a little bit...
• 8:46
  technical um so we may may not get up to a massive speed it's all going to be about technique and um but yeah i think all those cars are going to be good fun to drive and i believe some of them got rally tires on them as well so there'll be plenty of sliding around as well awesome just tell us a little bit more about that i mean what they've created it's almost a a um everything for the fan under the the one roof if you like it's going to be going to be epic um technical track that you've mentioned there does it play to a rally driver or a rally cross star or is that a
• 9:17
  Look, it is probably playing to a rally driver more than a circuit racer because it is essentially a super special stage, which is what we do on rallies.
• 9:24
  The cars are obviously very different, but in terms of the layout and what we're used to, it's probably similar in that respect.
• 9:29
  But I'm not going to make excuses for the circuit boys either.
• 9:34
  I think they're all very fast drivers So yeah It's going to be a cool event And as I say You can never pick a winner It's going to be best man wins And it's a show at the end of the day as well It's all compacted into three hours each night So it's not all day And it's elimination So everyone's getting eliminated throughout the night And you'll end up with one winner
• 9:54
  Have you been looking at the track, Chad?
• 9:56
  I mean, this has all come about late for you.
• 9:57
  You've got to learn the cars, as you say, as well.
• 9:59
  What's the preparation for you from here?
• 10:01
  Well, yeah, I fly in, try to get in Thursday morning just before practice.
• 10:06
  So, yeah, look, I've seen the track on paper.
• 10:08
  It looks really cool.
• 10:09
  But I think for me, the most exciting part is just having so many fantastic race car drivers from so many different disciplines.
• 10:17
  It's almost like a bit of like a party for motorsport in the same-esque, you know.
• 10:20
  So I feel anyone that's going to come along to this event is going to have a great time.
• 10:24
  He's going to see some amazing drivers in so many different bits of machinery.
• 10:28
  But then there's also all the off-track antics, which is all the way.
• 10:30
  It's a lot of fun.
• 10:31
  So you get so many drivers with such big personalities together.
• 10:34
  Who knows what the night's got installed.
• 10:36
  So we'll have some fun on the sidelines as well.
• 10:39
  We'll grab a quick break here on the Motorsport Brief.
• 10:41
  More with Hayden Patton and Chas Mostert in just a few moments.
• 10:47
  Our Garage Shortcast continues now with a supercar star and a Kiwi Rally legend going head-to-head in the lead-up to the Race of Champions this weekend.
• 10:56
  Tickets, incidentally, are still available at the time we recorded.
• 10:59
  Just go to the Ticketek Australia website, tickertek.com.au.
• 11:04
  Back to the convo with Chas Mostat and Hayden Padden now.
• 11:08
  Looking ahead at your respective calendars from here, Hayden, congratulations.
• 11:11
  The fact that you're going to tackle the Australian Rally Championship, how are you feeling about that?
• 11:16
  How much of a logistical exercise is that for you and for the Padden group?
• 11:19
  Yeah, really looking forward to it.
• 11:20
  It's something that we haven't done yet.
• 11:22
  So we're looking forward to the new challenge.
• 11:25
  We know, obviously, the Bates boys over there and the rest of the teams are going to be giving us a hurry up.
• 11:30
  So we're looking forward to that challenge.
• 11:32
  Different stages, different environment to what we're used to.
• 11:34
  But the car, I think, has just landed in Australia straight after Race of Champions.
• 11:38
  We're down into Canberra testing on Tuesday to get ready.
• 11:41
  And, yeah, between now and November, it's going to be a pretty cool challenge.
• 11:45
  And not sure I'm looking forward to being over there with all the animals and the snakes and the spiders.
• 11:50
  That's the part that's probably scared me off Australia for quite a while, but we'll have to get used to that.
• 11:55
  Just back in your own homeland for a second too, did I spot that you're going to get the chance to drive a really cool Ford Escort?
• 12:00
  I think Hyundai even gave you the rubber stamp to go and do that.
• 12:03
  Back at the Otago Rally for the first time in 10 years in early April, Chris Meek's going to be a part of that too.
• 12:09
  Looks awesome.
• 12:10
  Yeah, like the Targa Classic Rally, he's one of the biggest Classic Rallys in the world.
• 12:13
  We last did it 10 years ago, and the opportunity to come back now in a BDA is going to be a lot of fun.
• 12:19
  Obviously with Chris coming down as well, it's going to be a good battle.
• 12:22
  It's just a cool event, and then obviously we've had the opportunity now that we can do the last stage of the rally, Curie Bush, probably one of the most famous stages in New Zealand, with the World Rally Car here.
• 12:32
  To be honest, I'm actually already pretty anxious just thinking about that.
• 12:36
  it's a pretty valuable car and it's a pretty daunting stage, but that's going to be pretty cool for us and the fans as well.
• 12:42
  Meg over that car lives down under now.
• 12:44
  That's awesome.
• 12:44
  Chas, round two of supercars off the back of Race of Champions.
• 12:47
  You go to Albert Park.
• 12:49
  That's just around the corner.
• 12:50
  What was the debrief like for Walkinshaw after Sydney Motorsport Park?
• 12:54
  And do you guys feel like you can take it to Tickford there?
• 12:56
  Yeah, round two is always pretty exciting.
• 12:58
  Grand Prix is probably our most different rounds of the year where it's all sprint racing.
• 13:02
  So I'm hoping the race of champions gives me a little bit of heads up going into there, knowing that we've just got short laps and got to put it all on the line.
• 13:09
  So, yeah, first weekend for us in supercars was really cool at SMP.
• 13:14
  Two out of three races, we got a trophy.
• 13:17
  But the whole first round, we just worked a lot on trying to really explore a different setup with our car.
• 13:23
  The difference with the championship this year, we obviously talk about final series, the last three rounds, the top 10 drivers go through.
• 13:28
  So it's a completely different mentality than what the last 10 years have probably been in the sport.
• 13:33
  So for us as a team, we're just really trying to think end goal, which is both last three rounds with having a really, really competitive car.
• 13:40
  So these first two or three rounds is really trying to explore different setups and try and get a really good solid direction of where we think the last three circuits we need to be a solid car.
• 13:49
  So S&P probably wasn't the best place for some of the things we were working on.
• 13:54
  But saying that we still able to get some awesome results.
• 13:57
  cam was very, very untouchable on those weekends.
• 13:59
  So we're excited to go to Grand Prix where you've got these big Aussie V8s, which just are not suited to that track because it's all nice polished billboard surface for Formula One cars to go as fast as they can.
• 14:11
  And then you've got us on our big wobbly Dunlops hanging on through there for that length of track.
• 14:17
  Yeah.
• 14:17
  hopefully put on a bit of a show for the Formula 1 and Supercar fans that pan out for that event as well.
• 14:21
  So, yeah, we'll see how we go.
• 14:23
  It's always a great spectacle.
• 14:24
  Just quickly, the team is juggling the move to Toyota next year off the back of trying to win under this new format this year.
• 14:31
  How's the balancing act going in that regard?
• 14:33
  Yeah, for me and Woody and a lot of other key people on the team, we're not too really sure where it's all up.
• 14:38
  The business is kind of split between...
• 14:40
  looking into 26 and what we are doing at 25.
• 14:43
  So you probably asked an absolute wrong person there what's going on.
• 14:47
  Our sole focus is just on 2025 and maybe sure we try and really have that goal or trying to win their first Gen 3 championship for Ford.
• 14:54
  So they've been amazing supporting us at the start of this year.
• 14:57
  And, you know, we've got the serious job of trying to do a good job for those guys in this last year.
• 15:03
  So, yeah, I have no idea what's going on the other side of the factory.
• 15:06
  where it's all kind of boarded off and shut off.
• 15:08
  And it's not our mentality to think about.
• 15:10
  But, you know, if you sneak ahead to 26, it's very exciting the supercar fans that have a third manufacturer come in.
• 15:16
  But, yeah, this is Adrian that's fully focused on this year.
• 15:19
  Righto.
• 15:19
  Let's finish with Race of Champions this weekend.
• 15:22
  A little bit like a boxing press conference.
• 15:25
  You two have been very kind to each other.
• 15:27
  There hasn't been too much smashing up in this chat.
• 15:30
  In your best fighting words for the Race of Champions,
• 15:36
  win this weekend and beat the mob on the other side of the ditch.
• 15:39
  Off you go.
• 15:41
  You start Hayden.
• 15:44
  Up to you, Jez.
• 15:46
  Up to you.
• 15:46
  You're the host, so you've got to go first, you see.
• 15:48
  We're the guests.
• 15:50
  I'll just do it in great old-fashioned look, and like every other strain out there, as soon as a Kiwi trying to win the event, we're just claiming that they're Aussies anyway.
• 15:58
  So if Hayden goes out and wins it, I'm like, yeah, the Aussie won an event.
• 16:02
  How cool.
• 16:04
  Yeah, I don't have a lot of fighting talk to be honest.
• 16:06
  I always let the driver and do the talking.
• 16:07
  So we'll find out on Friday.
• 16:09
  Righto.
• 16:10
  Perfect way to finish.
• 16:11
  Thank you both for coming on the podcast today.
• 16:12
  Awesome stuff.
• 16:13
  Enjoy the race of champions.
• 16:14
  Great.
• 16:15
  Thanks, Rusty.
• 16:15
  Typical Rusty, Bastian.
• 16:17
  Just trying to start rhymeries.
• 16:18
  Unbelievable.
• 16:21
  I am no good at the controversial stuff, attempting hopelessly to stoke some rivalries there.
• 16:27
  You get the sense that the off-track stuff is going to be just as entertaining as what plays out on track.
• 16:33
  If you can't be at a core stadium on Friday or Saturday night, you can watch it on Channel 10 in Australia.
• 16:39
  My buddy Richard Crail is calling the action there ahead of the Formula One Grand Prix in Albert Park a week later.
• 16:44
  So you're in good hands with Crailsey.
• 16:46
  In New Zealand, it is being sorted out the broadcast details.
• 16:50
  I can't give you that as we record, so I'm not sure if it will end up on Sky or somewhere else.
• 16:55
  So keep an eye on socials for the latest there.
• 16:58
  If you're in Sydney or thinking of coming, tickets...
• 17:01
  are available from just $49.
• 17:03
  As I said before, there's action Friday and Saturday night, and each show is different in its flavour.
• 17:09
  Ticketek Australia, go to their website, tickertek.com.au to purchase tickets.
• 17:14
  I'd love to see you there.
• 17:15
  I'll be working on the ground like I do at the Grand Prix and getting the chance to interview these stars for the big screens, for fans who are coming to the event.
• 17:23
  It is going to be great.
• 17:24
  I cannot wait.
• 17:25
  Talking to Max Pappas later this week for a feature episode two.
• 17:29
  He made it to Formula One briefly.
• 17:31
  Made a great name for himself.
• 17:33
  A much-loved figure in Champ Car and IndyCar.
• 17:37
  Had a steering wheel come off at one frighteningly awkward moment.
• 17:41
  Happens to the best of us.
• 17:42
  And these days he runs MPI Innovations.
• 17:45
  Max is so passionate about this business.
• 17:48
  And we'll talk about its connection to supercars with him and more.
• 17:52
  That is it for today.
• 17:53
  Enjoy the race of champions.
• 17:54
  Bye for now.
• 17:55
  .