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November 2011

Oz Truck held the final round for 2011 at Lakeside Raceway on the 12th and 13th of November. Joining forces with the Trans-am class five trucks took to the circuit. Steve and Michael Coulter again made the trip up from Sydney and the Miles Racing trucks also took to the track. Scott Reed from Sydney made a last minute call and decided to give work the priority this weekend and Peter Robertson stuck to his plan of debuting the bright yellow machine in the new year. The Oz Truck 85 made it's compulsory appearance as Graham took the wheel after a few potential lease customers failed to eventuate.

Mick Collins from E.M.T (the at track medical staff) took the 85 for some laps on the Friday to get the feel and his reaction was in line with everyone who has driven the trucks, complete awe. Mick is investigating getting back into racing (rather than following) and said the trucks are certainly on his radar.

Ryan Cochran from Miles racing has spent a good amount of time getting to know the trucks better, as a full time employee of Miles Racing Ryan has been readying the two trucks for this weekend, in-between repairing and preparing the Supercars for the up-coming Sandown Supercar round. After his debut in the truck at Morgan Park, Ryan has been eager to spend some time getting them ready for his next stint. And his preparation shone through when he top Qualified the 88 truck, Struber was second and had nothing but praise for the young Queenslander. "Ryan's ability to hold the truck in a spectacular four wheel drift under the bridge was incredible, I would like to blame a bit of the age gap, but I think it is more a skill gap that separates us in that section", Struber said.

Tom Tweedie (current Fujutsu Series driver) filled the second Miles Racing truck as a last minute replacement. Having never seen an Oz Truck until Saturday morning he was impressed with the performance and the mid corner grip the trucks offer. Tom put the 48 truck into third position for the start of the first race.

Michael and Steve took a steady approach to the unforgiving Lakeside circuit, Michael having never seen the track before and Steve having not turned a lap since the early nineties. Michael out qualified Steve and that was just the start of a less than great weekend for Steve. A shifter that would occasionally not pull the box out of third and a string of flat tyres made Steve's final round of this year a slight anti-climax. Michael came to grips with the circuit and after some new tyres on Sunday morning he moved up a gear and gave Struber and Tweedie a lot to think about.

Cochran ran away with the first race with Struber on his own in second with Tweedie and the Coulter's bringing home the minors. Struber used his better straight line speed off the second start to slip in front of Cochran but was unable to keep him at bay, and Cochran slipped by on the entrance to Hungry and established a small gap which he kept till the end. Struber then had a senior moment on the last lap that allowed Tweedie to slip by into second.

Sunday saw both Tweedie and Michael decide that new tyres were required, Struber stuck with the now well used Morgan Park tyres. This completely changed the makeup of the Sunday races with Struber having to find some interesting lines to keep the faster Michael Coulter at bay.

The last race of Sunday and Struber knew that coming off third was going to be a bit hard with Michael on his outside and the faster Ryan Cochran and Tom Tweedie in front.

Ryan took up the challenge from at the start and showed his superior skill by running away, Tweedie grabbed second spot while Struber slotted into third and Michael done all in his power to put a sliding Struber to bed. Lap three saw Tom Tweedie make a small mistake into the carousel and Struber jumped on the chance and slipped by, not to be out done Michael also slid his truck up the inside and a side by side entrance under the bridge saw Michael roll off and let Tweedie have his way. Two laps later Michael got an inside line after the kink and pushed past Tweedie and got on with filling Struber's mirrors with Oz Truck.

Steve Coulter entered the pits with an unresponsive gear shifter.

The last six laps of the final race had everyone on their feet as Struber, Coulter and Tweedie went toe to toe. Struber making his Oz Truck about six Cadillac's wide while Tweedie and Coulter looked for a way by. A credit to the chasing drivers that saw not one panel rub although only metres ever separated the three. Michael even finding himself beside Struber through the kink a number of times, while Tweedie waiting for the mistake always within meters of the tailgates of both trucks. Check out our you-tube channel over the next few days (OzTruckRacing) for some great forward and back footage from Struber's 85 Truck.

Final results for the round were Ryan Cochran 1st, Graham Struber 2nd and Tom Tweedie 3rd.

Congratulations to Michael Coulter for his fantastic efforts this year and becoming the first ever Oz Truck Series Champion. Steve Coulter came a credible 2nd and a fantastic result for Ryan Cochran bringing home third. (I'm sure that trophy will have a proud place, if he can find room for it.)

Oz Truck would like to thank all the racers, teams and drivers who have sampled an Oz Truck in the first full season, a special thanks to Steve and Michael Coulter for their fantastic support of the category making their trucks available for any and all events as required.

2012 looks to be a busy year with at least three new trucks joining the regulars from the first round. This is sure to grow very quickly as support continues to grow.

Oz Truck is in the final stages of the 2012 calendar and will make that public in the next few weeks.

Greg and Graham would like to wish all the Oz Truck family a safe and happy festive season, and look forward to seeing everyone at an Oz Truck meeting next year.

LET'S MAKE SOME QUIET TIME.

September 2011

Oz Truck has attracted another racer over with its exciting fast paced but affordable structure.

Current and long standing V8 Ute competitor "Greg Willis" has purchased a white truck. The Truck is currently receiving the finishing touches in L.A. before being shipped later this month.

Greg has long campaigned a Falcon Ute in the V8 Ute series but after driving the Truck at Morgan park decided that the brute horsepower and additional grip for far less cost would suit his racing better, "Trying to compare the two is impossible" he said "the truck is a purpose built racecar, it goes where you want it, and the grip level allows me to put into practice all the advice and coaching that I have received over the last few years, it is simple just way to much fun for the price"

Greg is looking forward to running the truck in the 2012 Oz Truck series and is looking forward to returning to the days of racing just for racing's sake. Greg had another opportunity to drive the truck at Queensland Raceway as Oz Truck was invited to take part in a drive day and car display, with a number of V8 Ute's being present the trucks lap speed was very evident.

Steve Coulters "Coulter Excavation Team" again showed their professional road show to a very broad spectrum of fans at the recent Muscle Car Masters (September 4th and 5th). Eastern Creek played host to a huge showing of historic and current racecars and a beautiful turn-out of classic muscle from Australia and abroad, including Steve's own original 57 chev.

Steve ran his trucks in the NSW Sports Sedan round held in conjunction with the Masters show and with son Michael being overseas Steve made the second truck (77) available for a couple of well know drivers to step into. Andrew Meidecke took a break from his Muscle Car ride to have a steer and showed everyone that he still has the skills that made him one of Australia’s best known tin top drivers, being the first to push an Oz Truck into the 1.39’s at Eastern Creek.

Sunday saw Ian McAlister (Mustang) climb into the truck. "I have been watching the trucks since the boys first started this" said Ian, "it was great to get some laps in, I am super impressed with the trucks, this is the way of the future" Ian is currently marketing his Mustang and will see what happens once that sells. The Oz Truck Team wishes him all the best and would love to see him back in a truck very soon.

Greg and Graham continue the plan's for Oz Truck as the countdown to 2012 starts. Oz Truck has had a learning year when it comes to the series and will finalize plans for next year's calendar in the next few months. "We will continue to look to the A.A.S.A and iRace rounds for our meetings" says Greg. Irace in particular has been very good to Oz Truck and the smoothness and ease at which the meetings are run makes it the obvious choice. This will give the truck owners and drivers a good spread of both N.S.W and Q.L.D tracks. "We will have a talk with the iRace and Q.R.D.C championships and see where we fit. We must be giving our guys the best range and a good spread though out the racing year. Also keeping in mind that the N.S.W trucks may want to run selected C.A.M.S events" continued Greg.

The Oz Truck guys have always been about making this class as easy and affordable as possible. "Our aim is to be running standalone races very early in the season, so the sooner we can get a confirmed calendar, the quicker we can let the owners and racers know".

The great television coverage that Oz Truck receives through its association with the iRace rounds is an added bonus.

Oz Trucks will again be present at the next and final round of the iRace championship. The final iRace for the year will be held on Friday the 23rd of September at the Sydney track. Oz Truck will again be part of the Touring Car Challenge category and after the dominant display at Morgan Park in July a good showing is assured.

Hope to see you at a round soon, don’t forget to call past in talk to Greg or Graham whenever you are at a meeting.

LET'S MAKE SOME NOISE.

July 2011

Oz Truck took another step in the category's future when the first ever stand alone race was held at Morgan Park on Sunday. Taking part in the 4th round of the iRace series the Oz Trucks dominated the Touring car/Muscle car division. A reverse grid rolling start for the final race finished the weekend with five Oz Trucks making quite a sight (and quite a bit of noise) as they fought for positions.

The lead up to the that event was run with the usual iRace ease, two qualifying sessions and one race on Saturday and three more races and the stand alone feature race on the Sunday.

Qualifying was an all Oz Truck affair with Chaz Mostert from Miles Racing putting the 48 truck on pole, with a very impressive 1.19.7 to lead Steve Coulter and Michael Coulter from Greg Willis and Ryan Cochrane in the second Miles Racing truck.

Greg Willis, current V8 Ute competitor, had leased the 85 truck for the weekend and after finding a seating position that suited him, went from strength to strength getting faster as the weekend went on. "Comparing an Oz Truck to the V8 Ute is impossible" Greg said, "they are just completely different, one is a road car trying to be a racecar, and the truck is a racecar doing what it was built to do. Comparing the two wouldn't be fair on either category" But the smile on his face and the cheerful banter with the other competitors showed a return to the days of fun racing that many in the sport thought was gone. Greg was full of praise for the class and the racing it produces. "The trucks are so closely matched and the level of grip and beautiful balance makes racing them extremely enjoyable and the falling lap times are the rewards for experimenting with lines and driving them on the limit" Greg continued.

Ryan Cochrane stepped into the second of the Miles Racing trucks (No 88) after a few years away from racing. Ryan found the power and style of the trucks a handful.........to start with. After finding his feet on the Friday Practice and pushing hard in the qualifying sessions, the racing began and showed some great talent and determination to weave his way through the trucks to get a couple of shots at the elusive Chaz Mostert. This was rewarded with third place in the points by the end of the day. "These things are a lot of fun to drive, but are absolutely awesome to race. The fact that they are so fast and have so much power, you need to find the right balance between aggression and finesse. That is the simple fact, that they are the same, no one has more power than anyone else, so you can’t just rely on that to get you past someone, you have to get deep under brakes, or find a better line, just awesome racing" Ryan thanked the Miles Racing Team for the opportunity to get some seat time after such along absent from competitive driving.

The Coulter boys, starting to become the stalwarts of Oz Truck, made the trip from Sydney, and the transporter again displayed Steve's belief and support for this category. Huge Oz Truck signage and photos adorned the sides and rear of the Transporter. Michael and Steve "Hollywood" rolled out in the Friday practice and continued where they left off swapping times on each session. Steve admitted on the Friday that he wasn't warming to the Morgan Park layout but had found his rhythm by Saturday and slipped the 17 (?) machine onto second place on the grid. As normal the father and son pairing ran more or less nose to tail all weekend and never touched. Michael getting the better of Steve as Steve's tyres went off over the weekend. Michael again drove a structured and sensible weekend and his points haul, second for the weekend, gives him a small advantage over Steve in the points score for the year. Steve drove the tyres off his truck, literally. Have a few drifting moments and some very interesting lines through turn one at times, much to the amusement of his crew who were looking on. Both Michael and Steve found themselves "bailing hay" as Steve put it, with both having off’s on the same lap, but at different places, in the feature race on Sunday.

Chaz Mostert drove the 48 car for Miles Racing and after a fair break away from Oz Truck, concentrating on his Fujitsu V8 program, he fell straight back into his winning ways. Oz Trucks Graham Struber sums it up,

"Chaz has the ability to make an Oz Truck do things that defy what Greg and I thought was possible. His ability to drive the truck on the limit and make it appear so effortless is a credit to his remarkable ability. To out qualify the likes of Steve Coulter by seconds is un-believable. Add to this his presence even when he is not in the driver's seat makes racing with Chaz an absolute pleasure. On or off the track."

The format of the iRace formula didn't allow Chaz to run away, a large start time penalty gave the rest of the field daylight and once the correct handicap's were arranged a fantastic race three was had with Chaz being piped at the line by Ryan as they went down each side of an RX7 that had started over 70 seconds ahead of Chaz.

A great weekend's racing was had by all. Add to that the great atmosphere that is created when a group of racers, of varying ages and backgrounds get together with only fun on their minds, no sheep stations on the line. Great racing and some beers to finish it all off, just the way it should be.

The Oz Truck team would like to thank all those who competed and to all the people who showed their support in Oz Trucks future.

Next round will be at the "Muscle Car Masters" at Eastern Creek where the trucks will run as part of the Sports Sedan Category over the Fathers day weekend.

Hope to see you there!

LET'S MAKE SOME NOISE.

Check out the next issue of Auto Action for a full Oz Truck Story

In news agents 29th June

Grant Rowley from Speedcafe.com came to our drive day.

Find out what he had to say about it here

July 2011

OzTruck took delivery of two brand new trucks from the U.S this week with a bright yellow truck belonging to Peter Robinson and a stunning black machine making their way to OzTruck headquarters on Brisbane's north.

Peter Robinson (Hy-Performance Racing) has been a keen follower of the class since its inception and will take delivery of his once some final touches are put on his impressive tow rig. Peter's goal is to hit the ground running for next year's season and only has high praise for the quality and speed of the trucks.

Oz Truck has also taken delivery of a new truck for stock, a stunning black machine that's on track presence will be sure to turn heads wherever it goes. The black truck is ready for delivery and OzTruck's Greg McIntyre says “The black truck is ready to go, it has been pre-delivered and on the set up patch ready to race”.

Keep in mind that OzTruck prepare and set-up each truck before it leaves, and the purchase price includes a twenty lap shakedown* session if you wish. OzTruck keep a full range of spare parts in stock, along with tyres and consumables, we can’t think of another category in the country the offers such a comprehensive package for the racer at such a competitive price.

The current OzTruck competitors can't speak highly enough of the OzTruck's impressive reliability. With simple checks and standard maintenance the trucks just keep turning laps. And at speeds that some in the racing world can't quite believe. “Simplicity is the key”, says Graham. “It’s the old saying that seems to cover most things, keep it simple” and that’s just what the trucks deliver. Affordable fast racing, simply.

Call Greg or Graham if you would like to take a look at the black truck or need any information about the class.

Morgan Park to hear the NASCAR roar

Morgan Park Raceway at Warrick will come alive to the sound of OzTruck's at full noise at the July 23rd and 24th meeting. The OzTruck Championship takes its place as part of the iRace round at the country racetrack, with 6 Trucks hopefully making the trip.

After the spectacular show that was the last race of the last iRace round, at Eastern Creek in April the thought of six trucks running panel to panel will be a spectacular sight. The “Miles Racing” trucks will make their first appearance this year at an iRace round and The Coulter pairing will be making the trek, as always supporting the class in the best possible way. If the timing is right the bright red machine of Scott Reed should also make an appearance and with the 85 OzTruck owned machine being driven by V8 Ute racer Greg Willis a great show is no doubt on the cards. Make the drive out there and take a look at the iRace round, Rod Dale and the iRace team always put on a full race weekend and the meetings are run in a no nonsense fashion making use of the entire day. Remember to make yourself known to Greg or Graham while you’re there.

Drive Day Interest sought

With the arrival of another two trucks, and the trouble free Media Drive day, the OzTruck team has decided to have a come and try day. At a yet to be determined date OzTruck will make the 85 truck available for interested purchasers or, competitors that may be looking to switch, to turn some laps. The laps will come at a cost (naturally) but any cost can be taken off the purchase price if you decide that the NASCAR inspired 500hp racecar is where you would like to be. Limited spots are available and it will be five lap minimum. The day will be held at Q.R and would be a weekday. Interested? Give Greg (0408 742 111) or Graham (0417 004 917) a call to get the details.

Grant Rowley (Speedcafe) and Dylan Campbell (Autoaction) along with Kelly Johnson and Dave Harding took part in the OzTruck Media drive experience at Q.R.

Having the track all to themselves meant that all could get a feel for the awesome truck in their own time and at their own pace and rest assured, no one was disappointed. Both Grant and Dylan approached the 500hp ute with caution but after finding their feet both where turning laps like ole pro’s, a few large drifts out of turn six had the OzTruck crew looking nervous, but all was good and after Kelly turned the last laps of the day, impressively I might add, smile and praise was all that could be seen and heard. All spoke of the experience highly. Keep an eye on Speedcafe, Autoaction and Australian Muscle Car for upcoming stories on the experience.

Look forward to seeing you at the Morgan Park round

LET'S MAKE SOME NOISE.

May 2011

Eastern Creek iRace 29th April

Oz Trucks took out the first three places in the “K-Mac Touring Car Challenge” class at Eastern Creek Raceway on the 29th of April. Steve Coulter, Michael Coulter and Oz Truck's Graham Struber took the places respectively although the racing was so close that it was only the final lap of the final race that was the decider. Great days racing was had by the Oz Truck drivers and all those who were there to see them. With racing of that calibre the Oz Trucks will be a crowd favourite wherever they go.

More Oz Trucks leave the U.S

Two more trucks leave the U.S. this week bound for the Australian Race calendar. Oz Truck's Greg McIntyre says the trucks, which will leave Long Beach California this week, make the future of a stand-alone category all but a foregone conclusion. A bright yellow machine destined for a local Brisbane business owner and an awesome black on black truck will arrive in early June. The Black truck is yet to find a home but with a number of purchasers currently sitting on the fence the sight of an all black truck could be enough to push them out of the stands and onto pit lane. As the Aussie dollar fluctuates into record territory against the U.S. currency the trucks now represent unbelievable value. Oz Truck also has the 85 “demo” truck available for sale or lease. With the dollar where it is and the truck being offered at a discounted price it would be a fantastic time to step into a proven racecar.

The Oz Trucks gain some media attention

Queensland Raceway will play host to a throng of Australia's leading motor racing journalists this week. With Graham and Greg making the 85 truck available and “Miles Racing” also bringing their two trucks along a number of journalists will get to experience the speed and raw adrenalin rush that the trucks create. Many of the attendees are yet to see an Oz Truck in the flesh. The Oz Truck crew have hired the track so as the drivers can enjoy the experience without having to be concerned with traffic. “It is a large investment for Oz Truck, but ultimately we need to put Oz Truck in front of the media to gain that exposure” Graham said. “Proving that Oz Truck have the systems in place to create exciting, close, fast racing is paramount to the classes future, and letting these guys, and girls turn some laps will hopefully gain Oz Truck that exposure” he continued. The Oz Truck media day is on the 13th of May from 12pm at Queensland Raceway. Drives are on an invitational bases only.

Truck 85 Available now

The 85 truck is available for purchase at a fantastic price from the Oz Truck team. The Oz Truck guys have decided to move the 85 on and are offering it to a purchaser for immediate delivery. With six weeks until the next Oz Truck /iRace round at Lakeside you could have a number of test days to get yourself up to speed before the Round. The 85 Truck has done a number of meetings and some test days and comes with new brakes and tyres and the option of a spares package. The Oz Truck team can also prep the truck for you prior to the remaining meetings of the year. Talk to Greg or Graham to find out all the details. The 85 truck is also being sold in U.S. dollars so with the dollar fluctuations the truck could make even better value. If you are thinking of becoming involved don’t miss this opportunity to grab the cheapest near new racecar of this calibre in the country.

C.A.M.S Approve Oz Trucks for log book

The Confederation of Australian Motorsport (C.A.M.S) has issued the three N.S.W based Oz Trucks with log books. This allows these trucks (and all future trucks) to be logged as C.A.M.S racecars. The N.S.W Sports Sedan Club along with Steve Coulter worked with a C.A.M.S scutineer to make some small modifications to the trucks to allow them to be logged as a “3D Sports Sedan” in N.S.W. The modifications were minor, LED tail lights and a larger engine catch can along with a battery isolator located in the L/H side of the windscreen cowl. Oz Truck will work to have all the trucks fitted in the U.S. to comply with the C.A.M.S regulations so they come ready to be log booked. Although some in the Sports Sedan clubs didn’t like the move, most appreciate that although the trucks are quick, compared to a top line National Sports Sedan they are not a series winning threat, and any bolster to a categories numbers is a boost for that category. Oz Truck would like to thank those who worked on getting the trucks log booked; Chris Jackson and Greg Smith both deserve our thanks especially.

Remember to check out your favourite Motorsport publication in the coming months for a detailed story on the trucks

LET'S MAKE SOME NOISE.

April 2011

The iRace Series hosted the Oz Truck's again for Round 2 on the 29th April at Eastern Creek. Where the Oz Trucks yet again ruled the Touring Car Challenge class with a 1, 2, 3 sweep.

March 2011

2011 is underway with the first round of the season and the series taking place at Queensland Raceway on the 5th-6th of March.

January 2011

The Oz Truck Team would like to wish all our subscribers a Happy and Prosperous 2011.

The Holiday break as bought in a new era for Oz Truck with the first Oz Truck Race calendar being released, Greg and Graham have worked hard to give the racers and spectators a wide variation of events and venues spread over both the South East Queensland tracks and Eastern Creek.

With four more trucks being delivered this week, that distinctive NASCAR sound will soon be a common one.

Sydney sider's, Steve Coulter and Scott Reed will take delivery of three new Oz Trucks at a shake-down/test day at Queensland Raceway on the 14th of January (weather permitting). Both Steve and Scott are looking forward to getting behind the wheel of the fastest little trucks in the country. Steve Coulter, the current, and five times, Light Truck National Champion, said of his pair of trucks (one for his son Michael) "When you see it sitting in the Oz Truck shed, tell me why you wouldn't want to race one, for the money, I can't think of anything I would rather be involved in"

Oz Truck would like to invite anyone who would live to get up close and personal with the trucks to come out to Q.R on the 14th and have a look.

The Oz Truck team now has a brand new truck in stock ready for immediate delivery, this is the last new truck available at the $69k USD price, and let's face it, that's now less in Australian Dollars! The team keeps increasing its inventory of spares and tyres available to ensure that a good back-up of parts is always available to the racers.

Drive days will be held though-out the year, we will keep you posted on when and where, this is the perfect opportunity to hop in the seat and turn some laps an extremely fast and fun race car. If you're on the fence wondering if this is the next step for your racing, let Greg or Graham know, they will answer any questions, can provide any information you require. They can give you complete running costs on a truck, down to the last drop of brake fluid you will need. There is not too many motorsports out there that can, or will, provide you with the details that the Oz Truck guys can.

"'Commercial Viability' is a quotation being tossed around" Graham says.

"The running cost of an Oz Truck compared to any full body race car is fractional, the speed, thrill and track presence of these trucks is not comparable to any other class of racing in Australia. If you are not in the top ten in other categories, even if that category has a television deal, history shows you will not get any reasonable air time, so to spend hundreds of thousands of dollars to go racing in what is realistically a road car, and run outside the top ten, means that your individual media exposure is minimal, even if the category exposure is substantial." Graham explained.

Graham continued,

"Running an Oz Truck is a huge reduction in cost, and a large step up in pace, add to this the track presence that these trucks attract, they are unlike anything else currently running, and nothing compares to the noise and head turning ability of an Oz Truck on the track. As the Oz Truck field grows, the fan base will also, and demands for these trucks and the loud, brash spectacle they bring will create 'Commercial Viability' for a fraction of the outlay."

Oz Truck is designed, not by accident, to be for the racer. With low running and repair cost and very quick lap times any racer that has a moderate budget and loves the close side by side action (with the occasional rub) is sure to see the 'enjoyment viability' of this as an alternative to the pressures of needing a huge budget to just go fast.

Hope to see you all at Queensland Raceway, March 4th-6th for the first round of the 'Oz Truck 2011 Series'