iRace News

Blackberry Store joins iRace as Official Communications Partner

2010-02-15T03:49:00.001-08:00

In another exciting announcement for the Independent Race Series, it can now be revealed that Blackberry Store has signed on as the Official Communications Partner for the iRace series in 2010.

Blackberry Store (www.blackberrystore.com.au) is the premium source for Blackberry Phones / PDAs including the new Blackberry Bold and an extensive range of Blackberry Accessories. Blackberry Store is based at North Ryde, in Sydney, but serves the whole of Australia through it's extensive online store. They offer the very best in phones and PDAs, and also offer comprehensive support, training and accessories.

The partnership will see Blackberry devices awarded to two Class winners in the Super Hoist Plus Production Racing Cars at each round. The prize will rotate between the different classes. To be in the running, Super Hoist Plus Production Racing Cars competitors will display Blackberry Store stickers either on the sides or front of their vehicle.

The Super Hoist Plus Production Racing Cars showcases a huge variety of production cars in action packed racing. The cars have only limited modifications from standard (most to enhance safety), but this only serves to make the action more fierce, as drivers in evenly matched machines battle it out for class honours. This new partnership will mean there is even more reward for taking the top spot.

The next round of the Independent Race Series will be held at Morgan Park, 20-21 March. Visit www.irace.net.au for more information.

Head to blackberrystore.com.au to see their great range of phones, PDAs and accessories on offer, and support the company that is supporting our series.

iRace iPhone Application

2010-02-09T23:12:00.001-08:00

It's here, and it's totally free: iRacer, the iRace iPhone application.

Compatible with the iPhone and iPod touch, the application is available in the App Store now, completely free. The app allows you to keep up to date on the latest News, Results, Features, Photos and Classifieds from your compatible device.

Click the image on the right, or the button below to check it out on the App Store, or you can search for iRacer on the iTunes store.

For a little more info, you can check out the iRace App microsite at: app.irace.net.au

Thanks to our sponsors, supporters and competitors for making our ongoing innovation possible.

February Update

2010-02-06T23:26:00.001-08:00

iRace is shooting for a big year in 2010, and with your support, we're already on our way.

Round 1 was our biggest meeting yet, read the full report here. Check out all the multimedia here.
TV coverage from Round 1 was made possible by Super Hoist Plus, McHitch.com.au and HDT. Check out the episode here. There are also some excellent excerpts from this episode, available here.
We've got a ton of onboard video from Round 1, thanks to Launch Helmet Cams. Check out the video here, or on our Vimeo group here. You can share your videos too!
We started a Facebook "Fan Page" in January, and we've just cracked the century, with 101 fans at the time of writing. If you use Facebook, check out the iRace page and become a fan (if you haven't already).
We've also added a couple of feature articles to the website. A review of the VIO POV1.5 helmet/onboard camera, click here to view. And a (hopefully) simple explanation of how an anti roll bar works - read it here.

Which brings us to our next round. It's a little over a month away, and will be held at the awesome Morgan Park circuit 20-21 March. This track is fantastic as anyone who attended the round in 2009 will tell you. The round needs your support to make sure it is successful. Entries are open now, and you can enter online here, or download the form to mail or fax in here. Get behind the round, make the trip to Warwick, and encourage your mates to do the same!

What is iRace?

2010-01-25T15:35:00.001-08:00

Many of our competitors and supporters already know the answer to the question: What is iRace? But sometimes it can be challenging to pinpoint exactly what it is about the Independent Race Series that sets it apart from other forms of racing. Sometimes it's worthwhile being reminded exactly what it is that makes our series great.

Ultimately, what defines us is the things we care about. For iRace, it's a simple list:

We care about safety.
We care about each other.
We care about driver development.
We care about diversity.
We care about affordability.
We care about our supporters.

Read on for a short explanation of each point.

We care about safety.

We strive hard to make our racing as safe as possible. Our marshalls and officials have excellent training, and safety is their number one priority. Our regulations focus on ensuring that racecars are as safe as possible, and we conduct regular checks for compliance.

We care about each other.

Our series is all about mate-against-mate. We encourage hard racing, but insist that drivers put themselves in the other guys shoes, and treat their fellow competitors the way they would like to be treated. We also help each other out if there is work to be done to get a car back on track.

We care about driver development.

Often racing can become a procession. Not in our series. We employ a variety of different race formats (handicap, reverse grid, rolling starts) to ensure that drivers in our series learn as much about racecraft as possible, and practice a variety of techniques that give them a headstart over other drivers.

We care about diversity.

We have many different kinds of cars and drivers in our series. There is a place for all of them. We have carefully designed our categories to cater for as many different cars as possible, and to offer something for the casual racer, and for the driver who has their sights set on the top.

We care about affordability.

Racing costs money. But with the right strategy, the amount of money can be kept to a minimum. Our series has evolved to offer the lowest cost possible. We’ve thought outside the box, and scheduled some of our events on a Friday. All in the interests of keeping our entry fees fixed at $395.

We care about our supporters.

Our supporters help make our series happen. We work hard to make sure series, category and individual team sponsors get as much exposure as possible. Prosperity for our supporters means prosperity for our series. What’s good for them is good for us!

To download a PDF poster of this information, please click here. Please feel free to pass it on to your friends and competitors!

We Want Your Videos!

2010-01-23T23:39:00.001-08:00

Attention competitors! We would like to feature your onboard videos on www.irace.net.au

We know a number of you have your own onboard cameras, and no doubt there's plenty of great footage from Round 1 - the last EVER race meeting at Oran Park. So if you're willing to share it, we'd love to feature it.

If you've already uploaded your video to a video sharing website, we just need the link (send it in here). If you haven't uploaded any video yet, then we're recommending Vimeo. Follow the simple procedure below to add your video to the Independent Race Series group on Vimeo:

1. Create a free Vimeo account (if you already have one, you can skip this step). Just go to www.vimeo.com and select "Join vimeo". Or we've made it easy for you, just click the button below!

2. Go the Independent Race Series Vimeo group page: www.vimeo.com/groups/irace, click on "Join this group".

3. Then on the Independent Race Series group click on the "Upload Video" button. Again, we've made it easy for you, just click on the button below!

4. Click "Choose a file to upload", and then find the video on your hard drive (or you can even upload it straight from your camera if it's plugged in!), and then fill in some information about it. Don't close your browser or leave the Vimeo page until the video has finished uploading. Once it's complete, it will automatically appear in the iRace Vimeo group, and once we see it, we'll embed it on "User Videos".

We selected Vimeo because of the very high quality playback, and the fact that our competitors can upload video for free, and automatically add it to the Independent Race Series group.

We look forward to seeing all your great videos!

If you don't have a camera yet, consider our Official Onboard and Helmet Camera Partner - Launch Helmet Cams.

See below for a selection of the videos uploaded so far! To see the videos in all their high def glory, go to onboard.irace.net.au or check out the Vimeo group by clicking here.

Round 1 TV

2010-01-17T22:55:00.001-08:00

The TV coverage from Round One is set to go to air as follows:

SBS Speedweek - 31 Jan - 1pm
FOX InsideSpeed - 3 Feb
FOX Full Noise - 4 Feb
FOX Speedweek - 10 Feb

Please note that all FOX dates are subject to change, and as always, check your local guides to confirm air times in your area.

Thank you to Super Hoist Plus, HDT and McHitch, who help make the TV possible.

Round Two of the Independent Race Series will be held at Morgan Park, 20-21 March. The entry form is available here.

Fitting Send Off for Oran Park

2010-01-16T19:24:00.001-08:00

The Independent Race Series gave Oran Park a fitting send off over the weekend, in what is expected to be the final race meeting ever for the popular Sydney circuit. The meeting was also an excellent opener for the 2010 iRace season, highlighting that the tradition of family-friendly, mate-against-mate racing that was such a big part of Oran Park's history will live on in the Independent Race Series.

Activities got underway on Friday morning, with official practice sessions, and then qualifying in the afternoon. Despite the threatening skies, the weather stayed dry for the whole meeting. Strong fields turned out across the board, with the most impressive in RocketSports, HDT Muscle Division and Super Hoist Plus Production Racing Cars.

Competition was fierce in qualifying, with pole positions taken as follows:

Super Hoist Plus Production Racing Cars - Franck Donniaux (D. Flanagan V8 Class, Richard Mork Class A, Bryan Fitzpatrick Class B, John Willmington Class C
HDT Muscle Division - Greg Boyle - Nissan Silvia
Formula Tasman - Sam Dale - Reynard 94D (Neil Kenny LeMans Sports)
RocketSports - Jade Barnes - Future Racer
McHitch Touring Car Challenge - Barry Jameson - Jaguar

Racing got underway on Saturday morning, and right from the driver's briefing it was clear that mixed emotions were the order of the day - happiness at having a chance to race at Oran Park one last time, and a tinge of sadness that it would be the last time.

In the Super Hoist Plus Production Racing Cars, competition within the classes was very strong. Class X saw Franck Donniaux (Subaru WRX) fighting it out with Anthony Soole (Lotus Exige). Donniaux made the most of his 4WD to take the early lead. The two drivers traded fastest laps, and Donniaux too the win in Races 1 & 2, with Soole getting the upper hand in Race 3. In the brand new V8 Class, Daniel Flanagan was dominant in Race 1 & 3, but had an off-track excursion in Race 2, and was forced to retire from that race - Geoff Kite didn't need an invitation, and capitalised to take V8 Class in Race 2. Class A belonged to Richard Mork in his Honda Integra - Morky enjoying some great battles, and relishing the chance to reminisce about all the laps he's done at Oran Park. Bryan Fitzpatrick took three class wins in Class B, making a welcome (and successful!) return to the series. And in Class C, John Willmington started 2010 the way he finished 2009, with a dominant class win. Full results available here.

HDT Muscle Division boasted a bumper field, and the racing was fantastic. Greg Boyle took the win in the scratch race, holding out Adam Lloyd and Mick Duff. Race 2 was the first of the handicap races, and a red flag after 9 laps saw the fastest cars unable to overcome their handicap. Rod Gurney took advantage though, driving a smooth race to take the win ahead of Paul Axiak and Alan Walls. Race 3 ran the full distance, and on the final lap almost the whole field was separated by only a couple of hundred metres. Paul Leabeater took the race win, also handing him the outright round win. Darren Gillis scorched through from a full lap handicap to take second, and Adam Lloyd was third. Full results available here.

Formula Tasman and LeMans Sports started with a promising field, with a couple of cars dropping out during the day. Sam Dale led the early running, but succumbed to gearbox failure dropping him from the lead of Race One, and ruling him out for the weekend. The Choon F3 cars wasted no time in taking over the lead though, and battling it out through all three races. David Choon took Race 1, but son Robert took the wins in Races 2 & 3. Robert took the round win, ahead of David, with Glenn Lynch putting in a solid performance to finish third. In the LeMans Sports stakes, Neil Kenny performed strongly, winning Race 1, but suffering a mechanical problem in the process, ruling him out of the remaining races. Andrew MacPherson put in a strong performance in his West (which he hadn't sat in until arriving at the circuit!), and took the wins in Races 2 & 3, and the LeMans Sports round win. Full results available here and here.

RocketSports put on some of the closest racing of the weekend, with the three different groups of cars in the field proving to be surprisingly evenly matched, with the Future Racers, the MX5s and the Holden Roadsters providing an excellent spectacle. Jade Barnes (Future Racer) had his eye on a clean sweep of wins, and after winning Race 1 & 2, was looking set to do so. 2009 Future Racer champion, Nathan Jess had other ideas though, securing the win in Race 3. Robert Free and Terry Clearihan continued their ongoing rivalry. Top of the MX5s was Chris Tonna, and the best of the Holden Roadsters was Terry Mayfield. Full results available here.

The McHitch Touring Car Challenge saw the inclusion of the new Gran Turismo class, opening the door for a more diverse field. In Race One, Barry Jameson had the upper hand in his Jaguar, ahead of Darren Saillard (Falcon Supercar) and Norm Stokes (Mazda RX7). In the first of the handicap races, Darren Saillard was a man on a mission, carving through the field to take the win. Grant Wilson in his awesome 1969 Chev Camaro V8 Giant held on for second place, and Andrew MacPherson was impressive in his Mosler to take third. In the finale, Saillard again blitzed through the field to take the win. Chad Parish in his debut in the ex-Perkins VX Commodore Supercar drove a solid race to finish second, and Norm Stokes was third. Saillard took the outright win, ahead of Parish in an impressive debut and a great showing from Grant Wilson. Full results available here.

A selection of onboard video from this event is available here, thanks to Launch Helmet Cams.

Look out for a gallery of photos soon.

The next round of the Independent Race Series will be held a Morgan Park, 20-21 March. For competitors, head to the online entry form to get your entry in. The Morgan Park circuit is fantastic, and really worth the journey for all those competitors from the southern states.

Kumho Specials for Round 1

2010-01-10T12:01:00.001-08:00

In continuing it’s support of the iRace series Kumho Tyres has some special offers for competitors for Round 1 of the 2010 series.

Special Offer:

225/50R16 V70A K90 tyres – Normal Price $420 per tyre - Special Price $225 per tyre
245/40R17 V70A K90 tyres – Normal Price $470 per tyre - Special Price $270 per tyre

All other Kumho Motorsport Tyres:

10% discount for tyre supplied and fitted for competitors at Round 1 PLUS and additional 5% discount if preordered and paid for before Round 1.

Kumho KU36:

Free fitting for all Kumho KU 36 tyres pre ordered for Round 1.

To preorder your tyres, please let John Mills of Kumho know asap so he can make sure the right tyres get on the truck, and so you can take advantage of these special offers. Contact John either via email: fsport@bigpond.net.au or phone: 0418 404 945

Contest for Round 1 Entrants

2010-01-06T22:50:00.001-08:00

UPDATE: The competition has now finished, and Tony Bannano will carry the Launch Helmet Cams VIO POV1.5 in his Turbo Mazda MX5 at Oran Park.

We look forward to posting some great footage on onboard.irace.net.au after the event.

If you use Facebook, and aren't a fan of iRace yet, head over now (link below) as we'll probably be offering more competitions throughout the year. And if you get the chance, join the Launch Helmet Cams group (click to view), and thank them for their support of our series.

Independent Race Series on Facebook

While You Were Out

2010-01-04T23:43:00.001-08:00

There's been plenty of action for the Independent Race Series in the past few weeks, as everyone gets ready for the new season. In case you missed it, here is a summary of what's been happening (click any of these to read the relevant article):

2010 is going to be a busy year! Strap in for an exciting ride...

Round 1 is just a week away. If you haven't gotten your entry in yet, don't delay - head to the entry form now, and don't miss your last chance to race with iRace at Oran Park!

The McHitch Touring Car Challenge

2010-01-03T23:03:00.001-08:00

Joe McGinness, a founding member of the iRace family, and popular Touring Car Challenge competitor, had a great idea. He turned that idea into an amazing invention - the McHitch Uniglide Trailer Coupling.

The McHitch product is set to revolutionise towing. And in 2010, to promote the product, McHitch will be the naming rights sponsor of the Touring Car Challenge. The category will be known as the McHitch Touring Car Challenge, and all racecars will bear a McHitch.com.au windscreen banner.

The McHitch really is an amazing product. It offers triple-locking safety, greater than 90 degree flexibility, and extremely quiet and smooth operation. If you spend any amount of time towing, the McHitch can make it a much more pleasurable (and safer) experience. Head over to www.mchitch.com.au to learn all about this revolutionary product, and support the company supporting our series.

The McHitch Touring Car Challenge showcases the past 20 years of Australian Touring Car history. Featuring ex-V8 Supercars, Super Tourers, V8 Giants and the more recent "Giant Killers", cars such as the Mitsubushi Evo and Subaru WRX, as well as a contingent of invited "Muscle Cars" to put the odd cat amongst the pigeons.

The first round for 2010 will be held at Sydney's Oran Park GP, 15-16 Jan 2010. Click here for more information.

The HDT Muscle Division and HDT Cup

2009-12-31T17:02:00.001-08:00

HDT have enjoyed a brief but fruitful relationship with the Independent Race Series with the inception of the HDT Cup in mid 2009, and that relationship is set to grow in 2010.

HDT have now taken on naming rights sponsorship of the very popular Muscle Division, in addition to sponsoring the HDT Cup. The categories will be known as The HDT Muscle Division, and HDT Cup respectively. Vehicles in both categories will display HDT windscreen banners, and HDT will also supply a $50 gift voucher to one prizewinner per category at each round of the Independent Race Series. These vouchers will not be transferrable, but may be used cumulatively if a competitor wins more than one during the season.

HDT has a rich history in Australian motor racing, starting in 1969, competing at Bathurst and beyond. The brand is closely linked to Peter Brock, the champion racer enjoying many successes with HDT. More recently HDT have launched the amazing Blue Meanie, a fearsome Commodore, with 350kW and a specification list to match it's stunning heritage. Only 250 of each model will be available - all featuring a numbered chassis plate, and paperwork. Click here to watch a short interview with Darren Gillis regarding the Blue Meanie. Head over to the HDT website to see what they have to offer, and support that company that supports our series. www.hdt.com.au

The HDT Muscle Division caters for all types of production-based racing cars. From the venerable HQ Holdens, to V8-powered Ford and Holden Utes, to ex-Commodore Cup cars, Improved Production, Sports Sedans (non-spaceframe) and Japanese Turbos, as well as Classic Touring Cars and more. The HDT Cup offers racing for a variety of V8 and 6 cylinder Commodores, and in 2010, Toranas.

The first round of the Independent Race Series for 2010 will be held at Oran Park GP, 15-16 Jan. Click here for more information.

Toranas New Gateway to HDT Cup

2009-12-31T16:23:00.001-08:00

Holden Toranas are now eligible for the very popular HDT Cup.

The HDT Cup started in mid-2009 as part of the Independent Race Series, and quickly gained popularity and strength as an affordable way to go racing in a Commodore. With this latest announcement, Toranas including: GTR XU1, A9X, L34, and SLR5000 will all be eligible to join the fun.

The Independent Race Series offers a unique mate-againt-mate brand of fun, affordable motor racing. In 2010 the series will expand to visit more circuits, and offer even more bang for your buck. The first round will be held at Sydney's Oran Park GP circuit, 15-16 January.

For more information on the series, and the HDT Cup, visit www.irace.net.au

The Super Hoist Plus Production Racing Cars

2009-12-29T13:53:00.001-08:00

Super Hoist Plus have long been supporters of the Independent Race Series (since the very beginning in fact). In 2009 Super Hoist Plus awarded a 2-post hoist to the overall Series Champion (John Willmington) and a Resto-Roller rotisserie to Series Runner Up (Neil Byers).

Heading into 2010, Super Hoist Plus are ramping up their support, and taking on naming rights of the Production Racing Cars category. The category will be known as the Super Hoist Plus Production Racing Cars, and all cars will bear Super Hoist Plus windscreen banners.

As part of the deal, Super Hoist Plus will also provide a $200 voucher towards Super Hoist Plus products as a prize for one competitor in each category at each round. These vouchers may be used cumulatively (if a competitor wins more than one, they will be able to use the total value towards a Super Hoist Plus product), but they not be transferred or exchanged for cash.

Super Hoist Plus are a family-owned and -operated company who supply quality products at everyday affordable prices, making it possible for anyone to own their own Super Hoist product. The range of hoists and other workshop equipment is very impressive, and offers something to improve just about any workshop.

Check out their extensive website, and support the company that supports our series, or contact Super Hoist Plus on 1800 71 72 73. www.superhoistplus.com

The Super Hoist Plus Production Racing Cars follow the true tradition of Australian motorsport - cars that can be bought from the dealer, made safe for racing with minor modifications and then raced hard - just like they used to do at Bathurst. The category features very close racing between cars from a huge variety of manufacturers.

The first outing of the Super Hoist Plus Production Racing Cars will be at Oran Park GP, 15-16 Jan 2010. Click here for all the details.

Production Racing Cars Gain V8 Class

2009-12-29T13:51:00.001-08:00

The Production Racing Cars category has displayed excellent growth and fantastic racing in 2009. The class system within the category allowed competitors to race in a quality field, and also receive recognition and results for their performance relative to equivalent cars. It compared apples with apples. In fact, it meant that John Willmington in a Class C car was able to take out the overall Series Champion title (and a shiny Super Hoist Plus 2-post hoist with it!).

Heading into 2010, we see the announcement of a new class within the Production Racing Cars category. The new class will be known as V8 Class, and will offer competition for a variety of naturally aspirated, V8-powered production cars. (Forced-induction production V8s will be eligible to compete in Class X.)

The first round of the 2010 Independent Race Series, featuring Production Racing Cars, will be held at Sydney's Oran Park, 15-16 January.

To access the 2010 Production Racing Cars Sporting and Technical regulations, please click here.

Merry Christmas from iRace

2009-12-23T13:31:00.001-08:00

The Independent Race Series team would like to wish everyone a very Merry Christmas. Have a great time, and if you're on the roads, please be careful and look out for each other.

See you all in 2010!

Presentation Night

2009-12-12T12:30:00.001-08:00

The 2009 Independent Race Series Presentation Night was held on Saturday 12 December. The event was well attended, and spirits were high as the Kangaroo Kid put on an impressive display on his various quad bikes - his successful jump over three cars a fitting finale, and mirroring the leaps and bounds the Independent Race Series has achieved over the past 18 months. From the many acceptance speeches throughout the night, the overwhelming sentiment was that 2009 proved how much fun racing can be, and that 2010 should be even better.

For a rundown of the championships presented on the night, check out our results page by clicking here.

Notable other awards presented on the night were:

Best Presented - Rod Gurney
Encouragement Award - James Flanagan
Encouragement Award - Keiran Macklyn
Rookie of the Year - Carly Black
Sportsman of the Year - Hans Riehs

The big prizes, presented by Super Hoist Plus, went to overall Series Champion and Runner Up. The points for this were allocated based on position in Class in each race during the year, as well as the number of cars in class defeated in each race. The points rewarded consistency, superiority within class, and encouraging extra competitors to join your class.

The top prize went to John Willmington. John receives a YSJ-3000 two-post hoist from Super Hoist Plus.

Runner up went to Neil Byers. Neil receives a Resto Roller car rotisserie from Super Hoist Plus.

Super Hoist Plus also awarded a set of vehicle stands to each of the Encouragement Award recipients.

For those who were unable to attend the presentation night, below is a condensed video of the presentation proceedings:

Also, check out the pre-dinner entertainment - the awesome Kangaroo Kid, jumping his quad bike over three cars!

Round 1 of the 2010 Independent Race Series will be held at Sydney's Oran Park in just on a month's time. Mark 15-16 January down in your calendar, get your entries in, and start getting your cars ready to give Oran Park a fitting send off!

2009 Champions

2009-12-11T13:40:00.001-08:00

All in the Numbers

2009-12-09T01:57:00.001-08:00

2009 is not quite finished yet, but the iRace season is over, and preparations for the 2010 season are already underway. A quick look at some numbers from the 2009 season as we look ahead to next year:

4
awesome circuits visited in 2009

26
tyres presented by Kumho

85
races held in the 2009 season

152
cars raced during 2009

1,444
photos uploaded to the iRace galleries

1,679
laps hosted by iRace in 2009

4,020
points scored in the Super Hoist Plus trophy

18,075
laps completed by our competitors in 2009

339,197
pages viewed on iRace.net.au during 2009

3,011,662
total hits on iRace.net.au in 2009

Already 2010 is looking even stronger! Don't miss it!

iRace Cleared to Launch

2009-12-06T19:10:00.001-08:00

The Independent Race Series (www.irace.net.au) has announced an exciting partnership with Western Australia-based Launch Helmet Cams (www.launchhelmetcams.com.au). Launch Helmet Cams is now the official onboard camera and helmet camera partner for the Independent Race Series.

The partnership will see an onboard camera supplied at each round of the 2010 Independent Race Series for use in a specially selected competitor's racecar. The footage will be showcased on the Independent Race Series website, the Launch Helmet Cams website and The Hot Seat TV (www.thehotseat.tv).

Launch Helmet Cams is a Perth-based company dedicated to providing cameras for use in a variety of action and adventure sports. Launch Helmet Cams are the official Australian distributors for the VIO POV range of cameras (as used by AVE for the great iRace onboard footage in 2009), and a full range of all the best helmet and onboard cameras, including: GoPro, Drift Innovations, VHoldR, Elmo and Oregon Scientific. If you want to capture video from any kind of action sport, Launch Helmet Cams are THE people to talk to.

The Independent Race Series was formed in 2008, and is famous for it's mate-against-mate brand of racing. In 2010 the series features a seven round calendar, at some of Australia's best circuits, and showcasing racing by a huge variety of cars and categories, from flat-out open-wheelers to showroom-style production cars.

As part of the partnership between Launch Helmet Cams and the Independent Race Series, a selection of the best cameras for motorsport will be used, and product reviews made available on the Independent Race Series website. Of course, the onboard footage will also be available to help racers choose the best camera for their application.

Competitors from the Independent Race Series who choose to purchase a camera from the official onboard camera and helmet camera partner, Launch Helmet Cams, will also receive a free 16GB memory card to go with their camera, and store plenty of awesome footage.

Round One of the Independent Race Series will be held at Oran Park GP, 15-16 Jan 2010, and the footage from the first Launch Helmet Cams onboard camera will be available shortly after.

The Launch Helmet Cams online store is open now - an onboard camera would be the perfect Christmas gift for the racer in your family (or for yourself!). If you're an iRacer, don't forget to mention this to receive your bonus 16GB memory card.

McHitch a Big Hit

2009-11-28T21:51:00.001-08:00

Joe McGinnes, Touring Car Challenge competitor, and member of the iRace family has invented a fantastic new product. It's a new type of trailer coupling, and it looks set to be a huge success.

Joe had the opportunity to showcase the product during the iRace TV coverage on Speedweek last weekend, and it proved to be a massive hit. The McHitch.com.au website received a load of hits, and Joe received a huge amount of interest via email.

Head over to www.mchitch.com.au to find out all about Joe's fantastic invention. Check out the Speedweek coverage here.

And get involved in the Independent Race Series in 2010 to have the opportunity to give your sponsors this kind of exposure!

Round 1 for 2010 will be held at Oran Park 15-16 Jan. Don't miss out!

Speedweek Coverage Available Online

2009-11-28T14:34:00.001-08:00

The TV coverage from SBS Speedweek that screened last weekend is available to watch again on Speedweek's awesome website. Click here to view the episode.

There's also a great interview with Darren Gillis from HDT, he talks about the awesome new Blue Meanie, and his support of the Independent Race Series. Click here to view Darren's interview.

Speedweek coverage will be back for the 2010 iRace season. Round 1 kicks off at Oran Park GP 15-16 Jan.

New Website Users Guide

2009-11-23T01:53:00.001-08:00

The 2010 model iRace website has plenty of useful features. Hopefully you're getting to know them already. But to help out, we're posting regular tips on getting the most out of the site.

To get the most out of the site, head over to the "Website Features" page (click here) and read some of the 'Did You Know?' articles. We'll be adding to these regularly.

For example, did you know you can connect with iRace on Facebook by joining our group? And that you can follow iRace updates on Twitter? You can do both of these things from every page on the site - the links are at the very top of the page.

If you have any queries about the site, feedback, or something you would like explained, please get in touch here.

Kumho Winners for Round 6

2009-11-21T22:52:00.001-08:00

Kumho Tyres, and John Mills' F Sport have been fantastic supporters of the Independent Race Series throughout 2009. At each round Kumho has awarded a full set of road tyres to a randomly selected volunteer official, and a pair of race tyres to a winner within the Production Racing Cars.

For our final round of 2009, the winners were as follows:

Official - Lance Smith, Chief Scrutineer
Lance wins a set of road tyres

Production Racing Cars - Geoff Kite, Most Improved Driver Over the Season
Geoff wins a pair of race tyres

The Independent Race Series would like to extend sincere thanks on behalf of all competitors and officials to John Mills and Kumho. See you in 2010!

There's a Party, You're Invited!

2009-11-21T16:29:00.001-08:00

We're having a Christmas Party to celebrate the end of the 2009 Independent Race Series, and will be combining this with a presentation night.

The event is scheduled for Saturday 12 December, and it will be held at the Marulan Driver Training Centre.

As part of the event, Garry and Nat Willmington will be hosting a track day during the day (9.00am till 4.00pm) and all iRace competitors will receive a 20% discount on the normal track fee, the cost is $80 for drivers $50 for passengers, so bring your family and your road car if you like and have a day of fun.

Afternoon entertainment starts at 4.00pm and includes a Quad Bike Stunt Show from our own "Kangaroo Kid" Matt Coulter.

Dinner starts at 6.00pm and costs $29 per head, and includes 2 course dinner, tea and coffee (cappucinos, soft drinks available from the Cafe, BYOG)

To respond to this invitation, please fill out the short form on our website available by clicking here.