On The Grid

PORSCHE young-gun Cooper Murray got the nod to head overseas and represent Australia in the Porsche Junior Shootout this year - so we've got the young Victorian ace on the line to talk about the challenges of trying to forge a career during Covid.. and dealing with broken bones at the same time! Then the OTG team works through the revised Sydney calendar and have a crack at predicting what is to come from four weeks in a row at Sydney Motorsport Park, look at Oscar Piastri's chances in '22 and reflect on the Russian GP rumble.

SOMETHING a bit different this week as we look forward to the time we can go back to racing and enjoy a night out after a busy day at the track. That's right - it's our look at the best post-race establishments to visit for a pint and a Parmy! Dale Rodgers returns with another lesson in motorsport-themed numerology which you simply must listen to believe.. and we rundown all the best from NASCAR, IndyCar, F1 and more from the week that was. Where is your favourite place to have a post-race tipple? Let us know on our socials @theracetorque now.

THIS WEEK On the Grid we're delving into our personal collections of motorsport paraphernalia as we list our five favourite bits of memorabilia collected by the team over the years. From broken bits of racing cars to many linear metres of books and everything in between, you'll learn what treasures Schibeci, Walker and Craill all like the most. There's also a rundown of the bumper six-day Bathurst event just announced, Italian Grand Prix talk and much more.

CRAIG LOWNDES is our headline guest this week as he reflects on finally getting that F1 call-up, even if it was an old car at The Bend Classic! Lowndesy talks adapting back to the H-Pattern gearbox, downforce and the speed of thing, plus finding out how unreliable they are.. There's also Gen III chatter after he's spent several days pounding around QR with the new engine, Bathurst talk and a whole heap more. Then the boys run though another Top 5, this time the places they'd like to see a street race pop up. Some have potential.. but some are pretty out there. Literally!

Mark Skaife is a special guest on the show this week to give his thoughts on the 60th anniversary of Mallala Motorsport Park in a special segment dedicated to the history of the circuit - there's some sensational stories! Simon Wills and Dean Canto also offer their thoughts. Then the team talks the rapid rise of Broc Feeney from nothing to Triple Eight driver in just a few short years, discusses the Belgian GP debacle and much more.

THIS week another On the Grid Top Five returns as the team lists their five favourite motor racing heroes - the five biggest names that have influenced their racing careers. From Brock to Beechey and more, it's an eclectic mix of racing heroes and some fun stories to accompany them, many of them personal reasons as to why these particular drivers achieved hero status. We're also joined by Team 18 / DeWalt Racing driver Scott Pye, who talks the upcoming Supercars ESeries, his real-world season so far and restorations of classic Ford trucks.

Le Mans is a long way from scenic Torquay on the Victorian coast, but that's where Scott Andrews finds himself this weekend as he readies himself for a crack at the iconic 24-Hour race. We speak to the young Victorian, who now calls the 'States home, about his remarkable rise through the sports car racing ranks, running campaigns in WEC and IMSA at the same time, working for legends like Bill Riley and much more. It's a fascinating chat from one of the most unheralded Aussie's racing on the world stage - but one doing an awesome job. Then MotoGP superfan Chad Neylon joins the show to debrief the remarkable Austrian MotoGP that saw Brad Binder hold on to win on slicks as the rest of the field mowed him down on wets. That and much more on this week's OTG!

WHERE is your favourite spot in the world to watch racing cars? That's the question tabled for this week's edition of On the Grid. From the best corners in the world to places less glamorous but more sentimental, there's so many places where watching racing cars go about their business transcends mere sport. This week, the OTG crew rattle off their personal top five lists of places they've watched racing cars race. We'd love to hear your most memorable spectating experiences - the who, what, where, when and why - so be sure to hit us up on the social media channels @theracetorque and let us know.

IF MONEY was no object and travel was back on the radar, which racing events around the world would you most want to attend? That's our topic this week as we delve into the events the OTG team most want to visit. The standard stuff everyone has on their list is there, but then again there's some very random suggestions thrown into the mix (most of them from Mr. Walker) that may cause you to think about your own choices and add some new ones to your list. What bucket-list tracks would you want to visit? Hit us up on our socials @theracetorque and let us know!

WE'RE half way through the Supercars championship, so it's time to run our eye over the team performances from the season so far via our patented, annual (this year, anyway) mid-season report card. Every team gets a grade and we're not mucking about - while some teams definitely get a passing mark, some of them don't fare particularly well and need to do plenty of homework before the year is out.. Do you agree or disagree? Let us know via the socials at @theracetorque now!

BRAD JONES RACING ace Todd Hazelwood is our guest this week and as well as recounting his hugely impressive weekend in Townsville last time out, he's also giving us some insight into what it's like to drive a Supercar. Using his own battles to qualify well this year as an example, Todd guides us through what it takes to 'Turn on' (the innuendo is real) the Dunlop tyre for that one lap dash, how BJR and Tickford, for example, do things differently and what it's like to feel a brand-new tyre on a one-lap dash. It's a fascinating insight into how these ace drivers are working on their own driving, as much as the car itself, to get the most out of the package in a bid to get up the front. Plus, there's a British GP review and then a recap of the most excellent TSV 2.0 weekend that saw some of the best racing of the season. There's a full crew this week, too: Tony Schibeci joined by Craill, Walker and Rodgers for the debrief.

NEWS-BREAKING journalist Bruce Newton is on the show this week to run though the behind the scenes of the Supercars paddock - and there's plenty going on. There's the current calendar shuffle and what lies ahead for 2021, plus a rundown of where Gen III is at and the challenges the series still faces there. Plus, Bruce gives his insight into the sales process as the sport searches for new owners.. and much more! Then it's a review of the Red Bull's domination from the weekend and a look ahead to Townsville 2.0 this week.

AUSTRALIAN Grand Prix Corporation CEO Andrew Westacott is our special guest this week on a fast-tracked On the Grid. Fresh from the disappointing news that the Australian Grands Prix - both two and four-wheeled varieties - Westacott joined Tony Schibeci to discuss the decision and what it means for both events moving forward. Then the OTG talks the fallout of the decision and previews this weekend's NTI Townsville 500 as the Supercars prepares for what looks like another double dose of North Queensland action.

WE'RE talking kids books this week as noted Motorsport PR guru and author Grant Rowley joins the show to talk about his series of five new motorsport-themed kids books, titled 'Little Heroes'. The books follow the journeys of motorsport legends Jim Richards, Peter Brock, Molly Taylor, John Bowe and Dick Johnson and are a sensational addition to the motorsport publishing landscape. Rowley talks about the genesis of the idea, working with the stars in question on their respective books and the potential (given we expect these to be a sales success) for more racing legends to be featured moving forward.

Thomas Randle on his full-time news WE are pretty open about the fact that we're fans of Thomas Randle On the Grid, so it only seemed logical to get him back on the show this week following the announcement - finally - that he would be a full-time Supercars driver in 2022. As always, Tom is honest and open about his journey to this point, the surprise of how the news was broken at the weekend and yes, you'd better believe we asked him to go into great detail about how he set up that mega pass on Anton de Pasquale at turn one, too. Then we discuss the new and improved Darwin event and the potential for there to be more of that - Bikes, Drag Racing or otherwise - at other events on the calendar, plus a recap of who did what in the Top End.

CHAZ MOSTERT is locked away at Walkinshaw Andretti United for the next few years, shutting down one of the big silly season 'what if's' half way through the year. He's on the show just hours after announcing his new deal to give us the details. From why he's stayed with WAU, the rebuild of the storied squad to its current competitive state and whether Zak Brown has promised anything cool should he win, it's all here in his one-on-one with our man Tony. Then the team gets the full FOMO with Darwin on this weekend and looks ahead to one of the most exciting rounds of the year as the new Super Soft tyre and an always unpredictable event promises to throw the form guide out the window. That's this week, On the Grid!

MICHAEL HENRY has stories to tell, which is why we've got him on as our featured guest in an extended interview this week On the Grid. Currently engineering Porsche Carrera Cup cars for Sonic Motor Racing, Henry has run the Holden Racing Team, worked for Tom Walkinshaw in Europe, tackled F1 with Arrows, the LeMans 24 Hour and Indy500 as an engine supplier and a whole heap more. He's a fascinating character - emphasis on character - and makes for a great chat. Also, we speak to Tickford chief Tim Edwards about Supercars' second border-run thanks to Covid, being holed up on the NSW coast and how it will change their Darwin preparation.

THERE'S no one better to help debrief the incredible Indy 500 than the man who did such an incredible job calling it - NBC Sports' Leigh Diffey. The boy from Brisbane is acknowledged as the voice of IndyCar racing these days and his call of Helio Castroneves winning his fourth 500 was memorable for all the right reasons. Leigh reflects on the privilege of being part of history, the significance of having fans back at the Speedway, the call and his upcoming adventure to call track and field for NBC at the Tokyo Olympics. Then we speak to Tom Arciuli from Doric, one of the longest serving supporters and sponsors of Aussie motorsport, and find out what makes motorsport sponsorship work, how it operates and why they pick the drivers to support that they do.

A DIFFERENT On the Grid this week - you see, we plain ran out of time to book a guest so instead it's Schibecs, Craillsy and Walker rabbiting on about everything in the racing world. There's a Winton preview, a look at Indy500 qualifying, everything wrong with the Monaco GP and a random, Indy-inspired theory for changing up Bathurst qualifying. Honestly, if you were going to miss a show, this would be the one to skip because if you're looking for a fascinating guest filled with deep racing insight, you've come to the wrong place.. Otherwise, join the sleep-deprived fun!

THE INDY 500 is just around the corner, so On the Grid is taking this opportunity to look ahead to the race and, in particular, assess Scott McLaughlin’s impact on the US scene so far. We can waffle on about it, but we also have zero credibility – so we thought we would rope in someone who does. Marshall Pruett is the best IndyCar journo going around, covering the series for RACER.com and his own podcast. He also loves all things Down Under so he’s the perfect man to give some insight on not just how Scotty Mac has performed so far, but how he has been embraced by the series, his rivals, the media and indeed, the US fans. After that it’s our usual prattle as the boys chat about Australia’s most underrated racing drivers and launch a quest to name the top 10 from that particular category. That, Schibeci butchers the name of the show for the second time, and much more.