| A successful V8 Supercar team can be likened
to an orchestra: the sum is worth more than its constituent parts,
and a successful performance demands each member's input. Costing
anything up to $300,000 a V8 Supercar is a purpose-built racecar with
a countless number of sophisticated components that requires a skilled
and dedicated team.
Team Owner - Paul Little
Paul and Anthony Tratt have been team mates since 1993. Paul is
more than a team owner; he was an active motorsport competitor
in the competitive Porsche Cup Championship until commitments
as Chief Executive Officer of Australia's largest transport company,
Toll Holdings, forced Paul to relinquish the steering wheel in
1998. After five years Paul's other passion (Toll Transport) shifted
up a gear and became one of the largest companies in the southern
hemisphere. Paul's Porsche Cup team comprised a pair of identical
cars, the other being driven by Anthony Tratt. It was here that
a strong bond and friendship developed, one that continues today.
Analysing on-screen data, discussing engineering issues and overseeing
race strategies Paul attends many V8 Supercar events and takes
a keen and active interest in the cut-and-thrust of the world's
toughest touring car category.
#1 Mechanic / Truck driver / Wheel
Taking the step from Porsche Cup to V8 Supercars required permanent
and experienced staff: it was at this point that Ken joined the
team. With a wealth of experience as diverse as dirt-track speedway
and banked-oval NASCAR racing Ken also displays attention to detail,
and skilled craftsmanship, second to none: and of course total
dedication and commitment. Working in the team headquarters Ken
performs the myriad of engineering and maintenance tasks required
between race events where he takes the leading role with direction
of other full time team members. At the race track Ken is the
#1 Mechanic and attends to wheel changes during the mandatory
pit stops at all race events.
#2 Mechanic / sub-assemblies / Wheel
Chris joined the team in 2000 from one of Melbourne's leading Mercedes
Benz dealerships. Being familiar with sophisticated and complex
engineering Chris quickly meshed with the team adapting instantly
to the requirements of a purpose-built race car. At team headquarters
Chris also attends to routine maintenance and race preparation
tasks. At the track Chris is #2 mechanic and wheel-changer during
the mandatory pit stops.
Tyres / data retrieval / Wheel
Joining the team in 1999, Steve gathers the electronic data as
recorded by the Toll Ipec Falcon's sophisticated on-board systems.
With a set amount of tyres allocated to each team at each race
event, and with each tyre bar-coded by the Race Officials, the
management of the Toll Ipec Falcon tyre fleet is a critical job.
Steve maintains a detailed logbook on each tyre to ensure that
its performance is maximised and regulatory obligations are met.
Steve is also a wheel-changer during pit stops.
Crew Chief / Shock absorbers
A recent acquisition from the United States of America, in early
2002, Ian takes the lead role at race events, as Crew Chief. Calling
the shots and directing the crew: Ian blends the team strategies
with tactical opportunities during each race. Ian brings experience
from the USA at Patrick Racing: a leading C.A.R.T. (Championship
of Auto Racing Teams), colloquially known as Indycars, team. His
leading role in Patrick Racing's suspension department made Ian
the natural choice for maximising the performance of the Toll
Ipec Falcon's shock absorbers: a crucial element in extracting
those extra hundredths of a second.
Engineer / Drafting
Bringing together all the components Ralph's resume is second-to-none.
For over two decades, from the 1960's, working in Formula One
with icons including Brabham, McLaren and Lotus his duties of
designing and engineering the world's greatest racing machines
mark Ralph as one of Australia's greatest motor racing names.
Consulting to the Toll Ipec Racing Team since October 2001 Ralph
was instrumental in designing the current Toll Ipec Falcon, a
car which has been our best yet.
Set-up / Fabrication
Consulting to the Toll Ipec Racing Team since 2000 Paris brings
hands-on V8 Supercar experience with one of the nation's most
prominent teams: The Coca Cola team of former motor cycle world
champion, Wayne Gardner. A long stint with that team saw Paris
rise from the position of component fabricator to Team Manager
before the team's withdrawal from the series. With a seemingly
endless ability to make literally any sort of component or item
Paris' engineering company supplies the Toll Ipec Racing Team
with many of the hand-made components required for a V8 Supercar.
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