Pitstop: Loeb hopes silver fern's magic will work again

World rally champion Sebastien Loeb can rewrite the record books if he wins the Rally of Argentina this weekend.

The Frenchman has won the last five championship rallies in his Citroen Xsara, beginning his run with victory in New Zealand in April.

He also won the Monte Carlo Rally at the start of the season.

Fellow Frenchman Didier Auriol won six in his championship season of 1992 and Loeb equalled that feat last year. Loeb has eight more rounds to extend that record.

But winter in Argentina will present a different challenge after a series of summer events in Europe, and Citroen's all-conquering Michelin tyres are likely to be challenged by the Pirellis of former champions Petter Solberg (Subaru) and Marcus Gronholm (Peugeot).

Loeb has never won in Argentina. Last year he was second to team-mate Carlos Sainz, who has retired again after filling in for Citroen in the last two events.

Since the New Zealand round, Loeb has carried with him a lucky silver fern he was given after a Maori welcome. He will be hoping it can continue to work its magic on his return to the Southern Hemisphere.

Motocross support

With support from Auckland businessman Greg Halliday of Mainstream Freight, 17-year-old motocross rider Blake Gillard, from Beachlands, is on his way to compete in two major motocross events in Europe.

Gillard will compete in a round of the German 125cc championships in Prisannowitz on Sunday and the following weekend he is entered in the Junior World Cup at Jinin in Czechoslovakia.

Birthday prize

Young Auckland kart racing star Andrew Waite received the best birthday present he could have wished for.

On his 16th birthday, Waite was named the winner of the SpeedSport Star of Tomorrow motor-racing scholarship, giving him a head-start for a single-seater racing career.

Waite headed off five other finalists to win the $50,000 scholarship, which provides a fully paid season competing in a Formula First racing car, the entry level for single-seater racing in New Zealand.

Waite is a student at St Kentigern College in Pakuranga.

Richards wins wages

New Zealand driver Jason Richards has hailed a court's decision to award him unpaid wages from a broken contract in 2003 as "an outstanding result not just for myself but for all V8 Supercar drivers".

Richards was awarded A$41,704 ($46,160) plus interest by the South Australian District Court after suing former employer Team Dynamik for non-payment of wages (A$34,375), plus a percentage of merchandise and membership revenue (A$7329).

A counter-claim by Team Dynamik for A$720,000 to cover repairs to race cars, future loss of profits and lost sponsorship was dismissed.

Richards, now with Tasman Motorsport, was employed in 2003 by Team Dynamik on a two-year contract. He walked out at the end of the 2003 season after the team failed to honour several scheduled contractual payments.

Coulthard improving

Aucklander Fabian Coulthard performed creditably before a Formula One audience with a top-10 finish in the Porsche Supercup race, which was a support race at the British Grand Prix at Silverstone.

The 22-year-old, who drives full-time in the Carrera Cup in Australia, improved all weekend as he adapted to the new 997 series Porsche 911 GT3 Cup car.

Coulthard rose from 13th-fastest in practice to 11th in qualifying and then finished 10th out of 20 cars over the 12-lap race round the 5.141km circuit.

He was awarded the Supercup drive as the leading driver under 30 in the all-Porsche Australian Carrera Cup.

Coulthard's next race will be on July 22 in the Queensland round of that championship, in which he lies second to veteran Kiwi Jim Richards.

Smith successful again

Mitsubishi driver Glenn Smith (Hawera) has extended his record of success in the Taranaki Tarmac Rally.

The top-seed and defending champion, Smith led home a 118-strong field on Saturday to win the event for the fourth time in six years.

Kiwi sixth

Thanks to some great starts, Kiwi Mark Porter overcame some poor grid positions to finish sixth overall in the latest round of the second-level Australian V8 championship at Eastern Creek at the weekend.

Driving a Ford Falcon for the Ellery team, Porter finished fourth, sixth and eighth in the three races and lies seventh in the championship. The round was won by Dean Canto, also in a Ford.