Stars Out For Revenge In 2005 Bmw Celebrity Challenge
General - Stars Out For Revenge In 2005 Bmw Celebrity Challenge World champions, gold medal Olympians, show business stars and leading national media personalities will be out to prove who is the best of the best in this year’s BMW Celebrity Challenge at the 2005 FORMULA 1™ Foster’s Australian Grand Prix.
BMW Group Australia is bringing together a line-up of ‘the best’ in their field to contest the Celebrity Challenge as part of the 10th Australian Formula One Grand Prix at Melbourne’s Albert Park.
Winners of previous races, including the very competitive and very quick Dermott Brereton, Paul Mercurio and defending Challenge winner James Tomkins are among the initial line up announced today by BMW Group Australia.
A field of 28 drivers will take to the track on Sunday 6 March to decide the Best of the Best BMW Celebrity Challenge in the all-new BMW 1 Series, which will make its global motorsport debut in the race.
BMW Group Australia General Manager for Marketing and Communications, John Kananghinis, said that the 1 Series would provide a spirited performance and exciting racing for the celebrities and the fans.
“It is the ideal car for the Albert Park track with the typical BMW agility and performance in a compact race-enhanced package,” Mr Kananghinis said.
The field to date includes: Olympians Petria Thomas (swimming), Steven Bradbury (speed skating), Kerrie Pottharst and Natalie Cook (beach volleyball), Kieren Perkins (swimming); world champion boxer Kostya Tszyu; Amy Taylor of the Matildas; former AFL star Stephen Silvagni and his wife, TV personality Jo Bailey; TV and radio personalities Eddie McGuire, Richard Wilkins, Livinia Nixon, Neil Mitchell, Stephen Quartermain, Michelle Walsh and Red Symons; and show biz personalities Anthony Field (the Blue Wiggle), singer John Paul Young and actor Steve Bisley.
Matildas soccer star Taylor, who was one of the early race favourites in the 2001 BMW Celebrity Challenge, will be out to make amends for her spin in front of Perkins which cost her a placing in the race, while Tomkins has a score to settle with Mercurio, who eliminated him from the recent TV series “Dancing with the Stars”.
Mercurio took out the 2000 race ahead of Wilkins in a nail-biting, bumper-to-bumper contest, so with the Tomkins factor there is likely to be little quarter given by the three on the ‘dance floor’ at Albert Park.
Bradbury is also in the sights of the very quick Thomas and AFL legend Silvagni. The very aggressive Bradbury was beaten into second place in the rain-affected 2003 race, and Silvagni and Thomas were close on his tail. Both have already declared that they will be snapping at his heels in this year’s race.
The newly-released BMW 1 Series will provide the drivers with all the speed they need to reap their rewards in the four-lap race, with a powerful two-litre four-cylinder longitudinally-mounted engine under the bonnet.
The car produces 110kW of power at 6200 rpm and 200Nm of torque at a low 3600 rpm and is capable of taking the driver from 0 to 100km/h in just 8.7 seconds. A top speed of 217 km/h will be ideal also for the blast up the back straight of Albert Park and especially the charge down the start-finish straight in front of the grandstands.
The car will be slightly modified for the race with the addition of the requisite safety items, such as a full FIA approved roll cage, Monaco racing seat, Willans six-point race harness, AP Racing clutch, Ferodo DS 2500 competition brake pads, Pirelli Pzero Russo sport compound tyres and a sports exhaust – just for some added noise.
The 1 Series will be the seventh model from the BMW stable used in the race over the nine years the company has run the Celebrity Challenge. The others being 318i sedan, the 318is Coupe, the E36 3 Series, the Z3 Roadster, the MINI Coopers and last year’s 318ti Sport Compacts.
The Celebrities will get their first taste of the 1 Series during their special driver-training week at Sandown in the lead-up to the race.
Chief Instructor of BMW Driver Training, Geoff Brabham, will lead of team of experienced and race-hardened instructors to ensure the drivers are familiar with all the safety requirements of racing, as well as handling the vehicles under racing conditions.
2005 BMW CELEBRITY CHALLENGE FIELD (to date)
1. Dermott Brereton – Former AFL star and radio/TV personality
2. Eddie McGuire – TV personality and Collingwood Football Club President
3. James Tomkins – Olympian (rowing)
4. John Paul Young – Singer
5. Kieren Perkins - Olympian (swimming)
6. Kostya Tszyu – World Champion boxer
7. Petria Thomas – Olympian (swimming)
8. Paul Mercurio – Actor
9. Steven Bradbury – Olympian (speed skating)
10. Kerrie Pottharst - Olympian (beach volleyball)
11. Natalie Cook – Olympian (beach volleyball)
12. Amy Taylor – Matildas soccer
13. Stephen Silvagni – former AFL star, TV sports commentator
14. Jo Bailey – TV personality
15. Richard Wilkins – TV personality
16. Livinia Nixon – TV personality
17. Neil Mitchell – Radio commentator
18. Stephen Quartermain, - TV sports commentator
19. Michelle Walsh - TV entertainment presenter
20. Red Symons – Radio personality
21. Anthony Field - the Blue Wiggle
22. Steve Bisley - Actor
