Kickback reveals ugly side of a shady deal About noon on Thursday, Fairfax Media's investigative reporter Kate McClymont tweeted: "OMG! Macca stood to get $4mill from Obeids coal deal, $330K from forests, $55k from V8 supercars, $30k cash and $195 loan. It was like a grenade lobbing. There had been speculation about a cozy relationship between V8 Supercars Australia and former NSW Labor minister Ian Macdonald, and Greg Jones. But McClymont's hastily typed Twitter message was the first real reportage of evidence given of a kickback to Macdonald. Giving evidence to the inquiry, Jones, who implicated Macdonald in handwritten notes seized from his Surry Hills office by ICAC, worked with the then minister behind the scenes during the negotiations with V8 Supercars. At the launch of the first race at Sydney Olympic Park in 2009, Jones was publicly thanked for his assistance. In light of the lurid coal-lease revelations at the inquiry, an allegedly $55,000 sling to green-light a motor race sounds piddling. But it did involve tens of millions of public money. It also vindicates those who have long maintained that the Taxpayers' 500 at Homebush Bay should not have been given the go ahead by Macdonald, who somehow found the energy to ramrod it through, between free meals at the Rockpool and after-hours relaxation in the company of the comely Tiffanie. To this backdrop, I can't wait for the appearance this week of Macdonald at the ICAC. Far be it that Geoffrey Watson, QC, the forensically entertaining counsel assisting ICAC, need any prompting from anyone, but let's hope the probe continues to explore the links between Macca, Jones and V8 Supercars Australia, and that move to give us a race that few wanted. As Casey Stoner turns to a new motor sporting endeavour - a full season in the second-tier V8 Supercar series and doing fun stuff at Top Gear live shows - his former colleagues and rivals in MotoGP have been busy sorting themselves and new machinery in pre-season testing in Malaysia. Whilst it is perilous to place too much importance on testing times, most riders would agree that they feel better when they are towards the top of the timesheets. Stoner's replacement at Honda, the impressive Moto2 champ Marc Marquez, has been quick from the get-go, just a couple of tenths slower than teammate Dani Pedrosa and defending world champ Jorge Lorenzo, the two Spaniards favoured to duel for this year's crown. Marquez was seen exploring some lurid lean angles on the Honda, an exciting technique reminiscent of Stoner. Valentino Rossi's return to Yamaha is looking like a good move with the superstar running in the top four, and faster than his old Ducati team bikes. The lone Australian in MotoGP this year, debutant Bryan Staring, has struggled on his Gresini Honda so far, but should improve with more time on the bike. On four wheels in formula one testing at Jerez, Lewis Hamilton's new gig with Mercedes F1 started badly, just a day after teammate Nico Rosberg had to deal with an electrical fire. Hamilton lost rear-brake pressure, and whacked the barriers, forcing a long spell on the sidelines for repairs. Lotus has been fast and Ferrari's Felipe Massa says this year's car feels better than the last one. The two Australian drivers are satisfied, too. Mark Webber covered lots of laps without drama, and declared that both the Red Bull car and the team are heading in the right direction. "If you ask me where I think we are compared to this time last year, I'd say we're in a better position," Webber said. Of course a lot of that is down to a lack of regulation changes. Toro Rosso's Daniel Ricciardo was towards the pointy end in his two days of testing. Not that it means much at this early stage.