Three Way Title Fight Hots Up After Qualifying in the V8 Utes
Reigning Champion Grant Johnson will start on pole position for Race One in the 32 strong field for the final round of the 2008 Yokohama V8 Utes Racing Series at the NRMA Motoring and Insurances Grand Finale Event at Oran Park Raceway.
Johnson will be joined by current Series leader Layton Crambrook who qualified second behind him.
"Grunta" Johnson also holds the lap record and still held top spot on the time sheet after Practice One and elected to sit out in the second session to keep his car fresh for qualifying.
“We tested here recently and came up with a good all round set up, so we knew what to expect from the car.”
“I love Oran Park, and the car feels great, so we are expecting to have a successful weekend.”
True to the V8 Utes bump and grind form, Practice one saw three cars head off track; including Greg “Freddy” Willis who managed to regain himself by practice two to qualify 13th for Race one.
Global Trader driver, Ryal Harris also struggled with the same corner and went off well into the session eventually being towed back to the pits with only minutes remaining.
The #41 Kanga Loaders Commodore was sporting some heavy damage when on lap 3 Damien “Ice” White by his own admission “ran out of talent” , ran wide at Suttons Corner and tagged the wall leaving his team plenty of work to get the car ready for qualifying.
The GP Fuels Racing team of Shannon and Ray Sidebottom showed true V8 Ute sportsmanship and lent the Kanga team a camo coloured front guard as all the spare guards from the Kanga outfit were used in fixing Yanis Derims huge practice accident just two weeks ago.
Race One will kick off tomorrow, Friday, 5th December at 12:20pm at the Oran Park Raceway.
Race Two and Three will be televised on the Seven Network – Race Two on Saturday, 6th December at 3:25pm and the final Race of the Season on Sunday, 7th December at 2:40pm.
At the time of writing there were no results available for qualifying due to a rare glitch in the timing system.
Top 5 Qualifiers
1 Grove Fruit Juice/Permacoat Grant Johnson 1:21.271 Mother Energy Drink/Lamont Layton Crambrook 1:21.53 Sage Automation Gary Baxter 1:21.92
27
11 Bob Jane T-Marts/Trading Post
Coopers Pale Ale Racing Kim Jane
Jack Elsegood 121.95
1:22.07
Practice One Results
1 Grove Fruit Juice/Permacoat Grant Johnson 1:21.21 71 Mother Energy Drink/Lamont Layton Crambrook 1:21.54 3 Sage Automation Gary Baxter 1:21.92 11 Coopers Pale Ale Racing Jack Elsegood 1:22.07 7 Lubrimaxx Racing/PortMacquarie George Miedecke 1:22.28 12 West Coast Racing/NRW Holdings Glenn McNally 1:22.32 9 Jesus All About Life Andrew Fisher 1:22.59 27 Bob Jane T-Marts/Trading Post Kim Jane 1:22.67 2 Howard Racing/Vanuatuland.com Stephen Robinson 1:22.70 28 Wake Up Racing/Wake Up Backpck Warren Millett 1:22.73
Practice Two Results
27 Bob Jane T-Marts/Trading Post Kim Jane 1:21.95 7 Lubrimaxx Racing/PortMacquarie George Miedecke 1:22.12 71 Mother Energy Drink/Lamont Layton Crambrook 1:22.17 3 Sage Automation Gary Baxter 1:22.57 11 Coopers Pale Ale Racing Jack Elsegood 1:22.60 43 ISRI Truck Seats Steve Hodges 1:22.74 42 Kanga Loaders/Brock RaceEngine Gary MacDonald 1:22.98 9 Jesus All About Life Andrew Fisher 1:23.14 99 Storage King/Wilson Fabrics Ben Dunn 1:23.19 28 Wake Up Racing/Wake Up Backpck Warren Millett 1:23.1969
