TOWNSVILLE CLOUT CAN'T KEEP MODYSTACH OUT!
John Modystach rode out one of the biggest crashes in MINI Challenge history at the Dunlop Townsville 400 recently, but not even a power meeting with the concrete retaining wall can keep the likeable Queenslander away.
To that end, Modystach will line up at Sandown Motor Raceway this weekend for the fourth round of MINI Challenge 09 driving the Motorline MINI Garage entry campaigned by Todd Wanless at Townsville.
John’s once pristine Prosurv JCW R56 MINI Challenge rocket suffered badly in the massive impact he made with the ‘kink’ at the end of the main straight but rather than miss the next round he promptly did a deal to become a Motorline man for Sandown.
“John’s commitment to MINI Challenge is first class,” says Toleman Motorsport Director Raf Toda, “it was never in question that he’d be back racing, even after that massive crash.”
The ironic part about the Townsville tangle is that Modystach was clearly in the best form of his 2009 campaign so far.
“John started 09 at his own speed and he was frustrated with his progress prior to Townsville. He did some advance driving with Paul Stokell from what I understand and he was significantly faster in the early part of the Townsville, weekend,” explains Toda.
Indeed he was, running top three in the early part of his second performance.
“I tend to get good starts,” he recalls, “but the trick is to maintain that car speed across the whole race. I’m getting there, I definitely feel more comfortable in the car.”
Modystach was heading down to the kink just after the start of the final race of the weekend when he was moved into by another competitor that was possibly trying to avoid the Bargwanna crash, in the process spearing his Prosurv #26 across the right hand side and into the wall without braking.
“I had clear track in front of me and the next thing I know I received a touch and into the wall I went,” he recalls.
It was a massive impact and made national TV.
It was not, unfortunately the impact that the affable Modystach was hoping to make obviously.
“I went from total excitement to total devastation. It actually scared me, the crash itself, and it wasn’t until I saw the replay that I realised what had happened. It all happened so fast, it would have been around 150kph I’d say.”
With support from Prosurv, Position Partners and BMD Construction however John Modystach is back and ready for action this weekend – with his longer term proposition still in place for the remaining round also.
“I’m not done,” he says with determination, “not by a long shot.”
