Full field to set scene for Challenge finale
Seventeen MINI Challenge R56s will take to the grid for the final round of Hertz MINI Challenge - delivered by Pizza Capers at this weekend's Sydney Telstra 500 at Homebush.
With four competitors still in for a mathematical shot at winning the series the action will be hotter than ever as Chris Alajajian leads the pack with a hungry Paul Stokell lurking just 28.5 points adrift.
The battle of the young guns still rages on with just 13 points separating Peter McNiven and Sean Carter who sit third and fourth respectively while Kiwi driver Gavin Yortt will be hard pressed to move up a couple of spots from his current position in fifth.
Back in the pocket rocket for the second time this year is young speedster Grand Doulman while local lad Aaron Zerefos returns to the series' final round as he looks to impress around his backyard. Adding some international flavour is MINI Challenge Spain Champions Jose Manuel De Los Milagros and Javier Villa who have been invited to the Homebush event as reward for winning the Spanish series this year.
After a stunning performance at Surfers Paradise, Glenn Seton has been invited back to pilot the Pizza Capers UberStar entry and will be looking to go one better and claim a maiden round win for the gourmet pizza kitchen establishment. Gold Coast MINI Dealer Beric Lynton will be looking to capitalise on current form and chase his third podium of the year when he heads to Sydney this weekend. Captain consistency Brendan Cook heads into the event sixth in the series but will have a hard charging Seton and Lynton on his championship tail. Winding its way around the Sydney Olympic Park complex which hosted the 2000 Olympic Games, the newest V8 Supercar circuit is a real mixture.
Track designers, including five-time Series Champion Mark Skaife, have focused on creating a real challenge for the drivers, with a variety of bumps, camber changes and fast and slow corners making it difficult to complete the perfect lap. Circuit length:3.4kmCircuit Direction: Anti-ClockwiseMaximum Speed: 250km*
(*new circuit based on estimate speeds only)
Fastest point: Turn 1, end of pit straight Slowest Point: Mid-corner, last 2 turns (12/13) MINI Challenge Series Leader Chris Alajajian said:
"As my home ground is approaching, and having maintained the championship lead all season, it still ain't over yet!! I've had and maintained strong form so far, and with one round to spare I understand just keeping a clean sheet of results could win the championship for me. But that's not what I'm about; I'll be going for the round win! It's going to be a great final MINI Challenge round in Sydney and once again the series will go down to the wire between Paul [Stokell] and I. It's been fun and exciting racing alongside him this year and I'm sure we can put on a show together for all spectators and MINI Challenge fans!
I've prepped myself for a wet weekend or whatever terrain will be thrown at me. At the start of the year we set out to finish on the podium every round and aside from the Gold Coast we have achieved this with four round wins being the ultimate highlight. This is the mentality I am employing heading into Homebush, and if we can achieve a podium finish then the title will be secured for the JAXQuickfit Tyre team. Anything can happen in MINI Challenge, especially with a full field on the grid, so I must remain 100 percent focused until the completion of Sunday's final race."
