Fast Facts about the V8 Utes at Hidden Valley Raceway, DarwinAbout the Circuit:Length: 2.87km longTurns: 14· Hidden Valley Raceway has one of the fastest straights at 1.1km long.
1) The V8 Utes have raced at Hidden Valley six times including; 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008 and 2009 and 2010.
2) Gary Baxter set the first ever lap record in 2005 in Race 1 in a time of 1:24.08 and held onto it until Race 1, 2006 when it was broken by Kerry Wade in a time of; 1:23.57.
3) The current lap record is held by Corestaff/Holiday Inn backed driver Grant Johnson set in Race 1 last year in a time of 1:22.88. 2010 was the second time Johnson has broken his own record. The first time he achieved this was in Race 1 in 2009 by seven one-hundredth of a second from his former record of 1:23.26 held since Race 3 in 2006.
4) Race 1 at Hidden Valley will be Eagle Pro Racing's Nandi "Mr Damage" Kiss's 200th race in a V8 Ute. Kiss is the fifth driver to accomplish this in the 11 years the Series has been going. Other drivers include: Charlie Kovacs (Oran Park, 2008), Jack Elsegood (Bathurst, 2010), Robert Jarvis (Gold Coast, 2010), Gary Baxter (Adelaide, 2011).
5) Race 3 in 2007 was the closest ever V8 Ute race with Jack Elsegood taking out Grant Johnson in a photo finish by one one-hundredth of a second to claim the round.
6) Seven of the 32 V8 Ute drivers competing in the 2009 Season have raced at Hidden Valley all six times including: Gary Baxter, Jack Elsegood, Kim Jane, Grant Johnson, Nandi Kiss, Greg Willis and Yanis Derums.
Derums stepped out of full-time driving this year and leases his car out to Williams Race Tech, which is currently driven by Graham Edwards. Derums will drive V8 Ute Veteran Charlie "Handlebars" Kovacs' Holden for the round, whilst Kovacs will miss only his second V8 Ute round since he started in the Series in 2001.
7) V8 Ute newcomer Cameron McConville (Bundaberg Racing) has raced in Darwin 11 times (in a V8 Supercar) including every year since 2000 excluding 2010; however this will be his first time racing a V8 Ute at the Darwin Circuit and he will join Nathan Pretty, Rick Gill, Jake McNally, Graham Edwards and Rhys Hansford as first time V8 Ute drivers on the Hidden Valley Track. Only five out of the 32 drivers not to have raced there before in a V8 Ute.
8) Grant "Grunta" Johnson has the best track record at Hidden Valley posting five out of six possible podiums including three wins (2006, 2009, 2010), one second (2007) and one third (2005).
9) New drivers to the field for Round 3 include: Graham "The Mole" Edwards and Tim "The Toolman" Blanchard who will be driving the Auto One Wildcard.
10) The Series title fight is as fierce as ever with only 1 point up for grabs for every car that is overtaken. Only five points separate the top four on the ENZED V8 Ute Leader-board heading into Round 1 with Ice Break Racings' Chris Pither in the lead followed by Grant Johnson in second, Australian Industrial Supplies backed David Sieders in third and VIP Petfood's driver Ryal Harris in fourth.
11) Race 2 and Race 4 will be televised LIVE from Hidden Valley. Race 2 will be televised, Saturday 18th June on the Seven Network between 2pm and 5:30pm (AEST) and Race 4 will be televised Sunday 19th June on 7Mate between 12:30pm and 5pm (AEST).
Previous Winners:20101) Grant Johnson2) Kim Jane3) Jack Elsegood
20091) Grant Johnson2) Layton Crambrook3) Glenn McNally
20081) Layton Crambrook2) Kim Jane3) George Miedecke
20071) Jack Elsegood2) Grant Johnson3) Gary Baxter
20061) Grant Johnson2) Marcus Zukanovic3) Kim Jane
20051) Jack Elsegood2) Rod Wilson3) Grant Johnson
Below: Drivers Hidden Valley Racing History
Driver First Darwin Race Times at Best Race Best Qualifying Darwin Result Result#3 Gary Baxter 2005, 06, 07, 08, 09,10 6 1st (R1.07) 2nd '05/07#11 Jack Elsegood 2005, 06, 07, 08, 09,10 6 1st (R2.R3.05) 2nd '10#27 Kim Jane 2005, 06, 07, 08, 09,10 6 1st(R2.06/10 4th '10#24 Nandi Kiss 2005, 06, 07, 08, 09,10 6 14th(R3.07) 9th '09#1 Grant Johnson 2005, 06, 07, 08, 09,10 6 1st (R1.R3.06/10/R1.09)1st '09/10#44 Greg Willis 2005, 06, 07, 08, 09,10 6 16th (R2.08) 23rd '07/08#66 Yanis Derums 2005, 06, 07, 08, 09,10 6 3rd (R2.09) 9th '05#56 George Elliot 2007, 08, 09,10 4 14th (R1.10) 17th '09#58 Ryal Harris 2005, 06, 08,10 4 4th(R1.05) 3rd '05#22 Craig Dontas 2007, 08, 09, 10 4 6th (R1.10) 6th '10#99 Ben Dunn 2006, 07, 08,10 4 7th (R2. 08) 10th '06#9 Andrew Fisher 2007, 08, 09,10 4 5th (R2 08/R1.R3.10) 5th '10#88 Warren Millet 2007, 08, 09,10 4 17th (R1.08) 25th '08#14 Brad Patton 2008, 09,10 3 13th (R2.09) 13th '10#4 Peter Burnitt 2008, 09,10 3 18th (R2.10) 18th '09#23 Ben Kavich 2008, 09, 10 3 9th (R2 09) 16th '09#42 Chris Pither 2005,10 2 3rd (R1.10) 3rd '10#13 Gary Carson 2009,10 2 16th (R2.09/10) 26th '10#2 Noel Edge 2009,10 2 15th (R2.10) 23rd '10#37 Jason Gomersall 2009,10 2 20th (R1.10) 18th '10#7 Jeremy Gray 2010 1 12th(R2.10) 18th '10#26 Rhys McNally 2010 1 16th (R1.10) 17th '10#8 David Sieders 2010 1 13th (R2.10) 8th '10#15 Charlie O'Brien 2010 1 18th (R3.10) 24th '10#56 Nathan Pretty 1st time in a Ute in Darwin 0 - -#61 Cameron McConville 1st time in a Ute in Darwin 0 - - #51 Rick Gill 1st time in a Ute in Darwin 0 - -#92 Jake McNally Rookie 0 - -30 Graham Edwards 1st time in a Ute in Darwin 0 - -#6 Ryan Hansford Rookie 0 - -#25 Brendon Cook 1st time in a Ute in Darwin 0 - -#18 Tim Blanchard 1st time in a Ute in Darwin 0 - -
V8 Ute Racing Schedule - Hidden Valley Raceway Friday, 17th June 9:05am Practice 1 Friday, 17th June 12:40pm Practice 2 Saturday, 18th June 8:40am Qualifying Saturday, 18th June 10:35am Race 1 Saturday, 18th June 2:45pm Race 2 Sunday, 19th June 10:30am Race 3 Sunday, 20th June 1:30pm Race 4
