With a qualifying session and two races, there was plenty of action on track for Round 3 of the 2011 Auto One V8 Ute Racing Series - protected by Armor All at Hidden Valley Raceway, Darwin, Saturday, 18th June.

Australian Industrial Supplies driver, David Sieders, kicked off his day claiming the Armor All Pole Award and $1000 cash for the fastest Qualifying result. He then went on to secure Race 1, taking the lap record off reigning champ Grant Johnson, by nearly half a second in a time of 1.22.36.Rookie Jake McNally ruined his weekend when he ran into the tyre wall at Turn 1, causing a red flag and ending the session. The young-gun was forced to retire his JSW Drilling Holden for the round walking away with only his Qualifying points.

Sieders led race one off the line until lap 4 when Go! Channel backed Gary Carson went into the dreaded turn 2 tyre wall after a coming together with Ryal Harris in his VIP Petfoods Ford. Carson's car was heavily damaged and was forced to sit out the rest of the round.

After the lap 7 re-start, Corestaff/Holiday Inn backed Johnson was right on Sieders tail for the remainder of the race but ran out of time to make his move and walked away with second.

There was a fierce battle going on for the top five spots with Ice Break Racing's Chris Pither, Kim Jane (Bob Jane T-Marts) and Cameron McConville (Bundaberg Racing) all putting on a great show. Rookie Ryan Hansford drove well to hold on to his sixth spot ahead of Monster Energy's Nathan Pretty, Jack Elsegood, Craig Dontas and Andrew Fisher.

Auto One Wildcard driver Tim Blanchard drove well to finish just outside the top ten, and Eagle Pro Racing's Nandi Kiss had a good 200th Race finishing in 20th.

Fightweb.com backed Graham Edwards, Jason Gomersall (iseek Racing), CNW Electrical's Peter Burnitt, George "Hollywood" Elliot, Ryal Harris and Yanis Derums were all sent to the back of the Grid to start Race 2 after they were caught passing under yellow flag in Race 1.

Harris as was also relegated to the rear of the grid after being penalised for the incident with Carson.The reverse grid ballot draw took place following race one with number 25 being drawn, putting Wake-Up Racing's Warren Millet on pole (his third in his V8 Ute Racing career) for Race 2. Millet had gear selection issues getting off the line, slowly dropping through the field.Charlie O'Brien was on the front row and took the opportunity to take the lead from Kiss, Workhorse Collision Repairs Racing's Ben Kavich and Ben Dunn. Dunn missed a gear and received a tap from Gary Baxter, which ended the Red Ass Mexican Food backed driver's race hard against the Turn 2 tyre wall, triggering another safety car.After the restart Kavich took the lead for a split second but went wide on turn 2 handing O'Brien back the lead. Baxter, now in second was forced into pit lane after a black flag infringement for overlapping on the safety car restart, putting Tinkler Motorsports Jeremy Gray into second until his bonnet flew up on the main straight.Coopers Clear Racing's Jack Elsegood "Hustled" his way through the field from 14th and was closing in on O'Brien, and in the final lap the veteran went wide giving the New South Welshman the chance to take the lead. Elsegood held O'Brien out wide and set up a drag race to the flag with Elsegood taking the win by 3/tenths of a second.

However, Elsegood was hit with a post race penalty for holding out O'Brien and bumped back to second in the Race 2 results.Series frontrunners Chris Pither, Grant Johnson and David Sieders all had a coming together at turn 5, McConville was also caught up in the incident breaking his steering and strut forcing him into the pits. Pither ended the race without his front bar and finished in 22nd overall.Grant Johnson was handed a 30 second penalty for triggering the incident when he made a move on Pither under brakes into turn 5, tagging the series leader and turning him around.Kim Jane and Ryan Hansford avoided the midfield muster to take third and fourth for the race ahead of VIP Petfoods' teammates Harris in fifth and Brad Patton in sixth. Harris started 26th on the grid passing 21 utes on the way through. Nathan Pretty held his ground to claim seventh ahead of teammate Craig Dontas in eighth.

Stratco Racing's Rhys McNally had a great race rounding out the top ten however was then taken to hospital and put on a drip to re-hydrate after a bad gastro bug attack. Ben Kavich had one of his best results claiming 11th alongside DIC/Vittoria Coffee backed George Elliot in 12th.

Post race Andrew Fisher was also slapped with a 30 second penalty for tapping Nandi Kiss on the final lap of the race.

Sieders now moves back to the Series lead by 2 points from Grant Johnson with Chris Pither a further 5 points behind.

The V8 Utes are back on track for way more action Sunday, 19th June at 10:35am for Race 3 followed by Race 4 at 1:30pm, which will be televised live on 7Mate.

See below top ten results from Qualifying:

1 8 Australian Industrial Supplies David Sieders Ford Falcon XR8 BF 1:21.19 2 42 Ice Break Racing Chris Pither Holden SS VE 1:21.32 3 1 Holiday Inn/Core Staff Grant Johnson Holden SS VE 1:21.49 4 61 Bundaberg Racing Cameron McConville Holden SS VE 1:21.54 5 27 Bob Jane T-Marts Kim Jane Holden SS VE 1:21.59 6 6 Truckline Racing Ryan Hansford Ford Falcon XR8 BF 1:21.62 7 9 Jesus Racing Andrew Fisher Ford Falcon XR8 BF 1:21.65 8 8 58 VIP Petfoods Ryal Harris Ford Falcon XR8 BF 1:21.77 9 11 Coopers Clear Racing Jack Elsegood Ford Falcon XR8 BF 1:22.30 10 56 Monster Energy Nathan Pretty Holden SS VE 1:22.31

See below top ten results from Race 1:

1 8 Australian Industrial Supplies David Sieders Ford Falcon XR8 BF 1:22.36R 2 1 Holiday Inn/Core Staff Grant Johnson Holden SS VE 1:22.70 3 42 Ice Break Racing Chris Pither Holden SS VE 1:22.66 4 27 Bob Jane T-Marts Kim Jane Holden SS VE 1:22.57 5 61 Bundaberg Racing Cameron McConville Holden SS VE 1:22.77 6 6 Truckline Racing Ryan Hansford Ford Falcon XR8 BF 1:22.82 7 56 Monster Energy Nathan Pretty Holden SS VE 1:23.95 8 11 Coopers Clear Racing Jack Elsegood Ford Falcon XR8 BF 1:23.40 9 22 Thirsty Camel Racing Craig Dontas Holden SS VE 1:23.78 10 9 Jesus Racing Andrew Fisher Ford Falcon XR8 BF 1:23.68

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See below top ten results from Race 21 11 Coopers Clear Racing Jack Elsegood Ford Falcon XR8 BF 1:23.82 2 15 Rentco Charlie O'Brien Ford Falcon XR8 BF 1:24.17 3 27 Bob Jane T-Marts Kim Jane Holden SS VE 1:24.08 4 6 Truckline Racing Ryan Hansford Ford Falcon XR8 BF 1:24.71 5 58 VIP Petfoods Ryal Harris Ford Falcon XR8 BF 1:24.27 6 14 VIP Petfoods Brad Patton Ford Falcon XR8 BF 1:25.21 7 56 Monster Energy Nathan Pretty Holden SS VE 1:24.69 8 22 Thirsty Camel Racing Craig Dontas Holden SS VE 1:25.15 9 1 Holiday Inn/Core Staff Grant Johnson Holden SS VE 1:25.12 10 26 STRATCO Racing Rhys McNally Holden SS VE 1:25.45