David “Sideways” Sieders has moved into the ENZED Drivers Championship lead after taking out Round 6 of the Auto One V8 Ute Racing Series – protected by ARMOR ALL, whilst Kim “The Assassin” Jane claimed Race 3 on the weekend of his Uncle Bob’s 50th anniversary of winning the Great Race in 1963. Kim also celebrated his 250th Ute Race over the weekend. Ryan Hansford claimed 2nd for the Round, on the 20th anniversary weekend of his Dad’s Bathurst 1000 win with Larry Perkins, and Tony Longhurst farewelled Motorsport in an emotional last race at Mount Panorama, Sunday, 13th October.
Sieders was elated with the result and the move into the championship lead.
“It’s a great feeling to be on top, Bathurst is a great place to come to even if your just driving laps around it, but to put it on pole, a race win, then a round win and take the championship lead from here, you couldn’t ask for anything better,” said Sieders.
Race 3 kicked off in spectacular fashion, Jane had a great start from Stephen White off the front row and they were lucky to break away before an incident at turn 1 deployed the safety car. Three utes tried to go through Hell Corner at the same time, resulting in damage to Nathan Pretty, Craig Dontas’, Adam Marjoram, Gary MacDonald, and Jesse Dixon. Pretty, Dontas and Barbour were able to re-join the field again (Pretty after a pit stop and change of tyre); however MacDonald and Rookies Marjoram and Dixon were forced to retire with extensive Damage. Marjoram was docked 15 championship points for the incident in a post race hearing.
Jane didn’t have an easy race with pressure from Stephen White, then David Sieders.
“It was great to celebrate my 250th weekend with a win, it was unexpected, we didn’t quite have the speed but we had the track position. We had a great team, they worked really hard on the weekend. We’re trying to fix out the little problems, we probably didn’t have Dave Sieders’ speed but we drove a great race and got there in the end,” said Jane.
White was in second position all over Janes’ Bob Jane T-Marts Holden, until he hit the wall at Forest Elbow, after clipping the inside wall on entry and breaking the steering.“We had a good car for the race, it was just a shame we didn’t get the start we planned, Kimbo (Jane) got a better start and I followed him around the circuit and we both had good speed, so it was just a matter of time before I made a move. I was a little ambitious going into Forest Elbow, unfortunately the left tyre clipped the wall on turn in, which broke the steering and sent us across into the Wall and did a lot of damage,” said a deflated White.
Ryan Hansford, Sieders and Rhys McNally were lucky to avoid the incident. Hansford ended up pushing home in third overall for the race and 2nd overall for the weekend, the Queenslander was elated with the result, especially on such a special weekend for his family. “I’m feeling good, it’s really special, it’s all turned out as planned except we didn’t win the weekend but that was my first second in the V8 Utes. David was quicker than us, we were fighting to hold him out, which I think held us off on having a shot at Kim and Stephen and unfortunate for him (White), he clipped the wall in front of me, and I was probably just lucky to avoid him. If Sieders wasn’t on my tail I could have had a shot at the win, but I don’t think I had the pace that David had today,” said Hansford.
Craig Dontas recovered well from the start of the race and put in a great performance to bring his Thirsty Camel Holden home in 4th. Rhys McNally went on to finish in 5th overall ahead of Jesus Racing’s Andrew Fisher in 6th, Fisher also claimed the Masters Award for the weekend.
Kris Walton came home in 7th, ahead of Gary “Chuckie” Baxter who drove well to finish his Sage Automation/ Roof Seal Holden in 8th, ahead of TapOut Energy Racing’s Ryal Harris in 9th and Elliot Barbour closed out the top ten.
Two-time Bathurst winner Tony Longhurst (1988 with Tomas Mezera and 2001 with Mark Skaife), saw his last chequered flag fall across the finish line bringing The Boat Works Holden back in 15th overall for the final race of his motorsport career.
“I feel really good, I came here 30 years ago, so to spend half your life racing has been a wonderful experience, I feel very very fortunate, I’ve had many highs, many lows, so I feel really comfortable with my decision,” said Longhurst.
Danny Buzadzic claimed the SS Inductions Hard Charger Award for passing 9 Utes in Race 2. Warren Millet claimed the ARMOR ALL Best Presented Award, although the Wake Up Holden didn’t come home looking as good as at the start of the weekend, after he spun out just before the Chase, ending his final race for the weekend in the sand.
Gold Coaster Ryal Harris has dropped back to second in the Series on 591 points, 3 points behind Sieders, and Nathan Pretty has moved back to fourth on 647, with West Aussie Rhys McNally moving his Stratco Holden into third overall in the ENZED Drivers Championship.
The V8 Utes will be back in action for the Penultimate Round of the 2013 Auto One V8 Ute Racing Series - protected by ARMOR ALL at the ARMOR ALL Gold Coast 600 (25th – 27th October) but to relive all of the action from Mount Panorama this weekend, tune in to Network Seven next weekend (Saturday, 19th October) at 1:30pm (check local guides).
