Pretty takes V8 Utes Race 2 at Mount Panorama

Holden’s Nathan “Outlaw” Pretty has taken a well-deserved Race 2 win at Round 6 of the 2014 Australian V8 Ute Racing Series – fuelled by Hogs Breath Café at the Supercheap Auto Bathurst 1000, Saturday, 11th October.

David Sieders started the race on Pole alongside Elliot Barbour and led to the first corner until Barbour and George Miedecke pushed through. Sieders dropped back 4 positions while Barbour held the lead until lap 2, when he pushed too hard into Murray’s Corner and fell off the track, leaving Miedecke and Pretty to take the lead.

The two raced side-by-side for six corners, overtaking each other a number of times with Pretty finally taking the chequered flag in the GoPro Racing Holden.

“EB (Elliot Barbour) and I had a bit of a plan at the start, I was to bump-draft him up the straight there into turn 2 and I got a little bit greedy and thought, I can have the lead here and went out wide but George jumped down the inside of me. When EB fell off at Murray’s I jumped in behind George and pressured him, we ran side-by-side for 6 corners, I really enjoyed racing side-by-side with him and it was great to get a win here in Bathurst,” said Pretty.

Miedecke had a similar sentiment.

“It wasn’t a win but it was great racing with someone like Nathan, he really deserved the win, and to race like that with racing room I’m happy with second, that’s how racing should be, it was a lot of fun and I’m really happy to reward iseek and Wakeup with a good result,” said Miedecke.

David Sieders held onto third but only just, when his Championship rival Kris Walton sent him sideways at Forest Elbow.

“He had a nibble there (Forest Elbow), it was fairly late and almost had me turned around, all I know is I had no more lock to put on the steering wheel, it was amazing to recover and keep the position. All my rally experience helped,” he said with a grin, “I would have liked to have been on the front row tomorrow and be going for my fifth podium here, but it’s definitely going to be hard to get that podium,” said Sieders.

Ryan Hansford bought his Multispares Holden home in 4th, ahead of Race 1 winner Rhys McNally who snuck past Walton after his bold move, the RENTCO Racer claimed sixth but was penalised one position for a careless re-entry when he went off the track at the Chase late in the race.

Kim Jane had a good run in his Bob Jane T-Marts Holden to claim 7th ahead of Jesse Dixon.

All Purpose Pest Racing’s Ryal Harris had a great drive from 19th to finish the race in 9th overall ahead of Elliot Barbour who dropped back to tenth for the race.

Local’s Phillip Woodbury and Terry Nightingale posted good results, Woodbury in 13th and Nightingale 20th.

Jeremy Gray’s race was short-lived when he ran into the fence at Reid Park. He limped around to the pits to finish his race. Craig Dontas also ended his race in the Pits with radiator issues.

Late in the race Spud Wood went hard into the wall at the entry to the Chase where he remained for the rest of the race, unfortunately his car can’t be repaired in time to make Race 3 tomorrow.

Adelaide’s Noel Edge was excluded from Race 2 for being 5kg under the minimum weight.Allan Letcher had a great drive in his V8 Driveday Ford to take out the DBA Hard Braker Award and a $500 voucher for moving up 8 positions through the field from 29th to 21st.

Rhys McNally will start from pole alongside Nathan Pretty for the final race, while ARMOR ALL Championship leaders Kris Walton and David Sieders will start side-by-side on the third row, behind Ryan Hansford and George Miedecke.

The V8 Utes will be back on track tomorrow morning to decide the Round winner of Round 6 of the 2014 Australian V8 Ute Racing Series – fuelled by Hogs Breath Café, tune in to Network Seven at 8:15am to catch all of the action (check local guides).


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