Utes & touring cars promise hot actionat Wakefield Park this weekend

Wild racing in the V8 BRutes Series and ultra-hot touring car competition will be among the highlights when Wakefield Park circuit, near Goulburn, hosts round six of the PROCAR Champ Series next weekend.

The three-day event starting on Friday will feature a total of 15 races for almost 130 cars, from Falcon utes to Ferraris, Lancers to Lamborghinis and Protons to Porsches.

And on target to match the on-track numbers is a giant Ute Muster, expected to attract roadgoing utes and their owners from many parts of New South Wales.

The program, with practice on Friday, qualifying on Saturday and racing on Sunday, features the Nations Cup for GT sports cars, GT Performance touring cars, Production touring cars, V8 BRutes utes, international Formula 3 and Porsche Drivers Challenge national championships.

The Poolrite V8 BRutes Series has attracted a near-maxmum field of 30 Holden SS and Ford Falcon XR8 Pursuit utes for what’s expected to be one of their toughest battles of the season.

Set among the hills of Australia’s finest wool growing area, Wakefield’s tight, twisty layout will provide plenty of bump ‘n grind in front of a partisan crowd of rural supporters.

Fans of each brand in the Ute Muster crowd will have something to cheer about as Wollongong’s Damien White, in a Team Brock Holden, defends his series points lead from Ford hero Jack Elsegood, whose past form as a Sydney Roosters first-grade rugby league player has carried over to the race track.

Elsegood has been one of few drivers recently to challenge White’s run of pole positions and race wins, but the Holden driver from the Illawarra is determined to stay on course for his first championship win.

“It’s an understatement to say the V8 BRutes round will be a ding-dong contest from the time we go out to practice until the flag falls on race three on Sunday afternoon,” White said.

“Jack is only 57 points behind me in the standings and that could be wiped out if I have a poor round at Wakefield.”

With the closeness of V8 BRutes racing, plenty of other drivers will be in the picture, including Ford’s front-runner Grant “Mad Dog” Denyer, plus Ian McAlister from Young and southern highlands heroes Denis Cribbin and Paul Murray in Holdens and Ford-mounted Colin Dunn.

“We always get a great crowd response at Wakefield Park and it turns on very close racing,” said Denyer, who will start his weekend by presenting his daily weather reports for the Channel Seven Sunrise program live from Wakefield Park on Friday morning.

“I learned to drive a Massey Ferguson on the family farm only two hours from Goulburn, so there’s a bit of home town pressure to perform this weekend.”

Competition for the Australian GT Performance Championship is even tighter, with Subaru’s Justin Hemmes leading the eight-round series by just 16 points from Paul Stokell, in a factory-run Volkswagen Golf R32.

But the three GTP races will have a fresh element for Wakefield Park, with series officials imposing performance restrictions on a number of cars to create closer racing.

The Subarus, Mitsubishi Lancer Evolutions and Mazda RX-7 all have been given turbocharger restrictions, while the powerful V6 Golf has had its rev limit reduced.

Around the tight Wakefield Park layout, these restrictions are likely to bring other models such as the V8 Holdens and Fords and BMW M3 well into the competition.

Turbo restriction also has been applied to the Subaru Liberty GT of 17-year-old high school student Chris Alajajian, the points leader in the Australian Production Car Championship.

The all-wheel drive Liberty will remain a formidable weapon at Wakefield, but can expect challenges from the V8 Holden Commodore of defending champion Scott Loadsman and even the rapid Toyota Corolla Sportivo of Australia’s fastest woman racer, Leanne Ferrier.

Rick Bates will have the smallest car in the field, a 660 c.c. Daihatsu Copen, but the Canberra-based rally star’s intimate knowledge of Wakefield Park  will ensure he’s a contender.

At the extreme opposite end of the performance spectrum from Production Cars, the small but powerful Nations Cup field will bring true “big-banger” spectacle to Wakefield Park.

Paul Stokell, attempting to win two championships in the same series this season, leads the Nations Cup pointscore in his 6.0 litre Lamborghini Diablo, but will come under a desperate challenge from Albury-Wodonga’s Nathan Pretty in his Bathurst 24-Hour winning 7.0 litre Holden Monaro.

A retirement in the fifth round at Eastern Creek last month interrupted a strong run on the pointscore for Pretty and he has plenty of work ahead to get back into contention.

Other candidates for the Nations Cup podium include James Brock in his father Peter’s Monaro, David Stevens in a magnificent Porsche GT2 Turbo, Ian Palmer in a turbocharged Brabham Honda NSX and Canberra’s Koundouris brothers, Theo and James, who are battling each other in Porsches for the Trophy class championship.

Speed Read, PROCAR Champ Series, Rd 6 (Wakefield Park, Goulburn, 6-8 August)

Races for Nations Cup (GT sportscars), GT Performance (touring cars), Production Cars (touring cars), V8BRutes, Formula 3 (open-wheelers) and Porsche Challenge.

Other attractions – giant Ute Muster, special trackside parking, trophiesin four categories.

Timetable – Friday from 930 am, practice; Saturday from9 am, qualifying; Sunday from 9 am, 15 races until 5 pm.

Entry prices – Friday free; Saturday adult $20, childrenunder 15 free; Sunday adult $30, “Mum and the Kids” $50, children under 15free, Ute Muster driver free with adult paying passenger; Weekend adult$40, “Dad, Mum & the Kids” $60. Information – Wakefield Park (02) 4822 2811, wakefieldpark.com.au

CHAMPIONSHIP STANDINGS (after round 5)

Australian Nations Cup Championship: GT class/Outright 422 Paul Stokell, 334 Nathan Pretty, 191 David Stevens, 156 Peter Brock, 120 James Brock, 119 Allan Simonsen. Trophy class 288 Theo Koundouris, 266 James Koundouris, 192 John Teulan.

Australian GT Performance Championship: 318 Justin Hemmes, 304 Paul Stokell, 267 Ric Shaw, 186 Garry Holt, 179 Steve Knight, 175 Beric Lynton.

Poolrite V8 BRutes Series: 367 Danmien White, 310 Jack Elsegood, 228 Dave Griffin, 207 Gary Baxter, 188 Charlie Kovacs, 182 Kim Jane.

Australian Production Car championship: Outright, 244 Chris Alajajian, 187 Scott Loadsman, 172 Leanne Ferrier, 171 David Russell, 140 David Ratcliff, 121 Ian Luff. Class A Chris Alajajian, Class B David Ratcliff, Class C Leanne Ferrier, Class D David Russell.