HEMMES RACES TO SAVE GTP TITLE ON EVE OF CHAMPIONSHIP FINALE AT MALLALA
Subaru driver Justin Hemmes is racing time to save an almost-certain win in the Australian GT Performance Championship (GTP) after a heavy crash in qualifying at Mallala Motorsport Park today.
Hemmes, leader in the points standings, needs to do little more than finish the last three races of the season tomorrow to win the title, but tonight his Protecnica team was working frantically to get the wrecked Subaru Impreza back in the field.
If they do, he will start from a competitive eighth place on the grid; if they don’t, there is an outside chance the title could default to his only potential rival, Volkswagen Golf factory driver Paul Stokell.
Hemmes has a 75-point lead over Stokell and needs only 18 more to lock away the championship for high-performance production touring cars.
But his worst fears came true during qualifying when a left-front wheel came off and pitched the Subaru hard into the concrete wall on pit straight.
“I couldn’t believe it. I’d just done my best lap and the wheel came off,” Hemmes said.
“Somehow I’ve just got to get out there tomorrow.”
Garry Holt, in a Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution 8, won the pole position for the seventh and final round of the GTP series, which is part of this weekend’s PROCAR Champ Series event, presented by Coopers Paler Ale.
His lap time of one minute 14.72 seconds on the 2.6 kilometre circuit was easily the fastest of the field, but second-placed Beric Lynton, on 1:15.28, headed a string of 13 cars within one second of each other.
Stokell struggled to achieve 16th position in the four-wheel drive Golf, but was an easy pole winner in the Australian Nations Cup Championship behind the wheel of his Lamborghini Diablo coupe.
Stokell, already confirmed series winner for the second straight year, scorched around Mallala in one min. 8.31 sec.
“The Lambo is going beautifully this weekend. It feels really good and I hope we can finish the season in style tomorrow,” Stokell said.
He was more than a second faster than second-placed James Brock, in a Team Brock Holden Monaro, while Peter Hackett came third in a second Team Lamborghini Australia Diablo.
Allan Simonsen, from Denmark, was superb in his Ferrari 360 Challenge, taking fourth outright and pole in the Trophy class. John Teulan was second in another Ferrari and remains on course to wrap up the class championship tomorrow.
Marcus Zukanovic, driving a Ford Falcon XR8, scored his first pole position in the V8 BRutes Series, but David Griffin (Holden SS) won the drivers’ post-qualifying ballot to start from pole position tomorrow.
Series leader Damien White qualified sixth fastest in his Team Brock Holden A steady drive to collect just seven points over three races tomorrow will send White home with his first V8 BRutes championship.
Chris Alajajian, already crowned Australian Production Car Champion (and the youngest, at 17 years old), will start the season’s final round in pole position in his Subaru Liberty GT.
RESULTS (Round 7, Qualifying)
Australian Nations Cup ChampionshipGT class/Outright1. Paul Stokell (Vic.) Lamborghini Diablo 1 min. 08.31 sec.2. James Brock (Vic.) Holden Monaro 1:09.393. Peter Hackett (Vic.) Lamborghini Diablo 1:09.834. Allan Simonsen (Den.) Ferrari 360 Challenge 1:10.055. David Stevens (NSW) Porsche GT2 1:10.296. Ian Palmer (Qld) Brabham Honda NSX Turbo 1:11.73Trophy class1. Allan Simonsen2. John Teulan (Qld) Ferrari 360 Challenge 1:12.773. Ted Huglin (Vic.) Ferrari 360 Challenge 1:17.03
Australian GT Performance Championship (presented by Bizmail Broadband)1. Garry Holt (NSW) Mitsubishi Lancer Evo 8 1 min. 14.72 sec.2. Beric Lynton (Qld) BMW M3 1:15.283. Steve Knight (SA) Mitsubishi Lancer Evo 8 1:15.394. Tim Leahey (NSW) Volkswagen Golf R32 1:15.495. Peter Floyd (Vic.) Holden GTS 1:15.476. Gary Young (Vic.) Mitsubishi Lancer Evo 8 1:15.68
Australian Production Car ChampionshipOutright1. Chris Alajajian (NSW) Subaru Liberty GT 1 min. 20.97 sec2. David Ryan (NSW) Ford Falcon XR6 Turbo 1:21.013. Derek Hocking (NSW) Holden Commodore SS 1:22.674. Ian Luff (NSW) Honda Integra Type R 1:11.545. Nick Dunkley (NSW) Ford Falcon XR6 Turbo 1:11.596. Colin Osborne (NSW) Toyota Celica 1:11.89Class A – Chris AlajajianClass B – Ian LuffClass C – Leanne Ferrier (Vic.) Toyota Corolla Sportivo 1:13.23Class D – David Russell (NSW) Proton Satria GTi 1:13.85
V8 BRutes Series1. Marcus Zukanovic (Vic.) Ford Falcon XR8 1 min. 21.82 sec2. Gary Baxter (SA) Holden SS 1:22.243. Damien White (NSW) Holden SS 1:22.664. Ryal Harris (Qld) Ford 1:22.765. Luke May (NSW) Ford 1:22.856. Adam Bressington (NSW) Ford 1:22.90Pole position ballot – David Griffin (NSW) Holden
CHAMPIONSHIP STANDINGS (after qualifying, round 7)
Nations Cup: GT class/Outright 512 Paul Stokell, 415 Nathan Pretty, 247 David Stevens, 160 James Brock, 156 Peter Brock, 141 Ian Palmer. Trophy class 291 Theo Koundouris, 266 James Koundouris, 240 John Teulan.
GT Performance: 379 Justin Hemmes, 304 Paul Stokell, 270 Ric Shaw, 240 Garry Holt, 217 Steve Knight, 216 Beric Lynton.
V8 BRutes: 439 Damien White, 353 Jack Elsegood, 262 Dave Griffin, 240 Gary Baxter, 221 Charlie Kovacs, 215 Kim Jane.
Production Cars: Outright, 307 Chris Alajajian, 222 Scott Loadsman, 219 David Russell, 203 Leanne Ferrier, 165 David Ratcliff, 158 Ian Luff. Class A 359 Chris Alajajian, Class B 266 Ian Luff, Class C 318 Leanne Ferrier, Class D 285 David Russell.
