2013 - Race Round 2

Don Simpson a bit untidy with Tim Riley waiting for the crunch, courtesy of the oil.

Thirteen cars took part in qualifying and that was about the only thing that made sense.
A shemozzle is probably the best way to describe what happened then, or the most polite word anyway.....

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QUALIFYING

Dion Panizza in his very well presented VE

Apparently all the dorians supplied by the track were flat and panic set in.  The problem was that in an effort to post some times, hourglasses, sundials, wrist watches and maybe a stopwatch were used to attempt to remedy the situation, and strangely that flowed over onto the times posted by those whose dorians were working...

Working dorians supplied figures up to 7 seconds out and threw the whole field into disarray.  Tim Riley posted a time of 63 seconds to qualify on pole in front of Gavin Reynolds.  That was around 7 seconds faster than his normal race speed. 
John Callegari, with an actual time 0.9 seconds behind Reynolds and clearly P2 was relegated to 6th with a posted time of 66.4 seconds. Monica Jakovich qualified in 66 seconds to nudge out Callegari when her race times were 79 seconds and poor old Brad Wheeler, whose race times are around 71, received an 81 to add insult to injury.  Anyway, everyone had a laugh and a cry, not necessarily in that order, a group hug and got on with it.

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Race 1

Gavin Reynolds leads into turn 1 from Wayne Chrystal and John Callegari, who got off to a flyer from 6th on the grid

Frank Panizza started from pit lane after fuel problems on the dummy grid were later rectified. From the modified grid, all got away safely and the race soon settled down into a more true order. Reynolds was flying again and established a good break as the rest sorted themselves out with Callegari giving chase from Chrystal and Duckworth. Reynolds cleared out and Callegari did enough to consolidate his position at the front of the O2L.

Dion Panizza started from the rear of grid after fuel problems but still recorded a DNF as the fuel system failed again and Wheeler gained a technical DNF when he was lapped twice. Reynolds took the flag from Callegari, Chrystal and Duckworth, with Jamie McKinnell taking out 3rd U2L and Mark Ellis 3rd in O2L. Don Simpson led the way home in U1600cc from Tim Riley with Kris Barton 3rd, with Simpson holding out Riley by 1.5 seconds and Barton being some 12 seconds behind.

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Race 2

Chrystal and Callegari tight into turn 1

Frank Panizza and Monica Jakovich led off from the front for the reverse grid race 2 with Jakovich soon sensing that 'being swamped" sensation.  Reynolds worked his way through the field with deft skills from the rear while Callegari ran into a wall of U2Ls on the other side of the track allowing Reynolds, Panizza and Mark Ellis to make a break.
Callegari, reeling in Frank Panizza and Ellis, realised the loud bang as he approached the start line at the end of lap 1 was catastrophic and pulled to the infield with a disintegrated diff, the second in 3 meetings and it was all over.
Ellis and Frank Panizza had a real hard fought and close race with Ellis eventually holding off Panizza by 0.6 second for 1 -2 O2L with Mr. Consistent Chrystal taking out 3rd.


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Dion Panizza doing his thing with Geoff Duckworth somewhere in there

Dion Panizza sorted out his fuel problem, but later wished he hadn't, when everything let go approaching turn 7.... and from the smoke and oil it is presumed that the block looked like Swiss cheese.

Duckworth, who was just behind him at the  time, realised something was wrong when his world turned white, or actually  bluey grey and smelt strongly of oil. Reynolds again bolted away for overall and 1st U2L, from Duckworth and Jamie McKinnell 3rd.

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Don Simpson a bit untidy with Tim Riley waiting for the crunch, courtesy of the oil. The crunch didn't come due to the sublime skills of both pilots

U1600cc was tight at the front with Riley and Simpson going head to head in a hard fought duel before Riley prevailed to get the nod by 1.4 seconds with Barton 22 seconds further back.

The oil from Panizza caused a few exciting moments for some including Jakovich who executed a perfect 180 to allow her to see where she had been, and Simpson and Riley doing the twostep, though not in harmony, or anything like it.

Frank Panizza finished the race but on the way back to the paddock the fuel gremlin struck again and he was out, keeping Dion company. Once again Reynolds was far too good.

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Race 3

Jamie McKinnell on his way to 2nd U2L

Only nine starters took to the grid for the final race of the day in a race that was again dominated by Reynolds.

Wayne Chrystal had an armchair ride in O2L when his only surviving colleague Ellis called it a day on lap 3 with a blown clutch, again leaving Chrystal with well deserved points for consistency with a 1st, 2nd and 3rd for the day.

In U2l, Reynolds romped in again, this time from Jamie McKinnell albeit 40 seconds behind and Duckworth 1.5 seconds behind him. Riley again proved too good for his rivals in the U1.6L group, which incidentally made up five of the nine starters for the race.

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Consistent Wayne Chrystal-1st O2L

He lapped them all, sadly for them, and topped off a real good day for him finishing with two 1st and a 2nd place.

Simpson and Barton finished a lap behind and in that order to take out 2nd and 3rd

The day belonged to Gavin Reynolds in the Western Concrete Honda Civic with a masterful display of apparently faultless driving.  Well done Gavin.

PRESENTATIONS

Well that's another story, much like qualifying.

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