PTCC
Results Round 8 PTCC
Results Round 8 Practice
Round 8 of the PTCC will get underway on Saturday. With a change in the program necessary due to the running of the Wakefield 500 on Sunday afternoon.
With some teams unable to get to the circuit early on Friday numbers for practice were down.
Luke Searle was the early leader with a time of 1.11.4359 followed by Miedecke with 1.13 6644. B class championship leader Roland McIntosh in the Alan McKay Motors Peugeot was just behind Miedecke posting a 1.14.3135. McIntosh was not showing his hand and Natalie Willmington was also playing it cool by not running the early practice sessions.
The Mitsubishi 380 of Neil Byers now fitted out with new brakes courtesy of the Mitsubishi Rally team was looking strong with times just behind McIntosh. The Advanced Refrigeration 380 ran a time of 1.14.131.
First time out with the PTCC and Darren Best and his blue Ford Focus ST170 was running competitive with a time of 1.14.8374. The Best Racing entry looked very sharp.
Hans Riehs and red Peugeot was down to a 1.16.4225 and after some instructions from Andrew Miedecke Hans is very confident his times will improve. Last car to practise was Daniel Flanagan in his Hyundai Sonata and with Daniel still suffering from his Calder back problem his time of 1.16.980 was a great effort.
The Proton of Peter Erler had problems that forced the Team to return back to their base in Young for replacement parts. Both Peter and father-in-law Graham Roylett were back at the track late and fixed the ailing Proton so Peter can have his first taste of the Wakefield Park layout in the morning. The Celica of Mal Rae together with Saliba and his Nissan did not practice, confident with the set up of their cars.
The championship show down starts at 1120 with qualifying and the first race gets off the line at 1445.
Qualifying
Qualifying was run in dry and hot conditions and despite working hard on his rain dance George Miedecke and his team are still searching for rain.
Luke Searle was fastest with a time of 1.10.933, following was George Miedecke in the Hyundai Tiburon with a time of 1.13.1582.
Just behind George was Roland McIntosh in the blue Peugeot 206 with a 1.13.7457 and Natalie Willmington with a 1.13.8936. The race for B class honors will be close all week end. Next was Byers in the 380 with 1.14.5368 then Darren Best with 1.14.7183.
The first of the class C cars was Graham Roylett in the Proton with 1.16.4453 then Hans Riehs in the second Peugeot 206 with 1.16.4453. This is a good time considering that Hans was running on very old tires keeping the fresh set for the racing later in the day...
Flanagan next in the Sonata with 1.16.7554, Peter Erler in the Proton with 1.16.9505 just ahead of Tony Saliba in the Nisan Pulsar with 1.17.3565.
Mal Rae in the Toyota Celica made up the grid with a 1.18.2712.
Race One
Race one and Searle blasts off the line leading Miedecke to the first turn Willmington edges ahead of McIntosh with Byers just holding out the Focus of Best.
With Searle leading from Miedecke the real interest is in the battle for third between Willmington and McIntosh. To retain his Championship lead Roland must stay ahead of Nat.
As the race continues is obvious that the Blue Peugeot is down on pace with first Byers then Best pushing hard for that 4th position behind Searle. By lap three Natalie has gapped Roland and is safe in third place as a struggling McIntosh works hard to hold back the charging Byers and Best.
Flanagan has the Hyundai Sonata working a treat and holds off both Riehs and Rae. Erler and Saliba are trading punches at every turn.
Searle, Miedecke, Willmington, McIntosh, Best and Byers, then Roylett is best with Flanagan trying hard to hold off both Riehs and Rae. Erler will try and get the best of Saliba by the time the flag falls.
After 5 laps it is Searle, Miedecke, Willmington, McIntosh, Byers, Best, Roylett, Riehs, Rae, Flanagan. With Peter Erler getting Tony Saliba right on the line.
While Searle, Miedecke and Willmington are pleased with their drives Roland McIntosh is showing plenty of concern as the little Blue 206 appears to have a problem. With the points so close in B Class Roland will need to recover his pace for race 2.
Race Two
Searle and Miedecke again dominate race 2 as disaster strikes Roland McIntosh in his quest for the B Class Championship. Again Searle gets a great start while both Miedecke and Wilmington again leave McIntosh struggling for pace as they start the reverse grid race. Graham Roylett fails to get off the grid and cars go both side, a little scary as the back markers bear down on the stationary Proton.
The front runners gain some ground over the back marker as Mal Rae leads the race for a short time. The black BMW of the SAE team with Searle at the wheel is finding the run through the field just a little difficult as the C Class cars are fighting for position.
As the back markers make their way through the field Rae in the Toyota Celica appears to make way for Willmington and at the same time McIntosh has struggles to find a way past. The Peugeot looks in trouble but McIntosh is driving hard and finally gets by what must appear to be widest Toyota he has ever seen.
Back in the pack Best and Saliba make contact after some frantic driving by the middle markers; Once again the Mitsubishi 380 of Byers has wheel problems and parks the car.
After the touch by Best Saliba takes the little Nissan with a bent rear axle pull into the pits...
As the race runs down Rae gets back ahead of Roland McIntosh as the Peugeot slows after losing third gear, surely Roland and his Championship dream is lost...
Searle is first followed by Miedecke Willmington, Rae, and McIntosh after a brave drive, Riehs, Best, Flanagan, and Erler. Byers, Saliba, Roylett all failed to finish
Back in the pits all hands are on deck assisting McIntosh to get his Peugeot to the line for race 3 on Sunday morning. With third gear in bits his options are few and far between...
Race Three
Sunday morning, what a change from yesterday. Much milder conditions a nice cool start to racing.
McIntosh is in real trouble with no third gear Roland will run today looking for points, needing both Wilmington and Miedecke to DNF if he is to take out the championship. The offer of a new gear box from Peugeot fan Jason Dark ( his black 206 has been on display in the Peugeot stand) did not work out as the team was unable to make the change in time.
Good luck Roland, great effort, the final showdown for 2006 starts at 11.05am
After an extended delay due to an accident in the Thunder Sports the final race in the 2006 Production Touring Car Championship gets under way.
There were some nervous drivers particularly Willmington, McIntosh and Miedecke
Luke Searle as expected raced away from Miedecke who was followed closely by Willmington and a very brave McIntosh (without third gear) getting a good start only to be monstered by the Ford Focus of Darren Best. Back in the field Byers Riehs and Rae were racing for positions. The mid field racing was exciting as first one then the other gained the break.
Searle continues to use the BMW power to great advantage and extends his lead over Miedecke who is looking like he will be the B Class champion. Natalie Willmington and her Magna, so reliable all year is having huge fuel problems and falls back and is finally passed by the hard charging Darren Best. The little blue oval Focus is firing and consolidates 4th place behind Searle.
The race between Rae Celica, Byers Mitsubishi 380, and McIntosh Peugeot 206 is allowing them to catch Natalie Willmington as her Magna continues to slow.
The C class cars are also having a great scrap with first Roylett then Flanagan and the plumber from Penrith Peter Erler each wanting to take the round win. In such close company and with each wanting the others line it finally happened as Roylett runs out of brakes coming into the Wakefield Park sign corner just before the main straight **BANG straight into the side of Flanagan and the Hyundai and the Proton are out leaving Peter Erler to take out the class C round.
Searle is well ahead and Miedecke can see the Crystal Championship trophy coming his way. Searle already has the Class A and Saliba the class C.
As the flag drops on the 2006 Championship it is Searle first Miedecke second and Darren Best 3rd in the Ford Focus. Behind Best in 5th is Mal Rae in his Celica just managing to hold off a very disappointed McIntosh in the Peugeot 206. Roland was expecting much more but put in such a big effort and the Peugeot fans appreciated his effort. Neil Byers brings home the 380 in 6th, Riehs 7th in the Red Peugeot 206. Then Natalie Willmington brings home a very sick Magna with Peter Erler in 9th place.
Flanagan, Roylett and Saliba all DNF.
Congratulations to Luke Searle Australian Champion Outright and class A
Congratulations to George Miedecke Australian Champion Class B
Congratulation to Tony Saliba Australian Champion Class C
2007 is coming watch for all the details, NEW CARS, NEW DRIVERS
Round 8 Results
Outright:
Class A
Luke Searle - BMW 130
Class B
George Miedecke - Hyundai Tiburon
Class C
Peter Erler - Proton Satria GTi
Session Results Lap Times Lap Chart Practice 1 Click here Click here n/a Practice 2 Click here Click here n/a Practice 3 Click here Click here n/a Qualifying Click here Click here n/a Race One Click here Click here Click here Race Two Click here Click here Click here Race Three Click here Click here Click here
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AMRS 2005