Touring Car Challenge Results Round 6

The Wyhoon and Krause Battle Continues in ATCC

Winton Motor Raceway, Benalla – Victoria played host to the sixth round of the Speed off the Streets @ Wakefield Park supported Australian Touring Car Challenge (ATCC) last weekend (August 26 – 27) and it was David Krause, driving his VS Commodore V8 Supercar, that claimed his third round victory of the year.

Current ATCC Championship leader, Terry Wyhoon (AU Falcon V8 Supercar), and Krause battled it out throughout the weekend, but it was Krause that gained the upper-hand this time around by taking out qualifying, wining race one and three, and finishing second behind Wyhoon in race two.

Despite finishing second overall for the round behind winner Krause, Wyhoon still maintains a handsome lead in the Championship and it will take divine intervention to deny him of the Championship honours this time around, after narrowly missing out on last years honours.

Behind Krause and Wyhoon in third overall for the round was National Formula Ford Championship runner, Brad Lowe, driving the Garry Willmington owned former Tony Longhurst EL Falcon V8 Supercar after strong results in race two and three after being slowed by clutch problems in race one.

Winners of their respective classes overall for the round were: Krause (V8 Supercars), Luke Searle (Super Tourers) and Ray Sidebottom (Future Tourers).

Krause kicked off the weekend in fine fashion by pacing the field in qualifying on Saturday afternoon after a best lap of 1:27.3549 ahead of Lowe (1:27.5744), Wyhoon (1:27.7755), Searle (1:28.4450) and Super Tourer racer Peter Kelly (1:29.0936). The best performing of the Future Tourers during the qualifying session was that of Ray Sidebottom (VX Commodore) in eighth with a 1:31.2247.

VT Commodore V8 Supercar runner Dean Neville was sidelined for the remainder of the weekend after he suffered a blown head gasket during Friday’s practice session.

In the opening race (scratch race format) on Sunday morning saw Krause lead the field from pole position and scored a flag to flag victory defeating Wyhoon, Searle and Kelly with positions staying the same throughout the whole four lap distance. Shelton Loughrey (Garry Willmington owned EL Falcon V8 Supercar) finished strongly in fifth, followed by Ray Sidebottom, Andrew Gillespie (AU Falcon XR8 II Future Tourer), John Burke (VS Commodore V8 Supercar), Shanan Sidebottom (VT Commodore Future Tourer) and in 10 th was Mark Telfer (VX Commodore Future Tourer).

A collision between Bruce Oaklands (VS Commodore V8 Supercar) and Bryce Peter-Budge (Peugeot 206 Super Tourer) on the third lap saw some heavy contact made and saw Oaklands fail to finish after front end damage, whilst Peter-Budge managed to continue on and reach the finish back in 15th. After qualifying in a strong second place, Lowe suffered clutch dramas at the drop of the green which saw him make a quick trip to the pits, but he was able to return to the track and finished down in 17 th.

For the first of the two handicapped races, it was budget racer Richard Mork (VS Commodore V8 Supercar) who nearly took out victory which saw him lead the field for six of the seven lap distance only to fall back fourth at the fall of the chequered flag. Wyhoon took the victory ahead of Krause and Searle in second and third respectively. Behind Mork in fifth was Kelly, followed by Lowe (who was forced to replace the clutch between races), Oaklands, Ray Sidebottom, Gillespie and Shanan Sidebottom in 10 th.

Amin Chahda (BA GT Falcon Future Tourer), Peter-Budge and Loughrey during the second race were all in the wars. Loughrey was involved in a crash on the fifth lap that forced him not finish and also sustain quite a bit of damage, whilst Chahda (had to make a quick trip to the pits) and Peter-Budge (off track excursion) finished well down the order in 17 th and 18 th.

The beginning of the third and final race of the weekend was red flagged after Mork run off the track on the opening lap and into the sand trap. A complete restart was called for and it was Peter Vicary (AU Falcon V8 Supercar) that grabbed the early lead and held down the lead up until the sixth lap as the faster cars charged their way through the field. Contact on the first lap saw Searle fail to finish.

Krause powered by Vicary to the lead and from there was never headed and took a comfortable victory over Peter-Budge, Wyhoon, Lowe, Vicary, Oaklands, Loughrey, Mark Telfer (VX Commodore Future Tourer), Chahda and Burke completed the top 10 finishers.

Latest Australian Touring Car Challenge Point Standings (after six completed rounds):

1. Terry Wyhoon – 748
2. David Krause – 637
3. Luke Searle – 448
4. Bruce Oaklands – 346
5. Dean Neville – 335
6. Andrew Gillespie – 330
7. John Burke – 312
8. John Vergotis – 308
9. Bryce Peter-Budge – 297
10. Peter Kelly - 291

Calder Park Raceway in Victoria is the venue for the seventh and penultimate round of the ATCC on October 28 - 29.

Keep up-to-date with all the latest Australian Touring Car Challenge news and information by visiting the official website: www.TouringCarChallenge.com

© AMRS 2005