2012/13
MSC New Zealand F5000 Tasman Cup Revival Series
Rnds 4
NZ Festival of Motor Racing - celebrating Denny Hulme meetings
Hampton Downs
20-01-13
EVENT REPORT
SMITH COMPLETES WINNING MSC F5000 SERIES TRIFECTA AT HAMPTON DOWNS
Kiwi racing great Ken Smith (Lola T332) was the toast of the large
crowd at the first NZ Festival of Motor Racing - celebrating Denny
Hulme meeting at Hampton Downs today, the 71-year-old in his 55th
year of competition at a national level completing a winning MSC NZ
F5000 Tasman Revival Series trifecta with a lights-to-flag win in
the final 15-lap feature.
Defending MSC series champion Steve Ross (McRae GM1) ran the wily
veteran close - the margin at the chequered flag just 0.139 of a second
- and fastest qualifier Clark Proctor (March 73A-1) made up time on
both over the last three laps but as was the case in the other two
MSC series races over the weekend Smith was in front when it counted.
"Clark actually said to me before the race that if I got alongside
him he would let me go because he reckoned he'd sooner hunt me down
for 15 laps rather than have me hunt him down and I was fine with
that, " chuckled Smith. "
And Steve Ross?
" He did get alongside me at one stage with both of us sliding
around a bit but I knew I could get four or five car lengths on him
coming out of that final corner but wether I could have held him out
for another one lap or 10 I don't know."
Smith and Proctor got the better of Ross off the rolling start but
Ross had muscled his way past Proctor by the second lap and was ahead
of the first of the UK visitors, Greg Thornton (McRae GM1), fast-starting
Australian Paul Zazryn (Lola T332) and fellow visitors Peter Dunn
(March 73A/05), Michael Whatley (Surtees TS8) and Mark Dwyer (Lola
T400) when the yellow flag came out while safety workers retrieved
Bill Hemming's stranded Elfin MR8.
After two laps under the yellow flag Smith got the best of the re-start
with Ross and Proctor tucking in behind and easing away from Thornton,
Zazryn, Whatley, Dwyer, Dunn and Brett Willis (Lola T330).
As the race progressed Thornton retained a lonely fourth place, Zazryn,
Wrigley and Dwyer remained close and category young gun Alan Dunkley
(Lola T142) started making his presence felt. Brett Willis was also
moving forward, catching and passing Dwyer and closing on Whatley.
On the last lap Dunn managed to find a way past Paul Zazryn as did
Alan Dunkley on Mark Dwyer.
Zazryn was again the first of the Australian drivers home and expressed
himself very happy with his progress. "To come over here, learn
the track, make a few changes to the car and do what we've done, it's
been fantastic," he said. "I like to have a go and that's
exactly what I've been able to do this weekend."
Dunkley expressed similar sentiments after his successful last lap
ambush on Mark Dwyer.
"I wasn't dead set on passing him," said the 24-year-old
who drives the oldest car in the field, "but when I saw an opportunity
I pulled out one of my old karting moves, parked myself where he wanted
to be mid-corner then kicked the clutch so I could get the jump on
him down the straight."
Veteran Michael Whatley had a similar tale to tell, despite losing
fourth gear - and with it a couple of hard-won places - over the last
two laps.
"I've always been good on cold tyres at the beginning of a race,"
he explained. "My car slides all over the place anyway so I guess
I'm used to it."
Happy, meanwhile, just to be back on the grid at the meeting was former
New Zealand saloon car ace, Peter Sundberg who joined the MSC F5000
series three years ago but did not run last season.
"I've had some health issues, which are now resolved fortunately,
so yesterday was my first time back in the car in two years,"
he said."It's great to be back too, and the car is fantastic,
though to be fair I have spent most of the time this weekend running
round on my own. It would have been nice to have been able to follow
someone around and learn something but when I was out there there
was no way I was going to let anyone catch me up!"
Race 2 (Sun 8 laps)
Earlier in the day Smith won the second MSC race of the weekend after
getting the better of early race leader Clark Proctor as the pair
began lapping the tail-enders on the penultimate lap. At that stage
of the day the track was damp with the lightest of rain showers drifting
across the circuit as the race progressed.
Off the rolling start the order was Proctor, Smith, Ross and Thornton
but the later spun exiting Turn 7 elevating Class 2 pace-setter Michael
Whatley to tuck in behind Ross and in front of Brett Willis, and Peter
Dunn and category young gun Alan Dunkley to catch up.
A lap later Dunkley had got by Dunn and Willis and he and Whatley
quickly closed on Steve Ross. Willis stayed in front of Dunn for one
more lap before spinning exited the first turn and losing two places..
While Proctor and Smith battled for the lead, Whatley and Dunkley
continued to dispute fourth and fifth with Dunkley finally getting
past on the fifth lap.
Whatley was back in front a lap later but the pair remained close
and afterwards said that the changing track conditions actually played
into their hands.
"My car has got little or no grip on a good day anyway so it
really wasn't that much different for me," joked Whatley. "
"Yeah, we had an awesome race," agreed Dunkley."I love
it when the conditions are tricky 'coz I can really take advantage
of them in the old car. Michael had more speed through Turn 1 and
down the straight but I was hustling him like you wouldn't believe
through the infield, and when I got past him it was after getting
a better drive on the inside out of Turn 8 then getting a better run
out of Turn 9."
After Willis spun Peter Dunn inherited sixth place with Paul Zazryn
seventh, Willis recovering to claim eighth, Ian Clements driving Lindsay
O'Donnell's Begg FM5 ninth and Shayne Windelburn 10th. Windelburn
was on a charge though, working his way from 14th place on the grid
to ninth at the flag.
David Abbott had started from P9 on the grid but was a casualty of
the slippery track conditions, grazing the armco exiting the downhill
Turn 9 hairpin on the second lap.
"I was behind Peter Sundberg," he explained. "Peter
lost it in front of me and veered off to to the right very close to
the armco on the outside of the circuit. I got round him but as I
accelerated it was very similar to Ken's crash (at Manfeild 14 months
ago). One wheel got grip, the other didn't and I was just a passenger.
When I hit the wet grass on the inside the car seemed to accelerate
and luckily I only grazed the armco, to the point where I was surprised
when I stopped to see that the front left wheel was still attached
to the car."
Race 1 (Sat 8 laps)
In the first MSC race of the weekend in fine, dry conditions on Saturday
afternoon Proctor just edged an aggressive Smith out on the run through
the first turn but Smith found a way past on the third lap and started
pulling away from Proctor as the latter struggled with a gear selection
issue.
That allowed defending series champion Ross - who tucked in behind
Proctor and Smith at the start - to close on then also pass Proctor
and cross the finish line just under a second behind Smith with Proctor
hanging on for third, Brett Willis fourth and the first of the visiting
contingent of overseas drivers, Greg Thornton fifth.
Early on in the eight lap race the interest behind Smith, Proctor
and Ross was in the battle between fast-starting Australian visitor
Paul Zazryn and Brett Willis. Zazryn made the early running but Willis
wore him down and went on to cross the line in fourth place.
Also impressing was Greg Thornton. After issues in qualifying which
saw him start the race from P16 on the grid Thornton stormed through
the field to cross the line in fifth place between Willis and Zazryn.
Monaco-based compatriot Peter Dunn was the best of the Northern Hemisphere
visitors in qualifying, setting the fourth quickest time in his March
73A/05, but it was actually Class A (for older cars) pace-setter Michael
Whatley who got the best start and spent the early laps in sixth place
ahead of Dunn and Mark Dwyer (Lola T400) Dunn eventually got past,
as later on did Thornton, but Dwyer ended up slipping back down the
field after losing second gear and eventually pulling in with two
laps to go.
The MSC F5000 Tasman Cup Revival Series is organised and run with
the support of sponsors MSC, NZ Express Transport, Bonney's Specialized
Bulk Transport, Mobil Lubricants, Pacifica, Avon Tyres and Exide.
It continues at Hampton Downs at the second NZ Festivla of Motor Racing
- celebrating Denny Hulme next weekend.
2012/13 MSC New Zealand F5000 Tasman Cup Revival Series Rnd 4 NZ Festival
of Motor Racing - celebrating Denny Hulme meeting Hampton Downs Northern
Waikato Fri-Sun Jan 18-20 2013
Qualifying
1. Clark Proctor (March 73A-1) 1:00.331
2. Ken Smith (Lola T332) 1:00.366
3. Steve Ross (McRae GM1) 1:00.807
4. Peter Dunn (March 73A/05 1:02.117
5. Michael Whatley (Surtees TS8) 1:02.488
6. Brett Willis (Lola T300) 1:02.637
7. Paul Zazryn (Lola T332) 1:02.945
8. David Abbott (Lola T430) 1:03.219
9. Mark Dwyer (Lola T400) 1:03.401
10. Aaron Burson (McRae GM1) 1:03.424
11. Alan Dunkley (Lola T140) 1:03.751
12. Peter Sundberg (Lola T332) 1:03.923
13. Bryan Sala (Matich A50/51) 1.1:03.988
14. David Banks (Talon MR1) 1:04.273
15. Shayne Windelburn (Lola T400) 1:04.490
16. Greg Thornton (McRae GM1) 1:04.920
17. Peter Burson (McRae GM1) 1:05.192
18. Bill Hemming (Elfin MR8 AC) 1:06.182
19. Stan Redmond (Lola T332) 1:06.388
20. Philip Mauger (McLaren M23 F1) 1:06.846
21. Lindsay O'Donnell (Begg FM2) 1.07.830
22. Rod Carroll (Lola T140) 1:09.045
23. Warwick Mortimer (Surtees TS5) 1:09.459
24. Poul Christie (McLaren M10B) 1:09.617
25. Aaron Lewis (Matich A50) 1:13.341
Race 1 (8 laps)
1. Ken Smith 8:15.270
2. Steve Ross +0.768
3. Clark Proctor +7.520
4. Brett Willis +16430
5. Greg Thornton +16.560
6. Paul Zazryn +18.462
7. Peter Dunn +18.605
8. Michael Whatley +20.198
9. David Abbott +30.045
10. Peter Sundberg +32.540
11. David Banks +36.081
12. Shayne Windelburn +36.080
13. Bill Hemming +45.893
14. Aaron Burson +56.852
15. Peter Burson +58.439
16. Ian Clements +58.936
17. Philip Mauger +1:03.797
18. Rod Carroll + 1 lap
19. Stan Redmond +1 lap
20 Warwick Mortimer +1 lap
21. Poul Christie +1 lap
22. Alan Dunkley +2 laps
DNF Mark Dwyer, Bryan Sala. DNS Aaron Lewis, Eric Haga
Fastest lap: Ken Smith 1:00.859
Race 2 (8 laps)
1. Ken Smith 08:51.596
2. Clark Proctor +00.056
3. Steve Ross +12.539
4. Michael Whatley +18.130
5. Alan Dunkley +23.136
6. Peter Dunn +24.944
7. Brett Willis +26.636
8. Paul Zazryn +26.859
9. Shayne Windelburn +39.894
10. Peter Sundberg +52.227
11. Ian Clements +52.828
12. Gregory Thornton +01:01.848
13. Aaron Burson +01:02.274
14. Stan Redmond +01:06.152
15. David Banks +1 Lap
16. Rod Carroll +1 lap
17. Peter Burson +1 lap
18. Bill Hemming +1 lap
19. Poul Christie +1 lap
20. Philip Mauger +1 lap
21. Warwick Mortimer +1 lap
DNF Aaron Lewis, Bryan Sala, David Abbott. DNS: Mark Dwyer, Eric Haga
Fastest lap: Ken Smith 1:02.301
Race 3 (15 laps)
1. Ken Smith 17:15.361
2. Steve Ross +00.139
3. Clark Proctor +02.663
4. Gregory Thornton +06.626
5. Peter Dunn +22.083
6. Paul Zazryn +22.695
7. Michael Whatley +26.198
8. Brett Willis +26.329
9. Alan Dunkley +34.215
10. Mark Dwyer +35.171
11. Bryan Sala +40.787
12. Peter Sundberg +42.541
13. David Abbott +:47.774
14. Aaron Burson +54.909
15. David Banks +56.120
16. Peter Burson +1 lap
17. Ian Clements +1 lap
18. Rod Carroll +1 lap
19. Poul Christie +1 lap
20. Warwick Mortimer +1lap
DNF. Philip Mauger, Shayne Windelburn, Stan Redmond, Aaron Lewis,
Bill Hemming
DNS. Eric Haga
Fastest lap: Ken Smith (Lola T332) 1:00.949
Historic
Racing Australia