2012/13
MSC New Zealand F5000 Tasman Cup Revival Series
Rnds 4
NZ Festival of Motor Racing - celebrating Denny Hulme meetings
Hampton Downs
27-01-13
EVENT REPORT
PROCTOR IS LATEST MSC F5000 SERIES RACE WINNER
High-profile Auckland all-rounder Clark Proctor (March 73A-1) is the
latest MSC NZ F5000 Tasman Cup Revival Series race winner after a
popular lights-to-flag win in the feature 15-lap final at the second
NZ Festival of Motor Racing - celebrating Denny Hulme at Hampton Downs
today.
Defending series champion and current series points leader Steve Ross
(McRae GM1) beat Proctor and first NZ Festival meeting race winner
Ken Smith (Lola T332) to the top spot in qualifying on Saturday and
to the finish line in the eight lap preliminary races on Saturday
and Sunday morning - but the afternoon's race was a Proctor benefit
from start to finish.
"I knew my car could turn in nice and tight at Turn 1 on cold
tyre and I knew Steve (Ross) would diamond the corner as he always
does and that that would probably catch Kenny out and that's exactly
what happened," said the former Speedway, NZV8s and Targa front-runner.
"It was great to see that chequered flag and great to get a win
in this series."
With Proctor forcing his way into the lead through the first corner
and series returnee Andrew Higgins (Lola T400) following him through
the first lap of the feature looked very different to those of the
two preliminaries. Ross initially held third place from Smith and
visiting British drivers Greg Thornton (McRae GM1), Mark Dwyer (Lola
T400) and Peter Dunn but Higgins pulled out after only three laps
and Ross overcooked it heading into the first turn on the fourth lap,
spinning and losing several places as he scrambled to get back onto
the track.
"I was trying to get past somebody and I went in a bit hot,"
he explained.
That gave both Proctor and Smith some breathing space as the pair
eased away from Thornton, Dwyer, a recovering Ross, Brett Willis (Lola
T330), Paul Zazryn (Lola T332), Peter Dunn (March 73A)and young gun
Alan Dunkley in the first of the older Class A cars, a high-wing Lola
T140.
For the next six laps Smith was never more than two or three car lengths
behind Proctor with Ross getting past Thornton but too far behind
the make any real impression on the front pair.
Then there was Proctor and a big gap to Smith, the ageless veteran
having survived a wild ride through the gravel trap on the outside
of the downhill Turn 9 after having being forced wide as he was working
his way through lapped traffic.
Like Ross, Smith was able to rejoin the track, in this case without
losing a place, but the pressure was off Proctor and by the time the
chequered flag came out he was just over eight seconds ahead of Smith
with Ross third a further four seconds down the track, Thornton, Dwyer
and Brett Willis making up the top six and Alan Dunkley again the
first of the Class A runners home in seventh.
Earlier, Australian Paul Zazryn (Lola T332) had led Monaco-based Brit
Peter Dunn (March 73A), Dunkley and the Matich A50s of Australians
Aaron Lewis and Bryan Sala but by race end Dunkley had found a way
past both Dunn and Zazryn and Sala had worked his way Lewis and Dunn
to cross the line in ninth place.
Race 2 (8 laps)
Earlier in the day there was also drama in the second MSC series race
of the weekend, the Safety Car deployed after Andrew Higgins spun
and beached his car on the second lap then the race red flagged when
visiting Australian driver Rod Carroll spun and made light contact
with the pit wall at the end of the start/finish straight.
Race one winner Steve Ross again got the jump on fellow front row
starter Ken Smith off the rolling start with Higgins and Thornton
slotting into third and fourth place respectively until Thornton was
tapped into a spin exiting Turn 8 and Higgins followed suit on Turn
9. Before the race was stopped Clark Proctor held fourth from Mark
Dwyer, expat Chris Lambden (McRae GM1), Paul Zazryn and Peter Dunn
(March 73A-5).
When the race was re-started Ross again got the jump on Smith and
Dwyer with Proctor fourth, Lambden fifth, Zazryn sixth and a battle
pack of Peter Dunn, Brett Willis and Australian Aaron Lewis disputing
seventh.
A lap later Proctor had got past Dwyer only to spin himself back down
the order.
"I set off after Kenny, and was making big inroads into him and
Steve over the back," said Proctor. "Unfortunately I had
a little bit of a moment entering Turn 9 and dropped what I had made
up so I was trying hard the next lap when I just got caught out and
the car swapped ends exiting Turn 3. I ended up in the gravel but
luckily managed to get it out and carry on."
That left Dwyer unchallenged in third place with Lambden fourth and
Dunn fifth, until the latter slowing, however, as his car's engine
was starved for fuel.
That allowed Willis, Zazryn and Aaron Lewis to move up a place, Lewis
finally able to show the potential of his Matich A50 after sorting
out a fuel issue which he had been battling 'for three or four meetings.'
"Yeah, he said."It was just what I'll call an intermittent
wire fault which we have now fixed, as well as a couple of other little
issues and I can now battle the guys I normally battle."
Having been able to get back onto the track after his own spin and
join the grid for the re-start, Greg Thornton worked his way back
up to eighth, crossing the line in front of a close-running Peter
Sundberg (Lola T332), Shayne Windelburn (Lola T400) and Russell Greer
(Lola T332).
In 12th place when the flag came out was Clark Proctor in front of
Talon man David Banks, Peter Burson (McRae GM1), Bryan Sala (forced
to pit early to remove a loose muffler) and Warwick Mortimer (Surtees
TS5). Andrew Higgins recovered to finish 20th, Alan Dunkley - who
had to pit for repairs to his car's nose cone - 22nd.
Race 1 (Sat 8 laps)
After pipping first round race winner Ken Smith in qualifying in the
morning Steve Ross got the jump on Smith and Higgins in the weekend's
first MSC series race setting the fastest race lap on his way to crossing
the finish line just under a half a second ahead of Smith and just
over five seconds in front of Higgins.
Behind Ross, Smith and Higgins, Clark Proctor spent the race working
his way back past Greg Thornton and Mark Dwyer while Paul Zazryn found
himself following category young gun Alan Dunkley.
Dunkley went even quicker in qualifying at this weekend's meeting
and forced his way through to seventh on the first lap. Early on he
easily led Zazryn who in turn had an advantage over Brett Willis and
Aaron Lewis but towards the end of the race Zazryn found a way past
Dunkley to cross the line in seventh position.
An early casualty was British visitor Michael Whatley (Lola T300)
who pitted when he lost oil pressure. Local class stalwart Poul Christie
(McLaren M10B) also pulled into the pits, but in his case it was because
of his concerns with the low grip levels off the racing line on a
couple of corners resealed overnight after the track surface broke
up on Friday.
Making history for the second weekend in a row, meanwhile, were Talon
drivers David Banks and Aaron Burson. Only five Talons were made and
at the moment only two are in race-ready condition - and those two
are being raced at Hampton Downs this weekend.
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 next weekend at the annual Skope Classic meeting at Christchurch's
Powerbuilt Tools Raceway at Ruapuna Park.
Ends
2012/13 MSC New Zealand F5000 Tasman Cup Revival Series Rnd 5 NZ Festival
of Motor Racing - celebrating Denny Hulme meetings Hampton Downs Northern
Waikato Fri-Sun Jan 25-27 2013
Qualifying
1. Steve Ross (McRae GM1) 1.00.004
2. Ken Smith (Lola T332) 1.00.716
3. Andrew Higgins (Lola T400) 1.01.255
4. Greg Thornton (McRae GM1) 1.01.847
5. Clark Proctor (March 73A-1) 1.02.200
6. Mark Dwyer (Lola T400) 1.02.223
7. Peter Dunn (March 73A/05) 1.02.389
8. Michael Whatley (Lola T300) 1.02.741
9. Chris Lambden (McRae GM1) 1.02.880
10. Alan Dunkley (Lola T140) 1.03.081
11. Paul Zazryn (Lola T332) 1.03.183
12. Brett Willis (Lola T330) 1.03.563
13. Aaron Lewis (Matich A50)1.04.106
14. Russell Greer (Lola T332) 1.04.662
15. Aaron Burson (Talon MR1) 1.04.671
16. Peter Sundberg (Lola T332) 1.04.794
17. Shayne Windelburn (Lola T400) 1.04.970
18. Bryan Sala (Matich A50/51) 1.05.293
19. Bruce Leeson (McLaren M10B) 1.05.408
20. David Banks (Talon MR1) 1.06.464
21. Peter Burson (McRae GM1) 1.06.771
22. Warwick Mortimer (Surtees TS5) 1.07.801
23. Rod Carroll (Lola T140) 1.07.923
24. Bill Hemming (Elfin MR8AC) 1.10.469
25. Eric Haga (Lola T190) 1.12.918
26. Poul Christie (McLaren M10B) 1.15.354
27. John Bryant (Lola T140) 1.17.897
Race 1 (8 laps)
1. Steve Ross 8:19.255
2. Ken Smith +0.426
3. Andrew Higgins +5.385
4. Clark Proctor +8.520
5. Greg Thornton +20.852
6. Mark Dwyer +20.974
7. Paul Zazryn +24.819
8. Alan Dunkley +26.237
9. Brett Wilis +28.804
10. Peter Dunn +34.846
11. Chris Lambden +42.610
12. Aaron Burson +47.281
13. Russell Greer +48.308
14. Peter Sundberg 49.187
15. Shayne Windelburn +50.040
16. David Banks +55.509
17. Aaron Lewis +55.984
18. Bryan Sala +1.00.559
19. Warwick Mortimer +1 lap
20. Rod Carroll +1 lap
21. Peter Burson +1 lap
22. Bill Hemming +1 lap
23. Eric Haga +1 lap
24. John Bryant +1 lap
dnf Poul Christie, Bruce Leeson, Michael Whatley.
Fastest lap. Steve Ross (McRae GM1) 1:00.813
Race 2 (8 laps)
1. Steve Ross 10.38.893
2. Ken Smith +0.467
3. Mark Dwyer +9.066
4. Chris Lambden +15.492
5. Brett Willis +16.006
6. Paul Zazryn +16.387
7. Aaron Lewis +20.843
8. Greg Thornton +23.669
9. Peter Sundberg +23.674
10. Shayne Windelburn +24.501
11. Russell Greer +32.250
12. Clark Proctor +33.206
13. David Banks +36.639
14. Peter Burson +37.994
15. Bryan Sala +40.283
16. Warwick Mortimer +43.122
17. Bill Hemming +45.025
18. Poul Christie +1.04.755
19. John Bryant +1 lap
20. Andrew Higgins +1 lap
21. Eric Haga +1 lap
22. Alan Dunkley +1 lap
dnf Peter Dunn, Rod Carroll, Aaron Burson
Fastest race lap: Ken Smith Lola T332) 1.00.026
Race 3 (15 laps)
1. Clark Proctor 15.93.213
2. Ken Smith +8.362
3. Steve Ross +12.434
4. Greg Thornton +24.559
5. Mark Dwyer +26.022
6. Brett Willis +31.200
7. Alan Dunkley +37.413
8. Paul Zazryn +44.821
9. Bryan Sala +54.085
10. Peter Dunn +57.575
11. Aaron Lewis +1.01.497
12. Peter Sundberg +1 lap
13. Russell Greer +1 lap
14. David Banks +1 lap
15. Aaron Burson +1 lap
16. Warwick Mortimer +2 laps
17. Poul Christie +2 laps
18. Eric Haga +3 laps
19. John Bryant +3 laps
dnf Chris Lambden, Shayne Windelburn, Bill Hemming, Andrew Higgins
Fastest race llap: Ken Smith (Lola T332) 1.01.155
Historic
Racing Australia