Mini Challenge Round 2 Pukekohe 7-9 November 2008

Round 2 of the MINI Challenge series continued on Sunday at Pukekohe Park Raceway with Races 2 & 3.

Gavin Dawson (after his engine swap - that's two engines out and one in) was back in the Scaletrix MINI and they said they had it running at 10pm Saturday night.

Race 2 has 11 cars back on the grid ready for their 9:55am start.  A good clean start and Craig Innes (Taupo Weekender), leads them out. At the end of the back straight Dawson has an attempt at passing Innes into the hairpin.

In Lap 2  Mark Maddren (Kiwi Can) goes off at the hairpin but rejoins the race.   The racing settles as the tyres and brakes reach racing temperatures and into Lap 3, James Kirkpatrick (James Trust) closes right in on Dawson.  Dobbs sets the day's fastest lap of 1:09.347.

Lap 5 and Dobbs and Yortt, at the southern end hairpin are rubbing door handles under braking from a speed of 200 kph.  At Lap 7 Dawson has another attempt at passing Innes on the back-straight but the outside only works if you have superior power and able to drive right around the outside.

Into Lap 8 and through the esses at the northern end and into the Castrol right hand corner.  Dawson has a crack at Innes again and as the momentum pushes the cars to the outside of the track Innes backs out or get pushed into the wall.  Kirkpatrick could have gone through as well but generously gave Innes plenty of racing room.

Lap 9 and Innes is trying to get past Dawson at the hairpin and hangs off his back bumper so he gets a 'tow' right down the front straight.   Innes gets good drive out of Castrol and again is right on Dawson. As the back straight dog-legs right to the hairpin, Innes feints left and Dawson covers him.  Innes dives up the inside and the two cars are pillar to pillar.  Dawson 'leans' on Innes and he is on grass to avoid the convergence.  The two cars touch and Dawson spears off to the left onto the expanse of grass and spin into a sickening backwards slide at probably 150kph and disappears into the tyre wall.  Kirkpatrick, Simon McLennan (New World Metro - Wgton) and Adam Dobbs (Conifer Pools) are past Innes and heading for the finish flag.

How do I know all this detail  ?  Brent Melhop and the Moneyworks Team record all the races on DVD and let me review it.

So the top 5 were Kirkpatrick, McLennan, Dobbs, Innes and Yortt.  Yortt leads the Championship by only 1 solitary point.

Race 3, a Top 10 reverse grid, was scheduled for 1.25pm but was delayed over an hour after no less than 12 NZV8's had a 'coming together' and destroyed the outer the Armco at Turn 1 which is the first right hander off the end of the start straight.  All the Armco's posts were sheared off and the Armco itself was only stretched and not broken so sectional concrete barriers were placed in front of it.  That section of the track would remain under yellow flag for the rest of the day - meaning, no passing.

Dawson's car had suffered mainly rear suspension damage but his crew were able to repair it in time. His bad luck continues.  It's a Top 10 reverse grid and he was car 11, so still at the back of the grid.  

As the lights go green they all drop into 'Indian file' through Turns 1 and 2.  Onto the back straight and the passing starts.  As they head back towards the Finish Line, they come up and over the hill in top gear and both Yortt and Dobbs are, side by side, into the wall big time.  The Safety Car is out and both drivers are okay.  I am back down past Turn 1 in the Photographer's position but don't see this and relying on the commentary from MINI Challenge's Mike Eady and Radio Sports Brian Kelly.  They said that both cars had suffered extensive damage.   

A clean restart and past me in Indian file again under the yellow flag. McLennan pulls out to effect a pass but quickly remembers no passing.  I can see Castrol corner and Maddren makes a mistake - either went onto the grass, misses a gear or was pushed from behind. David Grigor (Golden Homes) is through as are the rest of the field.

By Lap 5 Dawson has picked up four places.  The cars are trading places everywhere. Maddren is on the charge again but is backwards into the wall at the top of the hill where Dobbs and Yortt went off.  The commentators suggest, "There must be oil on the track ?"

Yellow flag again and the Pace Car out again.  Maddren's car is badly damaged.  The Stewards are quick to attribute Maddren's demise to a tap from behind by McLennan and he is given an immediate drive through penalty.

9 of 15 laps are gone and they are away again.   That's 3 out of 11 starters out.  Innes has moved up another place.

Out of Castrol and into the back straight and there is a roar from the crowd and the commentators.  Grigor has allegedly hit Hopkins and Innes is also involved going backwards at high speed.   

Melhop can't believe what he sees and dives to the left and is now in the lead with Innes now dead last.   Clarke Hopkins (Roofing Industries / Colorcote NZ) is the 4th car out so only 7 left.

Lap 13 and in his charge up to 3rd Dawson does a 1:09.523

Two laps to go and Innes is charging from the back.  Kirkpatrick is back into 3rd.  Last lap and Dawson is now back into 3rd.

Melhop crosses the line for his first ever win by 0.806 from Grigor, with a close 0.166 back to Dawson in 3rd. Kirkpatrick is 4th just 0.300 back and Wayne Timms (Timms Vending Machines) is 5th another 1.324 back.  Innes has made up huge ground and now only 8 seconds behind Timms.  McLennan has done his drive through and 34 secs back.

That made the weekend's podium:  1st James Kirkpatrick. 2nd Brent Melhop and 3rd Simon McLennan.