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PUKEKOHE - ROUND 7 PHOTO REVIEW.
Friday was practice / test day at Pukekohe Park Raceway. Craig Innes had a lead of 116 points with 1101 points from Simon McLennan (Wellington) on 985. 3rd was Gavin Yortt (Hawke's Bay) on 849 and not far behind was Mark Maddren (Auckland) on 806.
Project KPH provides kids with disabilities the opportunity to get up close and experience motorsport. Here Founder Leah Evans, photographs kids getting their t-shirt autographed by MINI Challenge driver Simon McLennan. Simon and M2MotorSport are keen supporters of Project KPH.
Craig Innes lifts a rear wheel. The track at Pukekohe has become bumpier at the end of the front straight as the cars enter the esses. There is a new bump to contend with, where the horses cross the track, that was pitching all the cars to the left. Innes was fastest in both of Friday's 20 minute test sessions by 0.443 and 0.115 of a second. Come Saturday morning Innes qualified fastest by 0.177.
Ryan Bailey was the winner at Manfeild on debut in Tony Houston's car. On Friday at Pukekohe he was none too happy with only a 6th fastest time in both sessions. Worse was to come as would be carrying his 50kgs weight ballast 'reward' in Qualifying.
Here Ryan Bailey is at the scales 'supervised' by his father at the left and MINI Challenges Peter Burke. Inset is the scales and he has 1kg to go. In Peter's hand is the sealing pliers for the ballast's tamper proof box which is bolted to the passenger floor.
In the second test Chris Parkinson never made the first corner due to an electrical failure and his track position caused a red flag. Can't say I have ever seen a race-car towed 'against the traffic'.
Simon McLennan was a little happier with his 4th fastest time in Qualifying - a map sensor failure had been diagnosed.
James Kirkpatrick was 3rd fastest but suffered gearbox damage. The International Motorsport crew elected to take the car back to the city and have use of the workshop's hoist.
Craig Innes won Saturday afternoon's Race 1 leading from start to finish by 2.122 seconds. That is James Kirkpatrick behind him and Gavin Yortt outside of him. Behind Yortt is Mark Maddren. Behind Kirkpatrick is Ryan Bailey and the white/cream car is Chris Parkinson who passed 3 cars in an absolute flyer of a start. The win gave Innes 191 points and with a maximum of 150 points on offer for the next two races he couldn't be beaten.
Chris Parkinson even surprised himself when he got the jump on these three. The red car is Simon McLennan, the yellow is Dean McMillan and behind them is Joel Thrupp who had just stepped out of a Suzuki Swift in the Production race.
Lap 3 and Innes has a comfortable lead. Kirkpatrick is a being very brave attempting to go around him that far out especially Turn 1. The track is dirty off line, bumpy and disaster looms. Kirkpatrick actually lifted off and slotted in behind Yortt. That's Mark Maddren behind Yortt.
Race 2 on Sunday morning at 10am. Again Craig Innes heads out followed by Gavin Yortt and James Kirkpatrick. Then it's Mark Maddren in the green car with David Grigor on the ripple strip and Ryan Bailey outside him. Next in the red car is Simon McLennan, Dean McMillan, Joel Thrupp and Chris Parkinson 'bringing up the rear'. That's the way they stayed, in close formation, apart from McLennan who moved up one and Bailey back three. One of those sets of skid marks on the grass belong to Ryan Bailey who spun three times previously and stopped in the sand.
Craig Innes was a media target. He had two races of Round 7 in the bag and had already won the MINI Challenge Championship.
Race 3 is full reverse grid so Joel Thrupp leads Dean McMillan out. The red car is Simon McLennan who is also being brave out there. Parkinson had volunteered to go to the back of the pack so as not to be in anyone's way so after the warm-up lap he pulled off for a Pit Lane start.
Two laps later and McMillan still leads from Bailey and Innes and yes, that's McLennan going around the outside yet again.
Last lap and Innes knew this was the only place he was going to get past McMillan - flat out around the outside. You could hear the crowd draw breath. It could have been from hero to zero but ......
That's how they crossed the line Craig Innes 1st with Dean McMillan 2nd but where did Mark Maddren come from for 3rd ?
Brian Kelly interviews a very happy 2nd placed Gavin Yortt and to his right is 3rd placed Mark Maddren.
Craig Innes joins them as 1st for Round 7 for the traditional 'bubbly'. How come they all have their eyes shut ?
 hamp
That's why - most of it goes over Craig Innes.
The 2008/09 Championship points are:
ENDS.
Photos: Alan Henderson / HH Media
Visit: www.minichallenge.co.nz
Note: my mobile number below has changed: 0277222757
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