MINI Challenge provides unrivalled action at Pukekohe

This afternoon Pukekohe Park Raceway spectators saw German International Peter Sharmach in MINI #27 take an unrivalled lead from pole position to win the first MINI Challenge race.

Sharmach lead a field of 17 identical MINI Cooper S cars with John Cooper works performance kits that have been snapped up by a mixture of seasoned campaigners and young and so not young novices.

“It was a good start for me, I just had to drive defensively until the hairpin, while young Anthony Pedersen and Eddie Bell were fighting in the slipstream behind me, so I got away cleanly” says Sharmach.

Sharmach set the fastest time in qualifying despite coming to grief at the end of the sweeper at Pukekohe Park and damaging some tyres in the dirt. But he was complimentary about the circuit’s condition overall.

“The track at Pukekohe has improved since I drove here last, there’s a lot more grip which makes for fun racing in the MINI Challenge, says Sharmach.

Bell in the ESWA MINI #69 held onto second place throughout the eight lap race after he got the inside running at the first corner on young gun Anthony Pedersen in the J.A.Russell MINI #96.

“My MINI Cooper S was really good to drive today,” says a very relieved Bell. “I now know where I can improve and I am very happy that I finished the race with the car in one piece.”

Antony Pedersen was delighted with his third place effort in the race after qualifying so well earlier in the day. He was only 0.6 of a second behind Sharmach putting him on position two on the grid, but he reckons his relative inexperience in circuit racing lost him second place to Bell on the first lap.

“It was heaps of fun out there, I just can’t wait until tomorrow for race two” says Pedersen.

Pedersen is one member of a five car team run by the highly respected International Motorsport team while fourth place went to Kevin Cantwell in MINI #6 who is a member of the six car team run by Motorsport services.

Cantwell was followed home in fifth place by Gavin Dawson in the Scalextric MINI #50 while sixth place went to former Toyota Racing Series champion Brent Collins in the PDL Electrical Solutions MINI #44.

Another International Motorsport team member and the youngest driver in the MINI Challenge is fourteen-year-old Auckland karting champion Richard Moore in the Scutum MINI #10.

Moore who started from eighth position on the grid jumped up a couple of places, but his relative inexperience saw him drop back after a couple of misjudgements on track.

“I’m pleased with the result,” says Moore. “I was nervous at the start, as soon as the lights went out I got to seventh place but then the bunch at the hairpin was nerve wracking.”

One minor incident during the race saw Will Selles in MINI # 2 come together with Tony Houston in the GJ Gardner MINI #88. Selles served a drive through penalty for this altercation.

Mike Morton in The Mad Butcher MINI #80 almost played tail end Charlie but finished the eight lap race without incident.

New Zealand Manager MINI Peter Jarratt says that the close racing results show that the drivers are quickly getting to grips with their MINI, and that some are showing an exceptional turn of speed from where they were in practise sessions.

The MINI Challenge acknowledges support from major sponsors Castrol, Dunlop Tyres and Valeo and sponsorship from John Cooper Works, KW Suspension, BBS Wheels, Coke Zero, and Cannon Signage Concepts.
 

MINI CHALLENGE

RACE ONE PUKEKOHE NOVEMBER 4 FINAL POSITIONS:

Position           Driver                          Hometown      Time                          
1)                     Peter Sharmach           Germany         9:18.098
2)                     Eddie Bell                   Canterbury      +2.673
3)                     Anthony Pederson      Rotorua           +3.162
4)                     Kevin Cantwell           Auckland        +10.457
5)                     Gavin Dawson             Auckland        +10.946
6)                     Brent Collins               Timaru             +11.495
7)                     Jeff Hogg                    Auckland        +11.753
8)                     Richard Moore            Auckland        +12.829
9)                     Gary Johnstone           Christchurch    +19.953
10)                   Ross Hill                     Auckland        +20.686
11)                   Neil Foster                  Rotorua           +26.496
12)                   David Grigor               Auckland        +27.315
13)                   Wayne Timms             Christchurch    +27.708
14)                   Tony Houston             Auckland        +28.925
15)                   Gavin Yortt                 Hawkes Bay    +29.228
16)                   Mike Morton               Auckland        +49.246
17)                   Will Selles                   Auckland        +1:05.649      

MINI Challenge 2006/2007

Round One: 3-5 Nov 2006 Pukekohe
Round Two: 24-26 Nov 2006 Powerbuilt at Ruapuna
Round Three: 18-21 Jan 2007 Taupo
Round Four: 16-18 Feb 2007 Manfeild
Round Five: 2-4 Mar 2007 Timaru
Round Six: 9-11 Mar 2007 Teretonga
Round Seven: 20-22 Apr 2007 Pukekohe

This release was prepared on behalf of MINI Challenge 2006 (www.minichallenge.co.nz). For more information please contact Robert Barry on 027 640 1376 or email robertbarry@xtra.co.nz.

Photo Credit: MINI Challenge/Euan Cameron