The last round of the Preston Peak Wines Queensland–New South Wales Sprint Challenge held at Stanthorpe’s Carnell Raceway last weekend produced some action packed racing and some surprising results, with many of the competitors who had been at the top of the points ladder not even featuring in the final results.
One of the surprises of the final round of the series was the team racing at the end of the day on Sunday. It was down to two teams, the Queensland team of Max Parnell, Jason O’Mara, Brock Gersekowski, Peter Cusato and Garry O’Halloran against the New South Wales team of Stephen Roos, Matt Halpin, Todd Hayne, Nicholas Contojohn and Troy Gordon.
Queensland, the holder of the shield, started hot favourite in the head to head battle over one flying timed lap, with each competitor’s times added together, with the fastest team being the winner of the Noel Simpson’s Memorial Queensland–New South Wales Sprint Shield.
Queensland finished with an overall time of 196.72 seconds, but it was the NSW team’s day of glory as they recorded a time of 191.67 seconds. The shield will now return to NSW until the end of the 2012 series.
The super sprints series could only be described as great, as more than 90 competitors battled it out for outright honours in the series.
The sprints also saw many of the top runners knocked off the points ladder.
It was NSW competitor Nicholas Contojohn who claimed victory at the end of the day with 63 points. Contojohn drove very consistently throughout the series and, considering he drove a borrowed race car for the last round, he did exceptionally well.
Jason O’Mara, who was eighth outright on the points ladder at the start of the weekend, worked his way into second place outright, with 50 points.
Third place went to Tenterfield’s Stephen Roos who was running 13th at the start of the weekend but drove very consistently to get up to third outright, with 50 points.
Second and third places were decided on a countback.
Stanthorpe drivers gave a good account of themselves. Doug Chippendale in his magnificent Ford Escort won class for Pre 1972 Class Touring Cars 1600cc–2000cc.
His win at the weekend gave him an overall class win in the series.
John Eldridge finished second in the Historic Racing Car Class in his RB Corolla racing car.
Mick Irwin, who was having his first run at the sprints, drove consistently throughout the weekend.
One of the highlights of the event was the short circuit touring car racing for the 2011 Short Circuit Touring Car Championship, which produced some real door handle to door handle racing in all three classes.
It was Forest Hills’ Sports Sedan star Cec Morgan that took out the overall 2011 Queensland title.
Morgan dominated the sports sedan racing, winning five of the six races on the program of events, which took his overall points tally to 180 points.
Second place outright went to the fast improving under 2000cc Improved Production competitor, Ballina’s Bill Heuchmer, who was very consistent throughout the series to finish first in class and second outright in the series with 152 points.
The hard-driving Toowoomba’s Peter Cusato, who was unlucky in the previous round due to mechanical problems, finished the series in second place in the under 2000cc Improved Production class and third outright with 149 points.
At the trophy presentation on Sunday, the drivers voted it was one of the best meetings conducted in Stanthorpe. All agreed that they would be back in 2012.
A full list of the results will be on the Short Circuit Motor Sport Association’s website at
www.scmsa.com.au
The final series presentation night will be held at the Toowoomba Showground on November 19.
Latest
Release your inner film critic
Granite Belt cinema buffs will have the chance to release their inner film critic when the Manhattan Short Film Festival comes to Stanthorpe on...
