Pither Makes Strong Start to NZV8 Utes Series

Defending champion Caine Lobb is challenged by round winner Chrs Pither at the front of the pack. Photo credit: SportProMedia.com

Three drivers made the early running at the opening round of the 2009/2010 NZV8 Utes Series at Taupo Motorsport Park last weekend. However it was Chris Pither of Palmerston North who made a perfect start to the season, dominating proceedings throughout both qualifying and racing.

Pither, ‘The Doctor’, set the fastest time in qualifying and then went on to win all three races in his ENZED Falcon to leave Taupo with maximum points. His efforts have given him an early 26 point lead over defending NZV8 Ute Champion, Caine Lobb, the ‘Ginja Ninja’, of Whangarei who qualified his Mark Cromie Holden fourth and then went on to take two seconds and a third over the course of the three races.

Rookie Simon Grace of Christchurch in another Holden made a fine start to his first season in the class, qualifying third fastest before accumulating enough points to end the weekend third in the point standings.

The only other drivers to make an impression on Pither, Lobb and Grace were Graham Beirne ‘Snr Burner’ who did a fine job to qualify second fastest in his John Jones Steel Falcon and Bob ‘Sly & Dirty’ Grove who took third place in the opening race on Saturday.

Pither, who has spent much of his career in Australia racing in their V8 Utes Series as well as in the V8 Development and V8 Supercar Series was making just his second start in the NZV8 Utes Series. In his only previous appearance at the final round last season he was second behind Lobb, Pither winning two of the four races. This weekend he was untouchable and very happy with the good start to the series.”It couldn’t have been better,” he stated on Sunday evening. His fastest qualifying time was set in just two laps, he came through from tenth on the grid to win the first race and led from the front in both of Sunday’s races.

Defending champion, Lobb, wasn’t too despondent over his rivals flying start to the series. “It was a pretty smooth round, we just weren’t as fast as we would have liked. Taupo isn’t the strongest circuit for the VE Commodore so to get these points here is a good start to the season.”

Grace and his team were rapt with third overall in the Wunderfloor Commodore. “Our ultimate goal was to make the top three but realistically we would have been happy with the top five. Grace has a background in South Island Formula Ford but spent a season in Super 6 Saloons last year to gain experience in a saloon car. He adapted quickly, winning the championship on debut. Comparing the Holden Ute to his previous drives he said, “it’s a bit different, there’s a lot more weight. By the time qualifying came around I was in the groove. We’re right on track with a slightly older ute. We’ll try and keep in the top three and then look at closing on Caine and Chris.”

The opening shots have been fired but past experience shows that form in the NZV8 Utes Series can change dramatically from round to round.

The next outing for the NZV8 Utes Series and the IRC Summer Of Thunder Tour takes place at the “Thunder In The Park’ meeting at Pukekohe Park Raceway over the weekend of 5/6 December.

The NZV8 Utes Series enjoys support from corporate partners, ENZED, Radio Hauraki, Yokohama and Penrite for this season while the NZV8 Utes are managed by category manager, Jamie Kett of Event 1.

ends

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QUALIFYING

1 – Chris Pither (Ford): 2 – Graham Beirne (Ford); 3 – Simon Grace (Holden); 4 – Caine Lobb (Holden); 5 – David Kernohan (Ford); 6 – Geoff Spencer (Holden); 7 – Mike Pero (Holden); 8 – James Urquhart (Holden); 9 – Peter Robb (Holden); 10 – Bob Grove (Ford); 11 – Steve Elliott (Holden); DNS – Craig Paterson (Ford)

RACE 1 (10 LAPS)

1 – Pither; 2 – Lobb; 3 – Grove; 4 – Beirne; 5 – Robb; 6 – Spencer; 7 – Pero; 8 – Kernohan; 9 – Urquhart; 10 – Grace; 11 – Elliott; DNS – Paterson

RACE 2 (10 LAPS)

1 – Pither; 2 – Grace; 3 – Lobb; 4 – Beirne; 5 – Spencer; 6 – Robb; 7 – Urquhart; 8 – Kernohan; 9 – Pero; 10 – Elliott; DNF – Grove; DNS – Paterson

RACE 3 (14 LAPS)

1 – Pither; 2 – Lobb; 3 – Grace; 4 – Robb; 5 – Kernohan; 6 – Spencer; 7 – Pero; 8 – Urquhart; 9 – Grove; 10 – Elliott; DNF – Beirne; DNS – Paterson

POINTS

Pither – 156; Lobb – 130; Grace – 120; Spencer – 109; Robb – 108; Kernohan – 106; Pero – 102; Urquhart – 100; Beirne – 93; Elliott – 90; Grove – 78;

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NZV8 Utes Calendar 2009/2010:

Round 1: Taupo Motorsport Park, Taupo – 23-25 October 2009 “V8 Attack”

Round 2: Pukekohe Park Raceway, Auckland – 4-6 December 2009 “Thunder In The Park”

Round 3: Hampton Downs Motorsport Park, Meremere – 5-7 February 2010 “TRS International”
Round 4: Powerbuilt Tools Raceway, Ruapuna, Christchurch – 19 – 21 March 2010 “Powerbuilt Tools”

Round 5: Timaru International Motor Raceway, Levels, Timaru – 26-28 March 2010 “Truck & Ute Finals”

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