Australian Motorsport - 2008 Supaloc Australian Saloon Car Series - Round Four Review - Phillip Island, Victoria - August 09-10
TWO BY TWO FOR HOLDENAs well as being numerically superior for the first time, Holden Commodores enjoyed their best ever result in the Supaloc Australian Saloon Car category with a top two result in the two races staged at Phillip Island on August 9-10. The third of the races was red flagged shortly after the start because of an accident and did not count to the overall, round four result.
A hefty 75 kilo weight addition for the Ford Falcon AUs reeled in their speed advantage over the Commodore VTs which in the hands of South Australians John Goodacre and Kevin Weeks took a race win each before the third was abandoned after one lap when Glen Niclarsen in an older VN Holden crashed at turn two.
In the final rundown of points for the weekend, Holden drivers finish with a 1-2-3 Weeks winning over Goodacre and Victorian Tim Rouse but Ford drivers are still well ahead in the series where Steve Kwiatkowski continues to show the way from Matt Lovell albeit with a reduced margin between the pair, also South Australians.
Goodacre was the fastest qualifier. On one fast lap a Holden will be quicker, he said but the Ford is more consistent and will hang in longer. If I dont have a couple of seconds up my sleeve after two or three laps, then the Fords will get me. The Ford contingent were not in total agreement saying the addition weight of their cars would accentuate tyre wear but did concede that they were getting better drive off the corners.
In the first race over eight laps, Goodacre led all the way. He was able to gain an advantage as fellow South Australian and Commodore driver Bruce Heinrich diced for several laps with the fastest of the Fords, Kris Walton in his Queensland Falcon. The latter ultimately went to second but was penalised for kerb jumping. Rather than taking a drive through penalty, Walton garaged his car while Heinrich went to finish second, claiming a new lap record in the process.
Kwiatkowski was elevated to third, having held off Weeks for the duration while Lovell followed in their wake. Series debutant Simon Tabinor (Victoria) had his Commodore ahead of Rouse over the first lap before the latter squeezed ahead, and they were followed by more Holdens - Victorian Paul Pennisi and South Australian Robert Lonie. Queenslander Troy Hoey was also in the mix with his Ford but was excluded for being under weight.
Victorians Geoff Brown (Falcon) and Basil Stratos (Commodore) headed home the NSW Ford of Mark Primmer, Niclasen (Victoria) and the Ford of NSWs Shane Smollen while David Youldens (Victoria) Falcon failed to go the distance.
Heinrich was the best away in race two but was caught out in the greasy conditions, slipping off at turn two and became immersed in the sand trap. Fortunately he did not go down a lap while being extracted under safety car conditions. Weeks had also made a good start and his second became the lead at races resumption.
Weeks took a narrow win over Rowse while Lovell worked his way past Pennisi for third. Goodacre struggled with poor handling and took fifth clear of Brown, Tabinor and Hoey who finished close together. Kwiatkowski slipped up after being as high as fifth before taking ninth ahead of the recovering Heinrich, Youlden, Stratos, Lonie, and Niclasen while Walton was out with gearbox issues. Primmers Falcon was also a retiree.
The third race was set for similar track conditions but the start was delay when Brown couldnt find gears. Eventually he soldiered back to the pits in third before the race was underway. Weeks led until Rouse looked likely to go past at turn four, but the yellow were just being display before being replaced by red flags.
TV Schedule: SBS Speedweek September 21, FoxSports Inside Speed September 3, Website:
www.tasco.com.au 2008 Supaloc Australian Saloon Car Series Round Four - Race One (8 laps)
1 John Goodacre (SA) Holden Commodore VT 14:59.1860
2 Bruce Heinrich (SA) Holden Commodore VT 15:01.0098
3 Steve Kwiatkowski (SA) Ford Falcon AU 15:04.1823
4 Kevin Weeks (SA) Holden Commodore VT 15:04.6986
5 Matt Lovell (SA) Ford Falcon AU 15:05.6549
6 Timothy Rowse (VIC) Holden Commodore VT 15:14.8366
7 Simon Tabinor (VIC) Holden Commodore VT 15:14.9680
8 Paul Pennisi (VIC) Holden Commodore VT 15:22.9274
9 Robert Lonie (SA) Holden Commodore VT 15:23.4273
10 Geoff Brown (VIC) Ford Falcon AU 15:24.5619
11 Basil Stratos (VIC) Holden Commodore VT 15:37.5272
12 Mark Primmer (NSW) Ford Falcon AU 15:37.8055
13 Greg Niclasen (VIC) Holden Commodore VN 15:57.5209
14 Shane Smollen (NSW) Ford Falcon AU 15:57.9399
DNF Kris Walton (QLD) Ford Falcon AU 6 laps
DNF David Youlden (VIC) Ford Falcon EA 1 lap
EXC Troy Hoey (QLD) Ford Falcon AU
2008 Supaloc Australian Saloon Car Series Round Four - Race Two (7 laps)
1 Kevin Weeks (SA) Holden Commodore VT 17:23.5774
2 Timothy Rowse (VIC) Holden Commodore VT 17:24.1388
3 Matt Lovell (SA) Ford Falcon AU 17:25.2157
4 Paul Pennisi (VIC) Holden Commodore VT 17:43.2977
5 John Goodacre (SA) Holden Commodore VT 17:43.7728
6 Geoff Brown (VIC) Ford Falcon AU 17:54.6386
7 Simon Tabinor (VIC) Holden Commodore VT 17:55.8149
8 Troy Hoey (QLD) Ford Falcon AU 17:55.8338
9 Steve Kwiatkowski (SA) Ford Falcon AU 17:59.0364
10 Bruce Heinrich (SA) Holden Commodore VT 18:02.8974
11 David Youlden (VIC) Ford Falcon EA 3900 7 18:27.1372
12 Basil Stratos (VIC) Holden Commodore VT 18:27.4712
13 Robert Lonie (SA) Holden Commodore VT 18:38.8259
14 Greg Niclasen (VIC) Holden Commodore VN 6 laps
DNF Mark Primmer (NSW) Ford Falcon AU 4 laps
DNF Kris Walton (QLD) Ford Falcon AU 3 laps
DNF Shane Smollen (NSW) Ford Falcon AU 3 laps
Fastest lap: Heinrich 2:10.5571.
2008 Supaloc Australian Saloon Car Series Round Four - Race Three red flagged, no points
2008 Supaloc Australian Saloon Car Series Round Four Points
Weeks 67, Goodacre 63, Rowse 55, Lovell 54, Heinrich 46, Kwiatkowski 44, Pennisi 42, Tabinor 34, Brown 31, Lonie 21, Stratos 19, Niclasen 15, Hoey 15, Youlden 10, Primmer 9, Smollen 7, Walton 0
2008 Supaloc Australian Saloon Car Series Points after Round Four
Steve Kwiatkowski 344, Matthew Lovell 329, Kevin Weeks 238, John Goodacre 191, Bruce Heinrich 181, Kris Walton 164, Troy Hoey 152, Timothy Rowse 114, Peter Dane 107, Geoff Brown 106, Paul Pennisi 97, Shawn Jamieson 90, Shane Smollen 69, Mark Primmer 49, Robert Lonie 45, Michael Seal 43, Scot Nicholas 34, Simon Tabinor 34, Brendan Niclasen 32, Sam Milton 28, Ryan Dane 26, Luke Westall 26, Brenton Burr 21, Ryan Millier 20, Basil Stratos 20, Richard Price 19, David Rogers 18, Rod Dawson 16, Greg Niclasen 15, Clint Harvey 13, Nathan Callaghan 12, Lindsay Merritt 12, David Youlden 10, Brian French 8, Lindsay Kearns 8, Daniel Gate 6, Tony Shanks 5, Brett Niall 4, Tim Young 2, Brett Stewart 2, Coleby Cowham 2, John Townsend 2, Wayne Christie 2, Naomi Maltby 2, Glenn Kenny 2, Wayne Patten 2, Tony James 2, Dion Panizza 1, Malcolm Niall 1, Mark Pilatti 1, David Mitchell 1, John Van Gilst 1.
Supaloc Australian Saloon Car Series 2008 Calendar
Round 1 Bathurst February 8-10
Round 2 Oran Park April 26-27
Round 3 Eastern Creek July 12-13
Round 4 Phillip Island August 9-10
Round 5 Mallala November 1-2
Round 6 Sandown November 29-30
Supaloc Australian Saloon Car Past Champions
Heinrich 2007, Heinrich 2006, Heinrich 2005, Harvey 2004, Heinrich 2003, Heinrich 2002.
