Australian GT NewsWALL, ORMSBY, AND FREESTONE GET GOLD AT SYDNEY OLYMPIC PARK 2009 VODKA O AUSTRALIAN GT CHAMPIONSHIP FINALE
The 2009 Vodka O Australian GT Championship has crowned three new champions after a spectacular final round to the season at Sydney's Olympic Park street circuit at the weekend (December 4-6).
David Wall in the PR Technology Racing Porsche GT3 997 Cup S is the 2009 outright Australian GT Champion. Jordan Ormsby in the Golf Car Solutions Porsche GT3 996 RS took the title in GT Challenge. In GT Production the 2009 champion is Paul Freestone in the Freestones Transport Chevrolet Corvette and substitute Holden HSV GTS Coupe.
In an outstanding performance in a new Porsche GT3 997 Cup S Max Twigg running for the Trueloc team won both events in the GT Championship division and also set the inaugural GT lap record for the new circuit with a time of 1:33.4649 in Race 1.
Practice 1 on the demanding and tight street layout saw Jim Richards (Shannons Insurance Porsche GT3 997 Cup Car) go fastest in the Championship division as the 29 car strong familiarized itself with a circuit that left no room for mistakes.
It was during this first session that Paul Freestone's Corvette took to the barriers after an on track incident leaving him without a car that could be repaired and his GT Production Championship aspirations in tatters.
What looked like a typical motor racing hard luck story turned into a fairy tale when fellow GT Production competitor Tony Alford offered Freestone the use of his Donut King Racing HSV GTS Coupe that had last rolled a wheel in anger at the Bathurst 12 hour.
The replacement car was trucked from Melbourne overnight allowing Freestone to qualify and finish in both races to take the 2009 Australian GT Production title. Fastest in Practice 1 in GT Challenge was Keith Wong in the ULX-110 Proven Custom Blend Oil Ferrari 360 Challenge while the top time in GT Production went to SMS Commander sponsored Lotus Exige S of Mark O'Connor.
Practice 2 saw David Wall (Porsche GT3 997 Cup S) at the top of the time sheets with the fastest Challenge division time being set by the Hallmarc Developments Porsche GT3 996 Cup Car of Michael Loccisano.
In GT Production it was Tim Poulton in the Lotus Exige GT3 that was quickest.
Qualifying (held on the Saturday) saw David Wall set the fastest time, stopping the clocks at 1:33.8359 followed by Max Twigg (1:33.8831), Theo Koundouris (Porsche GT3 997 Cup S), Klark Quinn (VIP Petfoods Porsche GT3 997 Cup Car), James Koundouris (Porsche GT3 997 Cup S), and Tony Quinn (Aston Martin DBRS9), with the top six cars split by a mere half a second.
In GT Challenge Jordan Ormsby in his Porsche GT3 996 RS was fastest with a time of 1:37.7073 followed by Michael Loccisano (Porsche GT3 996 Cup Car), Keith Wong (Ferrari 360 Challenge) and Richard Kimber (Porsche GT3 996 Cup Car).
Both Vodka O Australian GT Championship events were held on the Sunday of the event and provided some of the most exciting racing seen all weekend on the Sydney Olympic Park layout. While Wall led from the rolling start he was constantly shadowed by Max Twigg who made good use of his new machinery to take over the lead as they crossed the line on lap 9.
Theo Koudouris was also part of the action in third position which he held throughout the 30 minute seventeen lap race to the chequered flag which saw Twigg take the win from Wall by the merest of margins.
In GT Championship Tony Quinn (Aston Martin DBRS9) was fourth followed by the Porsche of Klark Quinn and the Cup S model Porsche of James Koundouris. Then it was Jim Richards, and Ross Lilley again having a great meeting in his Laminex sponsored Dodge Viper GT3. Jordan Ormsby took the win in GT Challenge from Michael Loccisano, and Paul Tresidder (Porsche GT3 996 RSR). The Nissan R35 of Tony Alford took the honours in GT production followed by Paul Freestone in the HSV GTS Coupe.
Ian Palmer's Dodge Viper GT3 was a retirement with a suspected blown piston while the three Lotus cars of Angelo Lazaris, Mark O'Connor, and Tim Poulton also failed to finish in the event that had one safety car period for a total of three laps.
Race 2 again saw Twigg take the victory but this time it was from Theo Koundouris and Tony Quinn's Aston Martin with David Wall coming in fourth Twigg led for all of the sixteen laps of the timed 30 minute encounter from Theo Koundouris but the battle for third was fierce all event between Wall and Quinn. Wall held the third slot for the first two laps before Quinn got the big Aston Martin in front of the Porsche only to have Wall take it back on lap twelve and Quinn to again slip past again on lap 13 in what was an epic battle.
The GT Challenge winner was Michael Loccisano, from Paul Tresidder with Eric Bana taking the third slot. Mark O'Connor took the honours in GT Production for Lotus, from the Nissan of Tony Alford, with Paul Freestone claiming third in the borrowed HSV GTS Coupe.
Non finishers were Ted Huglin (Lamborghini Gallardo GT3), Klark Quinn (Porsche GT3 997 Cup Car), and the Lotus cars of both Angelo Lazaris and Tim Poulton.
The race contained 2 safety car periods for a total of 2 laps.
The 2010 Vodka O Australian GT Championship commences at the Clipsal 500 Adelaide March 11-14. |
|
