GRASSROOTS NEWS - MRA ROUND WRAP

Thanks to our partner, My105, Blend Line TV brings you a wrap of motorsport from the latest MRA round at Wakefield Park.

Words: Garry O’Brien

The Motor Racing Australia Series meeting at Wakefield Park on October 4th and 5th was a re-run of the washed-out event on August 9th. This time it was expanded to two days with the addition of a couple of categories.

SPORTS SEDANS:
In the Kumho Tyre Sports Sedans Steven Lacey showed the way in his Chev Camaro. He was the fastest qualifier and won two of the three races. Only a broken second gear prevented him in taking a clean sweep.

Second overall went to Stuart Inwood in his Chev Corvette with a second and two thirds. Over the three races there was nothing between Phil Ryan in his Chev-powered Datsun 280ZX and Will Fercher at the wheel of his Holden Monaro. The results went 2-1 for Ryan to be third overall.

Persistence paid off for Mark Duggan. His Chev-powered Aston Martin had a battery failure during Friday practice, and then a dead alternator in race one. He came back for a second in the next outing and won the last.

VELOCE ALFA RACING:
Over five Alfa Veloce races it was Simon Greirson in his GTV6 who the overall winner. The took three wins to GTV Turbodelta driver Alfio Musumeci’s two. The latter won race one, missed the second and worked his way through the progressive grid to take the last.

David Capraro and Danny Gatto headed race one until both suffered handling issues with their GTV6s and while both finished, didn’t reappear. Mark Baggetto edged out Rob Seritti for third in race one, before Seritti was second in race two ahead of Carmel Mirabella. A safety car in race three brought a close result as Seritti trailed Greison across the line and ahead of Musumeci and that was followed by another third for Seritti in race four and five.

IMPROVED PRODUCTION:
In under two litre Improved Production, Kurt Macready dominated aboard his Nissan Silvia and was unbeaten across three races. Graham Bohm worked hard to hold Ryan Jagger and his Holden Barina in race one, but the Honda Civic driver was penalised five seconds and the positions were reversed.

Bohm atoned in race two when Jagger went out with an engine glitch and looked assured of a repeat in race three until a front hub broke. Jagger also retired with gearbox issues. That enabled Crag Wildridge a third and a second but not before the Ford Escort pilot fronted some tight racing with Ian and Henri Price in their respective Escort and Civic.

In the over two litres, Scott Tutton scored a win and two seconds in his Mitsubishi Evo but had no answer to the pace of race two and three winner Jordan Cox and his Suzuki GTi Turbo. From a slow start that combination charged through to the lead only to be let down by a wayward boost hose. 

Nigel Williams had a second and third before a oil light warning was enough for him to retire his Holden Commodore. Stig Richards was third in race one with his replenished Mazda RX7 before Commodore driver David Worrell who netted one in the last.

NSW PRODUCTION CAR SERIES:
The General left its mark in the Production Car races, or more particularly Tony Virag in his daughter’s Holden Commodore SSV with victories in all three races. He had a big battle with Barry Sternbeck in race one and there was even contact that resulted in a harsh black flag for the Commodore SS driver.

Matt Holt finished second in HSV Clubsport R8, ahead of Geoff Kite in another SSV and HSV GTO steerer Cary Morsink who was second in the next two outings. Sternbeck was on a charge until the engine let go and that left Holt third ahead of Kite and Joe Krinelos who didn’t finish the first due to a battery terminal issue.

Holt would be a casualty at the start of the third when he had a driveshaft failure. Krinelos won his duel with Kite for third as they were well clear of Graeme Shaw in a Mitsubishi Evo 6.5 and Matt Shylan driving a Honda Integra.

MX5 CUP:
It was one-two result for Herring Racing in MX5 Cup. Todd Herring started rear of grid in all three races and with ease, was able to charge through. He won the first ahead of Tim Herring and Richard Herring. In race two it looked to be a similar result until Richard Herring retired and David Johnson picked up third ahead of Paul Nudd. Herring came back for race three for another third, but this time Todd Herring was repassed by Tim Herring for the win.

SUPER TT:
Super TT started with a big bang. Two cars stalled on the grid and caused carnage behind. Many were able to take evasive action but not so the Dave Masing Mitsubishi Lancer, the Stephen James BMW, the Adrian Wuillemin Peugeot, or the Robert Vide Holden Commodore.

The race was not rescheduled which left just two races to run. In his LS-powered BMW, Mark Boudib held off a determined Benny Tran and his Honda Integra. Boudib looked to do the same in the last until the engine went. Fellow Integra driver Lloyd Godfrey who was third in race two, was second in the last ahead of Greg Boyle and his Nissan Skyline.

NSW SUPERKARTS:
Superkart victories went to four different drivers. Laurie Fooks edged out Mark Robin in the first. The latter was able to pip Paul Campbell in the second before Campbell was able to reverse the result in race three. This time Tony Moit was able to split them for a close result after a safety car. 

Lee Vella was had the speed to get himself to the front in half a lap of race one. Fuel problems soon had him struggling through the remainder and the next two outings before it all came together for a race four victory.

Keep an eye out on Blend Line TV over the coming weeks for dedicated highlights packages for Sports Sedans, Improved Production and Veloce Alfa Romeo.