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Bathurst 2009
Qualifying: Jez Hammond led the charge for WA, but as usual we were a bit out-classed, I suspect mainly in the engine power area, as well as fearless commitment maybe. Ben Riley followed him home in his brand new Jacer (never raced with only about 15 laps bum in seat time before coming to the mountain). Robert Lambe was the 1st WA victim, coming to grief at The Chase, with serious damage. Then, Mark McKay threw a pulley and cooked his engine. Game over, despite help from Gerry Prosser (engine builder) who had travelled with us all as technical support. I can assure you he was a busy man.
Race 1: Jez was again leading the WA boys when he sheared a flywheel from the crankshaft - but he was to come back after o/night engine change. That left Ben Riley as highest placed WA driver in 30th place! Derek Burns and Chris Scoble had solid runs coming home 37th and 40th respectively out of about 55 cars I think. Bruce Welsh achieved his objective of a sub 3 minute lap in a 1200.
Race 2: Saturday morning saw a badly limping and generally battered Robert Lambe helping others. Jez had changed engines and was OK. Mark McKay had too, but a borrowed motor just couldn't be fitted, so that was the end of his W/E - sad. Jez had to come from the back of the field and scared the proverbial out of himself and 3 other WA drivers when everyone's nightmare happened - his steering wheel came off up Mountain Straight when in close company with Bruce, Derek and Chris! After pulling off the circuit to address the steering defect, his progress through the field was halted by prolonged Safety Car to the end of race and finished 41st.
Ben Riley had discovered loose rear suspension over-night which was fixed, but was suffering a lack of urgency up the hill (probably lack of carburetion tuning on a brand new engine barely run-in for the event. He was overtaken by 5 cars up Mountain Straight, but got them all back on the twisty bits before the Safety Car came out to finish where he started - 30th. Chris, Bruce and Derek all finished in close company after Jez's erratic steering issue - survival is good.
Race 3: All was going well until there was a FIRE IN THE MAIN COMPLEX during Lap 1. That red flagged the event as everyone was evacuated.
Race 3a: The organisers gave us a 3 Lap event at the end of Saturday's proceedings. I sincerely wish they hadn't. Ben was leading the WA contingent fighting for 28th I think when he was tagged from the rear left quarter on the final corner of the final lap of the final race. The very heavy impact (surprisingly so) turned both cars around. Ben stopped in the middle of the track just 10m short of the Flag. There should be lots of pics of it as it was caught on the big screen by Channel 7 and many amateur videos. I think the other car hit a wall and spun across the line to finish with quite bad damage. That left Jez as the leading WA driver.
I don't know any more (because I was running to the scene) apart from that Ben Porter won.
Tim Riley |
