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[Australian Production Cars] BRIFFA |
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Sunday, 04 December 2005 |
Driving a Toyota Celica, Steve Briffa won the seventh and final round of the Shannons Australian Production Car Champion at Eastern Creek today while the similarly mounted Colin Osborne became the 2005 Champion.
The President of the Confederation of Australian Motor Sport only needed three points to take the title, earning those in race two, the first that counted to outright standings.
Class A’s Drew Russell finished second for the round and second overall in his Honda S2000 while third place in the series was decided in Class C’s Daniel Natoli’s favour although fellow Proton Satria driver Leigh Mertens was third for the round.
In the first of three races, the only scratch event, Ryan led throughout. A safety car was introduced at the end of the opening lap when several mid-field Class B cars tangled.
Trevor Keene’s Toyota Celica turned around exiting turn two, and the Tim Robson BMW was propelled into it. Several others that followed were also involved. Driving a similar Ford Falcon XR6 Turbo to the winner, Veijo Phillips was second, successfully holding off John Houlder’s Falcon XR8 while the potent Russell was fourth.
Nick Dunkley in another XR8 Turbo came in ahead of the fastest of the Class B contingent, Briffa who was clear of class champion Osborne, the XR8s of Chris Delfsma and Matt Brady. Multiple rally champion Neal Bates was tenth outright in his brother Rick’s Toyota Corolla Sportivo and third in class.
Best of the Class C cars was Leigh Mertens in his Proton Satria, in eleventh outright with Daniel Natoli four spots further back (behind Class B’s Allan Shephard, Darren Best and Stephen Borness). Lauren Gray was less than a second away but clear of Tiegan Butchers, Steven Thomas and Robson.
The second race was the first of two handicaps over nine laps where Class B started 23 seconds after Class C while Class A would be a further 15 seconds away.
Mertens grabbed the early front running while Briffa soon had Class B in hand. Phillips was the best away in Class A but soon spun, resuming at the rear. Osborne also had a spin while Gray would have to serve a penalty pit stop. Bates was also out of contention early with chronic overheating.
Darren Best chased the race leader until a differential broke in the Ford Laser on lap five. By this stage Briffa was up to third and soon into the lead for a narrow win. Mertens held onto second from the rapidly approaching Russell while Ryan headed Holder, that pair displacing Natoli on the final lap.
In seventh was Dunkley with Keene next, two places ahead of Shephard after a clash between the pair put the latter into a spin. Borness and Thomas crossed the line side by side ahead of Phillips, Robson, Brady, Delfsma and Osborne.
Times were adjusted slightly for race three with Class B 21 seconds after Class C and further 14 seconds to Class A. Mertens again led with Natoli and Gray settling into a race-long dice for the Class C minors. Briffa featured strongly in his charge up the order, being fourth before half distance.
The blue Thrifty Celica was the race leader by lap six but Russell loomed ominously. There was 2.3 seconds between them with a lap to go and both would record their fastest lap on the last. It was just that Russell was 2.5 seconds faster and claimed a car length victory, passing Briffa in the shadows of the post.
Mertens was third from Phillips while Natoli held off Gray who had Shephard closing by the flag. The team Celicas came next
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