|
Century 21 Racing and Garry Holt 2006 Performance Car Champions |
|
|
|
|
Monday, 27 November 2006 |
 Century 21 Racing yesterday used caution and consistency at Eastern Creek Raceway to cap off a remarkable year and finally secure driver Garry Holt his first STS Turbo Australian Performance Car Championship title.
In his fourth full year contesting the championship in the Century 21 Real Estate Racing Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution VIII, Holt qualified on pole and then finished the two races to ensure that he took home the title.
The result caps of a remarkable run for the team, having already secured two seconds and a third place in the championship prior to this season.
 In the 19-race championship year Holt won 7 races, finishing inside the
top three a total of 11 times and never finishing outside of the top
ten. Holt also scored four pole positions this year and never qualified
outside of the top four.
Holt’s final winning margin was 22 points after he finished a safe
seventh and sixth in the two Eastern Creek races respectively – doing
only what he needed to ensure the championship title was his.
After a turbulent season and many years of trying, Holt was justifiably
pleased following the conclusion of the championship yesterday.
“I have to thank Century 21 Real Estate for their three years of
support to our racing program, they have been fantastic sponsors,” Holt
said following the final race.
“I also need to thank Charles Tarby from Century 21 and our other
sponsors for their support – Eastern Creek International Karting
Raceway, Elf, 2UE, Orix, Croyden Racing Developments and Sarina Smash
Repairs, and also Mitsubishi for their support.
“The first aim for this weekend was to get pole position. Those three
points we scored gave us the buffer we needed to win the championship
by just finishing the races on Sunday. We decided that if we were to
take the risk and start the races from there, was a chance that we
could have won the round – but the downfall was that we’ve done axles
at the start before and would have risked being taken out.
“We had to weigh up all the options – we’ve had tyre blowouts in the
past at Eastern Creek – so in the end we decided to take the sensible
approach and start from pit lane, run behind the others and just get to
the finish.” He said.
Holt offered testament to his crew as the team has clearly become the
most consistently successful outfit in Performance Car Racing.
“Our crew has just done a fantastic job preparing the car and I need to
thank them for their hard work over the season,” Holt said.
“In the past we have finished third in the championship and been second
twice, so to win here is just fantastic. It means a lot.”
The Eastern Creek round marked Holt’s last start in the Performance Car
Championship, the team going in a new direction next season by
confirming today their intention to purchase a BMW 335i Turbo to
contest the returning Bathurst 12 hour race, as well as the Australian
Production Car Championship and other selected events in 2007.
Century 21 Racing and Garry Holt gratefully acknowledge the support of
Century 21 Real Estate, Orix, 2UE, Eastern Creek International Karting
Raceway, Croyden Racing Developments, Elf Oil and Sarina Smash Repairs.
|
News