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South Australia’s Bruce Heinrich made the 2007 Supaloc Australian Saloon Car Championship his at Sandown on December 8-9 which gave him an unprecedented fifth title in six years. His championship-winning Ford Falcon AU was sold before the meeting began and after two third places in the first two of three races, Heinrich passed the car onto its new owner and became a spectator for the last.
On the eve of securing the championship, he was in conservative mode and relaxed, knowing that a couple of quality places would be enough. “I didn’t think I could match the pace of John Goodacre’s Holden Commodore which qualified on pole, I just aimed to let the quick guys go at it and then see how things panned from there,” he said.
BRUCE HEINRICH FIVE TIMES SALOON CAR CHAMPION
Bruce Heinrich five times Saloon Car Champion
South Australia’s Bruce Heinrich made the 2007 Supaloc Australian Saloon Car Championship his at Sandown on December 8-9 which gave him an unprecedented fifth title in six years. His championship-winning Ford Falcon AU was sold before the meeting began and after two third places in the first two of three races, Heinrich passed the car onto its new owner and became a spectator for the last.
On the eve of securing the championship, he was in conservative mode and relaxed, knowing that a couple of quality places would be enough. “I didn’t think I could match the pace of John Goodacre’s Holden Commodore which qualified on pole, I just aimed to let the quick guys go at it and then see how things panned from there,” he said.
His nearest rival, Kris Walton also in a Ford, went all out and scored a perfect three wins from three starts. “We had to – and then hope something happened to Bruce!” said the Queenslander. This was the second year in a row that he has earned the bridesmaid tag and an elusive title still escapes him. “Even in my karting days I just couldn’t get a title win, it was always second. Roll on next year. I know the car is quick enough – we had some bad luck along the way this year. Certainly at Queensland Raceway and Eastern Creek getting punted didn’t help but the two Phillip Island rounds were my doing,” he admitted.
While Heinrich’s quest appeared a formality, the battle for third would go all the way to the wire between another two South Australian Fords, those of Matt Lovell and Steve Kwiatkowski where the former had a 30 point advantage over the latter. In just one race, that margin was halved but Kwiatkowski copped a drive-through penalty for jumping the start in the second – and that took the pressure of Lovell who finished third in the championship.
Goodacre was the fastest in the second qualifier after being fifth in the first session that mattered, and on combined times he had pole for race one. He led the first race until passed by Walton. Kwiatkowski went through to second shortly after as Goodacre struggled on to fourth behind Heinrich with a broken header.
Champion of 2004 WA’s Clint Harvey was next in his AU ahead of Lovell who admitted he had driven a little too conservatively and has his points advantage over Kwiatkowski halved. “Yeah, I let a couple go because I didn’t want to get put off by someone. Looking back I should have gone harder but Harvey and I had a great dice,” he said.
Sam Milton was next in the Ford that had been driven by Scott Nicholas throughout the season. The latter was overseas this weekend and Milton performed admirably after what could have been a race weekend ending crash on Friday. He finish ahead of the Justin Garnett AU and the Ford of Troy Hoey, in the Ford that Heinrich won the title in last year. In his season debut Victorian Andrew Nowland was tenth ahead of the Holden pair of Paul Pennisi and Robert Lonie.
The lone New South Welshman in the field Shane Smollen parked his Ford after only four laps, and would be followed by the father/son West Australians Malcolm and Brett Niall in their Fords. At the beginning of the last lap the engine in Jake Camilleri’s Holden expired. He was able to get a loaner off Tim Rowse who missed the first race due to driveline issues.
Any chance for Kwiatkowski to beat Lovell in the championship quickly evaporated in race two where he was deemed to have jumped the start – therefore a drive-through penalty ensued at the of the opening lap. Goodacre assumed the lead until Walton passed him on lap three. From there the Queensland drove away, heading the Holden home. Lovell was a lot stronger this time around, holding third until the last lap when he was relegated to fourth by Heinrich. Garnett finished fifth ahead of the Falcons of Harvey, Hoey and Kwiatkowski. Nowland was next and Camilleri performed strongly, starting from the back of the grid and charging to tenth. Brenton Burr followed in his Ford from Lonie, Pennisi and Rowse in his fresh new paint scheme.
In the third and final race, Goodacre showed the way initially. But Walton was through and gone before the first lap was completed. Kwiatkowski quickly forged his way to third and harassed the Holden driver over the second half of the race but couldn’t improve on third – by the same token he didn’t topple fourth placed Lovell from third outright. Harvey was next as Camilleri picked up more places for sixth ahead of Burr, Hoey, Nowland and Rowse.
The Australian Saloon Car Company (TASCCO) is a foundation member of the CAMS National Racing Championship, one of the five core categories (Production Cars, F3, Saloon Cars and Commodore Cup) in partnership with CAMS that now make up the Shannons Nationals.
The popular six cylinder Holden Commodore verse Ford Falcon category is supported by Supaloc Steel Building Systems, Pedders Suspension, Kumho Tyres, Xtreme Clutch, EMS Fuel Injection, Cebco Brakes and CSA Alloy Wheels.
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