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In an exciting debut at Bathurst for the Supaloc Australian Saloon Car Series, South Australia’s Steve Kwiatkowski has taken race one of round one in his Westport Cars/Eagle Paint & Panel Ford Falcon AU. The South Australian started the ten lap race from fourth grid position, worked his way to second and seized the front running when race leader and fellow state resident Kevin Weeks had a moment on the second last lap.

“I am stoked,” enthused the happy Kwiatkowski after the race. “The car has been very strong this weekend and now we can match the front runners in the series. Last year we struggled to stay with them until we discovered a fault with the throttle.”

Weeks started as the fastest qualifier in his Supaloc Holden Commodore VT, but was swamped off the line by the Fords of initial leader Queenslander Kris Walton, Kwiatkowski and Peter Dane from New South Wales. The latter brushed the wall at the top of the mountain on the opening lap, and then had a gear selection issue at the Chase which cost him several spots.

Weeks then took the challenge up to front running Fords, getting past before the Safety Car was deployed after Victorian Brett Carrington crashed his AU. When racing resumed, Weeks appeared to have the race in his keeping having passed Walton and then put a superb move on Kwiatkowski at the Chase but out braked himself with just over a lap to go.

“I could have kicked myself. I was pushing harder and harder when I didn’t need to and just got caught out,” he admitted. He dropped to third but managed to retrieve second off Walton before the race ended.

A two time runner up in the series, Walton was content with his result. “They just have a little bit more out of the corners than us, but that is something we can look at. Anyway to race at this place is a great experience in itself,” he said.

Matt Lovell was fourth in his Ford Falcon AU ahead of five times champion Bruce Heinrich who has switched from Ford to a new Holden for 2008. Fellow Holden runner Shawn Jamieson started 13th and finished sixth ahead of Dane and Queensland’s Rod Dawson (AU) while Victorian Ryan Millier was a surprise performer in the older model EA Falcon, finishing ninth ahead of tenth place Troy Hoey whose Ford started 19th.

The 2004 champion Clint Harvey (AU) broke a gearbox at the start, and Tim Rouse’s Commodore suffered a similar fate midway through the race when running sixth. West Australia’s Malcolm Niall was a strong performer in his AU, as high as tenth before a clash with another competitor put him out.

The Australian Saloon Car Company (TASCCO) is a foundation member of the CAMS National Racing Championship, one of the 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.

2008 Supaloc Australian Saloon Car Championship Round One Race One (10 laps)

1 Steve Kwiatkowski (SA) Ford Falcon AU 30:45.3964

2 Kevin Weeks (SA) Holden Commodore VT 30:46.0631

3 Kris Walton (QLD) Ford Falcon AU 30:46.7996

4 Matthew Lovell (SA) Ford Falcon AU 30:47.3965

5 Bruce Heinrich (SA) Holden Commodore VT 30:51.5378

6 Shawn Jamieson (SA) Holden Commodore VT 30:56.6623

7 Peter Dane (NSW) Ford Falcon AU 30:57.0504

8 Rodney Dawson (QLD) Ford Falcon AU 30:57.6659

9 Ryan Millier (VIC) Ford Falcon EA 31:01.0447

10 Troy Hoey (QLD) Ford Falcon AU 31:03.8918

11 Brenton Burr (SA) Ford Falcon AU 31:04.1958

12 Michael Seal (NSW) Ford Falcon AU 31:05.2401

13 David Rogers (NSW) Ford Falcon AU 31:06.7272

14 Luke Westall (NSW) Ford Falcon AU 31:07.9103

15 Nathan Callaghan (WA) Holden Commodore VT 31:09.6597

16 Tony Shanks (QLD) Ford Falcon AU 31:21.3253

17 Lindsay Merritt (QLD) Holden Commodore VT 31:21.5647

18 Lindsay Kearns (QLD) Ford Falcon EA 31:21.8886

19 Daniel Gate (WA) Ford Falcon AU 31:25.5523

20 Brett Niall (WA) Ford Falcon AU 31:26.3320

21 Tim Young (QLD) Ford Falcon EA 31:27.0863

22 Geoff Brown (VIC) Ford Falcon AU 31:27.4715

23 Brett Stewart (WA) Holden Commodore VT 31:31.0246

24 Ryan Dane (NSW) Ford Falcon EA 31:33.1304

25 Coleby Cowham (QLD) Ford Falcon EA 31:34.8164

26 John Townsend (QLD) Holden Commodore VN 31:43.8681

27 John Van Gilst (QLD) Holden Commodore VN 31:44.2968

28 Wayne Christie (NZ) Holden Commodore VN 31:44.9432

29 Paul Pennisi (VIC) Holden Commodore VT 31:50.4579

30 Brian French (NSW) Holden Commodore VT 31:58.6710

31 Naomi Maltby (SA) Holden Commodore VN 31:59.6013

32 Glenn Kenny (NSW) Holden Commodore VP 32:00.9846

33 Wayne Patten (QLD) Holden Commodore VN 32:07.3005

34 Tony James (WA) Holden Commodore VT 33:24.5180 3

35 Robert Lonie (SA) Holden Commodore VT 9 laps

DNF Dion Panizza (WA) Holden Commodore VT 9 laps

DNF Malcolm Niall (WA) AU Falcon 4000 8 laps

DNF Justin Garnett (SA) AU Falcon 4000 8 laps

DNF Timothy Rowse (VIC) Holden Commodore VT 4 laps

DNF Brett Carrington (VIC) Ford Falcon AU 4 laps

DNF Mark Pilatti (WA) Holden Commodore VT 4 laps

DNF Gavyn Croft (NSW) Holden Commodore VT 2 laps

DNF Brad Piggott (NSW) Ford Falcon AU 2 laps

DNF David Mitchell (NSW) Ford Falcon AU 2 laps

DNF Basil Stratos (VIC) Holden Commodore VT 1 lap

DNF Clint Harvey (WA) Ford Falcon AU 1 lap

Fastest lap: Weeks 2:38.2378

Supaloc Australian Saloon Car Series 2008 Calendar

Round 1 – Bathurst February 8-10

Round 2 – Oran Park April 26-27

Round 3 – Eastern Creek July 12-13

Round 4 – Phillip Island August 9-10

Round 5 – Mallala November 1-2

Round 6 – Sandown November 29-30

Supaloc Australian Saloon Car Past Champions

Heinrich 2007, Heinrich 2006, Heinrich 2005, Harvey 2004, Heinrich 2003, Heinrich 2002.