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[Australian Motorsport] TKR In Round 2 Aussie Attack! |
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Sunday, 28 May 2006 |
TKR IN ROUND 2 AUSSIE ATTACK!
BASKERVILLE 06
Racing was for the first time this year "overseas" with the second round of the ARC championship being held in the Apple Isle, Hobart Tasmania...
With racing over 2 days, Tobia Kipper has finished Round 2 of the 2006 Aussie Racing Cars Series 8th in the round, and continues his solid start in the championship standings.
The weekend started early for Kipper and team with the first street parade for Aussie racing cars through the main streets of Hobart with a static display during the lunch break of the CBD workers in the Hobart Mall, The reaction of the crowd was fantastic and was surely the key to the overall success to the weekend with over 5000 people attending the Baskerville circuit! A perfect result for a first year effort!!
Kipper and team had set the top 4 as a new aiming point for the weekend, as Kipper is growing in confidence in the car and is gaining speed in every outing in the car.
Practice brought good results with the track new to all Drivers bar the local F Vee expert. It was always going to be a case of who could adapt to the tricky terrain changes and bumps of this terrific little track first, and those would be the drivers to watch over the weekend...Kipper rounded out practice in 5th fastest, justifying his early confidence.
Qualifying was always going to be the most important sequence of the weekend with the large grids and traffic on the small track always going to be an issue if fighting thru the grid...
Kipper was first out in Qualifying with the aim to get a quick lap in as soon as possible just incase a red flag situation was to eventuate...and it did! "I was on a perfect lap, but unfortunately there was a big accident entering the back straight that brought out the red flag, but I am sure it was the same for the rest of the drivers" said Kipper.
Once the session resumed Kipper put his head down and dragged out a great lap, even passing a car on his fastest lap! Putting him on the 3rd row of the grid in 6th place for race 1.
Race 1 was good to Kipper with his calm driving bringing him home in 6th, knowing full well that the weekend would be a long one with many races the following day.
Race 2, a wet race early on Sunday morning was always going to show the skilled drivers in the field. It was no surprise to see Kipper, who started 6th and slipped to 11th on the first lap simply due to starting on the greasy side of the track carve his way thru the field with precision driving on his way to setting the 2nd fastest lap in the 10 lap event and was only slower than the local F Vee racer Glover... "I was trying my best to minimize my wheel spin off the start but it was just too slippery on the left side of the grid, and I lost some spots. I then just put my head down and tried to pick them off 1 by 1 and I am very happy with the 4th place" said Kipper.
"I have to say that the team gave me a great car for the drying/damp conditions and the setup changes made were perfect!" Kipper added.
The sprint races (10 laps) were going well for Kipper, until the final sprint where on the first lap after getting a run on series veteran Phil Ward, and got along side Ward on the back straight as he missed a gear exiting the corner. This gave Kipper the incentive he needed to make the move down the inside, however Ward had other ideas and strongly defended his position, moving over to the left of the track, forcing Kipper to the white line.
Kipper and Ward braked side by side into the final turn, but with no room to move as Ward turned sharply in for the apex there was always going to be a collision.
"I had a great run on Phil coming onto the straight, but he made it very hard for me, and gave me no racing room..." said Kipper frustrated after continuing to finish a gallant 22nd.
Kipper's Team then worked their magic between the final sprint race and the all important double points final to have him a perfect handling car for that final race of 20 laps.
Starting 11th he made good progress during the race, and finished 8th and that left him 8th for the weekend also...
"I really think we had the pace to finish the weekend in the top 3, but this track does not lend itself to passing with cars performance so close...especially when the risk of accidents is so high, and the points gain is so small..." Kipper finished with.
Kipper and Team are now looking forward to attacking the front 4 at the next round, with team and driver growing in speed and confidence with every race meeting!
The next Aussie Racing Cars meeting will be held over the weekend of the 30th June-2nd July at Hidden Valley raceway Darwin.
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