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[Australian Motorsport] Frightening Rollover Shortens Round |
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Tuesday, 23 May 2006 |
FRIGHTENING ROLLOVER SHORTENS ROUND
Round two of the Kerrick Australian Sports Sedan Series ended in dramatic circumstances at Phillip Island on May 21 with the frightening crash of the round winner, Dean Randle in his Chev powered Saab space frame Sports Sedan race car.
After winning the second race of the three-race round, Randle was vying for the lead on the opening lap of race three when he was caught in the middle of a three-way scrap with Daniel Tamasi’s Holden Calibra/Chev V8 and the Saab/Chev of Darren Hossack.
Contact with the former sent Randle’s car into a sickening series of rollovers emerging from Phillip Island’s Honda Corner.
Very little remained of the Saab bodywork but the rollover protection did its job and withstood the violence of the crash. Randle emerged initially angered, tossing his helmet heatedly.
He had some shoulder soreness and was otherwise unscathed yet usual procedure dictated that he be transported to hospital for a precautionary check over. The race was stopped at that point and declared a non event.
The Chief Medical Officer reported later that Randle was discharged from the Dandenong Emergency Department at 22:30 Sunday night, after having extensive XRs and CTs, and with a diagnosis of soft tissue injuries only.
Earlier race two was held in wet conditions where after an extra pace car lap, Hossack took the lead from race one (held on Saturday) winner Tony Ricciardello at the second corner.
Several corners further on Ricciardello was further relegated when Randle went past also. On 16” Dunlop wet tyres, the five times champ claimed later that he didn’t have the grip of his rivals on 18” Pirelli wets. He would lose further places shortly after.
Tamasi would take third while local racer Glen Hastings finished fourth in his older, less powerful Ford Cortina V8.
Grip was also a problem for Ford Mustang driver Phil Crompton who also lacked vision due to misting on his windscreen – so too the Chev Corvette of Des Wall, subsequently both retired.
While that was happening Hossack suffered a mid-race clutch problem where it failed to disengage. In no time he lost the advantage he had built up. The clutch dilemma became worse and Randle was through to the lead – and a victory that would clinch him the round.
Ricciardello salvaged fifth which meant second overall tied with Hossack. Another local state competitor, Dean Camm in his Honda Prelude/Chev V8 was sixth ahead of the similar machine of Queensland Charlie Senese.
AUSTRALIAN SPORTS SEDAN SERIES RACE TWO RESULTS (8 laps)
| Pos | Driver | State | Car/Engine | Time | | 1 | Dean Randle | Vic | SAAB/Chev V8 | 13:47.1505 | | 2 | Darren Hossack | Vic | SAAB/Chev V8 | 13:47.4574 | | 3 | Daniel Tamasi | Vic | Holden Calibra/Chev | 14:20.1670 | | 4 | Glen Hasting | Vic | Ford Cortina/Ford V8 | 14:21.7356 | | 5 | Tony Ricciardello | WA | Alfa Romeo GTV/Chev V8 | 14:40.2128 | | 6 | Dean Camm | | Honda Prelude/Chev V8 | 15:23.6426 | | DNF | Charlie Senese | Qld | Honda Prelude/Chev V8 | 5 laps | | DNF | Phil Crompton | Qld | Ford Mustang/Ford V8 | 5 laps | | DNF | Des Wall | NSW | Chev Corvette/Chev V8 | 2 laps | | DNS | Kerry Bailey | Tas | Nissan 300ZX/Chev V8 | | | Fastest lap: Randle 1:53.6831 |
AUSTRALIAN SPORTS SEDAN SERIES RACE THREE RESULTS (7 laps)
Abandoned, after first lap red flag.
AUSTRALIAN SPORTS SEDAN SERIES POINTS
| Driver | Points | | Ricciardello | 75 | | Randle | 69 | | Tamasi | 54 | | Hastings | 46 | | Hossack | 34 | | Crompton | 26 | | Bailey | 25 | | Wall | 12 | | Camm | 11 |
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