|
[Australian Motorsport] Century 21 Racing Unleashes Potential On Oran Park GTP Field |
|
|
|
|
Monday, 08 May 2006 |
CENTURY 21 RACING UNLEASHES POTENTIAL ON ORAN PARK GTP FIELD
CENTURY 21 RACING have proved that they have got the pace to win this year’s STS Turbo Australian Performance Car Championship following a commanding performance at Sydney’s Oran Park Raceway at the weekend.
Only an unfortunate technical issue stopped driver Garry Holt from completely dominating the round, The Sydney driver excluded from the final race due to an unforeseen ride height issue with the team’s dominating Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution.
Oran Park’s first championship round was the start of a new Era for Australian Performance Car racing, returning the GTP Brand to Australian Motorsport following a year’s absence - a large crowd enjoying the competitive racing provided.
Holt entered the meeting as one of the category’s most successful drivers, having won rounds in each of the last three years and finished in the top three in the championship standings on three occasions.
It looked like being a promising weekend for the Century 21 Real Estate team from the outset, Holt dominating opening practice and going on to secure pole position by over a second thanks to a blistering lap.
The first race also went to plan, Holt driving away from a small yet competitive field to record a strong four-second victory over Barry Morcom’s identical Lancer.
Some more of the same came in the second, 15-lap encounter, the Century 21 Lancer resetting the Oran Park Lap record - one it had already smashed the previous day - by a further half-second in a commanding performance.
The third and final race saw the Century 21 car loaded with success ballast thanks to its earlier successes, yet Holt was still able to escape to a strong lead before a crash from Chris Alajajian caused a safety car period, neutralizing the race.
The long extraction process saw the race called after 12 of the scheduled 15 laps, Holt granted the provisional win before the stewards unfortunately excluded the car shortly afterwards.
Holt’s two wins, however, see him sit just five points behind the leader heading into the second round of the championship.
Holt added that he believed the category’s technical officer was very selective of what cars were scrutinized following the race.
|
News