Pither On Pole For ENZED V8 Utes

ENZED V8 Utes Press Release

15 APRIL 2011

Pither On Pole For ENZED V8 Utes

Defending champion Chris Pither set the pace but series leader Caine Lobb is handily placed as the final round of the ENZED V8 Ute Challenge began on the streets of Hamilton today.

Pither, ‘The Gypsy’, set the pace in both testing and qualifying in his Gallagher XR8 Falcon while Christchurch driver Simon ‘Jnr Burner’ Beirne in his Team McDonald’s Ford was second fastest on each occasion. Lobb of Whangarei, who has led the series since the opening round at Pukekohe in November, was third fastest in both sessions in his Mark Cromie Holden.

Pither grazed a wall on his second flying lap in qualifying blaming “red mist” but was still comfortably fastest while Beirne was “very happy” with his form. Lobb, ‘The Ginja Ninja’, was having his first outing on the Hamilton street circuit describing it as “awesome.”

Australian Brett ‘Big Nutz’ Holdsworth, making his V8 Ute debut, set the fourth best time in qualifying in his TTM Group/PriPark Falcon followed by Auckland drivers Scott ‘Precious’ McKelvie, Mike ‘Buzz’ Lightfoot and Peter ‘Kaos’ Ward. Dave ‘The Boss’ Stewart of Wellington, Graham Snr Burner’ Beirne of Christchurch and James ‘Huggi’ Urquhart of Karaka completed the top ten.

Holdsworth enjoyed his V8 Ute debut saying they were a bit different to anything else he had ever driven but they were doing everything he expected them to do. Ward said he had gone well at Hamilton last year through attrition but this year he had more pace. Stewart was fourth fastest early in the session but his qualifying was cut short when his steering wheel came off in his hands and he hit the wall. Urquhart was extremely happy to round out the top ten in his Jayco Caravans / Colourworx Holden. “Moose (engineer Moose Rolfe) tuned me up instead of the ute,” he joked.

With their qualifying points in the bank the ENZED V8 Ute Challenge competitors took part in a marble draw for grid positions for tomorrows’ first race over 8 laps of the Hamilton track. Pither drew pole position while Jeff ‘Ripples’ Kernohan of Turangi will join him on all Ford front row. Mike ‘Buzz’ Lightfoot will start third in his BSL Falcon while Lobb drew the number four marble and Simon Beirne five.

Meanwhile Australian visitor Holdsworth will start from twelfth on the grid.

The first of three races this weekend takes place at 10.50am tomorrow morning before two further races on Sunday. The first of those is timed to start at 8.45am with the final race of the series commencing at 11.45am on Sunday.

The Hamilton event is the seventh and final round of the ENZED V8 Ute Challenge. Lobb brings a 71 point lead to the finale with Australian based Pither and Simon Beirne still in title contention.

Support for the category comes from ENZED, UDC Finance, Radio Hauraki, Yokohama, Castrol, Citizen Watches, Exedy, Armorall, SCT and EFILive.

Series website - www.v8utes.co.nz

Series Points: (After Round 6)
Lobb – 1554, Pither – 1483, S Beirne – 1402, McKelvie – 1044, Lightfoot – 974, Spencer – 948, Robb – 896, Ward – 865, G Beirne – 698, J Kernohan – 688, Urquhart – 679, D Kernohan – 656, Hanley – 600, Stewart - 505, Waite – 432, Jarvis – 419, Grove – 164, Morton – 146, Pero - 75

TESTING
1: Chris Pither – Queensland (Ford) 1 minute 42.2737
2: Simon Beirne – Christchurch (Ford) 1.42.5689
3: Caine Lobb - Whangarei (Holden) 1.43.6173
4: Mike Lightfoot – Auckland (Ford) 1.44.1862
5: Dave Stewart – Wellington (Holden) 1.44.2770
6: Brett Holdsworth – Brisbane (Ford) 1.44.4257
7: Graham Beirne – Christchurch (Ford) 1.44.5176
8: Peter Ward – Auckland (Holden) 1.46.1068
9: David Kernohan – Turangi (Ford) 1.46.2997
10: Scott McKelvie – Auckland (Holden) 1.46.3626
11: Geoff Spencer – Palmerston North (Holden) 1.47.2650
12: Jeff Kernohan – Turangi (Ford) 1.47.3587
13: Peter Robb – Wanganui (Holden) 1.47.3754
14: James Urquhart – Karaka (Holden) 1.47.6319
15: Mark Joblin – Hamilton (Ford) 1.53.1023

QUALIFYING
1: Chris Pither – Queensland (Ford) 1 minute 41.2320
2: Simon Beirne – Christchurch (Ford) 1.42.2030
3: Caine Lobb - Whangarei (Holden) 1.43.6776
4: Brett Holdsworth – Brisbane (Ford) 1.43.8693
5: Scott McKelvie – Auckland (Holden) 1.44.0197
6: Mike Lightfoot – Auckland (Ford) 1.44.0201
7: Peter Ward – Auckland (Holden) 1.44.1506
8: Dave Stewart – Wellington (Holden) 1.44.4411
9: Graham Beirne – Christchurch (Ford) 1.45.1791
10: James Urquhart – Karaka (Holden) 1.45.3281
11: Peter Robb – Wanganui (Holden) 1.45.5402
12: Geoff Spencer – Palmerston North (Holden) 1.45.7360
13: Jeff Kernohan – Turangi (Ford) 1.46.2300
14: David Kernohan – Turangi (Ford) 1.46.5254
15: Mark Joblin – Hamilton (Ford) 1.53.9919

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