2009 Asko Aplliances South Island Enurance Series

CLOSE QUALIFYING BATTLE AT ROUND 2 OF ASKO APPLIANCES SI ENDURANCE SERIES

The two main protagonists from the opening round of the ASKO Appliances South Island Endurance Three Hour Series race at Teretonga Park recently continued their battle during qualifying for the second round at Timaru International Motor Raceway at Levels near Timaru today.

After the first qualifying session was held in drizzly conditions the second session in the dry saw the Porsche GT3 RSR of Scott O’Donnell and Andy Neale take pole position for tomorrow morning’s race after continually trading fastest laps with opening round winners Dwayne and Matt Carter of Auckland in their BA Falcon V8 Supercar. The fastest lap for the Porsche was 1 minute 02.803 while the Falcon qualified alongside it for tomorrow’s 3 Hour event with a lap of 1 minute 02.977.

Dunedin duo Warren Good and Arron Black will start from third on the grid in their BMW E46. Their best time today was 1 minute 07.928. Blenheim drivers John Wadsworth and Warren Croft were fourth fastest in their Holden Commodore ahead of the third placegetters at the opening round, Bruce Davidson and David Garden of Alexandra in a Chev C5 Corvette. Craig McDermid and Tony Head complete the top six despite the fact that Head’s flight south was

delayed this morning and he only arrived at the track part way through the second qualifying session.

Also part of the event tomorrow is the first round of the ASKO Appliances One Hour Series with Dave McLean of Gore setting the fastest time of those competitors.

Stuart Black of Dunedin suffered a blown diff today but has qualified for tomorrow’s race.

Twenty-three cars will line up for the race which starts at 9.30am. Competitors will observe one minutes silence for former series competitor Matt Heagney of Blenheim prior to the race. Heagney was tragically killed in Blenheim recently.

After this weekend’s round, the ASKO Appliances SI Endurance Series moves to its Grand Finale at Powerbuilt Tools Raceway at Ruapuna in Christchurch on Saturday 31st October 2009. The overall 3hr series champion will be awarded the ‘South Canterbury Toyota Cup’, plus the Club has been donated an original watercolor painting by High Country artist Norman Sinclair valued at approximately $10,000-00 which will be given away as a spot prize. The overall One Hour series champion will receive the new SIERDC 1 Hour Champions trophy and the Club also gives away prizes and prizemoney throughout the five classes being McFarlane Group Developments Class 4 (0-1600cc), Burnside Contractors Class 3 (1601-2000cc), Hagley Building Products Class 2 (2001-3500cc), Southern Finance Class 1 (3501cc and over) and the new ASKO Appliances GT class.

For information on the South Island Endurance Series or to be added to the SIERDC e-mailing list, please contact Series Secretary Chris Dunn via e-mail at sierdc@xtra.co.nz or ph 021-107-9293. For more information on series sponsor ASKO, please visit www.ASKO.co.nz

Points to date:

ASKO Appliances Overall points

1^st Carter/Carter – BA Supercar – 95 points

2^nd O’Donnell/O’Donnell – Porsche GT3 RSR – 87 points

3^rd Davidson/Garden – Corvette C5 – 80 points

ASKO Appliances GT Class

1^st Carter/Carter – BA Supercar – 95 points

2^nd O’Donnell/O’Donnell – Porsche RSR – 87 points

3^rd= Cliff/Knighton – Porsche 996T 4WD – 20 points

3^rd= Dippie/Grellet – Porsche GT3 – 20 points

Southern Finance Ltd Class 1 (3501cc +)

1^st Davidson/Garden – Corvette C5 – 95 points