Coming down to the wire in the MINI Challenge

The first MINI Challenge series is coming down to the wire with only 0.824 seconds separating the top ten qualifying drivers.

Brett "Bones" Collins will be on pole position for tomorrow’s first MINI Challenge race at the Placemaker’s V8 Supercar meeting at Pukekohe.

Qualifying fastest this morning with a lap time of 1:08.776 in the PDL MINI, Bones set a blistering pace around the 2.841 km Pukekohe Park circuit, with 17 other drivers behind him also hungry for a good starting position.

"It’s a good position to be in," said Collins who is the former Toyota Racing Series champion and is also running a Toyota Tatuus open wheeler in that series this weekend.

"I am looking forward to our first race tomorrow; I always enjoy the thrills and spills of the Placemaker’s V8 Supercar meeting at Pukekohe, it will be fun to race in two championship series."

Motorsport Services team member Kevin Cantwell in the Visual Group Mini also had a good qualifying session posting a lap time of only 1.08.859 for position two on the grid in front of championship leader "Fast Eddie" Bell in the ESWA MINI who posted a lap time 1:09.053 putting him onto third.

"I’m very happy to be in the top three, it would have been nice to be further up but I was slowed up on the track when two drivers came off in front of me, on what was probably my fastest lap. " said Bell. "It’s a minor frustration really; I’ve been in worse grid positions during this first season of the MINI Challenge."

Bell has lead the MINI Challenge points table since the second round at Ruapuna last year and was looking to get the best possible grid position for the 8 lap race on Saturday as he only has a 27 point lead over Collins, who in turn has an 11 point lead in front of German International Peter Sharmach.    

Sharmach in the baby blue Diggalink WPS MINI took fourth on the grid with a time of 1:09.054 followed by the Squawking Magpie MINI of a delighted Gavin Yortt from the Motorsport Services Auckland team who posted 1:09.158 putting him fifth on the grid.

Yortt was ecstatic with what has been his best performance of the MINI Challenge season so far.

"I am feeling very confident here at Pukekohe," said Yortt. "My lap times have been consistent, probably still going a little too fast into the hairpin but I feel more comfortable around Castrol corner and am certainly faster through the sweeper and over the infamous Pukekohe hill."

Yortt was followed by the MINI Challenges youngest competitor 15-year-old International Motorsport team member Richard Moore in the Scutum MINI who will line up on position six.

Motorsport Services team member Will Selles put the Teng Tools MINI onto seventh place followed by Gavin "The Enforcer" Dawson, who survived an off track excursion to put the Scalextric MINI onto the eighth grid position.

David Grigor put the Golden Homes MINI onto position nine followed by another Motorsport Services team member Jeff Hogg in the Opti-Flex MINI on 10th position.

In his first outing in a MINI Cooper S with a John Cooper Works kit, V8 development driver Boyd Norwood put his Motorsport Services MINI onto position 11.

"I can’t believe how powerful these cars are, and how much later you can brake in them," said the Palmerston North based driver. "They are quite different to the rear drive cars I have competed in previously."

Unfortunately for Gavin Dawson his bad luck continued, he was found to be three kilo underweight by the Scrutineer’s after qualifying, was fined and lost 50 championship points and he will start race one from last position tomorrow.

MINI Challenge Qualifying
Pukekohe Park Raceway April 20th 2007.

Pos:     MINI#:            Name                        Hometown         Time:             

1)        44               Brett Collins               Pukeora          1.08.776
2)         6               Kevin Cantwell              Auckland         +0.083
3)        69               Eddie Bell                  Woodend          +0.277
4)        27               Peter Sharmach              Australia        +0.278
5)        11               Gavin Yortt                 Hawkes Bay       +0.382
6)        10               Richard Moore               Auckland         +0.438
7)         2               Will Selles                 Auckland         +0.469
8)        50               Gavin Dawson                Auckland         +0.495
9)        22               David Grigor                Auckland         +0.727
10)        3               Jeff Hogg                   Auckland         +0.824
11)       96               Anthony Pedersen            Rotorua          +1.004
12)       14               Boyd Norwood                Palm North       +1.018
13)       88               Anthony Houston             Auckland         +1.281
14)       52               Gary Johnstone              Christchurch     +1.293
15)       20               Ross Hill                   Auckland         +1.440
16)       30               Wayne Timms                 Christchurch     +1.749
17)       99               Shaun Turton                Pukekohe         +1.827
18)       77               Neil Foster                 Rotorua          +1.864

MINI Challenge 2006/2007

Round One: 3-5 Nov 2006 Pukekohe
Round Two: 24-26 Nov 2006 Powerbuilt at Ruapuna 
Round Three: 18-21 Jan 2007 Taupo
Round Four: 16-18 Feb 2007 Manfeild
Round Five: 2-4 Mar 2007 Timaru
Round Six: 9-11 Mar 2007 Teretonga
Round Seven: 20-22 Apr 2007 Pukekohe 

This release was prepared by Robert Barry on behalf of MINI Challenge 2006 (www.mini.co.nz). For more information please contact Robert on 027 640 1376.