Bathurst 1000 - Konica Minolta Challenge
9/10/2004 15:09 (Mark Jones) -
Matthew White in the Jayco Falcon has won a drama charged 25 lap Konica Minolta Challenge race in which three of the races four quick drivers dropped out during the running of the race.
The race salvages the weekend for White who crashed his way out of the Bathurst 1000 yesterday after his PWR Performance Products Commodre hit the wall in the Esses during qualifying. White has finished on the podium in all three previous Konica Bathurst challenge events, finished third the last two years and claiming second place in the original 2001 race.
White started the race from third position but dropped to fourth place while Andrew Jones in the BOC Gases Falcon race away at the front of the field. From about half way through the race Jones started to fall back into the three car battle for second position between White, Greg Ritter and David Brabham.
Jones had a progressive engine failure which saw the car drop onto seven cyclinders, then six before finally Jones understeered into the wall at Forrests Elbow with the chasers almost upon him.
By this stage David Brabham had already retired the Fujitsu Falcon with engine failure, leaving Greg Ritter in the Decina Falcon holding a narrowing lead over White.
On the penultimate lap of the race Ritter had a large brake lock up at Forrests Elbow, flat spotting the front right tyre, which then delaminated in the Chase, putting Ritter out of the race, and handing the victory to the closely following White.
Second place was claimed by the only Holden driver to qualify in the top ten, Alan Gurr in the Sirromet/Smiths Trucks Commodore, who drove a consistent and lonely race as the leaders dropped by the wayside.
Tony D'Alberto, driving for Mark Howard Racing this weekend was third ahead of a troubled Jose Fernandez in the second Fujitsu Falcon. Only 13 of the 25 cars finished the race with several incidents highlighting the event.
Konica Minolta Bathurst Challenge
1. Matthew White Gulf Western Oil / Jayco Caravans Falcon
2. Alan Gurr Smiths Trucks Commodore
3. Tony D'Alberto Weathered Howe Falcon
4. Jose Fernandez Fujitsu Falcon
5. Tony Evangelou Dexion Falcon
6. Adam Wallis Rod Lynch Motorsport Falcon
7. Neil McFadyen WPS Falcon
8. Jay Verdnik Hi-Trans Commodore
9. Aaron McGill Dux Hot Water Falcon
10. Mark Howard Weathered Howe Falcon
11. Robert Jones Spiess Heckler Racing Commodore
12. Marcus Zukanovic Actron Air Falcon
13. Ben Eggleston Komatsu Commodore
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