R5 LITES PREVIEW - Four-way Lites title fight at Mallala
25/8/2000 11:49 (V8 Wire - Jason Whittaker) - Four drivers still have a grasp on the inaugural Konica V8 Lites Championship trophy, and will vie for the title at the final round at Mallala Raceway this weekend.
While Ford driver Dean Canto holds a 23-point lead, Commodore campaigners Matthew White, Ryan McLeod and Wayne Wakefield are in position to pounce on any Canto slip-up.
While the Blue Oval performance in the V8 Supercar "mother" category has been dismal to say the least, Canto has been Ford's quiet achiever in the Lites championship. For a manufacturer desperate to taste success, in any form, Canto could prove the saviour.
19-year-old Canto has four race wins to his name this year, but it has been his consistency that has kept him ahead of the pack for much of the season, and at the head of the title queue for the final showdown at Mallala this weekend.
Canto will race for Ford's Factory outfit at the Queensland 500 in a fortnight's time, an experience he hopes will be the icing on the cake after claiming the first-ever Lites Championship crown this weekend.
Matthew White has been quietly accumulating points throughout the season, largely out of the spotlight, and finds himself in the best position of the three challengers to snatch the title from Canto's grasp.
Phillip Island overall victor and early championship front-runner, Ryan McLeod, ruined his chances of Lites glory with a disappointing run-of-outs at the Oran Park round, but his early season success has the title still within reach, albeit a long reach.
29-year-old Queenslander, Wayne Wakefield, lies on the fourth rung of the championship ladder, 45-points behind Canto but still in the title chase.
The controversial inverted grid will again make an appearance in the second of three 20-minute races on Sunday, adding an element of the unknown to the round, and the championship.
The four title hopefuls also have to contend with the Level 1 Stone Brothers entry of David Besnard, who upstaged the title heavyweights with a debut win at the last round at Lakeside Raceway.
While Besnard is using the final two rounds for preparation for his Caltex Havoline mount alongside Tony Longhurst in the endurance events, Besnard says he won't give-way to anyone.
"I went to Lakeside not knowing what to expect and I had to work hard for my win. There is a lot riding on my two-round Lites campaign and I won't be backing down for anyone. Now I have more laps under my belt, I am expecting to do even better this round," Besnard, who recently signed a long-term contract with the SBR team, said.
"I think the Lites Series provides some of the most exciting racing in Australia today, it's very exciting for the fans with all the passing, the tussles, the contact and the crashes. There is nothing processional about the Lites and it's a worthy alternative to the Shell Series," he said.
The 22-strong Lites field will also include Ford racer Ross Halliday, who makes his return to the Lites series this weekend, and Alan Heath, who will race in the V8 Supercar "feeder category" for the first time, in his SCS Power Racing Falcon.
The Mallala V8 action, making its return to the South Australian circuit after a two-year absence, will be supported by the crucial final round of the Formula Ford Championship.
With a championship crown, prize purse, and inclusion on the Queensland 500 and Bathurst FAI 1000 entry lists all up-for-grabs, there is plenty to play for when the Lites machines hit the track for Race 1 at 11:30am on Sunday. Channel 10 will cover the action the following Sunday, on their "Trackside" program, at 3pm.
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