Race Two: Kanga top five again!
13/4/2005 17:33 (Press Release) -
Gary MacDonald showed he was a model of consistency in the Kanga Loaders Racing AU Falcon in the second race of the HPDC V8 Supercar series at Adelaide’s Clipsal 500 meeting today. Fifth home in Race One and 5th again in Race Two.
Overtaken at the start by fellow Steve Ellery Racing prepared Mark Porter’s BA Falcon, MacDonald also gained a position in lap 1, overtaking Philip Scifleet’s AU Falcon before the end of the lap. An electrical connector fault in Porter’s car meant he didn’t complete the lap, so the Kanga Loaders Racing Falcon ended lap 1 in 4th, behind Canto and Macrow in BA Falcons and D’Alberto in the ex Bathurst winning 2004 Kmart Commodore.
Three laps of safety car to remove Porter’s stranded car extended race distance from 24 to 27 laps.
MacDonald and Scifleet engaged in a thrilling duel for 4th place for the next eight laps when the lights went green. MacDonald set the fastest time of the race for an AU Falcon on lap 8, with Scifleet a whisker behind, also on the same lap. The Kanga Loaders Racing Falcon driver was urged on by his pit crew. “You’re doing a great job,” he was told.
Scifleet won the battle on lap 13 and his team-mate, Warren Luff, replaced him in MacDonald’s mirrors. Luff was charging through the field after a Race 1 tyre problem put him 9th on the grid for Race 2. Another enthralling battled ensued for four laps, but this time the Kanga Loaders Racing Falcon was the victor, with Luff again succumbing to the gut-wrenching tyre problems he endured in Race 1.
So at approximately half-race distance, Gary retained the 5th spot in which he started. But Adam Wallis quickly reduced the gap between 5th and 6th. In his duel with Luff some front wheel rubbing between the cars impacted on the front end alignment of the Kanga Loaders Racing Falcon, which washed off some speed.
On lap 23, with only four laps to go, the gap was down to just half a second, but MacDonald showed great grit and determination to secure his well-earned 5th place, having extended the gap to 6th to 1.29 seconds. The result for Race 2 mirrored that for Race 1: Canto, Macrow, D’Alberto, Scifleet and MacDonald.
Please with his efforts, Gary said, “Job done! I was the fastest AU, and I’m happy with that. The car was great early, but then I had a small coming together with Luff.”
Kanga Loaders supremo Alan Porter said, “This has sharpened Gary up for the series, and the result has kept the Kanga Loaders Racing Falcon in the hunt,” to which Gary added, “When we return to the BA [severely damaged in a testing incident at Queensland Raceway on 9 March] I’m looking for continuous, steady improvement.”
The Kanga Loaders Racing Falcon BA will start in Round 2 of the HPDC V8 Supercar Series at Wakefield Park from 13 to 15 May. Gary MacDonald showed he was a model of consistency in the Kanga Loaders Racing AU Falcon in the second race of the HPDC V8 Supercar series at Adelaide’s Clipsal 500 meeting today. Fifth home in Race One and 5th again in Race Two.
Overtaken at the start by fellow Steve Ellery Racing prepared Mark Porter’s BA Falcon, MacDonald also gained a position in lap 1, overtaking Philip Scifleet’s AU Falcon before the end of the lap. An electrical connector fault in Porter’s car meant he didn’t complete the lap, so the Kanga Loaders Racing Falcon ended lap 1 in 4th, behind Canto and Macrow in BA Falcons and D’Alberto in the ex Bathurst winning 2004 Kmart Commodore.
Three laps of safety car to remove Porter’s stranded car extended race distance from 24 to 27 laps.
MacDonald and Scifleet engaged in a thrilling duel for 4th place for the next eight laps when the lights went green. MacDonald set the fastest time of the race for an AU Falcon on lap 8, with Scifleet a whisker behind, also on the same lap. The Kanga Loaders Racing Falcon driver was urged on by his pit crew. “You’re doing a great job,” he was told.
Scifleet won the battle on lap 13 and his team-mate, Warren Luff, replaced him in MacDonald’s mirrors. Luff was charging through the field after a Race 1 tyre problem put him 9th on the grid for Race 2. Another enthralling battled ensued for four laps, but this time the Kanga Loaders Racing Falcon was the victor, with Luff again succumbing to the gut-wrenching tyre problems he endured in Race 1.
So at approximately half-race distance, Gary retained the 5th spot in which he started. But Adam Wallis quickly reduced the gap between 5th and 6th. In his duel with Luff some front wheel rubbing between the cars impacted on the front end alignment of the Kanga Loaders Racing Falcon, which washed off some speed.
On lap 23, with only four laps to go, the gap was down to just half a second, but MacDonald showed great grit and determination to secure his well-earned 5th place, having extended the gap to 6th to 1.29 seconds. The result for Race 2 mirrored that for Race 1: Canto, Macrow, D’Alberto, Scifleet and MacDonald.
Please with his efforts, Gary said, “Job done! I was the fastest AU, and I’m happy with that. The car was great early, but then I had a small coming together with Luff.”
Kanga Loaders supremo Alan Porter said, “This has sharpened Gary up for the series, and the result has kept the Kanga Loaders Racing Falcon in the hunt,” to which Gary added, “When we return to the BA [severely damaged in a testing incident at Queensland Raceway on 9 March] I’m looking for continuous, steady improvement.”
The Kanga Loaders Racing Falcon BA will start in Round 2 of the HPDC V8 Supercar Series at Wakefield Park from 13 to 15 May.
Release Date: 19/03/2005
Kanga Loaders Racing
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