R4K RACES - Parsons teaches young-guns a lesson
27/5/2001 21:27 (V8 Wire - Jason Whittaker) -
David Parsons continues to show the youngsters how its done, winning the fourth round of the Konica V8 Supercar Series at Phillip Island Raceway today.
“Truckie” Parsons, aboard his Gibson Motorsport big rig, won the opening heat and finished second and third repsectively in the remaining two to claim his second round victory of the year.
Parsons – who stretched his lead in the Konica Series championship chase to 70 points – won the round from Simon Wills and Leanne Ferrier.
The 46-year-old said he had to nurse his car home in the final race due to tyre wear.
“The rear tyres were going away, you could push to a certain limit then you were gone," he explained.
"For the third race I was really struggling and I just tried to finish and built my points tally, that’s what’s important now. If the win was there to be had, I would have taken it but when it wasn’t, I drove more conservatively."
Simon Wills took advantage of the reverse grid in race two; charging from the rear of grid in the first race (he failed to set a time in yesterday’s qualifying) to score a front row birth for the second. He went on to win the final two races.
But the third race, in stark contrast to the second, was a hard-fought duel between himself and Paul Dumbrell. Both drivers went side-by-side down the Phillip Island straight on the final lap to finish an incredible five one-thousands of a second apart.
“I had a really bad vibration in the car over the last three laps which effected my straight-line speed," Wills said.
“But I saw the yellow flag come out on the last corner and I thought Paul wasn’t going to have a go here, but he did – and good on him for trying."
Leanne Ferrier claimed the final spot on the podium by just two points from Paul Dumbrell. V8 Supercars’ first lady was a close second to Parsons in the opening encounter and, after her relegation due to the reverse grid, climbed five positions in the second race.
"It’s great to be back on the podium having been there in round one and then having a disastrous round two," Ferrier said. "It has really given confidence back to me and my team."
Michael Simpson’s championship hopes went up in smoke late in the second race when his engine expired. Aboard Craig Harris’ Castrol Falcon, on-loan for Phillip Island, Simpson was in second at the time of his forced retirement after finishing third in race one. He took no further part in proceedings.
With Parsons holding a sizeable points lead from Dumbrell, the penultimate round of the Konica Series, to be held at Lakeside Raceway in early July, will be do-or-die for his compatriots.
**RACE ONE - TOP TEN**
1st DAVID PARSONS (Gibson Motorsport) - VT Commodore
2nd LEANNE FERRIER (Valvoline-Cummins Race Team) - VT Commodore
3rd MICHAEL SIMPSON (Castrol/Harris Racing) - AU Falcon
4th OWEN KELLY (John Faulkner Racing) - VS Commodore
5th DALE BREDE (NRC Racing) - VT Commodore
6th PAUL DUMBRELL (Wynn's Racing) - VT Commodore
7th GARRY HOLT (Onefone/Eastern Creek Karting) - EL Falcon
8th TERRY WYHOON (Terry Wyhoon Racing) - VS Commodore
9th SIMON WILLS (Team Dynamik) - VT Commodore
10th RIC SHAW (Ric Shaw Motorsport) - VS Commodore
**RACE TWO - TOP TEN**
1st SIMON WILLS (Team Dynamik) - VT Commodore
2nd DAVID PARSONS (Gibson Motorsport) - VT Commodore
3rd PAUL DUMBRELL (Wynn's Racing) - VT Commodore
4th LEANNE FERRIER (Valvoline-Cummins Race Team) - VT Commodore
5th DALE BREDE (NRC Racing) - VT Commodore
6th TERRY WYHOON (Terry Wyhoon Racing) - VS Commodore
7th OWEN KELLY (John Faulkner Racing) - VS Commodore
8th ALAN HEATH (Coopers Pale Ale) - AU Falcon
9th TIM ROWSE (Rowse Motorsport) - VS Commodore
10th GARRY HOLT (Onefone/Eastern Creek Karting) - EL Falcon
**RACE THREE - TOP TEN**
1st SIMON WILLS (Team Dynamik) - VT Commodore
2nd PAUL DUMBRELL (Wynn's Racing) - VT Commodore
3rd DAVID PARSONS (Gibson Motorsport) - VT Commodore
4th LEANNE FERRIER (Valvoline-Cummins Race Team) - VT Commodore
5th DALE BREDE (NRC Racing) - VT Commodore
6th OWEN KELLY (John Faulkner Racing) - VS Commodore
7th ALAN HEATH (Coopers Pale Ale) - AU Falcon
8th TIM ROWSE (Rowse Motorsport) - VS Commodore
9th SIMON EMERZIDIS (Simon's Earthworks) - EL Falcon
10th KEVIN MUNDY (Castrol/Harris Racing) - AU Falcon
**CHAMPIONSHIP TABLE**
1st DAVID PARSONS (Wynn's Racing) - VT Commodore [858]
2nd PAUL DUMBRELL (Gibson Motorsport) - VT Commodore [788]
3rd SIMON WILLS (Team Dynamik) - VT Commodore [784]
4th OWEN KELLY (John Faulkner Racing) - VS Commodore [736]
5th LEANNE FERRIER (Valvoline-Cummins Race Team) - VT Commodore [702]
6th DALE BREDE (NRC Racing) - VT Commodore [692]
7th TERRY WYHOON (Terry Wyhoon Racing) - VS Commodore [606]
8th MICHAEL SIMPSON (Michael Simpson Racing) - EL Falcon [516]
9th GARRY HOLT (Onefone/Eastern Creek Karting) - VS Commodore [512]
10th TIM ROWSE (Rowse Motorsport) - VS Commodore [470]
For complete race results:
http://www.natsoft.com.au/cgi-bin/results.cgi?27/05/2001.PHIL
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