Gee Grabs Series Lead
07/01/08…NASR/ASCF Media Release
Australian champion Michael Gee scored a narrow win in round three of the 2007/2008 Carline Mufflers National Super Sedan Series at Toowoomba’s Charlton Raceway on Monday night (December 31), leading every lap of the 35-lap feature event after qualifying his Dupont Ford Taurus on pole position.
Despite heavy lapped traffic and a late challenge from Wayne Brims, Gee maintained his composure and remained in control to secure his first feature race win for the year.
After advancing from position 10, New South Wales champ Wayne Brims hounded Gee throughout the latter stages of the race and survived a last lap altercation with Jamie McHugh to finish in second spot and secure his best ever series result, while Victorian youngster Ashley Bergmeier duplicated his performance from the previous round with another sterling drive into third place.
Rockhampton revelation Michael Tomkins was again a standout performer with another polished display to finish fourth, his second top-five finish in a row. After a less than auspicious start to the series, Chris Bussey bounced back strongly to clinch fifth spot ahead of South Australian rookie Shane Best. Having had a podium place secured until he sent Brims into a spin with the chequer in sight, McHugh ultimately finished in seventh spot, picking up both the AFCO Shock Doctor Lucky Sevens and the Sport Engines Hard Charger awards.
In a race run at a cracking pace, but punctuated by several stoppages, Dave Gartner and Geoff Phillips were the only others to go the distance. Casualties included Keith Higgs, Tony Barklimore, Bevan Collins, Michael Nicola, Lachlan Onley, Wesley Hose, Brad Smith, opening round winner Steve Jordan and defending series champion Wayne Randall. Having recorded his best qualifying result thus far, South Australian champ Bill Miller was running strongly in fourth spot before an engine failure also forced him to the infield.
On an excellent track surface, the preliminary heats produced some great racing with wins falling in favour of Gee, Brims, Bergmeier, Higgs, Doblo, Barklimore, Collins and Matt Pascoe, who emerged as the top qualifier in only his third meeting since returning to the Super Sedan ranks. In contrast to the feature event, the heats were run with minimal interruption and the crowd that braved the wet weather were treated an excellent display. Highlights included Gee’s late-race swoop on a hapless Bill Miller in heat six and Nicola’s high-line heroics in the rain during heat seven.
Bergmeier took out the B Dash ahead of Collins and Higgs, who advanced from the back row with an outside charge. A quiet achiever throughout each of the opening three rounds, Barklimore was next best ahead of Randall and Brims.
The A Dash saw Gee usurp Pascoe from pole position, with Doblo running strongly to secure third spot in the feature race grid. Bergmeier advanced another spot in finishing fourth ahead Collins and Brad Smith. However, with an engine problem preventing Pascoe from taking his place on the front row, Bergmeier ultimately started alongside Gee in the feature.
Having filled the runner-up spot at the opening two rounds, Gee now leads the championship with five rounds remaining.
Contingency Awards
AFCO Shock Doctor Lucky Sevens: Jamie McHugh
Sport Engines Hard Charger: Jamie McHugh
Oval Express Best Presented Car and Crew: Michael Tomkins
Tassiesupersedan.com.au Hard Luck Award: Keith Higgs
Results
Heat One: 1. Bevan Collins, 2. Wayne Randall, 3. Steve Jordan, 4. Michael Doblo, 5. Steve Vaughan
Heat Two: 1. Matt Pascoe, 2. Brad Smith, 3. Will Gould, 4. Michael Gee, 5. Bill Miller
Heat Three: 1. Ashleigh Bergmeier, 2. Shane Best, 3. Michael Nicola, 4. Steve Pearce, 5. Gavin Northfield
Heat Four: 1. Wayne Brims, 2. Michael Tomkins, 3. Damien Bugler, 4. Daniel Miller, 5. Dave Gartner
Heat Five: 1. Michael Doblo, 2. Chris Bussey, 3. Steve Jordan, 4. Wayne Randall, 5. Geoff Phillips
Heat Six: 1. Michael Gee, 2. Bill Miller, 3. Brad Smith, 4. Matt Pascoe, 5. David O’Keeffe
Heat Seven: 1. Tony Barklimore, 2. Lachlan Onley, 3. Gavin Northfield, 4. Michael Nicola, 5. Steve Pearce
Heat Eight: 1. Keith Higgs, 2. Dean Hawkins, 3. Dave Gartner, 4. Daniel Miller, 5. Damien Bugler
B Dash: 1. Ashley Bergmeier, 2. Bevan Collins, 3. Keith Higgs, 4. Tony Barklimore, 5. Wayne Randall, 6. Wayne Brims
A Dash: 1. Michael Gee, 2. Matt Pascoe, 3. Michael Doblo, 4. Ashley Bergmeier, 5. Bevan Collins, 6. Brad Smith
B Main: 1. Michael Nicola, 2. Lachlan Onley, 3. Chris Bussey, 4. Shane Best, 5. Dave Gartner, 6. Jamie McHugh, 7. Damien Bugler, 8. Geoff Phillips, 9. Brett Smith, 10. David O’Keeffe
A Main: 1. Michael Gee, 2. Wayne Brims, 3. Ashley Bergemeier, 4. Michael Tomkins, 5. Chris Bussey, 6. Shane Best, 7. Jamie McHugh, 8. Dave Gartner, 9. Geoff Phillips, 10. Lachlan Onley, 11. Dean Hawkins, 12. Bill Miller, 13, Michael Doblo, 14. Wesley Hose, 15. Michael Nicola, 16. Wayne Randall, 17. Tony Barklimore, 18. Keith Higgs, 19. Bevan Collins, 20. Steve Jordan, 21. Brad Smith
The 2007/2008 Carline Mufflers National Super Sedan Series is proudly supported by the following sponsors:
Carline Mufflers, Custom Transporters and Trailers, JD Couriers, Bergmeier Engineering, American Tire and Racing Services, Sport Engines, AFCO Shock Doctor, Weatherall Automotive Services, Performance Wholesale, Art by Mickey, Oval Express Magazine, www.tassiesupersedan.com, Comfort Inn Robertson Gardens, City Motor Inn Toowoomba, Rocky Resort Motor Inn, Comfort Inn Silver Birch, National Association of Speedway Racing (NASR), Speedway Sedans Australia (ASCF)