Pagel Cruises to Victory in Qld National 4s 2016 Title

09/05/16…Pam Franz…courtesy of Jason Crowe – SSA Media

Gary Pagel last night won the Queensland National 4’s title, at the Rockhampton Showgrounds, leading all forty laps to take a comfortable victory.

After nine qualifying heats, Pagel and Jack Kay would start on the front row, while Tim Weir, a former winner of the event and Darryn Collins would start on row two.

Pagel immediately took the lead, with Kay, Weir and Ben Stead following closely through the opening two laps.  Collins meanwhile, dropped from fith and then to sixith, as Cameron Taylor made an immediate impact, moving from eighth to fourth after just three laps.

On lap twelve, Taylor’s charge towards the front continued as he moved to third and just two laps later he moved to second, demoting Kay to third.  Meanwhile Ben Stead and Tim Weir were having a great battle for fourth. continually swapping positions as the race neared the half way mark.

Tim Weir made his move, taking second place from Taylor as the battle for the minor placings intensified, as Pagel opened a significant gap on the field.

Taylor’s good run came to tan end as Brodie King was propelled into fourth place, just ahead of the defending Champion Rodney Midolo, with fifteen laps remaining.

Jack Kay wen to the back of the field with thirteen laps to go, bunching the field for a final time.

With Pagel dominant throughout, he would drive well clear again, while Weir and Ben Stead who were earlier having a great battle for fourth, were continuing the battle, now for second with less than ten laps remaining.  With five laps to go, Stead passed Weir, only for Weir to pass Stead again with just three laps left.

Pagel was never headed and won by 3.244 to account for Tim Weir, who finished two car lengths clear of Stead. who in turn finished two car lengths ahead of Brodie King, while Jack Kay stormed back through the field to finish fifth.

Result

A Main – 40 laps 1.  G7 Gary Pagel, 2. G17 Tim Weir, 3.  SB48 Ben Stead, 4. N46 Brodie King, 5. C99 Jack Kay, 6. Q1 Rodney Midolo, 7. SC13 Matt Bielby, 8. LV16 Daniel Smith, 9.N85 Brock Armstrong, 10. C52 Corey O’Toole

Photo courtesy of Weir Family Racing