Round 1 - Australia (Adelaide)



PRO SERIES
Australia (Adelaide)
Race Distance: 41 laps
1998/99 Pole Position: David Zasitko (1:07.816)
1998/99 Race Winner: Gavin Mclean (0h50:50.142)


Qualifying

PosNo.DriverTeamTimeDiff.LapsPts
1.  # 4  Mark Butler  BCR  1:08.857  +00.000  12  20
2.  # 5  Garry McCandless  GJM Racing  1:09.121  +00.264  11  16
3.  # 1  Olivier Leroy  Cyber Speed  1:10.747  +01.890  10  14
4.  #13  Gary Leighton  Turbo Geese  -:--.---  DNQ  15   
5.  # 3  Mario Sarno  BCR  -:--.---  DNQ  15   
6.  #11  Michael Kane  NI Racing  -:--.---  DNQ  13   

Race

A Crushing Win. Contraversial rule changes were most in evidence in the Pro Race. Mike Hogg reports.

Controversy so early in the season is rare but it reared it's head after qualifying for the Pro Series in Adelaide. A strict number of laps (12 in fact) must be adhered to and Michael Kane, Gary Leighton and Mario Sarno all had their times disallowed for exceeding this limit. Kane and Leighton refused to continue with the race in protest.

As the cars left the grid on the parade lap some observers reported a thin oil haze coming from the back of Mark Butler's BCR and, sure enough, smoke had appeared by the time he reached the end of the lap. He pulled into the pits and retired - a sad end to his very impressive debut. Gary McCandless effectively held pole from defending Champ Leroy and Sarno.

As the lights went out Leroy pulled alongside McCandless into the first chicane and neither man gave any ground, banging wheels and spinning Leroy. Sarno grabbed his chance and dived past McCandless while Leroy was left to turn his car back into the correct direction. Sarno's pace and the fact that McCandless could feel something had broken on his car meant the BCR soon disappeared into the distance. On lap 9 McCandless was in the pits for repairs after scuffing the wall and damaging his suspension. The crew effected quick repairs and he was soon on his way, Leroy pulling into the pitlane on lap 10 to retire. The damage to his car had been steadily getting worse since the first lap collision.

On the 12th tour McCandless was again in the pits, this time for a new front wing and was lapped by Sarno as he left the pits.

Lap 20 saw both cars back in the pits, Sarno for his only scheduled pit stop and McCandless to retire after another brush with the wall. He was so worried with his car's lurid high speed handling that he felt it was better to take the points for 2nd rather than risk a big crash. "The steering arm had been bent and was starting to split when I retired," he reported after the race.

This left Sarno to put on a show and he set fastest lap after fastest lap as he cruised to the finish - handing BCR victory in both series they have entered this year. The team partied long into the Adelaide night.

PosNo.DriverTeamTimeDiff.Pts 
1.  # 3  Mario Sarno  BCR  0h50:23.673  +0:00.000  180+5+3
2.  # 5  Garry McCandless  GJM Racing  19 laps  46.6%  78 
3.  # 1  Olivier Leroy  Cyber Speed  9 laps  24.0%  36 


Last modified: Sunday 31 October 1999 - 17:39