News - Modified Production Number 8
Charlton, 7/8th April 2007
Heat 1 I was off pole beside Ed Pearson. I'd spent the past 4 days rebuilding the front of Ed's car after an incident in the Australian Title at Avalon. Unfortunately Ed didn't get going off the start with accelerator troubles, this giving me a comfortable lead. Shane Macdonald however, had other plans, and had his car dialled in perfectly to the track, reeled me in and passed me leaving me to finish in 2nd.
I made a few changes to the car to try and get more drive out of the track for heat 2 and these changes worked well. I started out of 3 and went around the outside of Wayne Miles on lap 2 and caught up to Jason Jolly who was in the lead. I got past Jolley going into turn 1 after Jolley got a bad entry into the corner and backed right off leaving me nowhere to go but into the back of him. I got around him for the lead but luckily there was a yellow light (for Brett Raabe going into the fence) and it was then that my oil light came on. I shut the engine down straight away and later found out the oil pump had broken. After last meeting when I bent a push rod a piece of the lifter had broken off and found it's way into the oil pump.
I've pulled the motor out to strip it and freshen it up. This may be the end of the season for us, but haven't totally ruled out running in Gympie for the Qld title.