ROUND 2 GUESS WHO?
Date: 2/3/13 | Host Club: Bathurst Light Car Club
With threatening skies and low lying water at Kelso, a few worried faces looked skyward as competitors gathered at the McPhillamy Park pit area, on The Mountain for the first day of the big Bathurst double header.
Twelve months ago foul weather forced a postponement but this year it held off and a fine, cool weekend brought competitors from as far as Townsville to see the current NSW champion Doug Barry (Lola T8750) take on current Australian champion Tim Edmondson (Gould GR55B).
Local favourite, Doug Barry was quick out of the blocks on 23.29s with Malcolm Oastler (Dallara F394) in second place on 24.79s from Ron Hay (Synergy Dallara). A mortified Edmondson was meanwhile stuck in the pits with a mystery electrical gremlin – a bit of dejavu after the issues faced by the team at the AHCC back in November.
Things improved for the Edmondson team after some David Hill magic and Tim was soon back in stride with a time of 22.47s with Doug Barry less than four tenths in arrears. Next quickest was the record setting 1300cc machine of Malcolm Oastler (23.69s) with Ron Hay consolidating into fourth place. Phil Heafey (Mitsubishi EVO) was waving the flag for Mitsubishi Motors, moving to fifth outright and the Top Tin Top position. Greg Frame was next quickest in the healthy sounding Holden Gem.
Then just as the drama looked over, the Edmondson Gould became unsettled coming out of the dipper on the final run, brushed the concrete wall and headed to the pits for a hasty wheel change.
Doug’s reply was a healthy 22.82s run but he had to settle for second outright. Malcolm O secured third outright, Ron Hay moved to 24.44s in fourth outright while Phil Heafey kept his best for last on 26.65 to cement fifth outright.
Greg Frame (Holden Gemini) secured sixth outright ahead of David Isaacs (EVO), Peter Robinson (PRS), Bill McBride (BBB Clubman) and Ashley Birks rounding out the top ten.
The final tally listed new records to Malcolm Oastler, Philip Staszczyk (Vee 1600), Bill McBride (BBB Clubman) Phil Pratt (2c Hooper), Greg Frame (Gemini) and David Isaacs (Lancer EVO).
Saturday evening, as some other competitors were thinking about beer-o-clock, Tim Edmondson prepared to head back Sydney for spare parts, commenting “It’s good to have a win…but it’s been a very trying day”.
Alan Barlow – NSW Hillclimb Website Editor
EDITORS NOTES:
- Congratulations to Bill McBride, into the top ten and a new record to boot!
- Most travelled award went to Warren Skimmings (240Z), down from Townsville no less.
- John Gilbert (Commodore) looked to be enjoying himself & eleventh outright can’t be bad.
- Commiserations to Brett Manderson (Ford Ghia) and Damian Curran (Torana), both were looking spectacular before finding the outer extremities of the dipper a little unyielding.