GUMLEY JUST AHEAD OF THE WEST ON SATURDAY!

Date: 18/3/06 | Host Club: Bathurst Light Car Club

On 18th March, Bathurst Light Car Club with support from Bathurst RSL, staged round two of the NSW series on the famous Esses course. The event provided a preview of the competition expected at the national titles which will be held there later this year. Many competitors came from far and wide for the chance of some serious practice.

Current state and national champ, Peter Gumley (SCV) was forced to work hard in the overcast conditions to gain FTD and the outright Formula Libre win. Peter finished with a time of 22.86s, just five hundredths outside the record he set back in 2000.

Former national champ Garry West made the long trek from Bunbury (WA) with the immaculate Lola F3000 and was rewarded with second place (23.23s),edging out fellow traveller Victorian Andrew Howell in the Pilbeam MP82 (24.12s). Tamworth’s Neil Farr (Bowin Hay P6) had to settle for fourth outright with a 24.57s run.

Tim Edmondson is coming to grips with the new Force PC, finishing fifth outright and best Formula Libre 1301-2000cc car at 24.77s,ahead of Stan Pobjoy in the VW special (26.82s,
eighth outright). Steve Hooker (Jedi Suzuki) took out F/L 751-1300cc and seventh outright, with a solid 26.57s.

Local driver Wayne Burden had the Gemini sports sedan cooking and was able to reverse the finishing order from last year and outpace the Gemini of Adam Barnes. Both had a string of 26s runs but Burden’s best was 26.25s (sixth outright), with Barnes’ 26.87s(ninth outright).

Ron Hay (RH Honda) grabbed tenth outright and a new class record for Historic Class R with a run of 27.01s while Wayne Allen lowered the Formula Vee record to 35.43s and Queensland regular, Donn Vidler (Mini) lowered the long standing up to 1300cc Sports Sedan record to 33.26s.

Alan Barlow – NSW Hillclimb Website Editor

PHOTO GALLERY:

Courtesy ebarlowphotos.com

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