Glen Collinson was a man on a mission in the UDC V8 Utes Series in their first South Island outing in nearly a decade, winning all three races and setting a new lap record to extend his series lead at Trust Aoraki Thunder Down Under at Levels Raceway in Timaru.
A heated Qualifying session late on Saturday morning was topped by Brad Kroef, who snatched pole with a 1.15.947 flyer, a time just a mere 9 thousandths of a second ahead of Collinson. The two Ford front runners were almost a second clear of the field, the best Holden driven by Daniel Ludlam, his 1.16.902 the third quickest.
Blair Gribble-Bowring was building momentum, coming home a creditable fourth fastest, ahead of Brad Kroef’s father, Greg Kroef, and Simon Ussher.
The battle between Brad Kroef and Collinson was race-long in the opener, the latter getting the better of the pole-sitter on Lap 1, but Kroef hanging on to his rear bumper for the entire distance, just six-tenths seperating the pair at the chequered flag.
Gribble-Bowring was third, working past Ludlam on Lap 1 and eclipsing the V8 Ute lap record on the way to the podium. A 1.13.103 flyer eclipsed the previous record set by former V8 Utes champion and former Supercars star Chris Pither in 2010.
The battles in the mid-field were intense. Ussher, who has history at Levels from a decade ago, got around Greg Kroef and Ludlam to finish fourth. Goeff Spencer dispensed with Stu Monteith mid-race to finish eighth, while Bruce McRae overtook Paul Fougere for tenth.
It took less than 24 hours for the lap record to be beaten yet again, Collinson the driver going under Gribble-Bowring’s best effort from the day before.
That race, Sunday’s first of two, brought a reverse-grid format, Collinson starting plumb last, but working his way through the field to hit the front late in proceedings, setting his new lap record along the way. Behind him, Gribble-Bowring carved a way through the traffic from ninth to second place.
The race was also a welcome return to the podium for Paul Fougere, who drove the first Holden home to third, keeping the two Fords company. Monteith didn’t have such a good outing, blowing a diff on Lap 3 and limping out of the race
Race Three on Sunday afternoon began under menacing grey skies on a damp track, and a few laps in, the rain came down. Lots of it.
Collinson started the race up front, with Gribble-Bowring alongside. It didn’t take the pole-sitter long to get away from the field, gaining a second or two a lap in another emphatic driving display.
When the deluge came down, so did the lap times. Gribble-Bowring was the first casualty sliding off the track mid-race into the kitty litter, prompting a safety car.
When action resumed, Phill Ross started his charge through the bunched-up field. After starting seventh, he picked his way through the midfield to finish a creditable second . Geoff Spencer kept a cool head and hung onto third after starting fourth. Ludlam was another solid performer, making good progress to come home fourth, having started tenth.
The utes now take an extended break before heading to Teretonga for the weekend of 14th-16th March.
