17th
March, 2002
GT Production, Rd1
Two out of two gives Pilkington early lead
Two wins in two days
confirmed Mitsubishi driver Nathan Pilkington as first-round leader of the
2002 Australian GT Production Car Championship in Adelaide today.
In a dominant performance, Pilkington, from Sydney, scored maximum points
from pole position on Friday, a race one victory yesterday and a repeat in
race two today.
 "All
the leading cars were pretty even in performance, but I feel mine had the
edge in the corners and that's what counts at a stop-and-start track like
Adelaide," Pilkington said.
The GT Production cars raced for the first time on identical Dunlop
control tyres. Pilkington said lap times were slower than last year's
free-choice slick tyres, but the competition was closer.
Also boosting competition was a new class handicap format, which saw the
4-Cylinder Touring cars, led by pole-sitter Martin Doxey, leave the grid
23 seconds ahead of the Sports Touring class.
Doxey was overtaken after the start by Kozi Kalaitzidis (Proton), then
Pilkington took the lead on the fifth of seven laps. Ian Luff worked his
Honda Integra from sixth at the start to second at the finish, leaving
Kalaitzidis to take third overall and first in his class.
RESULTS
|
Race
1
1. Nathan Pilkington (Mitsubishi FTO)
2. Kosi Kalaitzidis (Proton Satria GTi)
3. Steve Cramp (BMW 323i)
4. Aaron McGill (Toyota Celica)
5. Ian Luff (Honda Integra Type R)
6. Colin Osborne (Toyota Celica)
Fastest lap: Pilkington 1:42.83 (record)
Pole: Pilkington
1:41.37
4-Cylinder Touring:
1. Kalaitzidis
2. Martin Doxey (Holden Astra SRi)
3. David Runkel (Proton Satria GTi)
Race 2
1. Nathan
Pilkington (Mitsubishi FTO)
2. Ian Luff (Honda Integra Type R)
3. Kosi Kalaitzidis (Proton Satria GTi)
4. Steve Cramp (BMW 323i)
5. Steven Grocl (VW Beetle RSi)
6. Colin Osborne (Toyota Celica)
Fastest lap: Pilkington 1:41.36
4-Cylinder Touring:
1. Kalaitzidis
2. Martin Doxey (Holden Astra SRi)
3. David Runkel (Proton Satria GTi) |
CHAMPIONSHIP POINTS (*)
Outright: 31 Pilkington, 20 equal Cramp/Luff, 13 Aaron McGill, 11 equal
Osborne/Grocl.
Sports Touring: 31 Pilkington, 20 equal Cramp/Luff, 13 McGill.
4-Cylinder Touring: 27 Doxey, 22 Runkel, 18 Rick Bates (Daihatsu Sirion GTvi).
(* Points revised after Kalaitzidis excluded from Race 1 results.)
|