The second Australian round of this season’s MSC New Zealand F5000 Tasman Cup Revival Series at Sydney Motorsport Park over the weekend had a real ‘game-of-two-halves’ feel to it.
On Saturday it was Kiwi Clark Proctor (March 731/A) who qualified quickest and ran away with the first race after top local and round one winner Tom Tweedie (Chevron B24/28) broke a suspension arm going into turn one on his first qualifying lap and was out for the day.
After replacing the arm overnight, 26-year-old single seater ace Tweedie was back with a vengeance on Sunday, however, winning both races very much as he liked.
Though he had to start the first race from the back of the grid, the Sydneysider was fifth after the first lap then picked off a car a lap to hit the front on lap six and ease away from Proctor and Dunedin man – and round one race winner – Steve Ross (McRae GM1).
In Saturday’s race, Proctor led all the way to cross the finish line in front of Ross with Melbourne ace Paul Zazryn third in the Lola T332 hastily – but obviously effectively – repaired between rounds after a high speed shunt at Sandown.
Behind Zazryn Auckland ace David Banks (Talon MR1) led home a tight mid-field bunch consisting of Russell Greer (Lola T332), David Arrowsmith (Lotus 70B), Ian Clements (Lola T332) and Australian Peter Brennan (Lola T330)
After Tweedie won the morning race on Sunday from Proctor, Ross, Zazryn, Banks and Clements rain just after lunch prompted the organisers of the meeting to delay the start of the afternoon one in the hope of a dry track, which they got, until the rain came back.
Not that it bothered Tom Tweedie who was again the fastest man on track, from Proctor and – this time – Paul Zazryn (despite a spin) with Russell Greer (Lola T332) back after a late morning race dnf to finish a weekend-best fourth with Steve Ross fifth and Aussies Peter Brennan in his newly finished ex Lella Lombardi Lola T330, and Elfin aficionado Bill Hemming (Elfin MR8), sixth and seventh respectively.
The MSC F5000 series now returns to New Zealand for consecutive weekend meetings at the Gulf Oil Howden Ganley F5000 Festival meetings at Hampton Downs in late January, and at the Skope Classic (Christchurch) and New Zealand Grand Prix (Feilding) meetings in February.
The MSC F5000 Tasman Cup Revival Series is organised and run with the support of sponsors MSC, NZ Express Transport, Bonney’s Specialized Bulk Transport, Mobil Lubricants, Pacifica, Avon Tyres, Webdesign and Exide.
