UTE: Team Brute Strength Bathurst race notes

Team Brute Strength picks up the pace

Team Brute Strength encountered the highs and lows that come with motorsport at the track drivers love and fear, Mount Panorama.

The Great Aussie Ute race, a non-championship round had over 40,000 fans sitting on the edge of their seats, hoping for a regular dose of biff and barge.

Team Brute Strength had two Holden Utes entered in the race with Matt 'Mongrel' O'Grady and Matt 'Cotton' Picken driving the #18 BRute, and the #25 BRute driven by Gold Coast drivers Benn 'Waterboy' Wilson and Cameron 'Bulldog' Wilson.

Both cars started mid-field for the first qualifying session. Holden qualified fastest driven by father/son combination Peter and James Brock. BRute #18 was later disqualified from the session, due to the car being underweight.

The second qualifying session was a frustrating outcome for Team Brute Strength. Car #18 started on the back of the grid to serve out a penalty for the previous qualifying session. The #25 Holden BRute limped back to the pits with gearbox problems.

'The car just didn't feel right that session,' Cameron Wilson said. 'Hopefully the mechanics can locate the problem and have the car ready for the next race.'

With the 'gods' not being kind to car #25, the nightmare was about to begin. Three laps into Race One saw the #25 BRute finish with a DNF with further gear - box troubles. A new gearbox was sourced, thanks to fellow V8BRute driver, Jack Elsegood. The crew worked under immense pressure, and replaced the gear-box in under an hour for Race Two.

The final race for the weekend differed from other races, as the drivers had to complete a driver change. The race was originally a 10 lap race, but was reduced to 7 laps, so as to fit in with the hectic schedule. With a Holden front row and atrociously wet conditions, Team Brute Strength were ready to bring home a result. Both cars kept their noses clean avoiding the cars coming off the track around them, and moving their way up the grid. On the last lap, car #25, driven by Benn Wilson was tapped by Ford driver Jack Elsegood, and stranded after hitting the wall. Crossing the line in 8th position was the #18 BRute driven by Matt 'Cotton' Picken and Matt 'Mongrel' O'Grady.

'We had some troubles from both cars over the weekend, but managed to iron them out by the final race on Saturday," Sunshine Coast driver Matt O'Grady said.

''Cotton' did a great job and kept the car in one piece.

'Racing at Mount Panorama in the conditions we endured was mind blowing.

'I think we need to have all the rounds at Bathurst.'

Being the last round of the V8BRute season, there was a combination of jubilation and relief throughout the team. Team Manager, Warren O'Grady is ready for the 2004 assault.

'We have only raced three rounds this year, and our results have improved each round,' O'Grady said.

'This year has been a learning curve, and we will be a force in 2004.'

-tbe-