AUS Utes: Series Adelaide Sunday report

Miedecke and Gray take V8 Ute 10th year Legends Podium

David Sieders is the toast of the V8 Ute town after scoring a stunning overall Championship points win in Round One of the 2010 Yokohama V8 Ute Racing Series - protected by Armor All at the Clipsal 500 in Adelaide today.

However it was NASCAR development driver George Miedecke and team mate Jeremy Gray who won the 10th Year celebration feature event. Miedecke and Gray claimed the 3 race legend format from Andrew Fisher/Rick Bates in the Jesus All About Life Ford, with Sieders and FPV General Manager Rod Barrett 3rd overall. It was a sweet victory for Miedecke, whose father Andrew had won the Touring Car Masters finale only moments before, and also teamed with Jack Elsegood for a top 3 series finish for the weekend.

Sieders ended up the series round victor when qualifying points were added to the series registered drivers total points for the weekend.

The 25 year old former Development V8 Supercar and truck racer put his Nulon / One Steel XR8 Falcon on pole and was the class of the field all weekend, shaking up established drivers such as Elsegood, Baxter and Crambrook.

"This is amazing, I can't say enough about this category and this event. The V8 Ute people have made me feel so welcome all weekend. I can't wait for the year ahead, it's going to be sensational," grinned the round victor.

Second overall for the weekend (Championship wise) was Jesus All About Life XR8 Falcon driver Andrew "Fishtail" Fisher with Elsegood flying under the radar all weekend to record third in his Coopers Clear XR8 Falcon.

The inaugural "Decade of door-to-door racing Legends Race" was every bit as tumultuous as predicted with some frenzied on-track and in-pit action during the safety car influenced driver change event finale.

A massive crash involving Tasmanian Tim Shaw brought out the safety car for the second time in the 12-lap final when the #26 NRW SS Holden clipped a tyre bundle at the entry to the turn one chicane and crashed hard into the concrete wall.

The once-pristine SS Holden erupted into flames as it bounced off the wall and slid down the track into a further concrete barrier.

Shaw escaped serious injury in what was a frightening crash.

The frenetic pit activity when the driver change was effected reached fever pitch as 32 V8 Utes crammed into pit lane and hurried back out to regain positions.

The first safety car situation occurred when Gary "the Boss" MacDonald made contact with Grant Johnson, unfortunately rendering both cars out of the event and in the process taking another series front-runner Kim Jane in the Bob Jane T-Marts / Adrenaline SS Holden.

For the most though, considering the pace at which the race was run and the pit lane activity the speed and spectacle of the "Legends" race was memorable to say the least.

When the safety car came out for the Tim Shaw crash on Lap 9 the rest of the race ended under caution and with that the chequers fell first on the Jesus Falcon of Rick Bates and Andrew Fisher.

Trailing them home in second place was the George Miedecke / Jeremy Gray combination ahead of Layton Crambrook / Mal Rose in third but the excitement for Crambrook was short-lived as the Ice-Break team were unfortunately handed a 25 second penalty post-race for overlapping at the first safety car restart.

Fourth car home was the father and son combination of Colin and Ben Dunn (a career best result for both) with another personal best for Peter Burnitt (CNW Electrical) and Chris Pither coming home in fifth.

Sixth across the line was "Captain" Rob Jarvis (yet another personal best) and his team-mate Tim Leahey in the BVC XR8 Falcon – no doubt the presence of their grid girls The Sunny Cowgirls proved a positive luck factor in the team's result.

Jarvis also picked up the SS Inductions Hard Charger Award for his trouble, making up thirteen positions in Race Two.

Rounding out the top ten was Gary Carson and Marcus Zukanovic in the SelecTV Falcon in seventh – Carson also picked up the Champion Spark Plugs Holeshot Award for his lightning start – Dave Sieders and Colin Barrett in eighth (Nulon / One Steel XR8) Craig Dontas and Leanne Tander.

Dontas charged from position #22 to #12 to give his team-mate Tander a legitimate shot at a top ten and she didn't disappoint.

Paul Williams and James Brock claimed eleventh across the line in the GBF Mining Equipment SS Holden ahead of the iseek Falcon of Jason Gomersall and Olympic Gold Medallist Steven "Doina" Bradbury in twelfth, Warren "Wake Up" Millett and Matt "Spacer" Holt were thirteenth in the Wake Up Holden. In fourteenth was Scott "Slamboy" Jennings and Paul "The Dude" Morris in the Samboy Chips Holden, Jack Elsegood and Andrew "Mad Andy" Miedecke in the Coopers Clear Falcon, Gary "Chuckie" Baxter and Cameron "Conkers" McConville in the Sage Automation / HMNS Holden, Steve "Spanna" Hodges and Matt "The Phantom" Lockwood in the ISRI Truck Seats Holden, Ryal "The Kid" Harris and Andrew "Sarge" Schultz in the Barnacle Bills SS, Brad "Packers" Patton and Robbie "Mad Man" Maddison in the DC Shoes Falcon and George "Hollywood" Elliot and Marshall Brewer in the Vittoria Coffee SS Holden rounding out the top twenty.

Robbie Maddison proved a real hit with spectators and rivals alike, particularly when he performed a back flip off the bonnet of the XR8 Falcon before he swapped with Brad Patton.

DNF's in the event included Tim Shaw, Gary MacDonald, Kim Jane and Grant Johnson.

-source: aus utes