Konica: Queensland race notes

Youlden's Horror Weekend Continues

Konica Minolta V8 Supercar Series leader Luke Youlden's horror weekend has continued today with a sixth place in race one and a DNF in the second allowing championship contenders Andrew Jones and Owen Kelly closer to the top of the points table with only one round to go.

Youlden's Super Cheap Auto Racing's Ford Falcon stopped on lap 12 of the 16-lap full reverse grid race when he experienced a broken accelerator cable in the final stages. The unfortunate incident leaves Youlden 68 points behind Jones and Kelly going into the third and final race tomorrow morning and only 16 points ahead of Jones on the progressive championship points table.

Holden Young Lions youngster Kurt Wimmer went on to win the second race closely followed by Wayne Wakefield who both avoided carnage when Greg Crick and Aaron McGill came together on turn six going into the main straight. The first two cars managed to take evasion action and with a number of other competitors getting held up, Jones and Kelly worked their way through the pack after starting from the last row on the grid to try and close the gap on the Young Lion.

The gap proved too strong however with Wimmer taking first place ahead of Wakefield, Jones, Kelly and Independent Race Cars' Tony D'Alberto.

Kelly took out the first race this morning ahead of Jones and Smiths Truck's Lee Holdsworth, who continued his fine form in practice and qualifying yesterday.

Kelly capitalised on his pole position and took the lead going into turn one ahead of Howard Racing's Cameron McLean who started from the front row of the grid alongside Kelly. The race looked like it would be fought out between Kelly, McLean, Jones and Holdsworth until an altercation involving McLean's number 27 Breakfree Ford Falcon left him in the sand going into turn two on only the second lap.

The race was extended from 16-laps to 17 after Wastecorp's Dean Wanless spun his VX Commodore and the WPS Audi Safety Car was deployed for one lap only.

The third and final race of round five of the 2004 Konica Minolta V8 Supercar Series will be held at 11.15am tomorrow morning. <pre> Progressive Series Points Top Five 1. #30 Luke Youlden Super Cheap Auto Racing 715pts 2. #19 Andrew Jones Team BOC 699pts 3. #71 Owen Kelly Team Fujitsu 692pts 4. #81 Jose Fernandez Team Fujitsu 671pts 5. #111 Mark Porter Hydraulink Racing 663pts

Race Two Top Ten 1. #96 Kurt Wimmer Holden Young Lions 16-lap 2. #40 Wayne Wakefield Greenfield Mowers Racing 3. #19 Andrew Jones Team BOC 4. #71 Owen Kelly Team Fujitsu 5. #64 Tony D'Alberto Independent Race Cars 6. #111 Mark Porter Hydraulink Racing 7. #72 Lee Holdsworth Smiths Trucks 8. #81 Jose Fernandez Team Fujitsu 9. #28 Matthew White Gulf Western 10. #68 Alex Yoong Shane Beikoff Racing

Race One Top Ten 1. #71 Owen Kelly Team Fujitsu 17-lap 2. #19 Andrew Jones Team BOC 3. #72 Lee Holdsworth Smiths Trucks 4. #28 Matthew White Gulf Western 5. #111 Mark Porter Hydraulink Racing 6. #30 Luke Youlden Super Cheap Auto Racing 7. #81 Jose Fernandez Team Fujitsu 8. #46 Alan Gurr Holden Young Lions 9. #65 Marcus Zukanovic Actron Air/PCR 10. #64 Tony D'Alberto Independent Race Cars

-avesco-