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UTE: Winton

PROCAR Champ Series (Rd 4), 21-23 June, Winton,Vic. Adam Brand on song for PROCAR race debut. Country music star Adam Brand made a cautious start to his new career as a racing driver and took advice from two legendary motorsport names when round ...

Edited: Feb 25, 2005, 7:27 AM

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PROCAR Champ Series (Rd 4), 21-23 June, Winton,Vic.

Adam Brand on song for PROCAR race debut.

Country music star Adam Brand made a cautious start to his new career as a racing driver and took advice from two legendary motorsport names when round four of the PROCAR Champ Series got underway today at Winton Motor Raceway in Victoria.

Brand is driving a Ford Falcon XR8 in the V8 BRute Series, an eight-round national competition for Ford and Holden utes.

"I'll admit my first-ever session was frightening with so many cars on an unfamiliar track, but I felt very comfortable in the second session and was able to get on with improving my times," Brand said.

He was able to take advice from the two of the fastest ute drivers on track, Bathurst winner Allan Grice (Falcon) and James Brock (Holden), the son of touring car legend Peter Brock.

"The guys were kind to me today and gave me a bit of advice and room, but I reckon when it comes to the three races on Sunday two guys named Grice and Brock are going to give me no mercy."

Grice topped the V8 BRute timesheets with a lap of 1 minute 40.85 seconds, with Brock less than 0.2 sec. behind and looking hopeful for his first win in the highly-competitive series.

"There's going to be a big crowd out here on Sunday to take part in the trackside ute muster and watch the races, so I really want to win this weekend," Brock said.

At the opposite end of the motoring spectrum, the glamor sports cars of the Australian Nations Cup Championship staged a tight contest during practice.

Two-time champion Jim Richards was fastest in his Porsche GT3 Cup, ahead of current points leader John Bowe in a Ferrari 360 GT and Peter Fitzgerald in another Porsche.

While the Porsches expect a slight performance gain from a new cold-air engine inlet, Bowe was dissatisfied with an alternative Pirelli tyre he tested today and will return to the original for qualifying tomorrow.

An innovative new video rear-view system in place of mirrors could not help regular front-runner Paul Stokell, who struggled with his Lamborghini Diablo to finish an uncharacteristic seventh and 3.74 sec. off the leader's pace.

In the Australian GT Performance Championship, Sydney's Bob Pearson was comfortably the fastest in a Mazda RX-7, but defending champion and series leader Brett Peters managed only the eighth-best tme, although just 1.5 seconds behind Pearson in a tightly-packed field.

RESULTS (Practice)

Nations Cup (Rd 4) - 1 Jim Richards (Porsche GT3 Cup) 1:24.46, 2 John Bowe (Ferrari 360 GT) 1:24.63, 3 Peter Fitzgerald (Porsche GT3 Cup) 1:24.89, 4 Geoff Morgan (Chrysler Viper), 1:25.49, 5 Tony Quinn (Porsche GT3 Cup) 1:27.64.

GT Performance (Rd 4) - 1 Bob Pearson (Mazda RX-7) 1:32.90, 2 Geoff Full (Mitsubishi Evo VII) 1:33.54, 3 Dave Wood (Subaru STi) 1:33.71, 4 Steve Knight (Mitsubishi Evo VI) 1:34.07, 5 Mark King (Misubishi Evo VII) 1:34.11.

V8 Brutes (Rd 4) - 1 Allan Grice (Falcon) 1:40.85, 2 James Brock (Commodore) 1:41.04, 3 Grant Denyer (Falcon) 1:41.12, 4 Jack Elsegood (Falcon) 1:41.34, 5 Chris Smerdon (Commodore) 1:42.34.

SPEED CHECK on the PROCAR Champ Series at Winton

* Saturday & Sunday, 22-23 June.

* Categories - Nations Cup (Rd 4), GT Performance (Rd 4), GT Production Cars (Rd 4), V8 BRutes (Rd 4), Formula 3 (Rd 4), Mitsubishi Mirages (Rd 4), HQ Holdens.

* Saturday (From 8.30 am) - Qualifying, including Nations Cup Top 8 Eliminator; plus 2 x HQ Holden races.

* Sunday (From 8.15 am) - 16 races, all categories. Ute Muster display and competition for road utes.

* Tickets - Adults Saturday $15 all areas, Sunday $25 including paddock/pit. Students under 16 years Saturday free, Sunday $10. Ute drivers enter free on Sunday with paying adult passenger.

* Information - Winton Motor Raceway (03) 5766 4235, or www.procar.com.au and www.v8brutes.com.au.

-procar.au-

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