Utes: Series Symmons Plains summary

To Chuckies Horror, Jack Hustles to V8 Ute Championship Lead at Symmons Plains

Layton "Leadfoot" Crambrook claimed Round Three of the 2009 Yokohama V8 Ute Racing and moved to second in the Series after Gary "Chuckie" Baxter who was leading the Series suffered a horror weekend in the SAGE Holden to drop back to fifth position on the series overall at Symmons Plains, Tasmania.

It was all on from start to finish in the Reverse of the Top 16 Race 2 which saw three DNF's from Ben Kavich, Kim Jane and Mangomedias, Yanis Derums, who started from Pole alongside Robert "Captain" Jarvis.

Derums managed to hold on to his first place until lap 10 when he was forced off the track into the hairpin after a major brake lock up after a great dice with Kovacs and Ben Dunn.

Queensland's Kurt Wimmer moved up through the field from 7th on the grid while Kovacs held on to second place just ahead of Jesus All About Life Racings, Andrew Fisher who rounded out the top three.

Storage Kings, Ben Dunn and BVC Racings, Jarvis put up a great battle and came in fourth and fifth consecutively.

Ford favourites George Miedecke and Jack Elsegood struggled for results in Race Two after Elsegood copped a tap at the hairpin from Miedecke spinning the Coopers Ford and dropping both drivers to the back of the field. Miedecke was handed a 25 second post race penalty as a result of the clash.

Justin "Tornado" Van Twest had an unlucky weekend after being tagged by Grant Johnson under safety car while running strongly in 6th outright. He finished 19th however received some consolation by winning the Armor All Best presented Award for his fluoro red Capalaba Wreckers Ford BF.

The grid for Race Three had Maxibon Racings Crambrook on pole alongside Fisher, with Stephen Robinson and Kurt Wimmer on the second row.

Crambrook got off to a ripper start, which earned him the CI Performance Hole Shot award and a Race One win while the Jesus All About Life Ford BF, gave it everything to try and catch the reigning champ but had to contend with a second place race finish, which also earned him second overall in the round. Fisher was running the new Craigsted V8 Ute control engine and gave it big wraps after a solid points haul.

Tusker Beer's Stephen Robinson held his third place grid start for the entire race and had one of his best ever results claiming third for Race Three and the Round.

"I tried my best to stay where I was with Johnson on my rear and was just happy to see the finish line," said Robinson.

Brad Patton had a strong weekend to overtake 13 Utes in Race 2 and claim the SS Inductions Hard Charger Award and $500 cash.

Elsegood now moves into the Championship by 42 points from Crambrook, George Miedecke, and Steve Robinson while Gary Baxter drops to 5th outright. A broken drive shaft in Race 2 also cost Kim Jane championship points, falling to 7th outright behind Grant Johnson.

To re-cap all of the action from Round Three, Symmons Plains tune into Network Seven, Saturday, 6th June at 1:30pm (EST).

-credit: utes