Modified Production
11 January 2009
Mark Ferguson, Rodney Pammenter, Darren Lester, Matt Swarbrook, Shane MacDonald, Adrian Stott, Darren Ciesiolka, Peter Gray and Robert Trapp fronted up as one of the supports categories for the World Series Sprintcar round at Charlton on 11th Jan. New Dad, Trappy was a late nomination and was 'allowed' to go racing on the proviso that he did the babysitting next week.
Heat 1.
The track was graded and given a sprinkle of water after the Sprintcar time trials.
Darren Lester found his way to the front from third on the grid and put on some spectacular
displays of full opposite lock driving on the greasy track. Rodney Pammenter had a bit a
woopsy coming out of turn two and was relegated back to 4th. Matt Swarbrook found a way
past Mark Ferguson so it was Lester, Swarbrook, Ferguson and Pammenter at the front of the
field with Darren Ciesiolka falling victim to a flat right rear. Lester never looked like
losing and held his lead throughout the race. Pammenter made his way back up to second with
young Matt Swarbrook in the very tidy Commodore finishing third.
Heat 2.
Heat two saw the Fords of Adrian Stott and Peter Gray on the front row. Stott held the lead
for a lap or two before being passed by a three car stampede consisting of Gray, Lester and
MacDonald. It was three abreast into turn three and I think Stott was happy just to come out
of that little episode in one piece. Darren Ciesiolka was back on the pace this time with a
'new' or should I say, 'newer second hand' right rear. Gray had the 250 crossflow screaming
and went on to win the heat with Lester second, MacDonald third and Swarbrook beating Pammenter
by a front bumper for fourth.
Feature.
There were no Sprintcars lined up at the gate for the A-Main so the mighty Mod Prods were brought
on early for their feature. Once again they faced a slightly damp track after some track prep at
interval. Peter Gray tried to dive underneath Matt Swarbrook in turn three but there wasn't enough
grip in the track and the two ended up locked together against the fence in turn four. Shaney Mac
hit the fence at about the same and retired from the race. On the restart it was Lester out front.
Pammenter tried a brave move on the outside of Lester coming into turn one but got the right rear
out into the wet stuff and ran wide and clipped the wall. This put him back to fourth. Shortly
afterwards Lester pulled infield with smoke coming from under the car and young Mr Trapp who was
hiding during the heats suddenly found himself in the lead. You sly fox Trappy. Trapp won the
race from a hard charging Pammenter who clawed his way back to second but didn't have enough
laps to catch Trappy. Ferguson who drove smoothly all night and stayed out of trouble finished third.
Peter Campbell