Hansford Beams, Pretty Steams
Nathan Pretty claimed the ARMOR ALL Pole Award today and Ryan Hansford took out his third career V8 Ute Race win in Race One setting a new lap record in a time of 1min22.899 along the way at Round Five of the Auto One V8 Ute Racing Series – protected by ARMOR ALL – at the Wilson Security Sandown 500.
Melbourne (Caroline Springs) based Pretty also set a new lap record in Qualifying (1min22.298) and walked away with $1000 cash for his trouble thanks to ARMOR ALL. This was Pretty’s third Pole for the year and he made it successful through three sessions in the F1 style Qualifying format.
Kris Walton, Hansford, Elliot Barbour, Stephen White, Dave Sieders, Ryal Harris, Jesse Dixon, Wayne Wakefield and Rhys McNally rounded out the top 10.
With the Pole advantage for the start of Race One Pretty sped off the line in his Milwaukee Holden and enjoyed a good lead for the majority of the race.
Peters Motorsport teammates Ryan Hansford and Kris Walton were all over him and in lap 10 Queenslander Walton made a bold move in his Rentco Racing Ford with the two going off the track momentarily allowing Hansford to push through into the top spot and the Brisbane hard charger couldn’t have been more pleased.
“I’m very happy at the moment, it was a very good race and a hard fought win too. We got one good lap in the books in particular so that’s great to have a lap record at this track,” the winner later said.
Walton tried a few more ambitious moves on Pretty and received a bad sportsmanship flag for the initial incident that allowed Hansford to move through.
“I had to have a go, I was following him around the whole race, he kept driving on the inside of the corner so we had to have a go at him. I knew when he’d come in he’d start sooking as he usually does but we had to make it interesting and that’s what we did,” said Walton.
Milwaukee Racing’s Pretty, was extremely disappointed with the outcome of the race.
“The end result was really disappointing. I don’t mind finishing second at all but when I get run off the road then it’s just a joke. I got crashed into not once, but three times by the same bloke and then he has the audacity to call me a whinger? I whinge because I take pride in taking care of my car for my sponsors and that’s how I retain my sponsors whereas him, he’s had the same problem all the time with the stewards for running people off the road and hitting them to pass. It’s not hit to pass its pass cleanly in this sport. We’re tyring to clean it (the category) up and the only way to clean it up is to get rid of that idiot,” said an irate Pretty.
After a fantastic start Stephen White had fairly lonely race, and did a great job to steer his Dunlop Superdealer Holden home in fourth, (the Victorian was also called up to do double duty today, stepping in for John Bowe in his Touring Car Masters Mustang).
There was fierce battle for fifth, Series leader Ryal Harris did well to hold out rival David Seiders in his Mine Site Fencing Ford. West Aussie Rookie Adam Marjoram had a great drive in the Auto One SS Holden and kept Rhys McNally and Rookie Elliot Barbour at bay to claim seventh after starting on the sixth row of the grid.
“Magic” Michael Almond had a great first outing in a V8 Ute and rounded out the top 10 in his Toshiba SS Holden.
Jesse Dixon was unlucky off the start when his Hayman Reese Holden stalled on the grid causing the Mangocredit Ford of Yanis Derums to make contact breaking his steering arm and forcing Dixon out for the race.
Hansford drew #11 out of the random ballot draw and Thirsty Camel Holden driving South Aussie Craig Dontas will start from P1 tomorrow for Race Two’s reverse grid followed by Race Three at 12:10pm, which will be televised on Channel Seven.
