Leslight Too Strong in Toowoomba
Leslight Too Strong in Toowoomba…30/10/06…SSA Media Release
In a masterfully tactical drive, John Leslight emerged triumphant in round three of the 2006/2007 A.S. Concrete Pumping Super Sedan Championship Series at Toowoomba’s Charlton Raceway on Saturday night (October 28). Having qualified his Eastrac Quarries Pontiac Grand Prix in position four, Leslight displayed extreme patience and guile throughout the first half of the 30-lap event before asserting his authority over the field in the final 12 laps to secure his first feature win of the season.
The opening show of the Toowoomba season featured a multi-lane racetrack that produced passing aplenty, epitomised by Darren Kane’s barnstorming charge from position twelve that culminated with a sensational last-corner pass on local ace Lenny Black to snatch second spot. In a race of many highlights, Kane’s performance was particularly meritorious, as he scythed through the field using the outside to great effect in his surge to the front. For Black, a third-place finish aboard his Sedl Earthmoivng Pontiac was his best result since a feature win in January and was a timely display in front of his hometown fans.
Steve Jordan started from pole position and led 12 laps after a superb early scrap with front row partner John McGeorge. The opening laps of the race were sensational with Jordan and McGeorge duking it out and swapping the lead. McGeorge led the opening three laps before Jordan edged ahead on lap four, only to have McGeorge regain the ascendancy on the next circulation. Jordan went back ahead on lap seven and continued to hold sway until Leslight swept into the lead on lap 18. With Leslight in control out front, neither Jordon nor McGeorge were able to sustain their early pace and they both backslid through the field as the laps wound down.
Jordan finished fourth and Mark Pagel annexed fifth spot to become the only driver to finish amongst the top five in each round thus far. Greg Maher, Peter Warren, Wayne Brims and Gavin Northfield were next best, with McGeorge rounding out the top ten. Series point leader Tania Smith was well placed inside the top five until she punted Black into a spin through turn three on lap 24 and was banished to the rear, ultimately salvaging an 11th-place finish.
Steve Van Zeeland, Dale Christensen, Allan Robertson, Frank Armstrong and Steve Pearce completed the finishers, with only Des Korn, Paul Geary and Shayne Lau failing to go the distance. An electrical problem prevented Rockhampton’s Jack Childs from taking his place in the feature, while Chris Albert and Tony Brinkman were also early casualties.
A strong 22-car field fronted for competition and the nine heat races produced plenty of action with wins falling in favour of Leslight, McGeorge, Jordan, Smith, Pagel, Black, Warren, Korn and Geary. Such is the level of competition in this series, previous round winner Wayne Brims finished third, fifth and second in his three starts but could qualify no higher than tenth overall.
The Australian Garages and Carports Top Six Shootout saw Jordan finish ahead of McGeorge and Pagel, with Leslight awarded fourth despite exiting the event on the opening lap. Black finished fifth ahead of Smith, who was relegated to the rear after sending Pagel into a spin on the final lap.
2006/2007 A.S. Concrete Pumping Super Sedan Championship Series progressive pointscore (top ten): Tania Smith 406, Darren Kane 373, Mark Pagel 372, Wayne Brims 355, John Leslight 333, Greg Maher 306, John McGeorge 279, Lenny Black 262, Steve Jordan 250, Des Korn 245
2006/2007 A.S. Concrete Pumping Service Super Sedan Championship Series Round 3…Charlton Raceway – Saturday, 28 October, 2006
First Heat Race (10 laps): 1. Des Korn (1), 2. Lenny Black (6), 3. Darren Kane (4), 4. Allan Robertson (2), 5. Tania Smith (5), 6. Chris Albert (3), 7. Tony Brinkman (7)
Second Heat Race (10 laps): 1. John Leslight (2), 2. Steve Jordan (4), 3. Wayne Brims (6), 4. Dale Christensen (4), 5. Greg Maher (7), 6. Shayne Lau 8), 7. Steve Van Zeeland (5), 8. Steve Pearce (1)
Third Heat Race (10 laps): 1. Peter Warren (1), 2. John McGeorge (3), 3. Frank Armstrong (2), 4. Mark Pagel (6), 5. Paul Geary (7), 6. Jack Childs (5), 7. Gavin Northfield (4)
Fourth Heat Race (10 laps): 1. Paul Geary (2), 2. Gavin Northfield (1), 3. Lenny Black (6), 4. Dale Christensen (4), 5. Wayne Brims (7), DNF – Chris Albert, Steve Pearce
Fifth Heat Race (10 laps): 1. Steve Jordan (2), 2. John Leslight (3), 3. Greg Maher (1), 4. Tony Brinkman (4), 5. Darren Kane (5), 6. Jack Childs (7), 7. Des Korn (6)
Sixth Heat Race (10 laps): 1. Tania Smith (1), 2. John McGeorge (4), 3. Mark Pagel (3), 4. Peter Warren (5), 5. Steve Van Zeeland (6), 6. Shayne Lau (7), 7. Frank Armstrong (8), DNF – Allan Robertson
Seventh Heat Race (10 laps): 1. John McGeorge (4), 2. Tania Smith (6), 3. Jack Childs (1), 4. Greg Maher (5), 5. Shayne Lau (2), 6. Tony Brinkman (3)
Eighth Heat Race (10 laps): 1. Lenny Black (1), 2. Wayne Brims (3), 3. Steve Jordan (5), 4. Darren Kane (4), 5. Peter Warren (6), 6. Allan Robertson (7), 7. Frank Armstrong (2)
Ninth Heat Race (10 laps): 1. Mark Pagel (2), 2. Steve Van Zeeland (1), 3. Des Korn (5), 4. Paul Geary (7), 5. Dale Christensen (3), 6. John Leslight (6), 7. Gavin Northfield (4)
Australian Garages & Carports Top Six Shootout (6 laps): 1. Steve Jordan (3), 2. John McGeorge (1), 3. Mark Pagel (5), 4. John Leslight (6), 5. Lenny Black (2), 6. Tania Smith (4)
A.S. Concrete Pumping Feature Race (30 laps): 1. John Leslight (4), 2. Darren Kane (12), 3. Lenny Black (5), 4. Steve Jordan (1), 5. Mark Pagel (3), 6. Greg Maher (11), 7. Peter Warren (9), 8. Wayne Brims (10), 9. Gavin Northfield (15), 10. John McGeorge (2), 11. Tania Smith (6), 12. Steve Van Zeeland (13), 13. Dale Christensen (14), 14. Allan Robertson (18), 15. Frank Armstrong (16), 16. Steve Pearce (19), DNF – Des Korn, Paul Geary, Shayne Lau
The Super Sedan Association is proudly supported by:
A.S. Concrete Pumping Services, AFCO Shock Doctor, Sport Engines, CP Pistons, Australian Garages and Carports, Ian Boettcher Nissan, Paul Geary Automotive, Ian Boettcher Race Parts, Racer Pro, www.tooltruck.com.au, artbymickey@bigpond.com, Mercedes-Benz Trucks
