Round 7 & 8 - Rockingham

 
Blazing sun and epic battles see Seager and Grindrod victorious at Rockingham

There was blazing sun and two fantastic races for the race fans at Rockingham Motor Speedway for rounds seven and eight of the Pickup Truck Racing Championship last weekend.

In the first race on Saturday afternoon, pole sitter Simon Carr initially shot in to the lead ahead of Gavin Seager and Pete Stevens at the front and began what was to become a 35-lap, nine-truck battle for the lead. Steve Dance, Nic Grindrod and Michael Smith also joined the early party, although it looked as if nobody would pass Simon.

Gavin Seager made the initial move on lap eight to suck Simon backwards

as a train of four Trucks followed him. Nic Grindrod settled in to second place ahead of Pete Stevens but Michael Smith and Steve Dance were right behind on each other’s bumpers. On lap 13 Nic took up the lead, but the train had now grown to nine with Dave Briggs, Antony Hawkins and John Mickel also now in on the act by lap 13.

Phil White pushed through to third on lap 20 with Gavin now back in fifth but with a four-wide surge for turn one, this was all about to change again with Gavin moving through for the lead on lap 24. Nic and Phil were both leaders again before this amazing race was to finish, but it was last season’s champion, Gavin Seager who took the victory ahead of Nic Grindrod and Phil White.

It was an early start on Sunday with the Pickup Trucks out first on track for a 10am race, which turned out to be another cracker with trucks going three wide in to corners on several occasions just as they had on Saturday.

Pete Stevens had shot in to the lead from pole position ahead of John Mickel, then led Michael Smith and Robert Butterfield. By lap four the three-wide games had begun with Nic, Phil and John level between turns four and one before the lead swaps began as they had on Saturday.

Michael Smith, who had been quick all weekend, went in to the lead on lap five, but was then lost from the train after receiving a tap on his back bumper from Pete Stevens.

With Pete Stevens once again leading and Nic Grindrod right behind him, Michael went backwards down the field, benefiting Antony Hawkins and John Mickel. The following pack of six, led by Simon Carr, began to work together and reel the first two in, but not without their own two and three-wide games.

The front two remained untouched until lap 22 when Phil White made a dash for the lead, taking Steve Dance with him. The lead continued to change hands with Nic and Steve both taking turns.

For Antony it had been a constant battle for 29 laps with John Mickel and Robert Butterfield before the #98 Truck came home in seventh. Nic Grindrod was victorious this time and Steve Dance once again put his huge 80kg ballast to one side to finish second ahead of Pete Stevens.

Thanks to Sarah Carnell for race report , David Swan and Stan Loam for photographs