Smith claims NZ crown, but meets his trans-tasman match in Tweedie
There was no fairy tale finish for Kiwi supervet Ken Smith (Lola T332) in the MSC NZ F5000 Tasman Cup Revival Series races on the second day of competition at the annual VHRR Phillip Island Classic motor racing meeting in Australia today. The open-wheel great ended his weekend of racing with a pair of second-place finishes and a pair of third-place finishes.
The weekend's round was the final of the 2015/16 MSC NZ F5000 Tasman Cup Revival Series with Ken Smith claiming his fourth title after dominating all four New Zealand rounds.
Youth — in the form of 27-year-old Sydneysider Tom Tweedie — made the running in the MSC NZ F5000 Tasman Cup Revival Series races over the two days of competition, winning three races out of four in a 1974 Chevron B24.
Enjoying a weekend of close racing with his Australian counterparts was Auckland driver Glenn Richards (#99 Lola T400). Photo / Peter Ellenbogen image
Tweedie, driving his family-owned ex Chris Craft/Tony Dean Chevron B24, qualified comfortably quickest on Friday but Smith (ex Danny Ongais Lola T332) beat him off the line and for the first lap in the first (6-lap) of Saturday's races before crossing the finish line less than a second behind.
Then in the second race Smith shadowed Tweedie early on and after easing back mid-race a fraction, closed the gap right up again only to have the chequered flag come out at the end of 5 laps rather than the 6 everyone was expecting.
"I had a little handling issue getting onto the straight in that first race," Smith explained. "The car was oversteering on the exit and he (Tweedie) was able to catch and tow past me down the shute. Through Turns 2,3,4,5 and 6 I could close the gap right back up because the car was grouse through there. But he was better onto the straight."
"Tom is a very good driver and I'm rapt to be able to drive with him. [...] He's quick and he's clean which is good when there's so little between the two of us."
Sadly, there was no fairy tale finish for Smith on the second day of competition, ending up third rather than the first he was aiming for in both Sunday races. But that didn't stop the 73-year-old from praising the meeting.
Smith (third in line), trailing Berryman and Tweedie. Photo / Peter Ellenbogen image
"It's been magic, just magic," Smith said after an all-action 8-lap final race won by category and series' newcomer Tim Berryman from fastest qualifier and the winner of the three other F5000 races at meeting, Tom Tweedie. "This is one of the world's great circuits and I've had a ball, an absolute ball all weekend."
Berryman, who fitted a new set of tyres for Sunday's two races, took advantage of the fact in the race on Sunday morning, testing his move for second on Smith at the end of the second lap then successfully pulling it off at the end of the third. Smith's car had started jumping out of gear, making it even harder for the Kiwi to maintain the pace Tweedie was setting.
Plans for the 2016/17 series are already well advanced with the opening round expected to be contested at a high profile historic meeting at Perth's Barbagallo Raceway in October.
Though final venue and date details are yet to be sorted a provisional 2016–’17 MSC calendar looks like starting with three meetings in Australia later this year (Barbagallo, Sandown and Sydney Motorsport Park) followed by three in New Zealand in the New Year.
The first of those will be at the 2017 New Zealand Festival of Motor Racing meeting at Hampton Downs (celebrating the life and career of Ken Smith) with the second at a new historic meeting on the calendar at Bruce McLaren Motorsport Park at Taupo (both in January) and the third at the annual Skope Classic meeting at Christchurch's Mike Pero Motorsport Park at Ruapuna in February.
Formula 5000 - Race 1
Event R15 6 Laps
1. Tom Tweedie (NSW) 1973 Chevron B24 8:58.3799
2. Ken Smith (NZ) 1976 Lola F5000 T332 5000 9:00.0198
3. Tim Berryman (NSW) 1974 Lola T332 9:05.5160
4. Tom Alexander (UK) Chevron B24 9:09.5266
5. Paul Zazryn (VIC) 1974 Lola T332 9:26.8993
6. Peter Brennan (VIC) 1973 Lola T330 9:32.0056
7. Andrew Robson (VIC) 1973 Lola T330/2 9:38.8849
8. Russell Greer (NZ) 1973 Lola T332 9:39.3967
9. Ian Clements (NZ) Lola T332 9:39.7170
10. Sefton Gibb (NZ) 1974 Lola F5000 T332 9:41.5098
11. Grant Martin (NZ) 1974 Talon F5000 9:45.5504
12. Aaron Burson (NZ) 1974 Talon F5000 MR1 9:46.5913
13. Alfredo Costanzo (VIC) 1970 McLaren M10B 9:48.1278
14. Philip Lewis (DNK) 1972 Matich A50 9:48.2140
15. Darcy Russell (VIC) 1972 Lola T330 9:48.4835
16. Glenn Richards (NZ) 1975 Lola T400 9:52.5927
17. Bill Hemming (VIC) 1977 Elfin MR 8 10:04.3355
18. Frank Harris (VIC) 1973 Chevron B24 10:32.5164
19. Tony Roberts (NZ) 1969 McLaren M10A 10:34.7496
20. Maxwell Pearson (QLD) 1971 Elfin MR5 10:37.6179
21. Rodney Carroll (NSW) 1968 Lola T140 10:39.8213
22. Jay Bondini (VIC) 1974 Lola T332 10:39.8847
23. Andrew Kluver (NSW) 1972 Lola T300 9:10.2826
24. Frank Karl (NZ) 1970 McLaren M10 9:41.0097
25. Geoff Munday (VIC) 1975 Elfin MR5B 9:58.0079
26. + 1 lap: David Banks (NZ) 1974 Talon MR1 8:12.7488
Formula 5000 - Race 2
Event R27 5 Laps
1. Tom Tweedie (NSW) 1973 Chevron B24 7:32.9865
2. Ken Smith (NZ) 1976 Lola F5000 T332 7:34.1662
3. Tom Alexander (UK) Chevron B24 7:37.3228
4. Tim Berryman (NSW) 1974 Lola T332 7:38.8765
5. Andrew Robson (VIC) 1973 Lola T330/2 7:51.3962
6. Paul Zazryn (VIC) 1974 Lola T332 7:53.3680
7. Peter Brennan (VIC) 1973 Lola T330 7:58.7673
8. Ian Clements (NZ) Lola T332 8:02.0427
9. Russell Greer (NZ) 1973 Lola T332 8:02.2665
10. Darcy Russell (VIC) 1972 Lola T330 8:09.4501
11. Sefton Gibb (NZ) 1974 Lola F5000 T332 8:12.4035
12. David Banks (NZ) 1974 Talon F5000 8:12.6232
13. Aaron Burson (NZ) 1974 Talon F5000 MR1 8:14.0490
14. Glenn Richards (NZ) 1975 Lola T400 8:21.2355
15. Philip Lewis (DNK) 1972 Matich A50 8:35.1666
16. Bryan Sala 1975 Elfin MR5B 8:36.1800
17. Bill Hemming (VIC) 1977 Elfin MR 8 8:41.9799 1
18. Tony Roberts (NZ) 1969 McLaren M10A 8:43.5755
19. Frank Harris (VIC) 1973 Chevron B24 9:20.5268
20. Rodney Carroll (NSW) 1968 Lola T140 7:45.6029
21. Frank Karl (NZ) 1970 McLaren M10 7:46.7023
22. Andrew Kluver (NSW) 1972 Lola T300 7:46.9545
DNF. Grant Martin (NZ) 1974 Talon MR1A, Gregory Thornton (UK) 1975 March, Maxwell Pearson (QLD) 1971 Elfin MR5
DNS: Alfredo Costanzo (VIC) 1970 McLaren M10B
Formula 5000 - Race 3
Event R39 4 Laps
1. Tom Tweedie (NSW) 1973 Chevron B24 5:56.6578
2. Tim Berryman (NSW) 1974 Lola T332 5:57.8518
3. Ken Smith (NZ) 1976 Lola F5000 T332 5000 6:02.2519
4. Andrew Robson (VIC) 1973 Lola T330/2 6:06.8317
5. Paul Zazryn (VIC) 1974 Lola T332 6:12.1785
6. Russell Greer (NZ) 1973 Lola T332 6:22.4968
7. Peter Brennan (VIC) 1973 Lola T330 6:23.2952
8. Gregory Thornton (UK) Chevron B24 6:30.0671
9. Sefton Gibb (NZ) 1974 Lola F5000 T332 6:30.0854
10. David Banks (NZ) 1974 Talon F5000 6:30.8377
11. Ian Clements (NZ) Lola T332 6:31.4066
12. Aaron Burson (NZ) 1974 Talon F5000 MR1 6:31.6237
13. Darcy Russell (VIC) 1972 Lola T330 6:32.1562
14. Glenn Richards (NZ) 1975 Lola T400 6:38.0732 1
15. Philip Lewis (DNK) 1972 Matich A50 6:39.3212
16. Bryan Sala 1975 Elfin MR5B 6:39.6411
17. Alfredo Costanzo (VIC) 1970 McLaren M10B 6:45.6749
18. Tony Roberts (NZ) 1969 McLaren M10A 6:57.2413
19. Andrew Kluver (NSW) 1972 Lola T300 6:57.4459
20. Bill Hemming (VIC) 1977 Elfin MR 8 6:59.9213
21. Frank Harris (VIC) 1973 Chevron B24 6:59.9504
22. Frank Karl (NZ) 1970 McLaren M10 7:23.7184
23. Rodney Carroll (NSW) 1968 Lola T140 7:26.4224
DNF. Jay Bondini (VIC) 1974 Lola T332 1:58.6253
Formula 5000 - Race 4 (final)
Event R51 8 Laps
1. Tim Berryman (NSW) 1974 Lola T332 12:03.0224
2. Tom Tweedie (NSW) 1973 Chevron B24 12:03.3450
3. Ken Smith (NZ) 1976 Lola F5000 T332 12:09.4377
4. Andrew Robson (VIC) 1973 Lola T330/2 12:14.8314
5. Paul Zazryn (VIC) 1974 Lola T332 12:40.8184
6. Russell Greer (NZ) 1973 Lola T332 12:43.3410
7. Sefton Gibb (NZ) 1974 Lola F5000 T332 12:47.7525
8. David Banks (NZ) 1974 Talon F5000 12:47.9593
9. Peter Brennan (VIC) 1973 Lola T330 12:49.2183
10. Ian Clements (NZ) Lola T332 12:49.9816
11. Darcy Russell (VIC) 1972 Lola T330 12:58.1166
12. Aaron Burson (NZ) 1974 Talon F5000 MR1 12:59.6898
13. Alfredo Costanzo (VIC) 1970 McLaren M10B 13:10.5237
14. Glenn Richards (NZ) 1975 Lola T400 13: 10.7006
15. Bryan Sala 1975 Elfin MR5B 13:12.2518
16. Philip Lewis (DNK) 1972 Matich A50 13:15.8398
17. Tony Roberts (NZ) 1969 McLaren M10A 12:07.8068
18. Bill Hemming (VIC) 1977 Elfin MR 8 12:12.3724
19. Andrew Kluver (NSW) 1972 Lola T300 12:14.7623
20. Mike Glynn (VIC) 1977 Elfin MRB-BC 12:47.8283
21. Frank Harris (VIC) 1973 Chevron B24 12:52.0092
22. Frank Karl (NZ) 1970 McLaren M10B 12:55.3083
23. Rodney Carroll (NSW) 1968 Lola T140 12:57.9240
DNF. Gregory Thornton (UK) Chevron B24 6:16.0749