McIlveen Fights Back In Race 3

press release

Warren McIlveen put the dramas of the weekend behind him to vault from the fifth row of the grid to take victory in the Mac's Marine Stockman-Honda. The reigning champion took the lead after his Stockman Superkarts team mate Sam Zavaglia was given a drive-through penalty for jumping the start and kept a closing Darren Hossack at bay in the final laps.

Zavaglia briefly hopped forward at the start but it was enough to penalise the Sydney based racer. He fought back through the field to pick up 15th position, and a championship point along with it. McIlveen was into third place at the end of the first lap after fighting past Carlo Chermaz and Gary Pegoraro in the early running.

McIlveen passed Hossack on the second lap and built a small gap only for the Safe Evolutions Anderson to haul in McIlveen with a lap to go, but McIlveen again pulled away to secure his first victory of the championship season.

Chermaz (Buildersmile PVP) finished in third position, just ahead of the RMR Superkarts pair of Gary Pegoraro and Matthew Wall. Stephen Castles (NEC Automotive Stockman-Honda) finished in sixth position ahead of Yiani Harpas in the Internode Metaplanners Davtec Zip Eagle-BRC who was struggling with a leaking power valve.

Anton Stevens again made a poor start, the New Zealanders achilles heel, but stormed home after an entertaining mid pack dice with Luke May (Zip BDH Zip Eagle-BRC) and Steve Murray (Gas Action Services PVP-Honda). May finished behind Stevens but was penalised sixty seconds after the race. May had received a black flag for a jumped start but was notified too late in the race. Murray was classified in ninth position ahead of Kristian Stebbing (Suburban Accounting Stockman-Honda).

Brad Stebbing (Suburban Accounting Stockman-Honda) was again too quick in the 125 cc division as once again Russell Jamieson (Coach Design Stockman-Honda) was parked on the side of the track. Jason Smith (Fuji Zerox Cougar-Honda) came through to finish second in class after a spirited dice with Tim Philp (George Floth P/L Stockman-Honda) and Jarrod Lethborg (www.trimfix.com.nz Bakker-Honda). Tony Lappas stopped after cracking his chassis.

Martin Latta (MJR Bricklaying, Safe Evolutions Anderson-Yamaha) backed off towards the end of the race to win the 250 National class ahead of David Yuill (Anderson) and Frank Giglio (GR Industires Stockman).

Provisional Points after Race 3:

250 Inter: Hossack 57, Chermaz 43, Zavaglia 35, Pegoraro 34, Wall 32, McIlveen, Stevens and Castles 29 etc

125 Gearbox: Stebbing 60, Lethborg 43, Lappas 34, Bakker 33, Smith 30, Young 29 etc

250 Nationals: Latta 60, Yuill 34, Giglio 32