5/5/06 | Pingel holds it together at the paperclip

2006 Yokohama Australian Formula 4000 Drivers Championship

Round 4 – Queensland Raceway, Queensland

PINGEL HOLDS IT TOGETHER AT THE PAPERCLIP

QUEENSLANDER Derek Pingel has reclaimed the lead in the Yokohama Australian Formula 4000 Drivers Championship after winning both races of Round 4 at Queensland Raceway.

Pingel led Italian driver Davide Amaduzzi and championship rival Ty Hanger home in both races and now leads the championship by four points ahead of Hanger as the season reaches the halfway mark.

Qualifying was held in windy conditions on Saturday afternoon with spins for Hanger, Amaduzzi and Les Crampton causing no less than three session stoppages and three local yellow flag periods meaning that most drivers only got one clear lap in. Luckily for Pingel, that lap was a 1:07.96 and good enough for pole position from Hanger (1:08.63) and Amaduzzi (1:09.16).

Amaduzzi, making his Australian racing debut, was pleased with his performance and confident for Sunday’s races, while also having his first run in F4000 was Queenslander Paul Hibberd who qualified 7^th in the ex-Skaife/Frentzen Lola T93/50.

A welcome inclusion to the field this weekend was Mumbo Racing’s Sam Dale who had only just arrived from Navy assignment in East Timor. Suffice to say, the paddock was pleased to see the Navy helicopter pilot back on shore (or the ground for that matter) and in safer surrounds.

Sunday’s opening 12-lap sprint got off amid controversy when Ty Hanger and Terry Clearihan jumped the rolling start. Hanger, who was starting off the front row, took Clearihan with him after launching as soon as the green flag had been shown.

With the race scheduled for just 12 laps, Pingel was immediately on the radio and requesting a restart. Hanger and other drivers claimed that as soon as the green flag was shown the race had started but Pingel was adamant that as pole sitter he had the right to control the pace to the start line and denied any suggestion he may have backed off.

"We’re coming down the straight, and my data will verify this, doing 123 kph. I’m the pole sitter and I have control but, as soon as the green flag comes out Ty Hanger bolts and half the field go with him," an outraged Pingel said.

Race control soon dealt both Hanger and Clearihan with drive through penalties while Pingel carved his way back through the field from the rear. Hanger took his drive through penalty on lap five allowing Pingel to inherite the lead who was not headed again. Amid the mayhem, Italian driver Davide Amaduzzi grabbed second place in his maiden race on Australian soil.

Race 2 may have gotten off to a cleaner start than that of Race 1 but it was still Pingel who led the field on the run down to the first turn with Amaduzzi, Hanger and Dale filing in behind.

On lap 4, Mumbo Racing’s weekend came to an end as both cars simultaneously retired from the race after Matthew Fox shed a left-rear wheel at the end of the back straight and Sam Dale encountered gearbox problems. This necessitated a safety car intervention which tightened the field and gave Amaduzzi and Hanger some hope of challenging Pingel for the lead.

During the safety car period, one of the WISC Racing cars pulled out with a loose exhaust but unfortunately for most of the field it was debutant Paul Hibberd and not Pingel, who instead was leading the field as the green flag came out on lap 8.

The safety car period had led tyre temperatures to drop to less than racing levels and Amaduzzi found this out to his peril when he spun off at Turn 1 in an ambitious bid to reel in Pingel for the lead. The Italian managed to pull off a spectacular 360-degree spin and continued with no damage albeit now behind Hanger in 3^rd.

Out in front however it was the same old story as Pingel took a sensational race and round win on home ground from Hanger and Amaduzzi who was rapt with his debut. Pingel now leads the championship on 116 points from Hanger (112 points) and Sam Dale on 72.

The series now heads to Adelaide International Raceway for Round 5 on July 6-7.