28/11/06 | Derek Pingel wins 2006 Yokohama Australian Formula 4000 Drivers Championship

After an almost 20-year hiatus from professional motor sport prior to last year, Derek Pingel has added a national championship to his mantlepiece for the first time after clinching the 2006 Yokohama Australian Formula 4000 Drivers Championship during the final round of the series at Wakefield Park.

Pingel, who won several races but never a championship during a prolific career in Formula 2 throughout the 1980s, returned to top level motor sport in 2005 having retired at the end of the 1988 Australian Formula 2 Championship to pursue business commitments. Finishing 3rd overall in his first season in Formula 4000 last year, Pingel returned to the category in 2006 as both a driver and category manager and went onto win 10 out of 16 races to record his first national championship victory following a season-long battle with Ty Hanger who won the remaining six events.

With the margin between the championship protagonists both closing and being overturned during the season, Hanger entered the final round at Wakefield Park only nine points ahead of Pingel on unadjusted scores, with the New South Welshman hoping to go one better after finishing 2nd in the championship in both 2004 and 2005.

Both drivers set about their championship challenges in the best way possible in qualifying as they lapped within the existing lap record set by A1 Grand Prix star Jonny Reid three years ago. Pingel narrowly took pole on the tight Goulburn circuit with a time of 56.025s from Hanger who was a scant 0.087s adrift in second ahead of series returnee, Italian Davide Amaduzzi and Mumbo Racing team-mates Sam Dale and Matthew Fox.

The opening 14-lap encounter on Sunday morning saw Pingel lead away from Hanger with Amaduzzi spinning at Turn 1 who was lucky to be avoided by the oncoming Terry Clearihan. The leaders reeled off the laps at a pace of some 2.0s quicker per lap than the rest of the field with little separating the two Reynard 95Ds as they wound their way around the tight and twisty Wakefield layout.

Both drivers were pushing hard towards the closing stages with Hanger attempting to close onto the rear of Pingel's car only to pirouette on the notorious 'fish hook' at Turn 7, leaving Pingel to safely conserve home for the last three laps and in doing so collect the win and 20 championship points which would cut the margin between himself and Hanger to four points ahead of the final race of the season.

With a standing start and a longer 18-lap distance facing the drivers for Race 2, both Pingel and Hanger looked to continue their opening race tussle from the front row with both drivers gunning for their first ever F4000 championship. When the lights went green, it was Hanger who appeared to have the better getaway although Pingel quickly held the line going into Turn 1 and led the field around on the opening lap.

Hellbent on keeping the car on the circuit, Pingel punched in a calculated series of laps with an aggressive and omnipresent Hanger looming in the Queenslander's mirrors, flicking up dirt and attacking outside kerbing as he went. In the end though, Pingel would hold on for the win and the championship from Hanger and Amaduzzi who was some 20s away and being hotly pursued by a fast-finishing Sam Dale and Chris Farrell.

Pingel's championship win means that he now joins the likes of Mark Skaife, Scott Dixon, Will Power and Rick Kelly as drivers who have won the Formula 4000 Championship and as a result Pingel will be awarded a V8 Supercar test with the crack Tasman Motorsport outfit later this year.

For the 48-year old father of three from Gatton, Queensland, the success marks the realisation of a lifelong ambition and is testimate to the efforts of Pingel's hard working WISC Racing team led by his enthusiastic daughter, Rachel.

"This is just fantastic. After almost 20 years away from motor sport it bugged me that I had never won a national championship after coming close on occasion in Formula 2. Having come into F4000 at the right time with a great car and a great team behind me, I was able to realise that goal and to win a national championship in the fastest racing cars in the country after such a great battle with Ty really is the way I wanted to win it."

"I must also pay tribute to my crew, including my daughter Rachel who has provided me with unwavering support throughout the year both at and away from the track, my chief mechanic Mark Motson and my engineer Barry Lock whose technical expertise and input proved truly invaluable this season and significantly assisted us in our objective to win this championship."

Pingel also acknowledged the support of Australian Motor Racing Series directors, Rod Dale and Garry Willmington for their efforts facilitating the Australian Formula 4000 Championship in 2006 as well as the assistance of long-time category supporter and F4000 International partner Chris Hocking.