Behind the wheel with a Kiwi

The lead up to the penultimate round of the 2008/09 Porsche GT3 Cup Challenge had me quite excited.

After four weekends in a row of competition back to back in January, the idea of a month off seemed a little surreal. Getting back to my home circuit was always that little bit more special than the rest.

Historically I?ve always had rotten luck and tough results at Manfeild, and this year was unfortunately no different, however it?s still hands down the best circuit in New Zealand to race on. Nothing else comes close.

I made the road-trip down to Friendly Feilding with my team mate Mark Russ; the weather hot and sunny – nothing like the projected forecast for the weekend. We got through Friday practice in the dry but the rain was threatening in the afternoon, and it was a mixed day on the track also.

I completed the first test session happy with the car and right at the pointy end of the field, but was unable to continue the form in the second due to a clutch and flywheel issue. The team at International Motorsport worked well into the evening to ensure everything was as it should be, and with the storm clouds looming we ensured the wet tyres were ready and waiting for Saturday.

As expected, Saturday morning dawned wet, and the rest of the weekend followed suit. Qualifying was tough with a lengthy yellow flag period taking up much of the second half of the session, and on a track that seemed to be gripping up as it progressed, I was only able to post the sixth quickest time.

The opening race was under heavy rain and the spray was unbelievable. The lack of visibility was extreme at the best of times, but even so, the racing was closely fought and by the finish I had made my way into fourth place.

The second race wasn?t so good, and I was caught up in the hustle and bustle of the opening lap and squeezed off the track exiting the hairpin. Having dropped to eighth place I worked my way back to sixth quickly and spent the rest of it probing the cars in front. The car was phenomenal on brakes but the only passing opportunities were – as you?d expect – around the outside and, though it wasn?t for lack of trying, sixth place was the end result.

The real talking point of the weekend (and the reason I?ve been a little reserved until now) was the reverse grid final race. I had pole position but I chose to relinquish it on the warm up lap along with my team mates Jody Vincent and Mark Russ, to pit and change for wet tyres.

With a new rule passing tyre choice onto the competitors and effectively removing the wet track/dry track scenario we?ve seen for a number of years, the three of us took the big gamble with the rain beginning to come down.

For the first few laps this seemed to be the wrong call. The cars on slicks were just as quick as we were, and at one stage they began to close the gap that would have seen me lapped by the leaders. That was until the mid-way point, when the heavens opened and it really began bucketing down onto the track. This was my chance and the early judgement call proved perfect. As cars slid off the track around me I knew that a win was a possibility.

With five laps remaining I?d made my way up to eighth and half the field had decided to pit for wet tyres. Only seconds later one of the most bizarre decisions I?ve ever seen was made by the officials, and the race was both red flagged and chequered flagged at the same time, concluding the race and leaving Mark, Jody and I in a state of bewilderment.

The track was supposedly ?too dangerous? to race on, however the V8 race that followed was staged in even worse conditions and their usual carnage ensued. Even so, this race was red flagged and resumed at a later point, but the Porsche race was not.

We really did feel ?robbed? by this decision and I?ve lost most of what little faith I had in the system, and as we have no right to protest the result, but only the judgement/decision, there will of course be no backlash and we will just have to shut up and get on with it.

This result has made the task of securing the final championship podium spot a lot tougher, but I won?t be giving up with Pukekohe next weekend – I?ve had a good run there in the past and there?s no reason why it can?t happen again.

The weather could and probably will play a part, so let?s just wait and see.

Until then, take care everyone! Remember to visit jonolester.com.

Jono