Pither Leaps Into Lead

PITHER LEAPS INTO THE LEAD

With just two races remaining in the 2010/2011 ENZED V8 Ute Challenge Australian based kiwi Chris Pither has jumped into the lead of the series for the first time.

Until today Pither, the defending champion, has been battling his way back up the point standings after a difficult start to the season marked by a number of breakages on his Gallagher XR8 Falcon. With the issues that beset him over the early rounds eliminated Pither, 'The Gypsy', has mounted a strong comeback over recent rounds. However a drivethrough penalty at the penultimate round at Taupo last month had made the task so much more difficult for him. The Palmerston North raised driver arrived at the final round at Hamilton this weekend still 71 points behind series leader Caine Lobb.

'The Gypsy' made inroads into the deficit in qualifying yesterday when he qualified fastest and Lobb was third reducing the difference to 56 points.

The field lined up on the grid in wet, slippery conditions this morning with the odds still firmly in favour of Lobb. However a coming together between the two at the first corner of this mornings race has set up a major showdown in the final two races tomorrow.

Pither led into the first corner today with Lobb making a good start to slot in behind him. However on the exit of the turn Lobb clipped the back of the Gallagher XR8 Falcon sending The Gypsy into a big slide followed by a series of fishtails. Pither gathered it up before resuming in sixth place while Lobb retired from the race. 'The Gypsy' was soon making his way through the field and by the beginning of lap 4 he had made his way up to second place. Once there he eased off, explaining the situation later. "Simon (race leader Simon Beirne) had good speed and I backed off as the right front tyre was rubbing. I didn't want to bin it!"

Pither saw out the race in second place crossing the line to move into the series lead due to the retirement from the race of Lobb. The result has put Pither into the series lead with a margin of 11 points over Lobb with two races remaining tomorrow. "Caine ran into me out of the first corner. I went sideways and across to the inside of the track. There was a lot of damage and I just made sure I finished at the front," was Pither's summing up of his race.

The last two races of the series take place tomorrow, the first at 8.45am while the finale is scheduled for 11.45am. The first of those races features a reverse marble draw grid meaning Chris will start from the rear of the field.

Support for Chris in his ENZED V8 Ute Challenge title defence comes from the Gallagher Group, ENZED, KDTraining.com, Cairns Bins and Maldon Salt.

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