Pagel Powers to Maryborough Win

SSA Media Release

Gympie’s Mark Pagel was in fine form at Maryborough Speedway on Saturday night, powering to victory in round four of the 2011/2012 Hotondo Homes (Rockhampton) Super Sedan Championship Series.  Although the dominant performer in qualifying with two heat wins to secure pole position, Pagel found himself under intense pressure throughout the 30-lap feature event as both Darren Kane and Jason Campbell took turns at the front of the field.

With Kane’s race ending on lap six and a rare mistake from Campbell handing the lead back to Pagel with just six laps remaining, the two-time Queensland Modified Production champion took full advantage and powered home to finish ahead of Sean Black and Wayne Brims in a race that tested the stamina of competitors and the patience of spectators.

Black’s performance was sensational after being forced to start deep in the field when a malfunctioning transponder resulted in no points being scored in his opening heat.  Black handled the setback with maturity and set forth on a charge through the field that provided emphatic testimony to the talents of the Toowoomba-based youngster.   

In only his second outing aboard a brand new mount, Wayne Brims started 5th and was always lurking in close proximity to the leaders before succumbing to the Black juggernaut in the closing stages of the event.

Dale Christensen finished in fourth spot ahead of Barry Craft and Damien Bugler, who was impressive at times despite nearly two years out of the cockpit, clocking some of the quickest laps of the night and running as high as third in the early stages of the race aboard the Proline NQ Plasterboard Contractors Sweet-Dodge normally campaigned by Matt Pascoe.

Wayne Randall (Roma Windscreens Rocket-Pontiac) was unable to replicate his strong form of recent weeks, finishing seventh ahead of the luckless Campbell, whose race ended incongruously for the second time in as many outings after once again setting the pace for much of the race.   

Unfortunately for the small crowd who braved inclement weather, the race was littered with restarts and lengthy delays that ultimately saw the rest of the 18-car field finish on the infield.  Of these, Scott Galea deserves recognition for his spectacular demonstration of highline driving that saw him surge towards the front and debunk any claims about the state of the track.

Ian Brims enjoyed a perfect debut for his new Brims Concrete Sweet-Dodge, cruising home to win the first heat ahead of Christensen and Randall. Pagel proved too pacey on heat two, downing Kane and Wayne Brims.

Pagel backed up to down Kane and Ian Brims in heat three, before Wayne Brims edged out Campbell and Bugler in heat four.

Heat five produced a spectacular finish when Campbell surged underneath Dempsie Pails –who had led from the outset - through turn three on the final lap. Not to be denied, Pails returned the favour in the final corner, reclaimed the lead and won the sprint to the chequer, with Pagel third on this occasion. In the final heat, Kane outpaced Bugler and Randall.

When the feature got underway, Kane pounced from the outside front row to lead Pagel while Pails, who had qualified on the second row in another good performance, was the first casualty in a turn two spin that brought the first of several interruptions. Kane led again at the resumption, only to grass his Ian Boettcher Race Parts Dominator-Mazda on lap six, handing the lead to Pagel.  However, Campbell pounced soon after to usurp Pagel from the top spot and the two remained locked in combat through a series of incessant restarts, the final of which came about when Campbell inexplicably spun as Pagel edged ahead.  Charging from the back as the laps wound down, Campbell had climbed back into the top five before ultimately joining the likes of Paul Geary, new series leader Ian Brims and a gallant Galea on the infield as Pagel powered to the chequer for his first win of the year.

2011/2012 Hotondo Homes (Rockhampton) Super Sedan Championship Series progressive pointscore (top ten):Ian Brims 987, Matt Pascoe 890, Wayne Randall 828, Dempsie Pails 814, Darren Kane 807, Sean Black 732, Jason Campbell 731, Mark Pagel 690, Dale Christensen 666, Wayne Brims 543.

In Think Money Development Series action, the opening heat was a very scrappy affair with more spins than the roulette wheel at Star City on a Saturday night. The race ended early when Michael Critchlow climbed the concrete in the main straight, with veteran Kev Barkle awarded the win. Rookie Joshua McLaren took out heat two ahead of Russell Dobson and Barkle, who subsequently took out the final heat after a good duel with Rodney Craft and Dobson. However, in the feature it was another newcomer in Sam Grundy who emerged as the overall round winner and series leader.  

2011/2012 Think Money Development Series progressive pointscore (top ten): Sam Grundy 483, Colin Moss 458, Joshua McLaren 408, Andrew Roberts 335, Darren Saunders 317, Gordon Shaw 317, Darren Hawkings 314, Kev Barkle 294, Russell Dobson 246, Craig Shaw 230.

The 2011/2012 Hotondo Homes (Rockhampton) Super Sedan Championship Series is proudly supported by:

Hotondo Homes

Think Money

Old Man’s Garage

Roma Windscreens

Shock Doctor