Peach On Podium Despite Heavy Penalty

Auckland driver Mack Peach was back on the podium at the weekend when the ENZED V8 Ute Series hit the Powerbuilt International Raceway for the first of a three round tour of the South Island.

Unfortunately a penalty cost him a second place finish in race two including some valuable points when he was relegated to fifth place.

Nevertheless Peach was able to overcome the bad luck, take third place overall for the round and remain in contention for the championship just 48 points adrift of leader Matt Lockwood.

At his only second appearance on the Ruapuna circuit, just outside of Christchurch, Peach had a remarkable round in the Barn Company Holden VE achieving great results from an intensive schedule of four races all held on Sunday.

Of the four rounds thus far this season, Peach has been on the podium three times including first overall at the second round at Pukekohe Park Raceway in November and third at the A1GP meeting in January.

Getting up to speed with the Ruapuna circuit as quickly as possible, Peach used Friday practice sessions and a final one on Saturday morning to set himself and the car up to pick up the fourth quickest time in that afternoon's qualification session.

On Sunday morning Peach set off from the grid in fourth holding that position until the end of the race.

"In the first race we all started in our qualification positions and it was more or less just follow the leader in that one." he said.

In race two Peach had pulled pole position in the marble draw for the start and finished in second place after Caine Lobb had managed to get into the lead.

Unfortunately Peach was deemed to have jumped the start due to the front of the car being across the line on the grid before the start of the race.

Given a time penalty for this Peach was relegated to fifth position for the race losing a handful of points.

"The race wasn't too bad Matty (Lockwood) and Simon (Beirne) were having a bit of a battle behind me - Caine came through from the back but I didn't hold him up too much because he was quicker than us here and knows the circuit well."

"The penalty didn't help much but was just one of those things - we were only over the line by about 200mm."

"Usually there's someone there that tells you to move up to your mark but this time there wasn't - we now know that the officials don't have to help you and it is up to the team to have someone on the wall to let you know how far up you can go." said Peach.

In the third race Peach was in last place for the start due to the reverse-marble-draw grid position.

Remarkably he was able to make his way up into fourth position and on the final lap passed Craig Paterson claiming third place before crossing the line.

In the final race of the round he once again came home in second place after starting off grid three behind Caine Lobb but this time was able to claim the points and a third overall for the round.

Peach currently sits third in the championship behind Caine Lobb and just 48 points behind leader and reigning champion Matt Lockwood.

With 156 points up for grabs per round the championship is still very much wide open for all three drivers and also Simon Beirne in fourth place behind Peach.

In other motorsport news at the weekend, Mack Peach and the team went head to head with other ENZED V8 Ute Series teams in a karting night where they dominated the entire podium for the Super Freight Race Team.

"Me and my crew cleaned up with first, second and third!" laughed Peach.

This weekend the ENZED V8 Ute Series moves on to Timaru International Motor Raceway followed by Invercargill's Teretonga Park next weekend.

ENDS