Lockwood Maintains V8 Ute Lead After Ruapuna

Lockwood Maintains V8 Ute Lead After Ruapuna

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Matt Lockwood is still leading the ENZED V8 Ute series after the fourth round at Ruapuna last weekend. His remarkable run to date has seen him lead the competition from the very first qualifying session of the inaugural 2008 series at Timaru to the completion of the round at Ruapuna last weekend.

Lockwood qualified in second place in his VU Holden behind Caine Lobb in his VE Holden with Simon Beirne in his BF Falcon in third place. This was also the finishing order for the first race and Lobb was proving hard to beat on a track he knew so well.

The second race was a marble draw with Lockwood starting in third position. However it was Lobb who again took the honours with Lockwood in second and Mike Pero, in a VY Holden, in third position.

The reverse marble draw had Lockwood starting in tenth position but a daring move around the outside saw him move into third position by the end of the first corner. Lobb had moved into the lead and Lockwood and Craig Paterson, in a BF Falcon, had a great battle for second place. They raced through a number of corners side by side before Lockwood managed to pass Paterson around the outside at the hairpin. Eventually Mack Peach, in a VE Holden also got past Paterson to take third place.

The final race had Lobb on pole with Lockwood second and Peach third. However Peach followed Lobb through on the inside and Lockwood was left in third position.
“It was difficult to keep up with the more powerful VE’s on the straights, and with Caine dialed into the circuit I was happy to finish second overall and retain a 25 point lead in the championship” Lockwood said.

With only two rounds to go it looks like the championship will go down to the wire with Lockwood aiming to increase his lead at Timaru next weekend before the final round at Teretonga on 21/22 March, 2009.

ENDS

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