Pukekohe Curse Continues For Lightfoot

Pukekohe Curse Continues For Lightfoot

V8 Ute driver Mike 'Buzz' Lightfoot's curse at Pukekohe continued when he became the innocent victim of a race one collision that ruined any chance of a third consecutive ITM400 podium finish

With the ITM 400 moving from Hamilton's streets to Pukekohe, Lightfoot was keen to continue his run of podium finishes at the event, despite moving to a track where bad luck seems to follow the Aucklander

The weekends only practice session on the modified track, which includes three new corners, saw Lightfoot in a safe and steady fifth place, a position he replicated in qualifying, only to be bumped up to fourth after team-mate Peter Ward's ute was found to be under weight

The marble draw format for the opening race saw Lightfoot start from grid three but he was beaten from the start and dropped to fourth. Things got even worse a lap later when for the second meeting in a row, Rob Gibson made significant contact with the Precision Components number 96 Falcon, spinning Lightfoot and leaving him a sitting duck as he was collected by another competitor, breaking his steering rack and ending his race

Race two was a far more steady affair and after starting 11th, picked his way through the field to record a solid fifth place finish

The third and final race saw grid positions determined from fastest lap times, the reversed, meaning Lighfoot started ninth but dropped back to 12th in the hustle of the opening lap. A safety car period bunched the field back up and on the run to the checkered flag, Lightfoot moved up to a strong fifth place

"The new changes at Pukekohe are great, it is just a shame that an unnecessary incident in the opening race ruined our chances of a third straight ITM400 podium," said Lightfoot

After the non-championship round of the Ute series over the weekend, the teams return to Pukekohe for round three on May 25-26.

ENDS

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