Formula Vee 1200 and 1600 - Don't Be Left Behind! Round 4 CAMS NSW Formula Vee State Championships, Oran Park, July 19/20 Formula Vee 1200 and 1600 class racing is advancing rapidly, as attested by latest Formula Vee racing at Oran Park on July 19/20 in Round 4 of the NSW Formula Vee State Championships for 1200 and 1600 cars. Lap records are slowly being eaten away by a few points of a second as technical developments are continually being tried and tested by the leading Formula Vee 1600 teams in New South Wales. The combined class racing is also advancing the Formula Vee 1200 cause, with improved driving results amongst the torquier 1600's. Saturday Morning Qualifying – Cool and Sunny 29 cars lined up for qualifying early on Saturday morning in cool and sunny conditions. The indominatable Jason Cutts quickly took out qualifying honours for 1600's, guiding his Jacer ahead of brother-in-law Mark McHenry, with next Michael Kinsella (both Jacer mounted), and Ian Chivas continued the Jacer theme after netting fourth on the grid behind the three championship leaders. Ray Filetti surprised everyone, and not least himself, with fifth on the grid, helped by the his long-serving Formula Vee 1600 prototype engine (now three years old and with over 2000 track kilometres beneath its bottom end bearings), knocking out by one spot the latest Formula Vee pin-up driver, Adam Proctor, who had to endure an old set of tyres after not getting his new set fitted in time. Next up in the 1600 ranks was Bruce Colbey (Jacer), Darren Mason (Sabre), a disappointed Clem Fama (Jacer), Simon Pace (Mako), Mallala lap-record holder and still-rookie, Tom Ballard (Jacer), rookie Zane Al-Said (Jacer), veteran Richard Warland (Polar), and Kevin Humphrey (self-designed Kevant). Russell Newell parked his Spectre near the Dunlop Bridge on the out lap and had to watch the proceedings for the rest of the weekend with the spectators as mechanical gremlins proved a little to big to fix. Butcher was fastest of the 1200's and outgunned several 1600's in his now red Stinger. Guy Lingard (Jabiru) was excited to grab second 1200 grid spot, ahead of Ryan Stott (Jacer), with Canberra's rising star Dean O'Neill (Jacer) next. Karting-escapee John Mostyn did well to qualify 5th fastest after a Friday-practice crash which required considerable overnight re-engineering, with Glen Moulds (Rennmax) next in his qualifying performance of the year, Geoff Chappell (Manta), and Bernie Haehnle, making his racing return in his trusty historic Rennmax Mk 1, were next up followed by a disappointed Leigh McGarvie Jacer), rookie Daniel Pauperis (Avanti), an out of sorts Keiran McLaughlin (Jacer), Greg Stott (Spectre), debuting his newly-purchased Spectre, and Chris Reeves (Elfin). Formula Vee 1200 Championship leader, Ben Porter, who has recently dominated the 1200's in NSW, missed out on getting a time after frying his distributor contact points moments just before qualifying. Ben would line up rear of grid, giving the others fighting chance of taking a win in the 1200s. Race 1 Saturday Afternoon – Fine and Sunny Race 1 on Saturday afternoon saw blinding performances in both 1200 and 1600 classes. In the 1200s, Ben Porter screamed from rear of grid in his Jacer to snatch second place in the class points. Stephen Butcher, for once not having to chase Porter, scored his first 1200 win of the year. Ryan Stott grabbed a fine third place ahead of Guy Lingard and a hard charging Leigh McGarvie. Dean O'Neill, who muffed the start, salvaged a respectable 5th, leading home a still rusty Bernie Heahnle, then Glen Moulds, Greg Stott, and rookies Daniel Pauperis and Chris Reeves. John Mostyn, after all the efforts on Friday night to repair his car, failed to finish due to reconstruction teething problems. The race in the 1600s saw Filetti storm off the line and pass Chivas and Kinsella to take third place before Turn 1, although Filetti’s glory lasted only two laps before Kinsella snatched back third place on Lap 2 and Proctor stole fourth on Lap 3. That left Filetti in a deteriorating Jacer (brake caliper problems) forced to stone-wall Chivas, Mason, and Colbey all the way until the finish line, with Ballard, Warland, and Humphries stretched out behind. Clem Fama had a miserable time eventually stranded mid-track in his gearless Jacer. Up the front, Cutts led home McHenry in new lap record time. Sunday Morning Race Two – Wet Track but Clear Skies Sunday morning gave Oran Park a sheen of rainwater over the circuit. Cutts, McHenry, Kinsella, and Proctor stormed (and slid off) into the distance, with McHenry crossing the line a fraction ahead of Proctor, who safely negotiated the last corner despite having his path narrowed towards the ripple strips. Cutts was third, Porter did brilliantly to be first 1200 home and score fourth outright ahead of Chivas, Butcher, Colbey, O'Neill, Ballard, Mason, Ryan Stott, Fama, McGarvie and Filetti, who, after another rear of grid start due to dummy grid dramas made his customary hard charge through the field. They were followed by Al-Said, Humphrey, Lingard, Chappell, Mostyn, Warland, Pace, McLaughlin, Moulds, Haehnle, Reeves, and Greg Stott. Kinsella disastrously DNF'd in a last-lap sand trap excursion, costing him valuable points, while Pauperis was also beached in a mid-race incident. Sunday Afternoon Race 3 – Cool and Cloudy Race 3 resulted in another nanoseconds-only Cutts win ahead of McHenry, and then a blinding hard-charger-of-the-year performance from Kinsella who finished third only seconds behind the leading duo after starting rear of grid. They were followed home by Proctor, Chivas, Colbey, and Filetti, this time with a car that held together, but who was again forced to defend all race ahead of Mason, Fama, Porter (again the first 1200 home in another strong performance). Following were Ballard, Butcher, Al-Said, Ryan Stott, Warland, Pace, McGarvie, O'Neill, McLaughlin, Haehnle, Chappell, Moulds, Greg Stott, Reeves, and Pauperis, with Mostyn, Reeves and Humphrey, not making finish due to other dramas. The tough Oran Park GP circuit allowed most of the best drivers to display their talent in each of the 1600 and 1200 classes. While the now Vee-veterans Porter and Butcher led home the 1200 competitors in all events, strong performances were displayed by several 1200 drivers, such as Ryan Stott, Guy Lingard, and Dean O'Neill in the wet Porter has now taken a commanding lead in the 1200 NSW State Championship ahead of Butcher, McGarvie, Stott, Mostyn, O'Neill, McLaughlin, and Lingard, while Cutts now leads the 1600 NSW State Championship ahead of McHenry, Kinsella, Chivas, Proctor, Fama, Colbey, and Filetti. The next round of the CAMS NSW Formula Vee State Championships is at Wakefield Park 9-10 August.