Karting and Lites are natural bedfellows, says Holt
The Konica V8 Lites Series is midway through its debut year, and it would be tough for anyone to argue it hasn't been successful. AVESCO' s new baby has had relatively few hiccups in its first year, and has lived up to its billing as a feeder category for the Shell Championship Series.
AVESCO CEO Wayne Cattach positioned the series at the start of the year as giving new and smaller teams the opportunity to compete in V8 Supercar racing and to be able to gain the experience and exposure to prepare to compete in the professional category. After three rounds, the positives to come from the series have certainly been in line with AVESCO's vision.
McLeod: show us the goods
Over 20 cars have committed to the series, with a mix of young up and coming talent and older drivers. The racing has been clean and exciting and the level of TV exposure has been fantastic. Probably the only negative that could be raised is the size of the crowds attending the rounds. An average of 3500 paying spectators pales next to the Shell Series crowds, and could be seen as an impediment for some of the back markers from the Shell Series coming to grips with reality and biting the bullet to race in the Lites series.
Hmmmmmmmm!!
How the powers that be at AVESCO must love current championship leader Dean Canto. He fits in with the stated goals of the series, being young and in his first year of V8 Supercar racing, he is a well spoken, articulate bloke and is the first of the drivers to be offered a professional drive at one of the long distance races with a Level One team, ie, the Queensland 500 with FTR.
Other young drivers doing outstanding work in the series are Matthew White, Ryan McLeod and Wayne Wakefield. White lies second in the championship and has been very consistent, finishing all but one race and always looking to pick up when those in front fail.
McLeod was looking solid in the championship race before an accident in qualifying at Oran Park put a dampener on his chances, but he is still not out of it, while Queensland cult figure Wakefield has not had the luck required to win the championship but has been exciting to watch when the car has kept going.
Another Queenslander making a big commitment to the Lites series is Craig Harris. Currently running an ex-Stone Brothers EL Falcon, Harris has also purchased the ex-CAT EL Falcon and plans to run a two-car team with a yet to be named young driver in the second car.
Could this be Canto's no 1 fan??
Sydneysider Garry Holt has gone on record saying he sees the Lites series as an opportunity to bring on some of the younger drivers, especially those coming through Karts, many of whom Holt is familiar with through his ownership of the Eastern Creek Karting complex.
With the scheduled debut of a Stone Brothers EL Falcon driven by openwheeler star David Besnard at Lakeside, things are looking good for the Lites series and the level of competition should step up a notch.
You can't say that!
Canto at speed
At the Oran Park round of the series, team principals participated in a meeting which elected Craig Harris and Michael Spies (Garry Holt's team manager) as representatives of the Lites to address the AVESCO board on matters that affect the series. One of the first items voted on was a move by the Lites teams to express their wish that no Level One teams be allowed to participate in the Lites series with an additional car. The Lites Insider believes the only Lites team to speak against this motion was Dean Canto Racing. Interesting that the series leader is more than happy to race the big guys, while some may say others are looking to be big fish in a smaller pond.
Ryan McLeod's accident in qualifying at Oran Park drew an interesting response from some teams on pit row. McLeod was quoted leading up to the round saying that he had the goods on the rest of the runners in the field, and more than a few teams had wry smiles on their faces as his car lay a smouldering wreck against the wall.
"It all comes down to the starts." We've heard that from the drivers in the Shell Series and it applies to the Lites as well. Dean Canto has been like lightning on the starts, often leading from the second or even once from the third row, and has twice put together starts in race three that allowed him to win the race and, in turn, the round.
Mal Rose is ready to do some stompin'
The reverse grid that has now become part of the Shell Series has been tested in the Lites series and has worked well. It has thrown up different winners and provided plenty of opportunities for some great racing as the fast guys come through from back in the field.
No-one will argue with you that Wayne Wakefield is the most spectacular driver in the field, and has car control second to none. But the Lites Insider hears some teams are prepared to concede race one to Wakefield, saying that the Queensland star is so hard on his tyres that they can pretty much rule him out of figuring in the race two or three finishes.
Mal Rose made a solid return to V8 racing at Oran Park. He was quick in practice, but inexperience with the Bridgestone control tyre and a black flag in race three saw him off the pace over the rest of the weekend. Look for Mal to improve as he gets a few more starts under his belt.
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