F5000 Tasman Revival 2014 – Sydney Motorsport Report

The second Australian round of the 2014/15 MSC New Zealand F5000 Tasman Cup Revival Series, held November 28-30, 2014 at at Sydney Motorsport Park, had a real ‘game-of-two-halves’ feel to it.

On Saturday it was Kiwi Clark Proctor’s March 731 who qualified quickest and ran away with the first race after top local and round one winner Tom Tweedie’s Chevron B24/28 broke a suspension arm going into turn one on his first qualifying lap and was out for the day.

After replacing the arm overnight, 26-year-old single seater ace Tweedie was back with a vengeance on Sunday, however, winning both races very much as he liked.

Though he had to start the first race from the back of the grid, the Sydneysider was fifth after the first lap then picked off a car a lap to hit the front on lap six and ease away from Proctor and Dunedin man – and round one race winner – Steve Ross’s McRae GM1.

In Saturday’s race, Proctor led all the way to cross the finish line in front of Ross with Melbourne ace Paul Zazryn third in the Lola T332 hastily – but obviously effectively – repaired between rounds after a high speed shunt at Sandown.

Behind Zazryn Auckland ace David Banks’ Talon MR1 led home a tight mid-field bunch consisting of Russell Greer’s Lola T332, David Arrowsmith’s Lotus 70B, Ian Clements’ Lola T332 and Australian Peter Brennan’s Lola T330.

After Tweedie won the morning race on Sunday from Proctor, Ross, Zazryn, Banks and Clements rain just after lunch prompted the organisers of the meeting to delay the start of the afternoon one in the hope of a dry track, which they got, until the rain came back.

Not that it bothered Tom Tweedie who was again the fastest man on track, from Proctor and – this time – Paul Zazryn (despite a spin) with Russell Greer’s Lola T332 back after a late morning race dnf to finish a weekend-best fourth with Steve Ross fifth and Aussies Peter Brennan in his newly finished ex-Lella Lombardi Lola T330, and Elfin aficionado Bill Hemming’s Elfin MR8, sixth and seventh respectively.

The MSC F5000 series now returns to New Zealand for consecutive weekend meetings at the Gulf Oil Howden Ganley F5000 Festival meetings at Hampton Downs in late January 2015, and at the Skope Classic (Christchurch) and New Zealand Grand Prix (Feilding) meetings in February 2015.

The MSC F5000 Tasman Cup Revival Series is organised and run with the support of sponsors MSC, NZ Express Transport, Bonney’s Specialized Bulk Transport, Mobil Lubricants, Pacifica, Avon Tyres, Webdesign and Exide.

MSC New Zealand F5000 Tasman Cup Revival Series 2014 – Sydney Motorsport Results

Qualifying

1. Clark Proctor (March 73A/1) 1:28.7779
2. Steve Ross (McRae GM1) 1:31.0434
3. Paul Zazryn (Lola T332) 1:31.4454
4. David Banks (Talon MR1) 1:33.1888
5. Russell Greer (Lola T332) 1:33.5286
6. Gregory Thornton (March 75A) 1:34.4055
7. Ian Clements (Lola T332) 1:34.7548
8. David Arrowsmith (Lotus 70B) 1:36.0539
9. Philip Lewis (Matich A50) 1:36.2740
10. Jay Bondini (Lola T332) 1:39.3070
11. Bill Hemming (Elfin MR8) 1:39.3613
12. Philip Jewell (McKee Mk8) 1:43.6542
13. Peter Brennan (Lola T330) 2:02.8900
14. Tom Tweedie (Chevron B24/28) 2:12.2912

Race One

1. Clark Proctor (March 73A/1) 13:39.9368 4 1:30.1787*
2. Steve Ross (McRae GM1) 13:43.0047
3. Paul Zazryn (Lola T332)14:05.8116 1:32.8477
4. David Banks (Talon MR1) 14:11.9132 7 1:33.5863
5. Russell Greer (Lola T332) 14:12.4221 7 1:32.9195
6. David Arrowsmith (Lotus 70B) 14:25.9368 6 1:33.9147
7. Ian Clements (Lola T332) 14:27.7855 1:35.1638
8. Peter Brennan (Lola T330) 14:31.4574 6 1:34.6973
9. Gregory Thornton (March 75A) 14:32.4639 9 1:33.5435
10. Bill Hemming (Elfin MR8) 14:51.4186 5 1:38.0199
11. Jay Bondini (Lola T332) 13:41.9595 4 1:40.5454
12. Philip Jewell (McKee Mk8) 13:52.3102 5 1:42.2256
13. Philip Lewis (Matich A50) 14:32.0080 7 1:35.0119

Race Two

1. Tom Tweedie (Chevron B24/28) 13:39.4510 1:28.6004*
2. Clark Proctor (March 73A/1) 13:51.6309 1:30.6919
3. Steve Ross (McRae GM1) 13:57.5705 1:31.2936
4. Paul Zazryn (Lola T332) 14:07.9251 1:33.1831
5. David Banks (Talon MR1) 14:14.8472 1:33.6949
6. Ian Clements (Lola T332) 14:31.0271 1:34.7504
7. Philip Lewis (Matich A50) 14:35.3930 1:35.0388
8. Bill Hemming (Elfin MR8) 14:50.9212 1:36.7550
9. David Arrowsmith (Lotus 70B) 15:12.4241 1:36.1346
10. Philip Jewell (McKee Mk8) 13:54.7310 1:42.4088
11. Peter Brennan (Lola T330) 14:11.3847 1:34.3777
DNF. Gregory Thornton (March 75A) DNF. Russell Greer (Lola T332) DNF. Jay Bondini (Lola T332)

Race Three

1. Tom Tweedie (Chevron B24/28) 16:43.8022 1:34.9355*
2. Clark Proctor (March 73A/1) 18:00.1085 1:38.8252
3. Paul Zazryn (Lola T332) 18:16.6520 1:42.0551
4. Russell Greer (Lola T332) 18:24.3373 1:45.8288
5. Steve Ross (McRae GM1) 16:49.1103 1:45.7336
6. Peter Brennan (Lola T330) 17:05.6333 1:47.8319
7. Bill Hemming (Elfin MR8) 17:41.3368 1:51.8989
DNF. Ian Clements (Lola T332), David Banks (Talon MR1)

[Source: New Zealand Formula 5000 Association; Photos: Fast Company/John Morris]