Kim Jane has won a thrilling round of V8 Ute racing at Barbagallo raceway a few weeks ago.
It was Jane’s first round win since Darwin last year and the veteran said he’s thrilled to still be up the front.
“There has been a bit of team comment that I’m driving around like a bit of a girl – maybe the old man should hang up his helmet – so it was time to step up and see if I’ve still got, it or get out,” Jane said.
In an unusual event for the Ute series, the championship leader hasn’t changed after a round.
Nathan Pretty needed some Monster Energy to keep Kris Walton and Rhys McNally at bay during race three and in doing so he placed third for the round and continues to head the ENZED Drivers championship.
The Rexel Electrical racer of Ryal Harris started race three on pole alongside Pretty and soon led the field without challengers until a fierce Holden versus Ford battle with Jane in the final laps.
“I did all I could within the rules to keep him (Jane) at bay, I had to try and outsmart the Old Fox I guess you could say, and I was happy to see the chequered flag,” he said.
“We were really happy to win race 3. I knew that he didn’t have to pass me to win the round, but I knew he wanted the race win.”
Kris Walton continues to show his potential after steering his Rentco Falcon to a race two win on his way to a sixth place for the round.
The big looser for the round was Cameron McConville, who finished seventeenth.
His round went from bad to worse when he was involved in an incident with Andrew Fischer at the bowl in race three.
“I’ve respected Cam throughout his whole Supercar career and given he is a supposed Driver Standards to Carrera Cup, he is the last person I’d expect to serve me up,” he said.
West Australian Ute hero Grant Johnson had a weekend to forget, placing sixteenth for the round but bringing home the SS Inductions Hard Chargers award for making up twenty-two spots in races two and three.
Nathan Pretty leads the championship 13 points ahead of Kris Walton and Ryal Harris is third.
The Utes now head to the entertaining Hidden Valley Raceway in Darwin on the 15th June. Kim Jane will look to continue his winning run as defending champion at Hidden Valley.
