Following a most successful first up test session at Wakefield Park last week, Bathurst’s Steven Shiels is now confident of a bold showing when he gives his new Z28 Chev Camaro its racing debut at the Goulburn track this weekend in the 4th round of the NSW state racing championship.
Following three years building the car from the ground up, problems at its first outing are to be expected, but that was not the case at Wakefield Park last week.
“We did around 40 laps, and the only real problem we had was a slight engine miss-fire which we rectified. We adjusted the brake pedals length of travel, bedded in the brakes, and really it was nothing short of brilliant, frankly we were all shocked,” Shiels said.
“All we need do now before next week is give it a good spanner check, shorten the length of the steering column as its too close, bleed the brakes, throw some new tyres at it and we’re ready to go,”
There will be 20 sports sedans fronting the starter this weekend, with Shiels up against Chris Jackson in his very fast Holden Calibre, Graham Smith (Opel), Fred Axisa (Holden) and former Bathurst driver Glen Pro will run his turbocharged Mk2 Ford Escort.
It will be a busy weekend for Shiels, for he will be not only driving his lightweight 6 litre Camaro in the sports sedan championship races, he will be also managing his 17 year old son Brad’s racing on the same day as he drives his Mazda RX7 in the Production Sports Car races.
For the younger Shiels, he has driven the RX7 in the three rounds of the championship thus far, with two at Eastern Creek and one previous at Wakefield Park where he put in a supreme effort, starting with qualifying where he finished sixth.
During the first race his brakes overheated in the last few laps and he dropped back to 11th, but in race 2 he started from 11th and got up to an impressive 4th outright, and won his class.
The third and final race saw the youngster start from 4th on the grid,
finally finishing 5th, and 2nd in class.
Brad will be up against a top field this weekend in his RX7, with Lamboghini, Lotus Exige, Porsche, Lotus Elise and Jaguar E Type.
The popularity of the rural Wakefield Park circuit some 10 km’s from Goulburn, is evident by the acceptance list, as there are more than 200 cars entered across the board for the seven categories.
Apart from the sports sedans and production sports, there will be races for HQ Holdens, Sports and Racing cars, Formula Ford, Formula Vee and Improved Production Touring cars.
Sydney based Bathurst Light Car Club member Jake Williams will be going all out for his first win on 4 wheels, when he drives the Holton Spares entry in the HQ Holden races.
There are more than 20 HQ’s entered, with all of the HQ heavyweights, including Greg King, Alan Grix, Graeme Tunks and the three Greens, Peter Snr. Peter Jnr and Clint.
Judging by the way the 18 year old Williams drove when last at Wakefield Park in the HQ, and his impressive performance when driving a Toyota Corolla with Lauren Gray in the recent Australian 6 Hour race at Eastern Creek, he just may crack it this weekend.
The Improved Production cars have the largest entry, with fifty entered for the state round, and another 15 that will be competing in a one hour race.
Among the one hour starters is veteran Sydney driver Jim Hunter well known as a touring car racer from the 70’s of mainly Holden Torana’s, and in more recent times in Production racing driving Subaru’s.
Hunter will drive his #77 Subaru WRX with former international open wheel racer Bart Mawer as co-driver. Jim Pollicina will drive his Mitsubishi Evo with Anthony Loscialpo, whilst former local ace Garth Walden with drive with Gerry Murphy in a HSV.
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