Cleanevent V8 Utes – Fosters AGP

7th March 2005

ZUKANOVIC WRAPS UP AGP V8 UTES WEEKEND WITH SECOND VICTORY

Marcus Zukanovic survived rain, wind and some feisty rivals to steer his Ford Falcon XR8 to a second straight win in the Cleanevent V8 Utes races at the Fosters Australian Grand Prix meeting today.

After starting from the front grid row, Zukanovic led for six of the eight laps in the third and final Cleanevent V8 Utes heat, sending a warning he’ll be in top form for the start of the 2005 championship in Adelaide later this month.
 
Also for the second time this weekend, Zukanovic beat home Victorian-based Danish ace Allan Simonsen, in another Ford, by just over one second.
 
Simonsen and Gary Baxter, who finished third in a Holden SS, both led at different stages in a typically entertaining race that often had the crowd on its feet.
 
Fourth place went to James Moffat, son of touring car legend Allan Moffat, wrapping up a highly impressive debut in the V8 Utes category.
 
Moffat claimed fifth places in the first two heats in a Ford Falcon XR8 entered by another legend, two-time Bathurst winner Allan Grice, and supported by Dick Johnson Racing.
 
Zukanovic may have been lucky to win today’s race after he was bumped from first to third by Simonsen and Baxter on the second-last lap.
 
But Simonsen was having to hold his ute’s gear lever in fifth to stop it jumping out and under pressure he missed a braking marker and overshot the back chicane on the Albert Park street circuit.
 
Zukanovic slipped back into the lead but Simonsen was able to hold out the hard-charging Baxter.
 
It was a spirited drive from Simonsen, who had fought his way from the fourth row of the grid.
 
James Brock took fifth place ahead of Kim Jane – both were in Holdens - and Ford-mounted West Australian Kerry Wade.
 
Wade had climbed to second spot on lap three, but dropped seven places when he came off second-best while challenging Zukanovic for the lead on a wet track.
 
Race one winner Jack Elsegood (Ford) crossed the line ninth in heat three, but picked up a spot later when stewards excluded Rod Wilson’s eighth-placed Holden over a technical infringement.
 
The Ford of Marty Miller also was excluded.
 
Revitalised with technical upgrades, new drivers, new management and new commercial partners, the V8 Utes will open their championship season at the Clipsal 500 meeting in Adelaide on 17-20 March.
 
The eight-round series will run at V8 Supercar main and development series meetings, with television coverage on Network Ten.
 
Results – Race 3 (8 laps)

Marcus Zukanovic (Vic.) Ford Falcon XR8
Allan Simonsen (Vic.) Ford
Gary Baxter (SA) Holden SS
James Moffat (Vic.) Ford
James Brock (Vic.) Holden
Kim Jane (Vic.) Holden

Fastest lap – Marcus Zukanovic 2 min. 36.73 sec.

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