AUS: Peter Hackett Sandown summary

PETER HACKETT'S GT CHAMPIONSHIP CHALLENGE ENDS EARLY AT SANDOWN

November 21, 2010 - Melbourne based VodkaO Lamborghini Gallardo driver Peter Hackett suffered an early end to the final round of the 2010 Australian GT Championship at Sandown International Raceway yesterday.

After setting top seven lap times in Friday's two practice sessions, Hackett qualified 5th fastest for the opening race of the round, 4/10ths of a second behind his team mate and first time Pole setter Dean Grant in his Mosler MT900.

Hackett got off to a good start in Saturday afternoon's 15 lap race, but was merely two corners into the race when he was hit at high speed in the rear by Porsche GT 3 driver Max Twigg. The impact spectacularly sent the Porsche across the top of Hackett's Lamborghini Gallardo, landing on its roof. Fortunately neither driver was injured in the accident, but the significant damage caused Hackett's retirement from the final Australian GT Championship round of the season.

"It was a strange accident - I was leaving some room for the battle raging alongside and ahead of me and then I was hit hard. As the car slewed over to one side I called the crew over the radio to tell them that I had been hit and I wanted to re-start the car and re-join the race. They told me that would not be such a good idea as there was Max Twigg's Porsche on my roof! I seriously had no idea it had landed on top of my car," Hackett said.

"It is a shame to end my Championship season like that, but that's how it goes sometimes in this game and it is best now to concentrate on next season. This is a great Championship and I am planning a major assault on the title next year," he added.

Hackett's 2010 Australian GT Championship season ends with one pole position (at Adelaide) and six podium (top three) race finishes out of the six rounds.

Sandown Results Summary

P1 - 5th 1:13.2910
P2 - 7th 1:13.7411
Qual - 5th 1:12.0829
R1 - DNF
R2 - DNS

-source: marinellipr.com.au