AUS: Series Sandown Saturday report

CRUSHING BLOW FOR KINGSLEY WITH SANDOWN CRASH

MATT KINGSLEY'S TITLE defence suffered a mortal blow today at Sandown Raceway as the final round of the 2010 Porsche GT3 Cup Challenge Australia series presented by Mission Foods.

On maximum attack in qualifying and on a slippery, drying circuit, Kingsley lost control of his Action Tyres 996 GT3 Cup Car at maximum speed on the run into the high speed chicane before Dandenong Road.

The car was flung into the wall violently, spinning into the air before coming to a standstill with a jolt.

Kingsley was quickly out and - though he was taken to the medical centre - unscathed after the massive impact.

His car, however, was worse for wear and essentially destroyed leaving Kingsley's title hopes in tatters.

"I just hit the white line at the top of the hill and lost the car," he explained.

"It's devastating. I was pushing as hard as I could and there was a little bit to find. Physically I'm fine but it's a massive blow to end the year like this."

A saggering display of sportsmanship followed that, although it was ultimately denied, showed the camaraderie within the paddock of the GT3 Cup Challenge.

Kingsley's team mate Terry Knight almost immediately offered Kingsley his 996 GT3 Cup Car to use in the subsequent race - despite a strong sixth place qualifying effort on his own.

Each and every one of the fellow 18 competitors - including Kingsley's championship rival Roger Lago - agreed to allow the move and signed off on it before it was turned down by Event stewards due to a clause in the series' rulebook that disallows changes of driver after qualifying.

Kingsley was therefore forced to watch today's race and will, barring a massive disaster for Roger Lago, surrender the title to his Queensland rival.

Meanwhile, in an intense qualifying session Jon Trende took his second consecutive pole position, leading local ace Kane Rose and fellow Melburnian Jeff Bobik in a top three split by less than one-tenth of a second.

The top ten was covered by less than one second in one of the series closest ever qualifying performances.

Trende got the jump in a shortened, 7 lap race and led the opening laps before he spun his Sonic Motor Racing 997 GT3 Cup Car, allowing Rose into a lead he would never lose, taking an emphatic win.

Roger Lago moved from seventh on the grid to finish fourth, but not before a battle with Bobik in the final laps for the final step of the podium.

That result places Lago to within two points of clinching the championship this weekend, with two races to follow tomorrow (Sunday).

-source: pcc aus