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V8 Ute Clipsal 500 Fast Facts
About the Track:
The Adelaide Parklands, Clipsal 500 track is 3.22km.
The track runs in a clockwise direction
The average speed of a V8 Ute around the track is: 117kph.
Between turn 8 and 9 V8 Utes are likely to get up to and over 170kph.
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Over the past 12 years the V8 Utes have completed 229 laps around Adelaide Parklands and a total of 737.38km.
1) This is the 13th year the V8 Utes have competed at the Adelaide Parklands track. The first in 2001 was the V8 Utes Inaugural year. In 2010 the Series celebrated its 10th appearance at the Clipsal 500 and held a “Ten Years of Legends” feature race. The race consisted of a two driver format with each round driver partnering with a legend; drivers included Cameron McConville, Paul Morris, Steve Owen, Tony Longhurst, world record setting stunt riding extraordinaire Robbie Madison and Steven Bradbury – Australia’s first ever Winter Olympic Gold Medallist. Sunny Cowgirls played in the V8 Ute Paddock.
2) Gary “Chucky” Baxter will celebrate his 300th Race at the Clipsal 500 this year when he takes to the track for Race 1. The Series celebrated its 300th Race start in 2012, a significant milestone at their inaugural track.
3) Damien “Ice Man” White claimed the first lap record in a V8 Ute in 2001 with a time of 1:46.25; The current record is held by Kris Walton with a time of 1:36.361. Walton was the second driver to step on podium at the Clipsal 500 on debut in the Series.
4) Three legends from the “Ten Years of Legends’ race will be driving at the Clipsal 500 this year, they include: Grant Bromley, Tony Longhurst and Charlie O’Brien. Bromley and Longhurst are the fourth and fifth drivers from the event to pick up a full-time drives in the Series. Other drivers include, O’Brien, Chris Pither and Cameron McConville.
5) David “Sideways” Sieders was the first driver to claim the Armor All Pole Award at the Clipsal 500 three times in a row (2010, 2011 and 2012) and will be back to try and take it out again. Sieders won at the event on his debut in 2010, and backed up to take out the round again the following year. Last year, Rookie Kris Walton won the round.
6) Damien White has been on podium the most amount of times - five out of the six years he raced the V8 Utes. White drove both a Ford and a Holden at Clipsal but only made it on the podium with a Ford. However, Ford has only won five times at Clipsal compared to Holden who have won seven.
7) Thirteen out of the 32 driver line-up have former V8 Supercar experience including: Nathan Pretty, Gary Baxter, Andrew Fisher, Ryan Hansford, Jesse Dixon, David Sieders, Elliot Barbour, Wayne Wakefield, Stephen White, Charlie O’Brien, David Siders, Tony Longhurst, and Kim Jane.
8) South Australian locals include Thirsty Camel Racing’s Craig Dontas and Twin Brother Troy, Stunt driver Gary Baxter, Ford driver, Noel “Sledge” Edge, and Charlie Kovacs Jr, son of veteran V8 Ute competitor “Handlebars” Kovacs.
9) 2013 will see the largest field of Rookie’s with seven drivers entered including; 2012 Shannon’s Supercar Showdown winner Jesse Dixon, former V8 Supercar Development Series driver Elliot Barbour, former world professional jet skier Matthew Nolan, Gold Coast based Cam Wilson, Grant Bromley, former Formula Ford driver Rhett Noonan and Auto One’ driver Adam Marjoram.
All drivers are eligible having raced no more than two V8 Ute Rounds previously; are all less than 45 years of age, and without professional (paid) racing experience.
Also debuting in the Series full-time this year is former Holden Young Lion Stephen White, and former V8 Supercar driver Wayne Wakefield. Although they are both under 45, they don’t meet the rookie eligibility requirements with their vast racing experience. White has had significant international open wheeler experience, while Wakefield drove for Stone Brothers Racing as a co-driver to Marcos Ambrose in 2001, Ambrose putting the Falcon on pole position for the Great Race.
West Aussie Richard Bloomfield and twice Bathurst winner Tony Longhurst will also come on board full-time this year, competing for the Masters Award against V8 Ute veterans, Gary Baxter, Peter Burnitt, local Noel Edge and Charlie O’Brien. Bloomfield will steer Jake McNally’s Holden VE and Longhurst, the former Bundaberg Holden driven by Cameron McConville over the past two seasons.
10) 23 out of the 32 strong V8 Ute field have raced a V8 Ute at Clipsal before. Including; Ryal Harris, Noel Edge, Gary Baxter, Peter Burnitt, Ryan Hansford, Jeremy Gray, David Sieders, Andrew Fisher, Charlie O’Brien, Jack Elsegood, Stephen White, Phonsy Mullan, Craig Dontas, Tony Longhurst, Rhys McNally, Kim Jane, Grant Bromley, Troy Dontas, Gerard McLeod, Nathan Pretty, Kris Walton, Danny Buzadzic, Charlie Kovacs’ Jnr
Richard Bloomfield, Todd Zani, Elliot Barbour, Jesse Dixon, Rhett Noonan, Wayne Wakefield, Adam Marjoram, Cameron Wilson and Matthew Nolan are all new to the Adelaide Parklands track.
Please find below the full Round 1 V8 Ute schedule:
Thursday, 28th February Practice 1 11:55am
Thursday, 28th February Practice 2 3:35pm
Friday, 1st March Qualifying 8:30am
Friday, 1st March Race 1 4:55pm
Saturday, 2nd March Race 2 10:25am
Sunday, 3rd March Race 3 11:40am
POINTS SYSTEM:
First place in each race will receive 35 points, second place 33 points, third place 31 points and fourth place 29 points; it then reduces one point for every position to 32nd place.
Race 1 grid is determined by Qualifying. Race 2 grid is determined by a random ballot drawn by the Race 1 winner. The number that is drawn is the number of Utes that will be reversed on the grid for that race. The Grid for Race 3 will not include the points achieved in Qualifying but will be determined by the combined points earned in Race 1 and Race 2 only.
The round winner is determined by the aggregate points earned from Qualifying, and all Races.
2013 V8 Ute Entry List - click here to download
2013 V8 Ute Clipsal 500 driver statistics - click here to download
Past winners of the Clipsal 500 V8 Ute Events
2012 Kris “Killa” Walton (Ford FG)
2011 David “Sideways” Sieders (Ford BF)
2010 David “Sideways” Sieders (Ford BF)
2009 Gary “Chucky” Baxter (Holden VE)
2008 Grant “Grunta” Johnson (Holden VE)
2007 Jack “The Hustler” Elsegood (Ford BF)
2006 Grant “Grunta” Johnson (Holden VY)
2005 Marcus “Mayhem” Zukanovic (Ford AU)
2004 Charlie “Handlebars” Kovacs (Holden VY)
2003 Gary “Chucky” Baxter (Holden VU)
2002 Warren “Rockdog” Luff (Holden VU)
2001 Gary “Macca” MacDonald (Holden VU)
Podium Finishes:
2012
1. Kris “Killa” Walton
2. Ryal “The Kid” Harris
3. Andrew “Fishtail” Fisher
2011
1. David “Sideways” Siders
2. Ryal “The Kid” Harris
3. Chris “Gypsy” Pither
2010 “Ten Years of Legends Event”
1. Jeremy “Shades of” Gray & NASCAR legend George “Slick” Miedecke
2. Andrew “Fishtail” Fisher & Rally Legend Rick “The Disciple” Bates
3. David “Sideways” Sieders & FPV Legend Rod “Rocket” Barrett
2010
1. David “Sideways” Sieders
2. Andrew “Fishtail” Fisher
3. Jack “The Hustler” Elsegood
2009
1. Gary “Chucky” Baxter
2. Ryal “The Kid” Harris
3. Kim “The Assassin” Jane
2008
1. Grant “Grunta Johnson
2. Layton “Leadfoot” Crambrook
3. George “Slick” Miedecke
2007
1. Jack “The Hustler” Elsegood
2. Grant “Grunta” Johnson
3. Darren “Chicken” Palmer
2006
1. Grant “Grunta” Johnson
2. Damien "Ice" White
3. Kerry "Sand Gropper" Wade
2005
1. Marcus "Mayhem" Zukanovic
2. Damien "Ice" White
3. Kerry "Sand Gropper" Wade
2004
1. Charlie "Handlebars" Kovacs
2. David "Schmacko" Griffin
3. Gary "Chucky” Baxter
2003
1. Gary "Chucky" Baxter
2. Damien "Ice" White
3. Charlie "Handlebars" Kovacs
2002
1. Warren "Rock Dog" Luff
2. Mick "The Don" Donaher
3. Damien "Ice" White
2001
1. Gary "Macca" MacDonald
2. Gary "Growler" Young
3. Damien "Ice" White
Armor All Pole Award Winners
2012 – David “Sideways” Sieders
2011 - David “Sideways” Sieders
2010 – David “Sideways” Sieders
2009 – Gary “Chucky” Baxter
2008 – Grant “Grunta” Johnson
2007 – Ryal “The Kid” Harris
2006 – Grant “Grunta” Johnson
2005 – Gary “Chucky” Baxter
2004 – Glen “Bad Boy” Barnes
2003 – Warren “Rockdog” Luff
2002 – Warren “Rockdog” Luff
2001 – N/A
PaddockTalk Perspective
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