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2018 Season – Shannons Nationals Invitational Round Preview!
The 944 Challenge drivers hit the track in a few days as part of a special invitation to join in with Round 5 of the Shannons Nationals series. Here is a preview for this event which is being proudly presented by aPorschapart, which will see the Dennis O'Keefe Cup presented to the round winner. With no points on the line for this round, to mix things up - the race format will include a reverse grid Race 2, with a handicap Race 3 to give all drivers a great chance of taking home the top prize for the weekend! With free entry for the weekend, make sure you head down to view all the action! Or for those that can't make it down, make sure you tune into the Shannons Nationals Livestream on Sunday for all the action! Saturdays qualifying session starts at 9:50, with Race 1 at 12:55 that day. Sundays Reverse grid race is at 10:40am, with the Handicap race finale at 13:35. Below is a list of those competing this weekend: #28 Tony Westaway – Tony is making his first outing in 2018 after handing the keys over to son Jamie for an assault on the 2018 series championship – Tony will be looking to refamiliarize himself with his championship leading car for the weekend and look to take home some silverware! #1 Cameron Beller – Cam made an uncharacteristic mistake last time out at Winton, but redeemed himself with a victory in the final race. He will be looking to avoid dramas this weekend and to make up for that indiscretion with some race victories this round. #74 Mark Taubitz – Mark had a great run at the Winton round earning a trio of podium finishes to strengthen his third position in the [...]
Round 4. Sandown – Race 3
Race 3 of the weekend would be critical for the two chief title protagonists for the Vic State Series title, with Cameron Beller needing to win the final race to tie round points with Jamie Westaway to give him a chance to race for the title at Phillip Island without having to rely on luck to fall his way. Missing would be Lyndon Watson, the gearbox issues in race 2 unfortunately causing him to pack up early. Off the line and the front row combatants jumped off together, but it was Beller who took the lead when Westaway again struggled going through the gears at the start of the race, though Jamie muscled his way past his uncle Michael with the slightest of touches in turn 1 to hold onto the third position behind Beller and the fast starting Dick Howe. Michael Westaway slotted in behind his nephew with Mark Taubitz right behind after getting a good start but finding himself on the inside of both Westaway's heading to turn 1 - and wisely backed out early to avoid what would have been inevitable contact. Pedr James was next through in sixth, with Mitchell getting another of his customary bullet starts to move into seventh on the run to the first corner, though Keith Marriner diving deeper under brakes to take seventh position through turn 1, with Michell slotting into eighth. Behind him were Toni Andreevski and John Vainoras after both getting a less than ideal getaway. Jamie Westaway quickly moved ahead of Howe on the run down the back straight to move into second position and again chase after Beller, with Howe back to third. Taubitz was hounding Michael Westaway, and on the run down the back straight he made the pass for position into the esses on the [...]
Round 4. Sandown – Race 2
Race 2 of the weekend was held as the longer 11 lap feature race for the weekend, which involved higher points for this race. Jim Mitchell was a no show for this race but would return for the final race of the weekend. Wanting to make the most of his Pole position, Cameron Beller leapt away from the start with Jamie Westaway being slowed as he encountered issues finding third gear, allowing Taubitz and Watson to stream past, dragging Dick Howe and Michael Westaway along for the ride. With Beller clear in front, Watson and Taubitz were side by side under brakes for Turn 1, with Watson holding tough around the outside to take the second position with Taubitz slotting in behind him. Behind the top 6, Pedr James was alongside Keith Marriner into turn 1, with James also taking the position around the outside with Toni Andreevski and John Vainoras rounding out the field. Jamie Westaway wasn't in the mood to mess around and quickly dived inside his Uncle Michael to take back second position under brakes for turn 2, while Taubitz had a small moment in turn 4 which allowed Howe to comfortably move past into third position as the pair moved through the kink onto the back straight. Jamie Westaway continued his recovery as he moved past Taubitz under brakes for turn 1 to begin the second lap, with Taubitz then dropping back a further spot after clipping the kerb on the inside of turn 4, fortunately not looping the car, but costing him another spot as Michael Westaway also drove past by the time they got to the kink on the back straight. Beller had cleared out up front with Watson on his own while Howe was defending the podium position from Jamie Westaway. Michael Westaway [...]
Round 4. Sandown – Race 1
Race 1 for Round 4 was on Saturday afternoon over 9 laps in cool conditions at Sandown Raceway, and as the lights went out it was Cameron Beller who made the most of his pole position rto lead into the first corner, with Jamie Westaway pulling up alongside Lyndon Watson and taking second position as they moved into Turn 1, with Watson slotting behind in third ahead of Mark Taubitz behind him. Michael Westaway was looking on the inside of Dick Howe under brakes, with the pair ultimately conceding to Keith Marriner who took the racing line to slot into fifth position ahead of Howe and Westaway, with Jim Mitchell following them through after one of his customary good starts from the back of the grid. Pedr James was next ahead of Toni Andreevski and John Vainoras. Mitchell ran wide on the exit of turn 1 though head onto the eighth position, while Vainoras overtook Andreevski into Turn two for tenth spot. Onto the back straight and Howe pulled out from behind Marriner to move into fifth position, though by that stage had already lost a lot of ground to the quartet up front. Westaway wasn't letting Beller run away up front as the pair slowly edge away from Watson who was able to put some distance between himself and Taubitz. Howe put his head down to work on closing the gap to Taubitz in front of him, while Marriner tried to hold Michael Westaway behind him, though would ultimately lose the spot as Westaway moved past into sixth on lap 3. Mitchell was next with James in tow, while Andreevski also made a pass for position on Lap 3, moving back ahead of Vainoras for the tenth spot. Up front was where the action was, as Beller and Westaway [...]
Round 4. Sandown – Qualifying
A lovely sunny Winter’s day to open up Round 4 of the Victorian State Race Series, and the 944 Challenge field hit the track just before noon for qualifying, joined on circuit by the BMW E30 Racing series for the round. With turn 1 & 2 getting an early coating of fluid due to a failure from one of the E30 BMW's which pulled off circuit on the outlap keeping everyone on their toes early, it took a while for competitive times to be set. Not making it out for qualifying after a scrutineering issue was Jim Mitchell, and he would start from the back of the 944 field for Race 1 from position 11. Jamie Westaway was the fastest on the first flying lap albeit with only a 1:30.1646, ahead of Lyndon Watson with a 1:32.4806, Dick Howe third with a 1:32.7605, Keith Marriner fourth with a 1:33.1695 and Cameron Beller fifth with a 1:33.5138. Mark Taubitz was sixth with a 1:34.9582 just ahead of Pedr James with a 1:34.9677. Michael Westaway was next with a 1:35.6211, ahead of Toni Andreevski's 1:35.7306 and John Vainoras with a 1:45.1951. Westaway remained at the top as the times tumbled as the drivers figured out where the grip was in the early part of the lap, as he ran a 1:27.0489, with Howe second after running a 1:28.9064. Taubitz moved to third with a 1:29.6732 ahead of Watson's 1:29.7494 and Beller's 1:29.7728. Michael Westaway moved to sixth with a 1:31.2907 with Marriner now seventh with a 1:31.9739 ahead of Andreevski's 1:32.8765, James' 1:33.4190 and Vainoras' 1:39.8530. Watson moved to the top of the time sheets on the next lap with a 1:26.3542, just ahead of Beller who ran a 1:26.5595. Taubitz slipped to fourth behind Jamie Westaway with a 1:28.0079 with Howe [...]
2018 Season – Round 4 Preview!
We are on the eve of practice as the 944 Challenge hit the track to prepare for Round 4 of the 2018 Victorian State Circuit Racing Championships! Here is the preview for this round as we have a Throwback Thursday to Round 1 at Sandown in March this year. #28 Jamie Westaway – Jamie has taken the series lead in the 944 Challenge point score after a fantastic result last round at Winton with two race wins and a second position. Can he keep up the momentum this weekend and extend his point gap? #1 Cameron Beller – Cam had an uncharacteristic mistake which cost him the point lead at Winton with a DNF in Race 1, though he rebounded well to win the final race. He will be looking to repeat his Round 1 performance to close the points gap to Jamie Westaway. #74 Mark Taubitz – Mark had a great run at Winton earning a trio of podium finishes to strengthen his third position in the points. Can he keep that momentum going at Sandown this weekend and repeat his Winton performance? #64 Keith Marriner – Vaulting up to fourth in the points after a consistent weekend where he was third outright is Keith Marriner. Proving consistency and finishing is the key to a good points haul, Keith will be fighting to keep himself in his well earned position as he continues tweaking and revising his car as he shrinks the gap to the front runners. #5 Lyndon Watson – Lyndon was again running well at Winton, though was cruelly dealt a DNF when a fuel pump failed in Race 2 after he led the first lap in the wet conditions, which dropped him back to fifth in points. A strong showing [...]
Round 3. Winton – Race 3
The Gods smiled on Winton for the first time over the weekend, as the clouds split to miss the racetrack for the the final race, which would prove to be the closest and most exciting race of the weekend. That is, apart from for Michael Westaway - who ground to a halt on the warm up lap and was unable to take part in the final 10 lap affair. Lucky to be on the grid was Lyndon Watson, after his team managed to cobble together a makeshift setup to get the car running, the crew getting the car finished and onto pre-grid with seconds to spare. As the lights went out, Jamie Westaway's 944 went into wheel spin, then popped out of gear and stalled, requiring him to re-fire the car, dropping him to the back of the field by the time he did so. This allowed Mark Taubitz through into the lead, with Cameron Beller following in his wheel tracks as a drying line began to emerge. Keith Marriner got a good start to leap into third position ahead of Andrew Jackman, with Lyndon Watson also starting well from the back of the field but unable to find a way past Jackman on the run to turn 1. Jim Mitchell was next through with Jamie Westaway leaving himself with a challenge as he got going at the back of the field. Into Penrite corner for the first time and Jackman made a move for third position with a pass on Marriner under brakes to take the spot, with Jamie Westaway doing the same with a pass on Mitchell for sixth. Watson also followed Jackman through and around the long way around the gum tree before then sliding underneath Jackman into turn 9, taking third position as the pair made the run down the [...]
2018 944 Series
Pointscore
| Pos. | Driver | Points |
| 1st | Cameron Beller | 230 |
| 2nd | Jamie Westaway | 224 |
| 3rd | Mark Taubitz | 198 |
| 4th | Michael Westaway | 171 |
| 5th | Richard Howe | 167 |
| 6th | Keith Marriner | 164 |
| 7th | Lyndon Watson | 161 |
| 8th | James Mitchell | 155 |
| 9th | Andrew Jackman | 151 |
| 10th | John Vainoras | 138 |
| 11th | Pedr James | 106 |
| 12th | Toni Andreevski | 83 |
| 13th | Brad Winter | 66 |
| 14th | Marius Catrina | 54 |
| 15th | Rob Holding | 38 |
| 16th | Peter Doherty | 30 |
| 17th | James Gallagher | 16 |
| 18th | Tim Petrusic | 0 |
| 19th | Codey West | 0 |
2018 Vic State Championship
Pointscore
| Pos. | Driver | Points |
| 1st | Jamie Westaway | 376 |
| 2nd | Cameron Beller | 358 |
| 3rd | Mark Taubitz | 280 |
| 4th | Lyndon Watson | 219 |
| 5th | Michael Westaway | 191 |
| 6th | Keith Marriner | 187 |
| 7th | Jim Mitchell | 183 |
| 8th | Richard Howe | 183 |
| 9th | Andrew Jackman | 144 |
| 10th | John Vainoras | 100 |
| 11th | Pedr James | 98 |
| 12th | Brad Winter | 78 |
| 13th | Toni Andreevski | 67 |
| 14th | Tim Petrusic | 58 |
| 15th | Marius Catrina | 50 |
| 16th | Rob Holding | 38 |
| 17th | Peter Doherty | 18 |
| 18th | James Gallagher | 12 |
| 19th | Codey West | 0 |
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