Once dry conditions prevailed in the event, Vandersee charged to the lead in his 2004 Skelta-G Force. He was the only competitor to achieve sub nine minute times on all of today’s stages. Â
Klark Quinn and Linda Long had a very strong final day, moving up to second position in their 2006 Mitsubishi Lancer Evo 8.5 RS by the final stage, triumphing over Grant Denyer and Dale Moscatt by 1.95 seconds. It was a tense struggle for second place, with four cars separated by only seven seconds.
Denyer dropped from first to third place by the end of the final day after having to nurse his 2006 Subaru Impreza WRX to the finish. Ongoing fuel surge problems and a deflating rear tyre were cited as the reasons for them losing their grip on first position.
New South Wales’ Tony Longhurst and South Australian Jahmeil Taylor, racing a 2007 Subaru Impreza WRX, continued their impressive weekend’s performance to finish in fourth place with a time of 56m 20.57s.
Husband and wife team, Neville and Michelle Shears, finished in fifth place, in the process winning the 2007 Mountain Sprint Series title. Second placegetters for that title are Drew and Georgie Jorgensen, placed 11th outright in this event.
Peter O’Keefe and Julie Winton-Monet from Tasmania won the Classic Competition in their 1977 Holden Torana SLR 5000 with a total time of 53m 33.09s (28th place outright). ACT’s Laurie Burton and David Stephens, who raced their 1980 Porsche 928 S, came second in this division over New Zealand’s Darren Brent and Chris Ramsay in a 1970 Mazda RX2.
Last year’s outright winners of this event, Tasmania’s nephew and uncle duo of Jason and John White, finished in tenth place, finally breaking the nine minute barrier in their final run with a time of 8m 54.07. Wet conditions in the first two stages affected their chances of reclaiming the title.
93 cars started the event, with only 63 cars finishing all six stages run.
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