There is never any argument that Motorsport and Speedway in particular can be a testing time for all participants but for the Peet Motorsport cast and crew, the last two weeks have thrown up all sorts of twists and turns that have tested the resilience and determination of the new team.
Testing times indeed on a large number of fronts ranging from the introduction of brand new Maxim chassis and Maxwill race engines to testing the abilities of Crew Chief Rick Sawyer on setup and unscheduled component change outs. Testing times also for ace pilot Ian Loudoun having these issues derail efforts to secure a forward starting position for each of the finals.
However, after the dust has settled on two very intense weekends of racing contesting the King of The Wings and the WA Sprintcar Title at the Kwinana Motorplex, the signs for the future are very much positive and starting to take shape.
The KOW campaign produced only a reasonable time trial but a first heat rear end failure delivered a DNF that all but ended the team,s chance of a forward starting position in the final. After a well executed diff and drive line change the team were rewarded with a second place finish in the ''Mid Pack Madness'' dash and grid position 15 was locked away for the upcoming twin features.
Surviving the first 20 laps from deep in the pack required a cool head and some precision driving as Loudoun displayed all those attributes in spades. At the half way mark, he had not only survived but had moved forward to be in 11th place when the race went green again. From that point on, it was game on as he weaved through the field until he found himself in a battle for 4th with Cameron Gessner at the white flag. An eventual 5th place finish was secured and salvaged what could have been a less than successful first outing.
A fortnight later and it was the WA Title and a dry, dusty track that caught most teams out and once again a good time trial went begging. A front row start in the first heat resulted in a much needed 2nd placing, however whilst advancing from 10th to 4th in his second heat, Loudoun was involved in an incident involving a lapped car which saw the stationary 65W collected at high speed in a crunching t-bone hit. Carrying extensive left hand side damage, the crew leapt into action effecting substantial repairs to steering, drive line and exhaust systems. After a hastily arranged car shake down to ensure everything was back in order, Loudoun settled into his 17th position starting slot for the 30 lap feature. Having surviving the multiple wrecks in the early laps, a slightly sore and sorry Ian Loudoun drove a magnificent race to bring the car home in a closing 6th place on a difficult and demanding track surface, advancing past some quality opposition.
Team owner Shannon Peet was realistic when commenting post race: ''To have all these issues that we have experienced over the past two weekends has actually been a great test for everyone. Sprintcar Racing very rarely goes according to plan and the team faced some substantial challenges that no-one could predict. To emerge with a 5th and 6th place finish against quality competition is a great reflection on everyone. Ian, Rick and all the team are working really well together and we will be approaching our upcoming races with the same positive attitude we bring to every meeting. If a bit of luck had fallen our way, we could easily have been looking at a couple of podium finishes. We certainly don’t expect success to greet us every night but I’m comfortable we have the right driver, engine and chassis package to challenge for a podium each time we hit the track.''
''These first three meetings are basically a testing phase for our Eastern States tour, so far I’m very happy with the team’s progress, Ian has certainly been presented with a few challenges of late and has risen to the occasion each time. I’m looking forward to a trouble free night where he starts the A-main somewhere up the front as I’m confident even better results are on the horizon''
Be sure to keep updated with all our team results and news throughout the season via the team’s website – www.peetmotorsport.com’ also follow us on Twitter @PeetMotorsport.
Peet Motorsport would like to express their sincere thanks to all their sponsors and supporters: Valvoline, Zitron, Scardifield Smash Repairs, Western Areas NL, Barminco, BIS Industries, Mako Mining, Stingray Rocktools, Rickster, Lindquist Electrical, JP Signs and BCM Motorsports Marketing.
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