ADAM BEECHEY has delivered his second V8 Commodore Cup title in two years after a dramatic and thrilling finale’ to the one-make V8 championship this weekend at the Phillip Island Grand Prix circuit in Victoria.
Beechey won the title by just seven points in a day where rival Matt Hayes threw everything he could at winning the series but just came up short.
The Tasmanian speedway ace took his Donut King Commodore to second place in race one on Sunday morning after a race-long battle with former champion Marcus Zukanovic. After starting from pole, Hayes slow start was given insult to injury when he was forced off the circuit at turn two and to the back of the field.
He charged through to finish fourth but the result edged Beechey to a narrow lead after the pair started the day locked together on points.
An incredible start and opening lap saw Beechey jump from ninth to first in one lap in the second race, which featured a reverse top-ten starting order. After a competitive battle for the lead Beechey was passed by Commodore Cup rookie Jordan Symes the following lap before the Donut King car retook the lead two laps later and held on to win.
With enough points to allow him to finish third in the finale’ – even if Hayes won the race – Beechey played it conservative in the finale and, whilst Hayes took a brilliant victory, Beechey’s second place was enough to seal him back-to-back Commodore Cup titles.
Beechey is the fourth driver in Commodore Cup history to win back-to-back titles after Gary Baxter (1995-96), Christian D’Agostin (2000-01) and Geoff Emery (2002-03) also achieved the feat.
The results were enough to also give Beechey the round (sponsored by Western General Bodyworks) win, with Hayes second and Renaissance Homes driver Matt Chick an excellent third overall.
Action Racing driver Marcus Zukanovic was fourth but left Phillip Island having re-set his own Commodore Cup lap record during his storming drive to the race one win.
After a tense weekend that saw both title contenders spend time in the stewards office for alleged infringements on-track, Beechey was relieved at the end to take the title.
“It was a good weekend. To be honest we came into this round a bit down and thinking ‘second will do’, but Kenton (Ferguson) and Donut King have done a great job with the car,” he said.
“I was here two weeks ago at the state round and the coaching I got off Sean Scott and Scott Andrews was just priceless. The car preparation and that got me through. The car was good in practice and in qualifying but it just wasn’t our session – I got baulked by a slower car – but I was happy to be on the front row and then do what I had to do with Marcus in the first race.
"I didn’t need to beat him as such, just stay with him and ahead of Hayesy. Race two – I just loved it, coming through the field in the reverse-grid stuff, it was great. And in race three I did what I had to do again.”
Beechey noted the second title was harder work than the first, after he won the 2010 series by a more comfortable margin.
“The first one was good. I really wanted it but I had a bit of a lead so I half expected it,” he explained.
“The sting was probably taken out of it a little bit by some of the stewards’ hearings after the race but either way it’s great to win another one. We can let our hair down tonight and the Donut King / Achilles crew can have a few beers.”
Beechey won the title by seven points over the valiant Hayes, with Zukanovic third and Ross McGregor a competitive fourth. Aerial Motors Racing competitor Chris Stevenson finished the season strongly with fifth for the round and fifth overall, ahead of Matt Chick, Danny Buzadzic, Tony Bates, Geoff Emery.
A well-deserved Tenth overall in the series in his maiden year of car racing went to Aquacity Pools & Spa’s driver Graham Meer, in his VH Commodore.
For more information head to www.commodorecup.com.au
