WINNERS TREATED LIKE ROYALTY AT KSSS FINAL
G J Blacklow and mores specifically Keith Holland and Ian Baynes were the lucky winners of Kerrick’s Distributors Competition for the Sports Sedan Series. They spent an adventure filled weekend alongside Australian winners Ken and Yvonne from Water Blaster Sales and Service from Queensland, and viewer competition winners Peter and Gillian Ainscough. As winners of the competitions they won a free trip to Sydney for the weekend where they experienced torrential down pours for all of Saturday making the racing on Sunday look dubious at best.
Luckily the rains cleared and the races went ahead on a typically, beautiful and sunny Sydney day. The winners were picked up from their hotel and taken to the tracks where they received VIP treatment from the Kerrick and Shannon’s National teams and given a garage as their base so that they could stay in the thick of the action throughout the day.
The neighbouring garage housed Darren Hossack and his team and the winners were fortunate enough to spend time talking to him, asking questions and listening to his experiences on and off the track. Engineer, builder and owner of Hossack’s Audi #4 John Gourlay spent 20 minutes explaining the finer points of the Audi, it’s specs, features and the improvements they had made to this purpose built car (incidentally Hossack has been a driver on John Gourlay’s team for the last 15 years).
The racing itself involved an epic battle between Hossack and Ricciardello, with Ricciardello claiming two wins to Darren’s one. “It was hard and there was certainly nothing left on the table, I don't know how hard Tony was driving but I was giving it everything, and it was thoroughly enjoyable. I am not normally one to be happy with second but when you have not finished a lot of races second is not so bad...Tony he is a worthy champion” said Hossack. Riccardello’s two wins ensured he was crowned 2014 Kerrick Sports Sedan Championship winner, with Colin Smith of Queensland landing a career highlight second place, with Darren Hossack securing third place for the season.
Rob Curkpatrick the Commercial Manager for the Kerrick Sports Sedans then took the winners behind the scenes and showed them how the racing was filmed and live streamed. He also took them up the tower to the control room so they could see how the stewards watch and referee the racing.
After a jam packed day of nail biting action the winners joined teams and sponsors for the final awards presentation dinner, where they spent some time talking to the legendary 8 title winner Ricciardello and managed to get some photos with him and his trophy.
All in all the winners had a fantastic trip, where they received some great behind the scenes insights and met some of racings great legends. View some of the highlights from the weekend below.
Q&A Time with 3rd Place Winner Darren Hossack.
John Gourlay describing the finer points of Hossack's Audi #4.
Competition Winners Keith Holland and Ian Baynes with Tony Ricciardello and Malcolm Lees (Kerrick GM).
Competition Winners Ken and Yvonne Hodder with Tony Ricciardello and Malcolm Lees (Kerrick GM).
Competition Winners Peter and Gillian Ainscough with Tony Ricciardello and Malcolm Lees (Kerrick GM).
Steven Lacey (Trans Am Sub-Category winner), Darren Hossack (3rd Overall), Colin Smith (2nd Overall ), Tony Ricciardello (Championship Winner) and Malcolm Lees (Kerrick General Manager).