JUBILATION turned to bitter disappointment for Bathurst driver Brad Shiels on Friday morning as an underweight car cost him a Radical Australia Cup Mount Panorama lap record.
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Behind the wheel of the #216 PMF Motorsport entry, Shiels clocked a 2:12.0346 flyer on his 15th lap of Friday morning’s race.
That effort that bettered the record of 2:12.2670 set by two-time champion Peter Paddon.
It was a moment that acted as a good consolation after Shiels had lost the lead of the race during the mandatory pit stop. He was forced to sit still for an additional 30 seconds – making it a 90 seconds stop in total – due to his status as a professional driver.
Given Shiels had also been on track for a 2:11.8 as well until held up by traffic, and that the sister car of Dave Pennells and Matt Windsor had improved from 15th on the grid to place 12, there were broad grins on the faces of all the team members and supporters as the chequered flag waved.
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But as Shiels, who crossed the line in fourth, returned for scrutineering he was delivered the news he did not want to hear.
His PMF Motorsport entry was 10 kilograms under weight which meant his result was excluded and his lap did not stand as a new record.
Shiels was shattered, as was team owner Pennells.
“That’s just bloody crap, that’s [record] what we came here for,” Pennells said.
“He had to sit in the pits 30 seconds longer than anyone else and still came fourth and got the record. To lose that, yeah, it hurts.
“He probably would have won the race if the safety car didn’t come out when it did too.
“That’s the fastest car here, it’s just shattering. I guess we just put new rubber on it and go for it tomorrow.
“I guess the good news is that Matty and I ended up sitting exactly where we wanted to be in 12th. And hey, both cars got around there in one piece.”
Despite never previously having raced a Radical car, Shiels was the fastest man in the series on track on Thursday. He clocked his best lap time of 2:13.6914 during practice.
With his co-driver Grant Denyer, who had qualified the car in fifth, unable to contest Friday’s race due to other commitments, Shiels was given the job of tackling it on his own.
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By lap two he had worked his way up to second behind Paddon and soon after he had the lead.
Behind him Windsor, who had started the race before handing over to Pennells, had run as high as eighth spot.
When Shiels emerged from his pit stop with less than 10 minutes remaining, he made his final charge. That is when he peeled off what he thought was a new lap record. Unfortunately it was not to be.
