IT was mission accomplished for Bathurst driver Brad Shiels and PMF Motorsport on Saturday when they got the Radical Australia Cup Mount Panorama lap record they were after.
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With the time penalties that Shiels, a professional, copped under the series regulations a podium in one of the two 45-minute races held at the Mount as part of the Bathurst 12 Hour program was always going to be a big ask.
So instead the goal for the #216 car Shiels shared with Grant Denyer was the category lap record for Bathurst.
On Friday it was a frustrated Shiels who learned the record effort he clocked in race one – a 2:12.0346 – would not stand given his car was 10 kilograms under weight.
But on Saturday the team took no chances, the #216 Radical not only being 13kg over weight, but 10mm higher than required.
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It meant Shiels’ best lap time of 2:11.5252 now stands as the record.
“Even though we were way heavier than we needed to be, I went half a second quicker than yesterday,” Shiels said.
“I was little bit angry with myself, even after the lap record got taken off me yesterday, that I didn’t maximise my lap, I made a mistake in the last corner.
“So I ended it knowing I could have done a 2:11 something. But today I got the job done to do a 2:11.5, that’s awesome, that’s seven-tenths quicker than the old record.”
After missing race one, it was Denyer who started Saturday's race in the car, while at the wheel of PMF Motorsport’s second entry was Matt Windsor.
Some four minutes after the window for the compulsory pit stop opened, Denyer pulled into the lane and Shiels jumped in for his stint.
By the time the #216 re-emerged, having served additional time in the stop due to Shiels’ professional status, it had dropped from fifth to 17.
It meant Shiels had some traffic to deal with, but he was a man on a mission.
On lap 11 he clocked a series record 2:11.9029, bettering the old mark of 2:12.2670 held by Peter Paddon.
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Shiels then trimmed more time off his laps as he continued to surge towards the lead.
So as not to breach maximum lap rules, Denyer climbed back into the driver’s seat to finish off the race - 16 seconds left on the clock as he pulled out.
He crossed the line in 12th, while Dave Pennells and Windsor placed 14th.
“I was on an absolute mission to get through the field. I just wanted those clear laps to get a quick lap time, I didn’t care about the positions,” Shiels said.
“I think I might have a junior hillclimb record but other than that, no I didn’t have one. So I wanted to get a lap record and here is a pretty cool place to do it.
“It feels awesome.”
