Pittard Racing drivers Ash Hounsfield and Chad Pittard have wrapped up their 2019 Australian Wingless Sprint Championship seasons.
Driving across the Nullarbor from Bunbury to Warrnambool, Victoria to participate in the Australian Championship at Premier Speedway, Hounsfield and Pittard had something to prove.
The pair were the only drivers to represent Western Australia in the event.
They made their presence known by topping the practice session.
Hounsfield then qualified for the Australian Championship-deciding feature race, after some impressive qualifying results.
The 29-year-old placed fourth and third in his heat races, before finishing fourth in preliminary feature race one.
After placing ninth in the championship scramble, Hounsfield lined up in position nine for the 40-lap feature race.
Hounsfield made his way up to seventh in the opening 14 laps.
He then ran into catastrophe, riding the cushion and launching himself into a spectacular roll which brought the feature race to a halt.
The driver was extracted from the car and transported to hospital for observation, before being given the all clear the following morning.
“It definitely wasn’t the way we wanted our Australian Championship to end, but our goal heading into the event was to qualify for the feature race so we’re proud that we were able to achieve that,” Hounsfield said.
“We had really great pace from the outset, which we were able to maintain throughout the weekend and while our results were definitely bittersweet, it was a real honour to represent Western Australia amongst the country’s best wingless sprint drivers.”
Pittard suffered a DNF in his second heat race, after hitting the wall.
The 19-year-old then made contact with another competitor in his final heat race, sending him into the wall. His car sustained too much damage to continue.
Hounsfield will return to the track on Saturday, March 30 for the next WA Club Championship round and the Perth Motorplex Track Championship.
As a result of the damage sustained during the Australian Championship, which has left him requiring a new chassis and a complete rebuild, Pittard’s season has come to a premature close.
Pittard Racing would like to thank the team's 2018/19 season sponsors for their ongoing support.
Visit facebook.com/Pittard-Racing-935756639786161/ for more details.
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