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[BOATS] Shark on podium in QLD
by Sean Henshelwood
(Archived)
Shark back on the pace at Maryborough
2009 Continental Tyres Queensland Superboat Championships
Maryborough, QLD June 20-21, 2009
After a less than perfect start to their 2009 campaign, Az U Do Racing’s Greg and Dorinda Mercier finally returned to the podium at Maryborough during the second round of the Continental Tyres Queensland Championships after taking second place in the Group A final behind fellow Victorian Ted Sygidus.
Whilst any podium result is welcome, the Maryborough result was a breath of fresh air for the team who just two weeks ago suffered a frustrating mechanical failure during the most recent round of the Australian Championships at Cabarita Beach.
“That was a body blow,” Greg ‘Crusty’ Mercier admitted. “MOE Engines had done some pretty serious work to the engine package before Caba and it was a jet, best it’s ever been, but for some reason we bent a pushrod and that stuffed a valve, and ultimately the piston, so we were out. Between that, the accident at the opening round at Melton and missing the final at Temora after putting it up the bank, it’s been a year to forget to date.
“I really must thank Brian Cassar though, he dropped everything to repair the boat for Maryborough, in the end we had just a week to turn it all around, so he put in another monster effort to keep the shark in the water.”
Fast but cautious through the opening qualifiers, Crusty kept his nose clean through the opening day to be well within reach of early pace-setter Rohan Smith. By the top ten though he was starting to fire, but in the end was lucky to make the final three after Smith slipped up during his top ten run.
“We didn’t have the best of runs because we dropped to third behind Ted and Brooke [Dixon], and we only just beat Rohan; in the end I think it was about six one hundredths or so, but there was a mixup with the timing which saw both of us on the ramp to start the final. We knew we had it because we’d been recording each session and knew we’d made the cut, something which the timing system proved in the end.
“For the final three though we were pretty much back to where we were last year and the boat was flying; it was quick but not quite quick enough with the Triple X team just pipping us at the end by a few tenths, so it was close.
“All up I’m pretty happy because we’re back closer to where we wanted to be and with Maryborough scheduled as our next Australian Championship round, we’re looking pretty good..”
The Continental Tyres Superboat Championships now enjoy a slight sabbatical prior to the penultimate round of the season at Maryborough on September 5-6, then the final round of the championship back at Cabarita two weeks later (September 19-20). Az U Do Racing continues with state level, but it’s another lengthy break before the next round of the Victorian Championships scheduled for Melton on August 21-22.
You can catch all the action from the 2009 Continental Tyres Australian Superboat Championships on SBS Speedweek and FOX Sports 'Inside Speed' (check local guides and keep an eye on www.v8superboats.com.au for dates and times).
Az-U-Do Racing are proudly supported by; ACOL Creative Skylight Solutions, Moe Engines and 321 Ignition Magazine.
www.azudoracing.com.au
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