Title back to SA.
The local Victorian Andrew Nowland may have won round five of the Australian Saloon Car Series at Sandown Park on September 10-11, but Matt Lovell had more to celebrate. Apart from finishing a close second overall, Lovell secured the 2011 title with a round to go.

He fulfilled two other goals in the process, firstly bringing the title back to Ford for the first time since 2008 and secondly, conveying it back to South Australia again. Only twice has a non-Australian not won with Tim Rowse (Vic) last year and Clint Harvey (WA) back in 2004.

Nowland (Falcon) posted the benchmark for the first race grid in Friday’s first qualifying session while Lovell’s time put him on the outside of the second row. Best of the Holden Commodore VTs was Gavin Ross with a second qualifying quick one that got him on the inside of the second row.

Andrew O’Connell (Falcon) was also fast in that session, bumping Tony Evangelou (Holden) from the second row to the third where he would start alongside the Commodore of Simon Tabinor. Sam Milton (Falcon) would begin rear of field after being excluded for a brake rotor technicality.

Lovell gained the initial jump to take the first race lead with Evangelou following him through to hold second. But Nowland was not about to give the race away, relegating the Holden on the second lap, and then hounding the race leader until he found a way past on lap eight.

Tabinor quickly secured fourth spot until the throttle jammed over on the back straight when the cable frayed. He was lucky not to have a serious accident and after retiring Ross would take fourth from Milton who had put in a barn-storming drive from the rear.

Dan Hodge was next in his Ford ahead of the Holden of Harley Phelan, Mark Primmer’s Falcon and the AU of Geoff Brown which was relegated 30 seconds post race. Earlier in the race he and Ian Chivas (AU) had tangled. Kelli Stephens (AU) was elevated to ninth while Alf Kuusela completed the top ten in his Ford.

In the second race Lovell again bested his Falcon rival off the line but this time he withstood the challengers to score one over Nowland. Evangelou and Ross followed ahead of Milton with Tabinor coming from the rear to fill sixth. Then followed Hodge, Phelan, Kuusela and O’Connell – another coming from the back after failing to finish the first race.

Due to major accidents in two other categories, the last race was halved to five laps. Lovell looked to have Nowland covered going into the final lap but the Victorian found a way past for a very win.

Similarly Ross gained the advantage on Evangelou but the experience campaigner outpointed his improving younger rival to finish third. O’Connell eventually passed Tabinor while Hodge still covered Phelan.

Brown and Chivas chased Kuusela, with the former getting by and the latter dropping to 16th behind Primmer, Milton, Stephens, Meg Carra (all Fords) and Tony McKenzie’s older model Holden VN.
 

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