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In the Bridgestone Production Car category, Michael Stephen had high hopes going into the first round of the championship, with new technology having been introduced to the car.
Friday practice was extremely positive as Michael set the pace in 2 of the 3 sessions. The car handled well first time out and only minor changes were made. The engine was also producing good power. This left Michael positive for the following day.
Qualifying on Saturday went well for Michael as he managed to obtain 4th on the grid behind the new 335 turbocharged BMW’s and Leeroy Poulter's Nissan 350Z. Although Michael was hoping to obtain a top 3 spot in his Engen Extreme Audi, the cooler conditions on Saturday morning favoured the Nissan 350Z and the turbocharged BMWs. Michael was confident that during race conditions he could fight for the win.
Race 1 comprised of a 6 lap sprint race, with Michael starting in4th position. Michael had a good start and by the end of lap 1 managed to pass Melville Priest and move up to 3rd position. Michael followed the two leaders, Taylor and Poulter and waited for the opportunity to move to the front, however, running close behind the leaders caused his brakes to overheat and fade, causing him to drop down to 6th position at the end of the race. This was unfortunate as a podium was almost certain.
A new format for race 2 has been introduced in 2010. The drivers return to the starting grid for a 10min brake after race 1, whereby NO work is allowed to be done on the cars. The new rules also invert the top 6 on the grid, this putting Michael on pole position for Race 2. Race 2 saw Michael have a great start and managed to keep the lead and pull about a 1 second gap over his rivals. Being out in front, Michael’s brakes did not overheat like in Race 1 and Michael crossed the line to take the Teams first win of the season, 0.8s ahead of Taylor.
Race 3 this season counts for double points and is a 10 lap race as opposed to the two shorter races in the day. The grid for race 3 is also determined by the second fastest time set in Qualifying. This left Michael starting 4thon the grid. Michael managed to hold on to 4th at the start where he remained for much of the race as the BMWs and the 350Z seemed to have more pace in the early laps. However, Michael fought hard in is 4-wheel drive Audi, and by lap 9 had closed up to the back of Priest and Poulter. Michael managed to pass Priest going into Nashua 1 and on the last Lap passed Poulter around the outside of the final corner, this taking a well fought 2nd position over the line behind Taylor.
All in all, a great weekend for Michael and the Audi Engen ExtremeTeam as he finished 3rd overall for the day. Michael now lies 2nd in the Class A Championship and will continue to work hard to ensure that he has another successful outing at Killarney, Cape Town, on the 13 March 2010.
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