MEDIA RELEASE, FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE, OCTOBER 22 2006

LILLIE RACES INTO V8 UTE TOP 10 AT INDY

With a strong performance on the streets of Surfers Paradise, Ravage Racing’s Dean Lillie has recorded a Top 10 finish in the penultimate round of the 2006 Yokohama V8 Ute Racing Series.

Lillie’s second round back in the series started on an inauspicious note, when a plastic bag was sucked up into the LPGAS1 Holden SS Ute’s radiator air intake early in the sole practice session.

It led to overheating problems which limited the Victorian’s running time, before he bounced back to start and finish 14th in Race 1. 14th became ninth place in Race 2 after a strong drive from Lillie, setting the fifth fastest race lap along the way.

“The first race was pretty straightforward, really,” said Lillie. “I started 14th and finished 14th, but on Friday morning I had a bit of a think about the track and how I was driving it.

“It’s like a penny dropped overnight. I went out there in Race 2, passed two guys off the line which I’ve never done in a Ute, picked up a total of five spots during the race and was two seconds quicker than I went on Thursday which was all really satisfying.”

‘Howzat’ made further ground during a treacherous wet final race, ending his weekend with a seventh place finish. Combined results for the three races saw Lillie secure ninth place for the round.

“It was pretty crazy out there,” he said. “The track was really wet, it was dark and cars were going off everywhere. Fortunately we kept it on the island, picked up some more spots and more importantly came out of the weekend with a straight car.

“Overall, it has been a great weekend for us. To be one of the first Holden’s home and to secure a Top 10 round result is ahead of where I thought we’d be coming back in after three years out of the series.

“I still don’t feel as comfortable in it as I do in the [GT-Performance] HSV, so there’s still plenty of time left in me. There’s some time in the car, too - we’re down a bit of grunt - so to be where we are at the moment is really promising for next year.

“Without the help of LPGAS1 and Sprintgas we wouldn’t have been here this weekend. It was good to have some people from Sprintgas and [car and franchise owner] Gary Treloar here at the track during the weekend, and to put in a good showing for them.”

The Yokohama V8 Ute Racing Series concludes at Eastern Creek Raceway on November 25-26. A fortnight earlier, Lillie will race in the penultimate round of the STS Turbo Australian Performance Car Championship at Symmons Plains Raceway in the LPGAS1 HSV GTS. He will enter the weekend fifth in the series standings.

“We did a test day in the HSV recently, which was actually the first time I’ve ever done a test day,” he said.

“Over the course of the day we made some gains in setup which should help for Tassie. Koni are helping us out with some shocks for the weekend, which will be good too. Symmons is a circuit which suits the V8 HSVs, so I’m looking forward to it.”

Ravage Racing thanks LPGAS1, Sprintgas, Martini Racing and Ravage Racing Services for their support.

For more information about Ravage Racing, visit www.ravageracing.com.au

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Media Resources (click for high-res) ::

With a strong performance on the streets of Surfers Paradise, Ravage Racing’s Dean Lillie has recorded a Top 10 finish in the penultimate round of the 2006 Yokohama V8 Ute Racing Series. (Ravage Racing / Dirk Klynsmith Photo)

Recording race results of 14th, ninth and seventh, Ravage Racing's Dean Lillie was one of the big movers in Round 7 of the Yokohama V8 Ute Racing Series at the Lexmark Indy 300. (Ravage Racing / Dirk Klynsmith Photo)