Round 6 of the 2010 Independent Race Series was held in fine weather at Queensland Raceway 14-15 August. As with the earlier round held at Lakeside, only a selection of the iRace categories attended: Super Hoist Plus Production Racing Cars, McHitch Touring Car Challenge and HDT Muscle Division.

The action came thick and fast, with each category completing five races. The fast layout at Queensland Raceway, with the long straights meant the more powerful cars were at an advantage.

Super Hoist Plus Production Racing Cars saw plenty of on-track action, with two of the races red-flagged when cars went into the gravel traps, but when the flags were green the racing was spectacular. Class X saw a dominant performance by Franck Donniaux in his WRX STi once again, winning outright in all five races. The V8 Class was blitzed by Daniel Flanagan in his Commodore ute - Flanagan didn't have it all his own way though, he was forced to start from pitlane in the opening race, but still managed to finish second outright, and first of the V8 Class (onboard video here). Class A was won by Clark Stott (Mazda MPS) who enjoyed some epic battles with Graham Lusty. Class B went to Barry Black, the quiet achiever of Class B. Black kept his nose clean, while Neil Byers and Sean Soole kept each other busy. Class C was once again dominated by John Willmington (Pulsar SSS).

HDT Muscle Division saw a diverse array of cars, from turbo-powered 4 cylinders to fire-breathing V8s, and the on-track action was equally as exciting. Tony Saint (Mazda RX7) showed great consistency and solid performances in the handicap races to take the round win, ahead of Paul Chaffey (Subaru WRX) and Rod Gurney in his beautifully turned out XT GT Falcon. Gurney's team, in the true spirit of iRace, also helped another competitor get back on track - Maria Mare spectacularly broke an axle, and it was Corey Gurney who was instrumental in getting the Commodore saloon car back up and running.

McHitch Touring Car Challenge turned plenty of heads for this round, with the introduction of the Oz Truck stock cars. The 500+ HP, V8-powered utes look the part, and proved that they can lap with the best of them, setting very fast times, and taking the round win outright, with Chaz Mostert winning all but one race. Second for the round was the spectacular Dwayn Taylor in his wheel-hiking Torana. Third was Graham Struber in the second of the Oz Trucks.

In all, another epic round of the Independent Race Series. TV coverage from this round will screen on SBS Speedweek, Sunday 5 September at 12.30pm. The grand finale for 2010 will be held at Eastern Creek, Saturday 16 October. Don't miss out!

Round 5 of the 2010 Independent Race Series took place under cloudy skies on Friday at Eastern Creek. Great fields across all categories put on some terrific racing, and as always a great atmosphere and plenty of camaraderie.

In Formula Tasman, Guido Belgiorno-Nettis was expected to be a major force in his 1985 Ferrari F1 car, and he took pole position in Qualifying 2. Guido was destined not to make the grid for the first race though, after the car succumbed to gearbox gremlins. Chris Farrell retained his stranglehold on the front spot, leading the field all the way in his Swift Formula Atlantic in Race 1. Sam Dale slipped into second place in his Reynard 94D and kept it to the chequered flag, Ron Coath was in third. As the field awaited the start of Race 2 the skies darkened, and it seemed inevitable that it would rain at some time during the race. The rain fell as the cars completed their warmup lap, and with all cars on slicks and an extremely slippery surface, it was a steady start to the race. Sam Dale managed to get the power down a little better and took the lead at the start. Despite the treacherous conditions Farrell held second to the finish, with Ron Coath again in third. Farrell and Dale ended the round equal on points, but Dale was awarded the round win due to his higher finishing position in the final race. Ron Coath took third for the round.

LeMans Sports saw it's most impressive grid yet, with a clutch of Radicals joining the series for the first time. Peter Opie was fastest in qualifying, and peerless in both races, taking the top spot for the round. In fact, in the wet Race 2, Opie was able to pass the leading Formula Tasman cars (the categories were running together) and take a strong outright win. Second place in the opening race went to Rowan Ross (Radical), third was Andrew MacPherson (West). The wet conditions in Race 2 changed the order somewhat, with Greg Smith (Radical) second and Andrew MacPherson again third. Peter Opie won the round, with Rowan Ross second and Andrew MacPherson a close third.

The McHitch Touring Car Challenge saw a V8 Supercar in the ranks again, and it was Dean Neville (BA Falcon Supercar) who took pole position by a comfortable margin. Neville took victory in the first race, but suffered a blown tyre at the very high speed turn one in the second race, ruling him out for the remainder of the day. The always consistent Norm Stokes was second in the opening race, first in Race 2 and second in Race 3, giving him enough points to win the day and extend his championship lead. Second for the round went to Barry Jameson who DNF'd the opening race, but finished second and first in Races 2 and 3 respectively.

RocketSports saw the popular Holden Roadsters and Future Racers joined by an extra group of production-based sports cars for this round. The three groups were extremely close, with their different strengths coming to the fore in different sections of the circuit. Jade Barnes took pole position in his Future Racer, ahead of Michael Caine in his twin turbo RX7. Caine turned the tables in the opening race, taking the win ahead of Steve Dascarolis and Kosi Kalaitzidis (both in Future Racers), best of the Holden Roadsters was Rod Moynahan. In Race 2, Caine was again the outright victor, ahead of a recovering Jade Barnes and Stephen Borness in his 911 Carrera, Moynahan was again best of the Holden Roadsters. In the final race Jade Barnes was able to take the win ahead of Caine, and Rodney Barnes was third. Graham Smith was quickest of the Holden Roadsters. For the round, Michael Caine took the outright victory, Jade Barnes won the Future Racer category, and Rod Moynahan took out the Holden Roadsters.

HDT Muscle Division turned on some awesome action, and once again proved that consistency is key, and ultimate pace is not always enough to take victory in the category. Joel Knott (Nissan GTR) won the opening race, but was unable to take the grid for the following races. Stuart Inwood (Nissan GTR) took second in Race 1, with Brian Anderson (BMW E46) third. Anderson took the win in Race 2, the first of the handicap races, ahead of Mark Abnett (EVO 4) and Allan Ross (Cooper S). Race 3 saw Stuart Inwood take the victory ahead of Brian Anderson and Paul Butler (EB Falcon). The outright win for the round went to Brian Anderson, ahead of Stuart Inwood and Mark Abnett. Category winners were: Brian Anderson (Improved Production/Sports Sedans), Robert Marchese (HDT Cup) and Stuart Inwood (Japanese Turbo).

In the very popular Super Hoist Plus Production Racing Cars, pole position went to Franck Donniaux (WRX) by a clear margin. The classes were hotly contested, with Donniaux winning Class X from Mal Smith (WRX) and Leon Black (WRX). The V8 Class saw two different race winners on the day, but was ultimately won by Geoff Kite (Commodore), ahead of Tony Grant (Monaro) and Daniel Flanagan (Commodore Ute). Class A saw Richard Mork back amongst the action, and winning all races to take the class win ahead of Clark Stott (Mazda 3 MPS) and Nick Chambers (Mini). Class B went to Neil Byers (Mitsubishi 380) ahead of Sean Soole, fresh from a massive rebuild after his accident at Lakeside in his Celica, and Carly Black (Peugeot 306). Class C went to John Willmington (Pulsar SSS), ahead of James Flanagan (Hyundai Sonata) who took his first ever race win and Chris Reeves (Proton). BlackBerry Store awarded awesome BlackBerry devices to Richard Mork and James Flanagan.

A successful round in no small part thanks to the awesome volunteer officials (with some great prizes going to a couple of lucky workers thanks to Blue Hills and Fastrack), and the spirit of the iRace competitors and their teams.

Coverage from this round will air on SBS Speedweek Sunday 25 July.

The next round of the series will be held at Queensland Raceway, 14-15 August. Entries are already open. The series returns to Eastern Creek for the season finale in October.

Round Three of the Independent Race Series was held at Eastern Creek on Friday 9 April.

The event was the first time iRace has hosted a one-day format on a Friday, and it proved to be a big hit with the competitors, with plenty of track time for everyone, and a full weekend left to recover, rejoice or reconstitute.

Qualifying was held in the morning, with two sessions for each category. Despite threatening clouds over the circuit on the Thursday evening as many teams unloaded their cars, Friday morning brought clear skies and warm temperatures, which would remain in place for the whole day.

Once qualifying was out of the way, the racing action came thick and fast, with eleven races between noon and 4.20pm.

The Super Hoist Plus Production Racing Cars saw another very strong grid do battle, with Anthony Soole setting the pace in qualifying, his nimble Lotus Exige a full two seconds clear on pole position. In the racing, Soole was equally quick, but a DNF in Race Two cost him the Class X round win, that honour going to Franck Donniaux in his Subaru WRX STi. In the V8 Class, Steve Briffa impressed everyone with his immaculately turned out VE HSV Clubsport. Briffa never finished outside the top three outright, and won the V8 Class convincingly. In Class A, Clark Stott took a well deserved round win. Class B was hotly contested, with the popular Bryan Fitzpatrick returning to the category getting the upper hand to take the round win. Class C went to John Willmington in his very fast Pulsar SSS. Save of the day goes jointly to Steve Briffa and Mal Smith, the pair doing a synchronised spin in the high speed turn one (photos here, video here).

Formula Tasman and LeMans Sports were combined, with Chris Farrell running very strongly in his Swift Formula Atlantic, and dominating all sessions. Sam Dale had hoped to offer more of a challenge to Farrell, but a slipping clutch saw him limp home in both races. Geoff Rands performed well to take out the LeMans Sports honours.

RocketSports saw a solid field of Future Racers do battle with the Holden Roadsters. Father and son duo, Rodney and Jade Barnes turned out a pair of immaculate Future Racers, and were split in Qualifying by the Canberra Milk-liveried Future Racer of Steve Dascarolis. Jade Barnes went on to take the outright round win, winning two races, while the other race was won by his father Rodney. In the Holden Roadster stakes, Graham Smith took the honours.

HDT Muscle Division and McHitch Touring Car Challenge were combined for this round, and the action was fantastic. Norm Stokes and Joel Knott were split by just a hundredth of a second in Qualifying, with Stokes taking the pole. In the opening scratch race, Stokes took the outright win, with Knott best of the Muscle Division cars. Adam Lloyd and Adam Tipping pushed each other all the way, and were the leading HDT Cup runners. In the first of the handicap races, Race Two, newcomer Michael Nordsvan took the win, with a number of battles right throughout the field. In the final race (another handicap affair), 4 cars jumped the start, but the racing didn't suffer at all. Joe McGinnes wretched day (he'd already suffered two DNFs) came to a heartbreaking end with just one lap to go, and after he'd driven an epic race to take the lead at the beginning of the final lap. Joe's right front tyre let go, and he was out of the running. It then looked as if Michael Nordsvan would take another race win, but he was one of the jump starters, and received a 30 second penalty, handing the race and round win to another newcomer, Tim Miller in his fire-breathing Mazda RX7. Rod Gurney drove solid races to take out the Improved Production/Sports Sedan honours, with Adam Lloyd best of the HDT Cup. Norm Stokes took out the McHitch Touring Car Challenge.

All in all, a fantastic day's racing, and there were plenty of smiling faces at the trophy presentation at the conclusion of the event. A huge thank you to all the volunteers and officials who made the event possible, and for those of you who missed this one, make sure you come along to our next one-day event at Eastern Creek, 9 July. Before that though, the Independent Race Series heads to the fantastic Lakeside circuit in Queensland, 12-13 June. Entry forms will be available soon, so watch this space!

The Independent Race Series visited Morgan Park on the weekend, and despite the early threat of monsoon conditions associated with Tropical Cyclone Ului, the conditions were fine and sunny, and the racing top class.

The Morgan Park facility and the friendly and accommodating volunteers and circuit staff fitted perfectly with iRace's brand of racing, and the relaxed, friendly atmosphere the series takes to every round.

Super Hoist Plus Production Racing Cars fielded a very strong grid, word-of-mouth spreading since the 2009 round, and the racing was close, fair and fun. Frank Donniaux maintained the upper hand over Anthony Soole in Class X, taking three of the four race wins, and winning a BlackBerry from BlackBerryStore.com.au in the process. In the V8 Class it was Daniel Flanagan who took the honours (despite a suspension drama causing a DNF in the final race). In Class A, Richard Mork was strongest, with Sean Soole taking out Class B, and winning the second BlackBerry. John Willmington, driving a Pulsar custom-made for the Morgan Park layout took out Class C (finishing ahead of almost all the Class B cars). Full Super Hoist Plus Production Racing Cars results are available here.

HDT Muscle Division and McHitch Touring Car Challenge were combined for this round, and the result was some action packed racing. Frank Donniaux joined the field in his Subaru WRX, and looked to be the early pace-setter, while Joe McGinnes was lifting wheels all over the place as he jetted around in his XY GT Falcon. Norm Stokes was consistently quick all day though, and proved that consistency counts for a lot in the handicap format by taking the McHitch Touring Car Challenge round win, ahead of McGinnes and Donniaux. In the Muscle Division, Rod Gurney drove some fantastic races to take the round win, ahead of Merrick Malouf and Maria Mare. Full McHitch Touring Car Challenge results here. Full HDT Muscle Division results here.

Formula Tasman was dominated by Chris Farrell in his 2001 Swift Formula Atlantic, but Farrell was kept honest in all races by Sam Dale in his Reynard 94D. Dale overcame early gearbox dramas to shadow Farrell all weekend, the pair setting their quickest times in Race 2, with 60.2 seconds for Farrell and 60.4 sec for Dale. Full Formula Tasman results here.

Robert Free looked like the early favourite in RocketSports, but a spin in the opening race, and an engine gremlin for the final race saw local boy Matt Clift take the honours. Free and Clift battled in every race, the most exciting tussle coming at the end of Race Three, where the pair swapped the lead repeatedly, with Clift just managing to get the upper hand at the flag. Adam Dodd, driving a Holden Roadster for the first time, managed to take second place for the round, with another local, John Woolcock taking third. Full RocketSports results here.

All in all a fantastic meeting, and enjoyed by all who attended. There's already some onboard video action available at onboard.irace.net.au, with more to be added soon thanks to Launch Helmet Cams. Look out for some photos in the gallery in the near future (in the meantime, click here to check out some great photos), and details of the TV coverage will be announced as soon as they are available.

Your next chance to get a dose of iRace action is in just under three weeks time! At the fantastic Eastern Creek, 9 April. Get your entries in now!

iRace is shooting for a big year in 2010, and with your support, we're already on our way.

• Round 1 was our biggest meeting yet, read the full report here. Check out all the multimedia here.
• TV coverage from Round 1 was made possible by Super Hoist Plus, McHitch.com.au and HDT. Check out the episode here. There are also some excellent excerpts from this episode, available here.
• We've got a ton of onboard video from Round 1, thanks to Launch Helmet Cams. Check out the video here, or on our Vimeo group here. You can share your videos too!
• We started a Facebook "Fan Page" in January, and we've just cracked the century, with 101 fans at the time of writing. If you use Facebook, check out the iRace page and become a fan (if you haven't already).
• We've also added a couple of feature articles to the website. A review of the VIO POV1.5 helmet/onboard camera, click here to view. And a (hopefully) simple explanation of how an anti roll bar works - read it here.

Which brings us to our next round. It's a little over a month away, and will be held at the awesome Morgan Park circuit 20-21 March. This track is fantastic as anyone who attended the round in 2009 will tell you. The round needs your support to make sure it is successful. Entries are open now, and you can enter online here, or download the form to mail or fax in here. Get behind the round, make the trip to Warwick, and encourage your mates to do the same!

The Independent Race Series gave Oran Park a fitting send off over the weekend, in what is expected to be the final race meeting ever for the popular Sydney circuit. The meeting was also an excellent opener for the 2010 iRace season, highlighting that the tradition of family-friendly, mate-against-mate racing that was such a big part of Oran Park's history will live on in the Independent Race Series.

Activities got underway on Friday morning, with official practice sessions, and then qualifying in the afternoon. Despite the threatening skies, the weather stayed dry for the whole meeting. Strong fields turned out across the board, with the most impressive in RocketSports, HDT Muscle Division and Super Hoist Plus Production Racing Cars.

Competition was fierce in qualifying, with pole positions taken as follows:

Super Hoist Plus Production Racing Cars - Franck Donniaux (D. Flanagan V8 Class, Richard Mork Class A, Bryan Fitzpatrick Class B, John Willmington Class C
HDT Muscle Division - Greg Boyle - Nissan Silvia
Formula Tasman - Sam Dale - Reynard 94D (Neil Kenny LeMans Sports)
RocketSports - Jade Barnes - Future Racer
McHitch Touring Car Challenge - Barry Jameson - Jaguar

Racing got underway on Saturday morning, and right from the driver's briefing it was clear that mixed emotions were the order of the day - happiness at having a chance to race at Oran Park one last time, and a tinge of sadness that it would be the last time.

In the Super Hoist Plus Production Racing Cars, competition within the classes was very strong. Class X saw Franck Donniaux (Subaru WRX) fighting it out with Anthony Soole (Lotus Exige). Donniaux made the most of his 4WD to take the early lead. The two drivers traded fastest laps, and Donniaux too the win in Races 1 & 2, with Soole getting the upper hand in Race 3. In the brand new V8 Class, Daniel Flanagan was dominant in Race 1 & 3, but had an off-track excursion in Race 2, and was forced to retire from that race - Geoff Kite didn't need an invitation, and capitalised to take V8 Class in Race 2. Class A belonged to Richard Mork in his Honda Integra - Morky enjoying some great battles, and relishing the chance to reminisce about all the laps he's done at Oran Park. Bryan Fitzpatrick took three class wins in Class B, making a welcome (and successful!) return to the series. And in Class C, John Willmington started 2010 the way he finished 2009, with a dominant class win. Full results available here.

HDT Muscle Division boasted a bumper field, and the racing was fantastic. Greg Boyle took the win in the scratch race, holding out Adam Lloyd and Mick Duff. Race 2 was the first of the handicap races, and a red flag after 9 laps saw the fastest cars unable to overcome their handicap. Rod Gurney took advantage though, driving a smooth race to take the win ahead of Paul Axiak and Alan Walls. Race 3 ran the full distance, and on the final lap almost the whole field was separated by only a couple of hundred metres. Paul Leabeater took the race win, also handing him the outright round win. Darren Gillis scorched through from a full lap handicap to take second, and Adam Lloyd was third. Full results available here.

Formula Tasman and LeMans Sports started with a promising field, with a couple of cars dropping out during the day. Sam Dale led the early running, but succumbed to gearbox failure dropping him from the lead of Race One, and ruling him out for the weekend. The Choon F3 cars wasted no time in taking over the lead though, and battling it out through all three races. David Choon took Race 1, but son Robert took the wins in Races 2 & 3. Robert took the round win, ahead of David, with Glenn Lynch putting in a solid performance to finish third. In the LeMans Sports stakes, Neil Kenny performed strongly, winning Race 1, but suffering a mechanical problem in the process, ruling him out of the remaining races. Andrew MacPherson put in a strong performance in his West (which he hadn't sat in until arriving at the circuit!), and took the wins in Races 2 & 3, and the LeMans Sports round win. Full results available here and here.

RocketSports put on some of the closest racing of the weekend, with the three different groups of cars in the field proving to be surprisingly evenly matched, with the Future Racers, the MX5s and the Holden Roadsters providing an excellent spectacle. Jade Barnes (Future Racer) had his eye on a clean sweep of wins, and after winning Race 1 & 2, was looking set to do so. 2009 Future Racer champion, Nathan Jess had other ideas though, securing the win in Race 3. Robert Free and Terry Clearihan continued their ongoing rivalry. Top of the MX5s was Chris Tonna, and the best of the Holden Roadsters was Terry Mayfield. Full results available here.

The McHitch Touring Car Challenge saw the inclusion of the new Gran Turismo class, opening the door for a more diverse field. In Race One, Barry Jameson had the upper hand in his Jaguar, ahead of Darren Saillard (Falcon Supercar) and Norm Stokes (Mazda RX7). In the first of the handicap races, Darren Saillard was a man on a mission, carving through the field to take the win. Grant Wilson in his awesome 1969 Chev Camaro V8 Giant held on for second place, and Andrew MacPherson was impressive in his Mosler to take third. In the finale, Saillard again blitzed through the field to take the win. Chad Parish in his debut in the ex-Perkins VX Commodore Supercar drove a solid race to finish second, and Norm Stokes was third. Saillard took the outright win, ahead of Parish in an impressive debut and a great showing from Grant Wilson. Full results available here.

A selection of onboard video from this event is available here, thanks to Launch Helmet Cams.

Look out for a gallery of photos soon.

The next round of the Independent Race Series will be held a Morgan Park, 20-21 March. For competitors, head to the online entry form to get your entry in. The Morgan Park circuit is fantastic, and really worth the journey for all those competitors from the southern states.

There's been plenty of action for the Independent Race Series in the past few weeks, as everyone gets ready for the new season. In case you missed it, here is a summary of what's been happening (click any of these to read the relevant article):

• Super Hoist Plus became the naming rights sponsor of Production Racing Cars
• HDT became the naming rights sponsor of Muscle Division and HDT Cup
• McHitch Uniglide Trailer Couplings became the naming rights sponsor of the Touring Car Challenge
• Launch Helmet Cams became the Official Onboard and Helmet Camera Partner
• Toranas are now eligible for HDT Cup
• Super Hoist Plus now features a dedicated class for V8s
• Our 2009 Presentation Night was held at Marulan Driver Training Centre
• A new section was added to the website to showcase onboard camera footage
• We learned how to make our racecars a little safer
• We offered up some New Years Resolutions for racers
• Updated category regulations are now available

2010 is going to be a busy year! Strap in for an exciting ride...

Round 1 is just a week away. If you haven't gotten your entry in yet, don't delay - head to the entry form now, and don't miss your last chance to race with iRace at Oran Park!

Super Hoist Plus have long been supporters of the Independent Race Series (since the very beginning in fact). In 2009 Super Hoist Plus awarded a 2-post hoist to the overall Series Champion (John Willmington) and a Resto-Roller rotisserie to Series Runner Up (Neil Byers).

Heading into 2010, Super Hoist Plus are ramping up their support, and taking on naming rights of the Production Racing Cars category. The category will be known as the Super Hoist Plus Production Racing Cars, and all cars will bear Super Hoist Plus windscreen banners.

As part of the deal, Super Hoist Plus will also provide a $200 voucher towards Super Hoist Plus products as a prize for one competitor in each category at each round. These vouchers may be used cumulatively (if a competitor wins more than one, they will be able to use the total value towards a Super Hoist Plus product), but they not be transferred or exchanged for cash.

Super Hoist Plus are a family-owned and -operated company who supply quality products at everyday affordable prices, making it possible for anyone to own their own Super Hoist product. The range of hoists and other workshop equipment is very impressive, and offers something to improve just about any workshop.

Check out their extensive website, and support the company that supports our series, or contact Super Hoist Plus on 1800 71 72 73. www.superhoistplus.com

The Super Hoist Plus Production Racing Cars follow the true tradition of Australian motorsport - cars that can be bought from the dealer, made safe for racing with minor modifications and then raced hard - just like they used to do at Bathurst. The category features very close racing between cars from a huge variety of manufacturers.

The first outing of the Super Hoist Plus Production Racing Cars will be at Oran Park GP, 15-16 Jan 2010. Click here for all the details.

The 2009 Independent Race Series Presentation Night was held on Saturday 12 December. The event was well attended, and spirits were high as the Kangaroo Kid put on an impressive display on his various quad bikes - his successful jump over three cars a fitting finale, and mirroring the leaps and bounds the Independent Race Series has achieved over the past 18 months. From the many acceptance speeches throughout the night, the overwhelming sentiment was that 2009 proved how much fun racing can be, and that 2010 should be even better.

For a rundown of the championships presented on the night, check out our results page by clicking here.

Notable other awards presented on the night were:

• Best Presented - Rod Gurney
• Encouragement Award - James Flanagan
• Encouragement Award - Keiran Macklyn
• Rookie of the Year - Carly Black
• Sportsman of the Year - Hans Riehs

The big prizes, presented by Super Hoist Plus, went to overall Series Champion and Runner Up. The points for this were allocated based on position in Class in each race during the year, as well as the number of cars in class defeated in each race. The points rewarded consistency, superiority within class, and encouraging extra competitors to join your class.

The top prize went to John Willmington. John receives a YSJ-3000 two-post hoist from Super Hoist Plus.

Runner up went to Neil Byers. Neil receives a Resto Roller car rotisserie from Super Hoist Plus.

Super Hoist Plus also awarded a set of vehicle stands to each of the Encouragement Award recipients.

For those who were unable to attend the presentation night, below is a condensed video of the presentation proceedings:



Also, check out the pre-dinner entertainment - the awesome Kangaroo Kid, jumping his quad bike over three cars!



Round 1 of the 2010 Independent Race Series will be held at Sydney's Oran Park in just on a month's time. Mark 15-16 January down in your calendar, get your entries in, and start getting your cars ready to give Oran Park a fitting send off!

The Independent Race Series' newest category, the HDT Cup, has generated massive interest, before even turning a wheel.

Production Racing Cars hard-charger Hans Riehs has purchased a car (pictured) from South Australia, and a number of other competitors are believed to be in negotiations to acquire cars.

Hans purchased his car from Gary Baxter, who has several other cars available for around $2500 - Bargain Motorsport!! Gary can be contacted on 0418 832 664, or gary@trackskill.com.au

The HDT Cup will be supported by HDT, and will cater for VB, VC, VH, VK and VL Commodores, with classes for different engine types/capacities.

A meeting to launch the category is scheduled for 5 June, at 5pm, at the Super Hoist Plus HQ - Lot 3 Sagewick Place, Moss Vale (off Lackey St). Interested competitors should contact Laurie Betland: 02 4860 3333 or 0411 176 382.

A new category will join the Independent Race Series ranks in the very near future.

HDT manager Darren Gillis raced with the series at Oran Park, and has offered his support to a new category for the Independent Race Series.

The new category will be known as the "HDT Cup" and will cater for Commodores from the following models: VB/VC/VH/VK and VL.

The cars eligble will be divided into classes according to their engine capacity, with classes designated as follows:

Class A will be for the 308 and Chev V8's

Class B for the 253 V8

Class C for V6 and Straight Six cylinder cars

Laurie Betland from Super Hoist Plus has put his support behind the concept and will host a get together for all interested competitors at his business premises at Lot 3 Sagewick Place Moss Vale [off Lackey St] on Friday 5th Of June at 5pm.

Laurie will have a BBQ and informal meeting to launch the exciting new category.

HDT will provide Trophies and HDT rear quarter and windscreen stickers for the category.

Competitors interested in the HDT Cup can contact Laurie Betland on 02 4860 3333 or 0411 176 382.

As announced previously, our friends at Super Hoist Plus are supplying prizes for the overall Series Champion and Series runner up at the end of 2009.

As the Independent Race Series is a very diverse series, with a wide range of categories competing, and different race formats depending on the category, the best way to decide a "Series Champion" has proved to be a significant challenge.

We have arrived at a formula that is intended to be fair and equitable for everybody, and at the same time manageable. The system will work as follows:

Competitors will be awarded points for their position in their subcategory for each race. First place will receive 4 points, second place 3 points, third place 2 points, and fourth through to last receives 1 point. Competitors will also be awarded a point for each of the other cars in their subcategory that they defeat (for the purposes of this, the number of cars in each subcategory will count every car that attempts a race over the course of a race meeting). For categories that have less than four races over the weekend, points will be divided by the number of races, and then multiplied by four to achieve an equivalent allocation of points as the categories that do have four races. In the event that none of the subcategories within a category have at least three cars, then all cars will be considered as one category for the purposes of Series points calculation.

This does all sound a little complicated, but it is the fairest method we can devise for the purposes of determining a Series Champion.

The standings after Round One are as follows:

Robert Free - 28
John Willmington - 24
Nick Chambers - 22
Darren Saillard - 22
Graham Smith - 19
Merrick Malouf - 19
James Flanagan - 18
Carly Black - 18
Sam Dale - 16
Anthony Soole - 16
Matthew Clift - 16
Clark Stott - 15
Mal Rea - 15
Paul Bruce - 15
Richard Mork (Production) - 14
Neil Byers - 14
Dave Gardner - 14
Josh Riehs - 13
Clive O'Connor - 10
Candace Shafell - 10
Phil Groeneveld - 10
Hans Riehs - 8
Joe McGinnes - 7
John Biddlecombe - 5
Richard Mork (Touring Car) - 4
Gary Leaton - 0

So, everything is very close after the first round, and a reminder of what is on offer:

Series Champion - Two Post YSJ-3000 Hoist

Series Runner Up - Resto Roller