2023 NSW Motorsport Australia State Championship – R5

SYDNEY MOTORSPORT PARK – NSW HQ Holden Championship.

The final round of the NSW State Championship was held in late October at Sydney Motorsport Park. A round that would decide the 2023 NSW HQ Champion. Chris Molle, Jarrod Harber and David Proglio were the main drivers in contention. And after qualifying, they secured the top three in said order. Glenn Deering was 4 th from Darren Parker. Brendan Healy 6 th , Ashton Parker 7 th . Jason Johnson, Stewart Spry and Kane Robinson rounded out the top 10. Molle made the best start and was closely followed by Harber and Deering. A group of 4 cars formed at the front with Proglio joining them. The unfortunate Jeff Mulligan retired at turn 2, he was soon followed by Spry. Wayne Healy also hit trouble, with his car expiring after just 2 laps. As the race settled, the 4-leaders pulled away and squabbled amongst themselves. A 3-way dice was forming for 5 th position between Darren Parker, Johnson and young Ashton Parker. Glenn Robinson and Brett Simpson also raced in close quarters. Peter Siemsen ran into trouble, and adding to the list of DNF’s was Brendan Healy. Molle and Harber pulled away from the rest and the result for race 1 was Molle 1 st , Harber 2 nd , Proglio 3 rd . Deering finished 4 th ahead of Darren Parker.

Race 2 started again with 4 drivers taking command. Molle took an early lead from Deering, Harber and Proglio. Deering could not maintain the pace of the leaders and started slipping back. This allowed Molle to build a slight gap to new second placed Harber. Wayne Healy’s car ran into trouble again, his car coasting into the pit. The championship protagonist ran in the top 3 from most of the race. By mid-race distance Darren Parker was a distant 4 th . There was a great dice further back between Siemsen and Simpson. Kane Robinson was racing against Jhonson and Ashton Parker. Molle was too good at the end, winning comfortably from Harber. At this stage Molle had one hand on the trophy, only disaster in the last race would deprive him of a back-to-back title. Proglio was 3 rd from Darren Parker and Deering. In the final race, Molle made the best start from Harber. The leaders were chased by Deering and Proglio. It was noticeable that the two-leaders had pace on the rest of the field and proceeded to pull away. Deering was hounded by Darren Parker and Proglio. Ashton Parker’s car started to slow down; he drove the 2 nd half of the race very slowly. Just trying to accumulate points and finish. Spry retired on lap 4. Up front, Harber went past Molle to claim the lead. Deering went wide at turn 2, allowing Proglio to slip past. Harber held off a fast Molle to win the trophy race. Molle came home 2 nd , but most importantly secured a second title. Proglio finished a great weekend with a 3 rd . Darren Parker and Deering finished next. Kane Robinson was 6 th from Johnson. Brendan Healey was 8 th from his father Wayne. Glenn Robinson 10 th . Siemsen, Simpson and Ashton Parker rounded the field out. Congratulation to Chris Molle in winning another title.

2023 NSW Motorsport Australia State Championship – R3

SYDNEY MOTORSPORT PARK – NSW HQ Holden Championship.

The HQ returned to Sydney Motorsport Park to continue their Championship. The program for the day would be qualifying in the morning, 2 x daytime races and a final race under light. The biggest change would be the circuit, they will run on the short north circuit (Druitt). A very strong field of 21 HQ’s came out to qualify, and as ever the presentation of the vehicles was second to none. Most of the field had driven on the bigger GP track many times, however the short track was a new experience to many. Instead of turning right at turn 4 the cars would turn left, go over a crest and quickly turn right to reconnect onto the normal back straight.  It was interesting watching the cars in qualifying and all the different racing lines they took. Drivers like Brett Osborn, Chris Molle, Glen Deering, Jeff Mulligan and David Allan all had minimal steering input and let the car flow over the top. Others were very aggressive from left to right, their car swaying side to side and taking much longer to settle the car and applying the loud pedal on the back straight. Most evident in doing this was young Brendan Healey. His car rolled the most and you could hear the front tyres scrubbing at each steering input. Osborn claimed pole from C Molle and David Proglio. A returning Luke Harrison was 4 th fastest from Jarrod Harber and Allan. Deering was 7 th . Mulligan 8 th . Jason Molle and Jason Johnson round out the top 10.

Osborn made the best start in race 1, he was closely followed by C Molle and Harrison. The unfortunate Gordon Macleay toured the back straight slowly and eventually retired; he would be joined by Deering. C Molle went past Osborn, but it was short lived as Osborn reclaimed the lead. Behind the leaders, Harrison, Harber and Allan had a great dice. A little further back Darren Parker, Johnston and Proglio did likewise. The beautifully presented car of Healey had an off, his car went from looking shiny Black to dull Brown with all the dust on it. The two leaders pulled a small gap to the 3 rd positioned car of Harrison. In the mid field, Mark Baxter was having a great dice with Kane Robinson and Glenn Robinson. Amanda Saunder ran into trouble, she retired on lap 8, Jason Molle joined her for good measure. The final result of the first race was Osborn 1 st from C Molle 2 nd . Harber went past Harrison during the final lap to take 3 rd . Proglio was 5 th .

Race 2 started in similar fashion to the first one, however it would turn out to be very memorable. Osborn took the lead from C Molle and Harrison. These 3 drivers would run in formation for the first part of the race, never more than half a second apart. Behind them it was a different story. Harber had a spirited battle with Proglio and Allan. Darren Parker was dicing with Johnson and Mulligan. Ashton Parker, Healey and Jason Molle were swapping position. No matter where you looked, there was drivers jostling for position. The Green car of Peter Lynch was showing a tail of Blue smoke from the onset, it gradually became worse as the race matured. The dreaded Blue smoke was oil, and this viscous liquid would play a big part in this race. A few cars retired early on, namely Glenn Robinson and Deering. Jason Molle’s car expired on lap 6 and Mulligan not long after. Oil was distributed from turn 2 all the way till the approach of turn 4. As the leader approach this area, multiple drivers went off or at best lost plenty of time. This caused a shuffling of the field. By lap 7 C Molle found himself in the lead, from Osborn and Harrison. On the next lap Osborn was in front, and the following lap Harrison took the lead. As all of this was happening, further cars retired. Lynch’s car finally expired; Ashton Parker’s HQ followed suit. During the everchanging positions of the leaders, Proglio kept out of trouble and caught up to the back of the freight train. At the end, Harrison held out Osborn to take the win. Proglio went past C Molle to claim 3 rd position. Harber was home 5 th and Allen 6 th . Special mention to Saunders and Healey, both drivers recovered to finish strongly after misfortunes. Of the original 21 entrants, only 17 made the start of the final night race. Harrison made the best start from Osborne and Proglio. Looking at the field arrive at turn 2, it was noticeable how good the cars looked under lights. Credit to all the competitors for their presentation. Harrison held out Osborn for a few laps, eventually the former champion went past with a great overtaking move. Behind them Proglio, C Molle and Harber were having a great battle. This was until C Molle went wide at turn 2 and lost plenty of time and places. Glen Robinson was the first and only retiree of the race, a far cry from previous races. Deering was putting plenty of pressure on Johnson, this dice would last the whole race. C Molle continued having problems stopping at turn 2, he was slowly slipping down the order. Osborn and Harrison were the class of the field, building a large gap to 3 rd positioned Proglio. At the end Osborn won from Harrison and Proglio. Harber just missed out on the podium. Dave Allen was 5 th and Darren Parker 6 th . Jason Johnson finished 7 th ; it is evident that Johnson is getting faster each outing. Deering finished 8 th from Healey and Ashton Parker. Kane Robinson was 11 th from Saunders and the struggling C Molle. Macleay was 14 th from Peter Siemsen and the immaculate car of Brett Simpson.

2023 NSW Motorsport Australia State Championship – R3

SYDNEY MOTORSPORT PARK – NSW HQ Holden Championship.

Typical Sydney winter weather greeted the 19 drivers entered for the NSW HQ State Championship. The track was fast, but wind effected. The gust of wind increased in strengths as the day wore on. Chris Molle wasted no time in qualifying, setting some very quick lap time, he
eventually claimed pole position with a time of 1:59;1576. David Proglio was second fastest, 0.6 seconds behind. The second row consisted of young guns, Luke Harrison and Jarrod Harber. Jason Molle and Matt Barker occupied row 3. David Allen qualified 7 th and Glenn Deering was 8 th fastest. Jeff Mulligan and Ashton Parker rounded out the top 10. Proglio made the best start in race 1, Chris Molle and  Harrison closely followed him. The leader was hounded by Chris Molle for the first couple of laps, eventually the pursuant put on a great move to take the lead. As the race developed a group of 4 drivers formed at the front and subsequently another group of 4 battled for 5 th  Place. The leading group consisted of C Molle, Proglio, Harrison and Barker. The second group consisted of J Molle, Harber, Deering and Allan. The leader clearly had more pace than his fellow drivers and started pulling away. Barker was also showing great speed, overtaking Harrison to move up to 3 rd . In the midpack, Brendan Healy was having a great dice with Jason Johnston and Jeff Mulligan. And a little further back, Amanda Saunders, Ashton Parker and Gordon Macleay also enjoyed close proximity racing. At the end, Chris Molle proved too strong finishing 1 st , Proglio was 2 nd and Barker was 3 rd . Harrison and Harber rounded out the top 5. Chris Molle made a better  start in the second race, Proglio and Barker began the chase. Ashton Parker was spraying fuel across the track every time he turned left, this went on for about 3 laps. As the race settled the 3 leaders pulled away from Harrison. Further back Harber, Jason Molle, Allan and Deering all diced for the same piece of tarmac. Mulligan, Darren Parker and Johnston formed their own group and made sure they did not miss out on the fun factor of racing. Towards the end of the race the sun was getting quite low, and it was evident in the quality of finish these cars have now. Full credit to the HQ fraternity and the level of presentation. A special mention to Brett Simpson, Peter Siemsen and Gordon Macleay, their individual cars looked great. The unfortunate Deering was the first retirement of the day, he was comfortably in the  top 10 when this happened. Chris Molle held a spirited Proglio at bay to score his second win of the day. Proglio was 2 nd and Barker 3 rd . Harrison and Harber completed the top 5. The final race of the day was held under light, Amanda Saunders car looked magnificent on the  artificially lit track. Chris Molle made an ordinary start and was swamped by Barker and Proglio. The 3 leaders powered away from Harrison and Harber. Further back Healy tried to make a move on the outside of two cars at turn 2, he overshot the corner and subsequently spun. He lost quite a few places relegating him towards the back. Probably the most dangerous situation of the meet was when Allen spun at turn 1 and was stationary in the middle of the fastest corner of the track. Cars  arriving did a fantastic job in avoiding what could have been a nasty accident.Most notable was Healy; he went wide and toured the grass between turn 1and 2 to miss the stricken car. Great driving by the young charger. Up front Chris Molle was showing his true speed, firstly he despatches Barker and then Proglio to take the lead and subsequent win. The defending champion was in a league of his own making 3 wins from as many starts, Proglio finished 2 nd and Barker 3 rd . Harrison was 4 th and Harber 5 th . Darren Parker was consistent all day finishing 6 th and Jason Molle 7 th . Johnston, Ashton Parker, and Kane Robinson completed the top 10. Barker was given a 5 second penalty relegating him to 5 th outright. A great round for Jason Molle, he now has one hand on the trophy. The HQ’s continued their fight for the NSW State Championship at a very cold but sunny Sydney Motorsport Park. The track and temperature were perfect for some very fast times. Chris Molle did not disappoint, setting a pole time of 1:58.5719, Matt Barker would sit beside him on the front row. Jason Molle and Jarrod Harber qualified in 3 rd and 4th respectively. David Proglio and Jeff Mulligan would occupy row 3. David Allan, Darren Parker, Glenn Deering, and Jason Johnston would round out the top 10. Chris Molle made the best start from his brother Jason. Proglio hounded the leaders throughout the first lap, and eventually made it past Jason into 2 nd position. As the race settled down, Chris Molle pulled away from the 2 nd place driver, who in turn was busy holding off Jason Molle and Harber. In the mid pack there was a great dice brewing between returning HQ driver Mulligan, Johnston and Brendan Healy. Jason Molle went wide at turn 1, he toured the grass for a few 100 meters and re-joined the track having lost a place to Harber. Towards the end of the race Chris Molle had a comfortable lead form a 4-way battle for 2 nd place that consisted of Proglio, Harber, Barker and Jason Molle. At the end Chris Molle won comfortably from Proglio and Harber. A Great return to racing from Mulligan finishing a strong 7 th outright.

Race 2 was a very short race, only 4 laps to be exact. So, the start was crucial, and Chris Molle obliged. He made a brilliant start from Proglio and Jason Molle. Amanda Saunders car ran into trouble and retired on the back straight causing a yellow sector. Glenn Deering’s car toured slowly the following lap and retired. Mulligan was giving the leaders some hurry up with some old-fashioned HQ driving (not scared to rub panels). He was having a great dice with Harber and Allan. Up front Chris Molle just powered away and left the rest of the field to squabble for positions. Ian McLean was having a great dice with Barker and Peter Lynch. Kane Robinson was trying to keep Darren Parker and Gordon behind. It was a very spirited race. Chris Molle won again from David Proglio and Jason Molle. Unfortunately, 5 second penalties were applied to Proglio and Harber. These changed the result and shuffled the finishing order. The result was Chris Molle 1 st , Jason Molle 2 nd and Mulligan 3 rd .

In the final race Chris Molle again made a great start, from Jason Molle and Allan. Unfortunately, Macleay jumped the gun and started early, he would receive a 5 second penalty. This race would become a race of attrition, with 5 cars not finishing. Mulligan could not capitalise from his high starting position as he was the first car to DNF. He was soon followed by Lynch, Mclean, Barker, and Deering.
Up front it was again Chris Molle with a gap to a 5-car battle for 2 nd place. The 5-way dice consisted of; Harber, Allen, Jason Molle, Proglio and Parker. Brett Simpson was in hot pursuit of Peter Siemsen and Saunders. And just ahead of them Kane Robinson, Ashton Parker and Glenn Robinson battled for position. At the end Chris Molle made it 3 wins from 3 starts, David Proglio capped his good weekend coming home 2 nd and Jason Molle was 3 rd . Allan finished 4 th just ahead of Harber. Darren Parker was 6 th from Johnston. Young Brendan Healy came home in 8 th as Kane Robinson and Glenn Robinson rounded out the top 10.

2023 NSW Motorsport Australia State Championship – R2

SYDNEY MOTORSPORT PARK – NSW HQ Holden Championship.

The HQ’s continued their fight for the NSW State Championship at a very cold but sunny Sydney Motorsport Park. The track and temperature were perfect for some very fast times. Chris Molle did not disappoint, setting a pole time of 1:58.5719, Matt Barker would sit beside him on the front row. Jason Molle and Jarrod Harber qualified in 3 rd and 4 th respectively. David Proglio and Jeff Mulligan would occupy row 3. David Allan, Darren Parker, Glenn Deering, and Jason Johnston would round out the top 10. Chris Molle made the best start from his brother Jason. Proglio hounded the leaders throughout the first lap, and eventually made it past Jason into 2 nd position. As the race settled down, Chris Molle pulled away from the 2 nd place driver, who in turn was busy holding off Jason Molle and Harber. In the mid pack there was a great dice brewing between returning HQ driver Mulligan, Johnston and Brendan Healy. Jason Molle went wide at turn 1, he toured the grass for a few 100 meters and re-joined the track having lost a place to Harber. Towards the end of the race Chris Molle had a comfortable lead form a 4-way battle for 2 nd place that consisted of Proglio, Harber, Barker and Jason Molle. At the end Chris Molle won comfortably from Proglio and Harber. A Great return to racing from Mulligan finishing a strong 7 th outright.

Race 2 was a very short race, only 4 laps to be exact. So, the start was crucial, and Chris Molle obliged. He made a brilliant start from Proglio and Jason Molle. Amanda Saunders car ran into trouble and retired on the back straight causing a yellow sector. Glenn Deering’s car toured slowly the following lap and retired. Mulligan was giving the leaders some hurry up with some old-fashioned HQ driving (not scared to rub panels). He was having a great dice with Harber and Allan. Up front Chris Molle just powered away and left the rest of the field to squabble for positions. Ian McLean was having a great dice with Barker and Peter Lynch. Kane Robinson was trying to keep Darren Parker and Gordon behind. It was a very spirited race. Chris Molle won again from David Proglio and Jason Molle. Unfortunately, 5 second penalties were applied to Proglio and Harber. These changed the result and shuffled the finishing order. The result was Chris Molle 1 st , Jason Molle 2 nd and Mulligan 3 rd .

In the final race Chris Molle again made a great start, from Jason Molle and Allan. Unfortunately, Macleay jumped the gun and started early, he would receive a 5 second penalty. This race would become a race of attrition, with 5 cars not finishing. Mulligan could not capitalise from his high starting position as he was the first car to DNF. He was soon followed by Lynch, Mclean, Barker, and Deering.
Up front it was again Chris Molle with a gap to a 5-car battle for 2 nd place. The 5-way dice consisted of; Harber, Allen, Jason Molle, Proglio and Parker. Brett Simpson was in hot pursuit of Peter Siemsen and Saunders. And just ahead of them Kane Robinson, Ashton Parker and Glenn Robinson battled for position. At the end Chris Molle made it 3 wins from 3 starts, David Proglio capped his good weekend coming home 2 nd and Jason Molle was 3 rd . Allan finished 4 th just ahead of Harber. Darren Parker was 6 th from Johnston. Young Brendan Healy came home in 8 th as Kane Robinson and Glenn Robinson rounded out the top 10.

2023 NSW Motorsport Australia State Championship – R1

WINTON MOTOR RACEWAY – NSW HQ Holden Championship.

The first round of the NSW HQ State Championship was held at the rural Victoria Winton Raceway. 17 drivers travelled down the Hume hwy to commence their season with 4 Victorian drivers also entering. Summer was officially over, but with temperatures in the mid 30’s it really tested Drivers and Machines. The Osborn Transport team rolled out into qualifying with 3 beautifully presented car; Brett Osborn, John Baxter and Matt Barker. They proceeded to put down some very fast times. Osborn eventually claimed pole with a great time of 1:45.6437. John Baxter was able to set a time that put him on the front row, this was a great effort considering he was twice held up
towards the back section of the track by slower drivers. 2022 Champion Chris Molle was 3 rd fastest and the first Victorian Driver Ryan Woods was 4 th . The next row consisted of Barker and David Proglio. The remainder of the top ten was Kenneth Wright, Andrew McLeod, Dave Allan and Jarrod Harber. Race 1 was held on Saturday afternoon. Towards the rear of the field Brett Simpson was making his HQ racing debut. The front row made an even start and arrived to the first corner chicane side by side. Credit to all the field, turn 1 and 2 complex did not cause any issues, and by turn 3 the field was close to single file. Osborn led the way from J Baxter, C Molle, Barker and Proglio. As the race evolved these 5 drivers would pull away from the main pack. The mid pack battles were intensifying, Wright, Allan and McLeod diced and swapped position. Unfortunately, Allan had a small mishap that dropped him down the field. Peter Siemsan had the unfortunate honour of being the first retirement of the season, his car expiring during the second lap. Jason Molle was working his way through the field when he suffered a similar fate, a DNF on lap 8. The pack at front was reduced to 3 drivers, Osborn, J Baxter and C Molle.
And that is how they finished; Osborn was in full command of the race. Proglio was 4 th and Barker finished 5 th .

Race 2 was held on Sunday; the conditions were hotter and windier. Every time a car would go slightly off the track, a dust cloud would travel many meters. Osborn and company made a similar start to the first race. The first 5 cars quickly pulled away, the order was; Osborn, J Baxter, C Molle, Barker and Proglio. The drivers were pushing a little harder during this race, some cars went wide at turn 3. All trying to find the limit of the car. Young Brendan Healey was probably the wildest, at one stage he had all 4 wheels on the grass on the outside of turn 3. He kept his foot planted and bounced all over the place trying to find the track. The drivers behind proceeded to take avoiding action, mainly Jason Johnson. Another great dice was between Mark Barker, Allen and J Molle. The cars never separated by more than 2 seconds. At the front of the field, Proglio made a great pass on Barker to go into 4 th place. Osborne did not make a mistake while in the lead, despite of the pressure that J Baxter was putting on him. The former went on to take his second win followed by J Baxter and C Molle. Proglio finished 4 th ahead of Barker.

The start for the final race was a repeat of the first two races, however there was one difference. Proglio started 4 th and found himself two wide at turn 3, he could not make the corner and proceeded to driver from turn 3 to turn 4 on the dirt. He eventually rejoined….in 18 th position. This left a 4-car train dicing for the lead: Osborn, J Baxter, C Molle and Barker. The latter unfortunately retired on lap 3. Harber was one of the drivers that capitalised on others misfortune, he was dicing with Wright and McLeod for 4 th position. Proglio was making his way through the field after his earlier off. Kane Robinson was giving Mark Baxter a hard time in mid field. Ashton Parker was keeping ahead of Johnson. Every where you looked there was a battle for position. This would be a longer race so lapped traffic could come in play towards the end of the race. Credit to Brett Simpson and Peter Siemsen, obeying the blue flags and letting the leaders through with minimal fuss. J Baxter made an attempted pass on the leader at turn 2, both drivers drove side by side through turn 3 and all the way till turn 5. Great skill and respect showed, Osborn did prevail and claim another win. J Baxter was 2 nd and C Molle finished 3 rd . McLeod was 4 th from Harber 5 th . The remainder of the top 10 consisted of Wright, Woods, J Molle, Proglio and D Parker.

A special mention to Jason Molle, notching up 50 race starts in the NSW HQ State Championship. Osborn really showed his dominance taking maximum points. The rest of the drivers will need to work hard for the rest of the year to even get close to him.

2022 NSW Motorsport Australia State Championship – R5

SYDNEY MOTORSPORT PARK NSW HQ Holden Championship, October 25th-30th

The HQ fraternity continued their charge towards NSW MA state championship at Sydney Motorsport Park. Mostly sunny weather greeted the 16 drivers that would tackle qualifying during the Saturday morning. Luke Harrison was the fastest claiming pole from Chris Molle, second row consisted of John Baxter and David Proglio and the third row was occupied by Glenn Deering and Shaun Boland. Race 1 was run Saturday afternoon (as they would all weekend) with Proglio and Harrison making the better starts. Harrison was able to out brake Proglio, to take the lead by the time the cars arrived at turn 2. The race order in the initial laps was Harrison, Baxter, Molle, Proglio and Deering, these five drivers had a slight gap to the chasing pack. Baxter was showing signs of speed and went past Harrison to take the lead. The unfortunate Wayne Harrison was the first retirement of the weekend, his car only lasting two laps. Once Baxter hit the lead, he never looked back and won just ahead of Luke Harrison. Proglio finished 3 rd from Molle and Deering. Boland came home in 6 th ; however, he received a 5 second penalty for jumping the start and was relegated down to 7 th .

Race 2 started with John Baxter making a good getaway from Molle and Harrison, the initial jostling for position was frantic and a pack of six cars quickly formed. John Baxter went wide at the hairpin and within one corner he dropped 4 positions. The order after one lap was Harrison, Proglio, Deering, Molle and Baxter. As the cars rounded corporate hill for the second time, Baxter was near last and Proglio was slowing down to eventually DNF. The leading pack was down to three. Deering was the raciest of them, positioning his car in different parts of the track to put pressure on the leaders. He was able to go deep under brakes to get past Molle. All this dicing allowed Boland to catch up and make it a 4-way dice. Luke Harrison won the race from Deering. Bolan passed Molle for 3 rd place and David Allan came home in 5 th position. Special mention to Amanda Saunders and Gordon Macleay, running withing a second of each other throughout the race. But most importantly, this was MacLeay 100 th race starts in the NSW State Championship.

Only 15 cars started the last race, unfortunately Proglio was a nonstarter. Harrison and Deering made an even start at the front. So even that they started banging panels from to 200m braking mark until Harrison won the right to turn 2. Nothing too vigorous, but both drivers felt each other presence. Baxter who started towards the back of the field was already in 8 th place by the start of lap two. He was also aggressive, putting a no argue move to Jarrod Harber at turn 2. Chris Jackson’s car slowed down between turn 1 and 2, he eventually came to a stop at turn 2. To his credit he positioned the car in a way so the safety car would not be needed. The two leaders swapped position at will. As this was happening, Molle and Boland diced for 3 rd place, and soon Baxter would join them. Luke Harrison held off Deering for a fine win. Boland finished 3 rd , just ahead of Molle and the recovering John Baxter. Allan was 6 th out right from Harber. Darren Parker was 8 th ; Mark Baxter 9 th and Jason Johnson rounded off the top 10. The remaining finishers were Peter Lynch, Macleay and Saunders.

2022 NSW Motorsport Australia State Championship – R1

WAKEFIELD PARK RACEWAY NSW HQ Holden Championship, February 26th & 27th

Wakefield Park Raceway hosted the start of the NSW HQ State championship, 18 cars came out to set a time in qualifying. John Baxter claimed pole with a time of 1:16.2795 and shared the front row with David Allan. The second row consisted of Matt Barker and Jason Molle. Row 3 was occupied by last year’s champion Glenn Deering and Jack Harrison.

John Baxter made the best start in race 1, his front row partner did the opposite. Allan went from 2nd place to 13th by turn 2. J Baxter lead a 4-car pack that consisted of Jason Molle, Deering and Chris Molle. Unfortunately for the leader he ran into mechanical trouble halfway through the second lap. His stricken car pulled over to the infield between turn 8 and 9, causing a safety car to come out. At the restart the new leader was J Molle from Deering, C Molle and Proglio. 

The fast Barker caught up to the leaders and started putting pressure on them, he went past Deering and then C Molle. With 2 laps to go Proglio overtakes J Molle at turn 2, and a lap later Barker goes past both of them to take the lead. The result was Barker 1st from Proglio, J Molle, C Molle and Deering. Only 1.5 seconds separated the five cars at the end. 

Race 2 was held Sunday morning on a damp track. Previous race winner Barker started in last position due to gearbox problems. Proglio made the best start from 

C Molle and J Molle. Harrison had a spin as he was racing Deering up the hill, he dropped from 5th down to 12th. Darren Parker’s car pulled over just after turn 2 to retire, this caused the safety car to come out again. 

At the restart, the order was Proglio, J Molle, C Molle and Shaun Boland. C Molle went wide at the top of the track and dropped down the order. In the closing stages, J Molle went past Proglio to take the lead and eventually won. Proglio came home 2nd and Barker finished 3rd after working his way through the field.

Proglio, J Molle and Barker had an even getaway for the start of race 3. As the race settled down, a pack of 4 cars battled for the lead, they included, Proglio, J Molle, C Molle and Boland. And just behind them another pack of 4 diced for 5th position; Allan, Deering, Jackson and Barker.

J Molle went past Proglio, these two drivers proceeded to pull away from the pursuing pack. As this was happening, Allan and Boland had a coming together down the main straight. Allan’s car spun, hit the wall and came to a rest on the edge of the track. Boland’s car came to a complete stop and was squeezed between Allan’s car and the wall. The safety car was released again as both drivers incurred a DNF. 

At the restart J Molle held off Barker up the hill. As the cars came around for the first time, they drove 3 wide down the straight, J Molle, Barker and Baxter. These drivers continued their dice for the last two laps with Barker coming out on top, J Baxter came home 2nd and J Molle finishing 3rd.

2021 NSW Motorsport Australia State Championship – R1

WAKEFIELD PARK RACEWAY NSW HQ Holden Championship, February 27th & 28th

It had been a long summer and finally the NSW motor racing season would kick off with the start of the NSW Motor Race Championship. The HQ Holdens were ready to do battle once more for the State Championship at Wakefield Park. The cars came out to qualify on Saturday morning in perfect conditions and the presentation of all the HQ’s was second to none. A lot of work and effort over the summer. New paint jobs, new sponsors, and a sense of anticipation in the air made it a great spectacle. The defending State champion Glenn Deering struggled in qualifying, setting a time that was only good enough for 9th on the grid. On the other hand, multiple Champion Brett Osborn was back to his best, claiming pole from Matt Barker. John Baxter made it a trio of Osborn Transport cars in 3rd place. Jason Molle claimed 4th , David Proglio and Chris Molle claimed the third row. 18 cars rolled onto the grid for the start of the first race. Barker made the best start from Osborn, Jason Molle and John Baxter. Osborn wasted no time putting pressure on the leader as they both pulled a small gap to the 3rd and 4th placed cars. The unfortunate Scott Walker slowed up to retire. A mid pack battle was brewing between Proglio, Parker and Chris Molle. This dice continued for nearly the entire race. During lap 5, Osborn pounced on the outside of Barker at turn 2. The cars climbed the hill, side by side and by turn 3 it was over. Osborn had the lead and subsequently pulled away. The following lap Barker and Chris Molle had a small coming together at the fishhook. This allowed John Baxter to jump into 2nd place, a position he would hold until the penultimate lap. What was evident was Osborn’s pure speed, pulling a 6 second lead from the rest. The result was Osborn comfortably 1st , the recovering Barker 2nd , Proglio came home 3rd ahead of Parker. Chris and Jason Molle came home 5th and 6th. Defending champion Deering came home a lowly 11th.

Race 2 was held on Sunday morning in slightly cooler conditions. Osborn made the best start and was followed by Barker. These two quickly pulled away from a six-car pack that included Proglio, Parker, Chris Molle, Jason Molle, Mark Baxter, and David Allan. Within a few laps, lowly starter John Baxter was making his way through the field. Pedro Marusic was having a great dice with Jason Johnston. Deering was still struggling with pace, trying to hang onto Jarrod Harber. Barker overtook Osborn on the inside of turn 2, however a few laps later Osborn returned serve reclaiming that position. The result was Osborn 1st , Barker 2nd and Jason Molle 3rd . Proglio finished 4th , John Baxter recovered to finish 5th and parker was 6th . Race 3 was a race of high attrition, and it would also be the race where Deering found some pace. Barker made a brilliant start, edging Osborn to take the lead. The unfortunate Chris Molle retired on the inside of the fishhook, as the field navigated around his slowing car. A lap later it was Gordon Macleay’s turn to DNF……a trend was beginning. As the race settled, the first two pulled ahead from another two car battle behind them consisting of Jason Molle and John Baxter. Marusic and Johnston continued their dice from the previous race. Johnston came out of turn 10 with momentum and dragged Marusic along the main straight. As the cars came to the kink (Turn 1) Marusic shut the door forcing his combatant to take evasive action on the infield. Once on the grass, Johnston was just a passenger. His car sun for 150M, crossing the track at high speed at turn two, just missing Marusic’s car. As the race matured, Osborn piled the pressure on the leader. In a carbon copy of his move during race 1, he claimed the lead and went on to win the race. Barker finished 2nd and Jason Molle claimed 3rd . At the end 5 cars retired with Peter Lynch, Nicholas Jackson and David Allan joining the cue. Great start of the season, Osborn started with a bang and the rest of the field has plenty of work to catch up.

2020 HQ Osborns Transport NSW State Series – Round 4

14th of November – Sydney Motorsport Park

With much anticipation, the inaugural under-lights NSW State championship had arrived. A warm spring day greeted the 25 HQ drivers as they rolled out onto the track to begin their qualifying session. Glenn Deering showed speed from the start of the session and eventually claimed pole with a time of 2 minutes flat. Layton Crambrook was good enough for the front row. The second row consisted of Chris Molle and Luke Harrison. Row 3 was occupied by Brett Osborn and the ever-improving David Proglio. In race 1 all the drivers made a clean start. As the field jostled for track position, a group of 7 drivers formed at the front. The seven protagonists were Deering, Crambrook, L Harrison, Molle, Osborn, Proglio and John Baxter. Deering was the leader of the bunch, placing his HQ in the perfect spot making it difficult to overtake. As the front pack skipped away, a vigorous dice was forming mid-pack between Pedro Marusic, Darren Parker, and the hard charging Scott Walker. Walker was making his way through the field after a lowly start. Duane Cambridge and David Redgrove had a coming together at turn 2, resulting in both cars not finishing. Up front Deering drove a perfect race to claim him maiden race win. Proglio piled on pressure on the leader but could not get past, finishing a strong second. Luke Harrison finished 3rd from Molle. Crambrook received a whopping 35 second penalty for track limits, it relegated him down to 14th place. Special mention to Walker, charging through the field to finish 7th.

Race 2 started in similar fashion to the first, Deering led the charge from Harrison. Grant Jury went wide at turn 1 and toured the grass all the way to turn 2. The following lap, the unfortunate Jason Johnston had a high speed off at
turn 1. He recovered the car after a few spins on the grass, rejoining the race in last position only to eventually retire. The track must have been slippery as Cambridge and Baxter also followed suit with minor excursions at different locations. The race became a battle between Deering and Proglio, these two drivers built a gap to the 3rd position dice of Barker and Harrison. Deering never made an error, resulting in his 2nd win. Proglio tried hard and was rewarded with another 2nd place. Barker got the better of Harrison to finish 3rd .

The night race was run in perfect cool conditions. The track looked great and the presentation of the cars was amplified by the lights. Again, Deering made the perfect start from Proglio, Harrison and Barker. The unfortunate Peter Lynch had a weekend to forget. His beautiful Black and Green HQ rolled to a halt after turn 2 in a steamy mess. He was not the only one, Johnson, Healy and Jack Harrison also retired not long after. Cambridge had a major lock up of brakes at turn 2. One observation that was evident was the length of time smoke hovered just above the track. It took a complete lap for the smoke to disappear from Cambridge’s tyre lockup. Night time did not change Deering’s mood, he was in full command of the race. Proglio, Harrison and Barker could not get past him. Multiple champions like Osborn and Baxter did not get a look in. Deering made it 3 wins from 3 races, and a pole position just for good measure. What a way to break a drought. Proglio finished 2nd again, Harrison claimed the last step of the podium. The night racing added colour and excitement to the meet. Hopefully there will be plenty more to come. A special mention to 3 drivers that notched up their 50 th race start in NSW HQ’s: Proglio, Crambrook and Barker.

2020 HQ Osborns Transport NSW State Series – Round 3

1st of August – Sydney Motorsport Park

The HQ fraternity returned to Sydney Motorsport Park for the first time in 2020. Due to the disrupted season the scheduling for the weekend was compressed. The HQ’s would be qualifying early Sunday morning and then followed by 3 sprint races on the same day. A strong field of 18 cars came out to qualify in cool sunny conditions. Luke Harrison was the hard charger from the previous round, he continued his good form to claim pole. Beside him on the front row was Duane Cambridge. Glenn Deering and David Proglio shared the second row, Jack Harrison and David Redgrove filled row three. The surprise of the qualifying session was Layton Crambrook in 8th position with plenty of work ahead of him.

Deering made the best start in race one, and proceeded to dice with Luke Harrison and Proglio for the lead. A small gap formed between the three leaders and Jack Harrison in 4th . After a few laps the race settled down with L Harrison and Deering dicing for the lead and Proglio dropping a few places. Crambrook was slowly working his way towards the pointy end, unfortunately his car ran into brake problems while he was in 3rd position. Chris Buckley was the first car to DNF, he was soon followed by Amanda Saunders and Peter Lynch.

The two leaders built up a commanding gap from a seven-car dice for 3rd place. Jack Harrison was holding off a freight train of cars that consisted of; Cambridge, Proglio, Redgrove, James Flett, Pedro Marusic and Chris Molle. Cambridge was able to put a move that would elevate him to 3rd . In the end Luke Harrison edged out Deering to take the win. This pair finished 10 seconds ahead of 3rd place Cambridge.

Peter Lynch’s Black and Green car started from pit lane as the field got away for race 2. Again, it was Deering and Luke Harrison making the best start from Jack Harrison. On lap 2 Jack Harrison and Deering drove side by side through the fast turn 1, resulting in the former to go into 2nd position. A lap later Proglio and Cambridge made a duel pass on Redgrove in the same section of the track. Crambrook’s woes continued, he overshot turn 2 and toured the outfield.

The battle for the lead was becoming intense at the front, the two Harrison brothers and Deering swapped positions multiple times. During the last lap, Jack Harrison claimed first position after some forceful driving. His front guard was damaged and rubbing on his tyre. The car crossed the finish line in 1st place, with smoke bellowing out from the rubbing guard. Luke Harrison came home in 2nd place, Deering finished 3rd .The best of the rest was Flett with a strong 4th place. Unfortunately, 5 second penalties were handed out to 1st and 4th place respectively. The final official result was Luke Harrison 1st , Deering 2nd and Darren Parker 3rd.

For the trophy race it was Deering who made the better start, Luke Harrison and Proglio not far behind. The three leaders pulled a bit of a gap from Parker, who was keeping the rest of the field at bay. By the third lap the order was, Deering 1st from Luke Harrison and Proglio. Cambridge made his way into 4th position and started closing the gap on the leaders.

Battle groups started forming up and down the field; Saunders and Lynch traded positions, Marusic, Redgrove and Flett likewise. Up front Luke Harrison got past Deering as Proglio was holding off a fast Cambridge. During lap 5 Cambridge went wide at turn 1, his two right wheels dropped off the track for at least 100m. As he came back on and approached turn 2, he applied his brakes to no avail. What was to happen looked like a repeat of last season’s nasty accident. He spun his car to wash off some speed, however once on the grass, he was just a passenger. His car hit the tire barrier at high speed causing the safety cars to come out. Unfortunately, the race finished 2 laps later under the yellow of the safety car. The result was another win to Luke Harrison, Deering finished 2nd topping off a great weekend. Proglio was 3rd from Jack Harrison 4th . Chris Molle scored valuable championship points in 5th , 6th position was a just reward for Parker’s consistency.

2020 HQ Osborns Transport NSW State Series – Round 2

11th-12th of July – Wakefield Park Raceway

After a long-enforced break from racing the HQ Holdens fraternity made a welcome return to Wakefield Park. A solid field of 24 cars came out to qualify, the numbers were boosted by a number of visiting QLD drivers. Layton Crambrook topped the time sheets in very slippery conditions, beside him on the front row was the first of the visitors, Scott Andriske. Second row consisted of Glenn Deering and Brandon Madden. Luke Harrison and Dave Proglio made up row
3.

Race 1 was run on a very wet and slippery track. It was not raining, however it had not long stopped. Crambrook made the best start and was followed in close quarters by Deering and Harrison. The positions remained static through out the field, a great example of wet weather driving by all. Pedro Marusic was the first driver to be caught out by the conditions. His car going off at the turn 2 gravel trap, he was able to rejoin towards the rear of the field. At the pointy end of the field, Harrison was putting a lot of pressure on Deering. The pressure paid off with Harrison going past to go into 2nd position.

The QLD drivers adapted to the Wakefield Park track well, this was evident with Madden also going past Deering to be in a podium position. The race would change due to a safety car being used for the recovery of the stricken Glenn Millers Car. At the restart Crambrook continued his march at the front and was followed by Harrison and Madden. The unfortunate Tye Gray car came out of turn 2 with a gearbox full on neutrals, he coasted to retire. Towards the end of the race Madden went wide at turn 2, losing a podium finish and dropping all the way down to 10th . Harrison made a late lunge on Crambrook and momentarily took the lead, only to go wide at the fishhook and drop to 3rd . The result was Crambrook 1st , Deering 2nd, Harrison 3rd and the consistent Proglio 4th . The first of the visitors was Joe Andriski in 6th position.

Race 2 was held in dry conditions, Crambrook wasted no time claiming the lead from Deering and Proglio. Just behind the leaders, Chris Molle was having a great dice with Harrison and Madden. The unfortunate Adam Leach was the first car to DNF, but it was not as dramatic as Scott Andriske retirement. The visiting QLD managed to hit the pit wall entrance after his car lost a wheel (sheared wheel nuts). This incident caused the safety car to come out for 4 laps. At the restart Harrison was applying pressure on Proglio, and eventually made it past into 3rd place.

The racing was combative throughout the field, Grant Jury, Jake Madden and Gordon Macleay had a spirited dice in the mid pack. Likewise, Amanda Saunders and Glenn Miller towards the rear. Crambrook was able to build a small gap at the front and maintained it till the end. Deering finished 2nd from Harrison 3rd . Proglio came home in 4th just ahead of C Molle.

In the 3rd and final race, Crambrook made another great jump from Deering and Harrison. Harrison looked racy from the start and quickly dispatched Deering to gain a place. The biggest mover was Scott Andriski, started from last and found himself in 13th position by lap 7. His rise through the field would not last long. At the top of the hill his HQ impersonated a Reliant Robin, another wheel parted his car causing his second DNF. The errant wheel rolled down hill just missing Gray’s car. Up front Harrison was filling Crambrook’s mirrors, and as the cars crested turn 5 they came together. Crambrook slid off the track as Harrison took a questionable lead. Harrison controlled the race till the end and eventually won from Crambrook and Madden.

Harrison’s win was short lived, he was imposed a 35 second penalty for his indiscretion with Crambrook. The final corrected result was Crambrook 1st , Madden 2nd , C Molle 3rd , Deering 4th and Proglio 5th . A special mention to Wayne Healy finishing all three races.

2020 HQ Osborns Transport NSW State Series – Round 1

29th of February – 1st March – Wakefield Park Raceway

After a long summer break that was marred by natural disasters, it was great to get back into the annual racing season. The first day of the 2020 NSW HQ championship saw the return of a few drivers. Previous champion John Baxter made his official return to racing, Layton Crambrook followed suit and Scott Walker returned (In Nicholas Jacksons car). The season ahead was full of anticipations, the defending Champion Brett Osborn would start as favorite. Last years hard chargers, Chris and Jason Molle would provide stiff competition. Returning drivers John Baxter and Crambrook will be in contention. Duane Cambridge and Glenn Deering will also be a threat. The 2020 season could be the most open in years. Qualifying was run in near perfect conditions, and as the cars rolled out onto the track, it was notable that the presentation of the vehicles had lifted another notch. A special mention to David Proglio on a stunning Black/White/Teal livery. The “HQ Extra” boys of Chris Buckley and Wayne Healy showed off their new Battleship grey with matt Black trims livery. It took 11 laps for Osborn to post a time good enough to claim pole from Chris Molle. The second row consisted of Jason Molle and John Baxter, Proglio and Deering made up row three. Looking at the final grid, it looked like a continuation of last years championship battle. The unfortunate Healy ran into car trouble, with his vehicle having serious engine issues. The cars glistened in the sun for the start of the first race of the season, Healy joined the grid with a borrowed car. Osborn made the best jump and was followed by the Molle boys. Behind the leading trio was John Baxter, Proglio and Deering. The unlucky Healy retired only after one lap. Cambridge was the hard charger making his way through the field from a poor starting position. The race settled down at the front, forming two groups of 3 cars. Osborn and the Molle boys and then a gap to Baxter, Proglio and Deering. The second trio was engaged in a spirited battle, with the drivers swapping position for 4 th place. Deering made an error at the start of the back straight, his car went wide and toured the outfield. He was able to rejoin but dropped from 4 th to 9 th . Osborn did not make a mistake and won from Chris Molle. Jason Molle finished 3 rd . 4th place went to Proglio followed by J Baxter and young Luke Harris.

In race two it was Chris Molle who made the better start, followed by Osborne and Proglio. Healy was not having a good start of the season with another DNF. Chris Molle capitalized on the great start and proceeded to build up a gap to Osborne. Proglio, Jason Molle and John Baxter diced for third. The race stabilized and gaps started forming between the field. Parker went wide at the top of the hill kicking up a big cloud of dust, he rejoined the race with no harm done. By midrace distance it was noticeable that Osborn was making ground on the leader. During lap 8 of the 12 lap race, Osborn made a great exit out of turn 10, onto the main straight and ran side by side with Chris Molle for nearly a whole lap. The squabbling between the front runners allowed Proglio, J Baxter and Jason Molle to catch up. At one stage there was 5 cars bunched up dicing for the lead. Osborne made a decisive overtake to claim the lead with only a few laps to go and at the same time J Baxter got past Proglio for third position. The final result was Osborn 1st, C Molle 2 nd , J Baxter 3 rd , J Molle 4 th and Proglio 5th. A very entertaining race. For the final race Chris Molle made another good start and led the field up the hill, he was closely followed by Osborn, Jason Molle and J Baxter. During the second lap HQ rookie Jarrod Harber spun at the top of the hill, he rejoined the race in last position. The leader started pulling away from Osborn as the whole field spread out. By mid-race distance C Molle had a 2 second lead from Osborn. Jason Molle was in third dicing with J Baxter and Harrison. Harrison tried to make a move on the outside of J Baxter on the kink of the straight (turn 1), the two cars drove side by side, however the years of driving experience by Baxter came to the fore giving Harrison no room on the outside of turn 2. Up front Chris Molle was actually pulling away from Osborn, he eventually won by 3 seconds. Osborn finished in 2 nd and Jason Molle was 3rd. John Baxter capped off his great comeback to the sport by finishing 4 th , the ever improving Proglio was 5 th and Harrison 6 th .

Congratulation to Duane Cambridge on 150 race starts in the NSW HQ state championship, also to Chris Molle notching up his 50 th podium.

2019 HQ Osborns Transport NSW State Series – Round Five Race Report:

26th & 27th of October – Sydney Motorsport Park

The final round of the HQ NSW State Championship was held at a very windy Sydney Motorsport Park. This would be the title decider between Brett Osborn and Chris Molle. Osborn was leading the points and all he had to do was finish the three races at the pointy end and he would become champion. A welcome entry to this meet was the return of previous front runner Layton Crambrook.

A good size field came out to qualify, to be exact 25 beautifully presented HQ’s glistened in the sun early Saturday morning. Osborn stamped his authority claiming pole from his rival Chris Molle. Jason Molle and David Proglio occupied the second row, while row three consisted of Duane Cambridge and Darren Parker.

The two front runners made a clean start in the first race, they drove side by side through turn 1 and into turn 2. Osborn edged out his rival and proceeded to lead the race. In the normal first lap skirmish, Cambridge had a small spin coming out of turn 2. After a quick tour of the grassy infield he rejoined the race towards the rear of the field.

Once the race had settled into a rhythm, a group of three cars emerged at the front; Osborn, C Molle and J Molle. Proglio was running in 4th and being hounded by David Allan and Luke Harrison. Cameron Stuart came in too hot at turn two and spun his car, Peter Lynch was the next driver on the scene and proceeded to take avoiding action by touring the outfield.

The following lap Stuart Spry and Shane Cox had a side by side coming together in the braking zone of turn two, both drivers continued on. Up front Jason Molle ran into trouble and retired. In the end Osborn was too good for Chris Molle. Harrison beat the rest to come home in 3rd.

In race 2 it was Chris Molle who made the best start, and as the cars came around for the first time the order was C.Molle, Osborn, Proglio, Allan and Tristan Wolds. C. Molle’s lead did not last long, Osborn put on a great move to claim first position. The race settled down with Osborn and C. Molle dicing up front, then a three car dice for 3rd position between Proglio, Allan and Cambridge. Behind them was also another intense dice between Wolds, Harrison and Shaun Boland.

Probably the drive of the race was Crambrook starting from last, found himself mid-pack by lap 5. Chris Buckley coasted into the pits to retire, and he was soon followed by Ian Mclean, Cameron Stuart and Grant Jury. Spry went wide at the last turn before the straight, he did not lift and toured the outfield at high speed for a few hundred meters. In the end Osborn was relentless and won from C. Molle, Allan arrived home in 3rd.

The last race of the year started with Osborn making a great start from C. Molle. These two drivers stayed up front throughout the race missing all action behind. All the competitors put everything on the line knowing this was the final.  Stuart Lillie and Jason Molle toured the grass at high speed between turn 1 and turn 2. As this was happening Parker had a major lock up at turn 2 and Crambrook also spun in turn 2. It was mayhem up and down the field, Lynch went wide at the same turn and rejoined after touring the grass.

This mayhem continued throughout the race, Lillie went wide again after turn 1. J. Molle and Proglio had a touch on the approach to turn 2 with the former coming out on top. The surprising result amongst this carnage was Jason Molle progression in the race, from virtual last to 3rd

position. Cranbrook spun again at relatively high speed at turn 2, his car pirouetted and somehow missed everybody.

Unfortunately, the biggest incident of the race was Cambridge running out of brakes at the end of turn 2. Cambridge tried to wash some speed off but it was to no avail. He eventually hit the tyre wall head on, a good 50m past the track edge.  The front of the car sustained major damage and unfortunately ended his race prematurely.

Up front Osborn was in a class of his own, he won comfortably from Chris Molle and the hard charging Jason Molle was 3rd. Congratulations to Brett Osborn on winning his fourth straight NSW HQ state Championship, an unbelievable achievement. Commiseration to Chris Molle, no matter how hard he tried Osborn always had an answer.

Brett Osborn statistics are second to none, in 8 seasons they are as follows

• 122 race starts
• 55 wins
• 92 podiums
• 20 pole positions
• 4 Championships

Race 1

1     1 Brett Osborn       Osborns Transport / Boys from the Bush

2     2 Chris Molle         Command Digital Signage

3    17 Luke Harrison   Kerway/Asset Plumbing

Race 2

1     1 Brett Osborn       Osborns Transport / Boys from the Bush

2     2 Chris Molle         Command Digital Signage

3    12 David Allan        MIA Performance Engines & Dyno

Race 3

1     1 Brett Osborn       Osborns Transport / Boys from the Bush

2     2 Chris Molle         Command Digital Signage

3   32 Jason Molle        Command Digital Signage

2019 HQ Osborns Transport NSW State Series – Round Four Race Report:

7th & 8th of September – Wakefield Park

Cold and windy conditions greeted the drivers for the NSW State championship round at Wakefield Park. A solid field of 16 cars came out to qualify during Saturday morning. Brett Osborn showed his class by claiming pole with a time of 1;15.8256. Chris Molle was second fastest 0.8 seconds behind. The second row consisted of the returning John Baxter and Stuart Lillie. The third row was occupied by Dave Allan and David Proglio.

Molle made the best start in race 1 and found himself in the lead on the run to the top of the hill for the first time. John Baxter lost plenty of ground and found himself at the other end of the pack. As the cars finished the first lap the order was; Molle, Osborne, then a small gap to Lillie, Allan and Proglio. Tristan Wolds had a big lock up at the end of the straight as he was dicing with Shane Cox.

Osborn was hounding Molle and eventually went past him to take the lead. The speed of the new leader was unmatched and he proceeded to pull away. The battle for 3^rd place was intense between Lillie, Proglio, Cambridge and Allan. It was not settled until the very end with Lillie coming out on top. The final result for the race was Osborn 1^st, Molle 2^nd and Lillie 3^rd.

Osborn made a great start in the second race, with Molle right on his tail. Lillie and Allan continued their battle for 3^rd and just behind them Cambridge was dicing with Proglio and Glen Deering. The whole field was trying very hard, Cox had a half a loose coming out of turn 2, and Gordon Macleay had a big lock up at the end of the straight.

The unfortunate John Baxter retired just after the fish hook, he eventually coasted into the pits. Up front Osborn was in a class of his own, Molle tried hard to stay on his tail but eventually dropped back. In the end Osborn won comfortably from Molle, Lillie continued his great form with another podium finish. Proglio was 4^th and Cambridge came home 5^th.

The trophy race was run relatively early on Sunday afternoon. Osborn started well again and lead Molle and Proglio into turn 2. Lillie and Allan diced for 4th when Allen made a great overtaking move coming down the hill for the first time. Cambridge went wide at the fish hook while dicing Deering, as he rejoined, he forced Marusic to alter his line. This is when Parker accidentally tapped the rear of Marusic. This small collision resulted in both Marusic and Parker to spin out in a synchronized formation.

The field drove by and Marusic rejoined the race on the tail of Glenn Miller, Parker on the other hand took an eternity to get going and lost about half a lap on the leaders. As the race matured Osborn had a comfortable lead from Molle. The second-place car was being hounded by Lillie, Proglio and Allen. Mark Baxter had a small spin at the top of the hill, he rejoined the race with little time lost.

Nearing the conclusion of the race, Lillie made a great move on Molle to take 2^nd place. Molle tried his best to regain the spot but it was to no avail. The end result was Osborn 1^st, Lillie 2^nd and Molle 3^rd.

Race 1

1     1  Brett Osborn (NSW)       Osborns Transport/Boys From The Bush

2     2  Chris Molle (NSW)        Command Digital Signage

3    21  Stuart Lillie (NSW)      Sk5 Construction Equipment

Race 2

1     1  Brett Osborn (NSW)       Osborns Transport/Boys From The Bush

2     2  Chris Molle (NSW)        Command Digital Signage

3    21  Stuart Lillie (NSW)      Sk5 Construction Equipment

Race 3

1     1  Brett Osborn (NSW)       Osborns Transport/Boys From The Bush

2    21  Stuart Lillie (NSW)      Sk5 Construction Equipment

3     2  Chris Molle (NSW)        Command Digital Signage

2019 HQ Osborns Transport NSW State Series – Round Three Race Report:

22nd & 23rd of June – Sydney Motorsport Park Gardner

The third round of the NSW HQ state Championship was held at a cold and windy Sydney Motorsport Park. 22 HQ Holdens came out to qualify early Saturday morning. Some very fast times were posted with two drivers beating the 2 minute mark. Chris Molle claimed Pole with a time of 1: 59.3057 with Brett Osborn just beside him. Andrew McLeod and Scott Walker shared the second row, row three was made of Duane Cambridge and Glenn Deering.

In race 1 Osborn made the best start and was followed by Molle and McLeod. These three drivers proceeded to build a small gap from the rest of the field. Tahneal Hogan went wide at turn 1 and toured the grass rejoining before the second turn. Scott Walker was in a good position when with no warning the engine just let go, he was the first DNF of the day. Grant Jury and Jason Johnson had a moment in the middle of turn 1, both cars spun with Jury’s car stopping in the middle of the track sideways. Fortunately the rest of the oncoming field missed the stricken car, a very scary moment.

After a few laps the two leaders pulled away from the 3 rd placed car of McLeod. The order was Osborn and Molle up front, McLeod and Cambridge battling for 3rd . Deering, Dave Allan, Darren Parker and David Proglio fighting for 5th . The last mentioned four car battle was great value for the onlookers, each driver giving it their all as they squabbled for positions. At one stage Allan went wide at turn 1 and kept the accelerator pressed while on the grass for at least 200m, he rejoined in the same position with little ground lost.

Towards the rear of the field, Amanda Saunders and Peter Lynch were dicing for the same piece of real estate, at one stage Lynch braked deep at turn 2 with Saunders of the outside. Lynch locked the front left brake causing an instant under steer, to her credit Saunders had the presence of mind to take her foot off the brake pedal and roll straight, collision avoided. In the end Osborn edged Molle out for a win, Deering came home 3 rd just ahead of McLeod.Pedro Marusic and Shane Cox were both issued a 30 second penalty for exceeding track limits.

In race 2, Osborn made another good start from Molle and Deering, the field made its way around the track with no major drama until Steve Banks went wide and toured the gravel trap just before the hairpin. In the second lap Molle and McLeod went past Deering, relegating him down to 4th position. Cambridge, who started at the rear of the field due to head gasket dramas during the first race, was making his way up through the field, and by mid race distance was in 8th position.

Hogan had a little spin during the race, she got going again with no major harm done. Glenn Miller Saunders and Gordon Macleay were towards the rear of the field, however still racing hard for position. It was good to see Miller make his racing comeback after so many years off.

Osborn was able to leave Molle behind, and was having a relatively lonely race at the front. Molle was in a comfortable 2nd , but the battle for third was a different scenario. Deering and McLeod tried hard to keep the recovering Cambridge behind. During lap 7 Cambridge went past McLeod, and the following lap he made a move on Deering. As all of this was happening Marusic’s car was sounding ill and driving off the pace. At the end Osborn came home 1st , Molle was 2nd and Cambridge was 3rd.

Race 3 was run earlier than usual, just before lunch on Sunday. The different time slot did not affect Osborn starts, he again was able to get the jump from Molle, Parker and Cambridge. The same cannot be said about Tristan Wolds, his car was stationary at the start for a while. Wolds eventually got going but gave the rest of the field a few hundred meter head start.

The first lap was intense with four drivers dicing for the lead. One of the drivers was Darren Parker, and unfortunately he had a Jump start infringement given to him. During lap 3 Hogan had a massive spin at the very fast turn 1, her car spun 360 degrees and it gently kissed the inside wall as she came to a stop. The only witness mark was a slightly damaged front right fender, a very lucky escape.

It was evident that Cambridge had some pace, the number #7 HQ was putting a lot of pressure on the leader. During the penultimate lap; Cambridge was tucked behind Osborn down the main straight. Cambridge decide to make a slip streaming move on the leader and as the start of the very fast turn 1 approached he decided to tuck back in. As he did so, he gave Osborn a slight touch resulting in both cars drifting throughout the corner. Somehow both drivers kept the cars on the black stuff. Molle was just behind them and wasted no time in sticking his car into second position. Osborn was able to hold on for very good win, Molle came home second and the hard charging Cambridge arrived third.

Race 1
1 – #1 OSBORNS TRANSPORT / BOYS FROM THE BUSH – Brett Osborn (NSW) – HQ Holden

2 – #2 COMMAND DIGITAL SIGNAGE – Chris Molle (NSW) – HQ Holden

3 – #5 RDA Brakes – Glenn Deering (NSW) – HQ Holden

Race 2

1 – #1 OSBORNS TRANSPORT / BOYS FROM THE BUSH – Brett Osborn (NSW) – HQ Holden

2 – #2 COMMAND DIGITAL SIGNAGE – Chris Molle (NSW) – HQ Holden

3 – #7 Aristovil Car Wraps & Used Trucks – Duane Cambridge (NSW) – HQ Holden

Race 3

1 – #1 OSBORNS TRANSPORT / BOYS FROM THE BUSH – Brett Osborn (NSW) – HQ Holden

2 – #2 COMMAND DIGITAL SIGNAGE – Chris Molle (NSW) – HQ Holden

3 – #7 Aristovil Car Wraps & Used Trucks – Duane Cambridge (NSW) – HQ Holden

2019 HQ Osborns Transport NSW State Series – Round Two Race Report:

6^th & 7^th of April – Sydney Motorsport Park Gardner

The second round of the NSW HQ championship was held in perfect conditions at Sydney Motorsport Park. A solid field of 21 cars entered this round, and the usual qualifying and 3 races format was to be used. Chris Molle continued his good form from round one to claim pole from the hard charging Glenn Deering. Shaun Boland was third fastest and beside him was defending champion Brett Osborn. The third row consisted of Luke Harrison and David Allan.

Molle made a great start in race 1 and was flanked by Deering all the way into turn two. The field made it through the first lap with no major drama with the running order of Molle, Deering, Osborn and Allan. The two leaders proceeded to pull away and built a small gap to the third place battle, as the race progressed, groups of cars started forming throughout the field.

Osborn found his rhythm and commenced his charge towards the two leaders while Duane Cambridge was doing the same thing towards the rear of the field. By mid-race distance Osborn was on Deering’s tail and eventually passed him under brakes at turn two. David Proglio was having a great dice with Harrison until the latter made a move on the inside at turn two, but unfortunately was too fast for the upcoming corner. Harrison went wide dragging the hapless Proglio wide allowing the pursuing Scott Walker to overtake both cars on the inside.

As the race settled the field was relatively spread out (for a HQ race). In the end Molle won comfortably from Osborn, Walker was home in 3^rd. Special mention to Cambridge coming home in 5^th after charging through the field from 14^th.

In race 2, Molle made another great get away from Osborn and Deering, during the early running of the race these three drives pulled a slight gap from the rest of the field. Osborn continued harassing the rear of Molle’s car and eventually put on a great pass to take the lead. In mid pack Marusic’s car was not sounding healthy and running at full speed, to his credit he soldiered on to finish. Deering’s car was not so lucky with it retiring just after the hairpin while in a podium position.

The expectation was for Osborn to pull away once in the lead, but it was not to be as a five car pack formed at the front. The order was; Osborn, Molle, Cambridge, Proglio and Walker. On the last corner of the last lap Molle made a good exit and dragged Osborn to the finish line only to miss out by a tenth of a second. Cambridge continued his comeback to finish a strong 3^rd.

Race 3 start was similar to the previous races with Molle leading the charge from Osborn. These two drivers proceeded to set the pace and build up a small gap to the chasing group that consisted of; Proglio, Harrison and Cambridge. Deering was putting on a charge through the field having started at the rear.

With the two leaders comfortable in front, third positioned Proglio was being hounded by Harrison and Cambridge. To Proglio’s credit he resisted every move by the pursuant. In mid field Jason Johnston, Tristan Wolds and Chris Buckley put on a great show swapping positions multiple times. Up front, Molle’s form continued, he seemed comfortable in the lead even with the pressure that Osborn applied. Molle came home 1^st, Osborn 2^nd and Proglio 3rd.

Race 1

1     2  Chris Molle (NSW)        Command Digital Signage

2     1  Brett Osborn (NSW)       Osborns Transport / Boys from the Bush

3    36  Scott Walker (NSW)       Tyrepower Gregory Hills-DTC Transport

Race 2

1     1  Brett Osborn (NSW)       Osborns Transport / Boys from the Bush

2     2  Chris Molle (NSW)        Command Digital Signage

3     7  Duane Cambridge (NSW)    Aristovil Car Wraps & Used Tru

Race 3

1     2  Chris Molle (NSW)        Command Digital Signage

2     1  Brett Osborn (NSW)       Osborns Transport / Boys from the Bush

3    39  David Proglio (NSW)      MHA Euro

2019 HQ Osborns Transport NSW State Series – Round One Race Report:

23rd & 24th February, Wakefield Park

After a long summer break round 1 of the NSW State Championship finally arrived at sunny Wakefield Park and part of the program was the first round of the NSW HQ championship. The schedule saw one practice session followed by qualifying and subsequently three sprint races.

Glen Deering came out in early morning practice and set a benchmark time to be fastest in the session, however in qualifying Brett Osborn showed his true colours and claimed pole from Duane Cambridge. The second row consisted of Jason Molle and Chris Molle, while row three saw a returning Scott Walker line up beside David Proglio.

The warm up lap for the start of the first race was very slow and took a while for the cars to grid up. Once the light went out Osborn made a brilliant start and was closely followed by Cambridge and the two Molle boys. This group of four formed a lead pack as the rest of the field squabbled for positions. David Allan went wide at the fish- hook and toured the dusty and dry outfield, he rejoined the rest after losing many positions. Jason and Chris Molle both went past Cambridge and started chasing Osborn down, and at the same time Walker was struggling with pace and was losing positions.

Shane Cox came past turn 2 with his car misfiring, and not long after that he pulled over to be the first DNF. Luke Harrison and Glenn Deering drove from turn 1 to turn 6 side by side, and in the following lap they attempted to do the same thing but unfortunately  they came unstuck and toured the grass on top of the hill. For Harrison it would not end there as he and Ian MacLean drove door handle to door handle down the main straight until a slight touch sent Harrison into the gravel trap and that is where he finished. MacLean was given a 30 second penalty post race. In the end Osborne continued his championship winning form from last year to take another race win from Jason Molle and the recovering Duane Cambridge.

Race 2 saw Jason Molle make a great start to edge out Osborn into turn 2. After the initial scrambling of positions a six car battle formed at the front; J Molle, Osborn, Cambridge, Proglio ,C Molle and Deering. The unfortunate Matthew Baker toured slowly with an ill sounding car and eventually retired. Mark Baxter and Ian Mclean clashed at the fish-hook and the end result; was McLean’s car sustaining heavy damage at the front, while Baxter’s car looked like a shark bit a rear quarter panel off. Safety car was initiated and the field was bunched up.

At the restart Osborn wasted no time in putting pressure on Jason Molle with the two making the run up the hill side by side, this is when all hell broke loose. Jason Molle had a slight lose while dicing with Osborn and his car went wide taking Cambridge with him. Both drivers could not make the corner and continued on the grass, rounding the poor camera man that was behind the tyre wall and proceeded to drive on top of the go kart track. Both drivers rejoined the race, however the positions in the field became shuffled.

The new order was Osborn from Proglio and Chris Molle, and this is when the latter made his move. Within 3 laps Chris Molle overtook Proglio and Osborn to gain the lead and eventually win. Osborn came home second while Deering edged out Proglio to finish 3rd.

A clean start by all in the final race with Chris Molle making a brilliant start and taking the lead, the rest of the drivers diced for second position allowing C Molle to pull away. As the cars came across the control line for the first time the leader already had a five car length gap to second placed Osborn. As the race settled a four car battle formed for second position that included; Osborne, Deering, Proglio and Jason Molle. Attrition rate was high in this race with Cambridge, Harrison and Cox all retiring in the early stages.

Pedro Marusic Orange HQ started sounding sick at the back of the field becoming another DNF statistic.  Osborn was eventually able to clear Deering and started chasing down the leader but ran out of laps. At the end Chris Molle won comfortably from Osborn 2nd and Deering 3rd. Great racing by all, a special mention to Chris Buckley notching his 150th race start in the NSW State Championship.

Race 1:
1: Car 1: Brett Osborn (NSW)
2: Car 32: Jason Molle (NSW)
3: Car 7: Duane Cambridge (NSW)

Race 2:
1: Car 2: Christopher Molle (NSW)
2: Car 1: Brett Osborn (NSW)
3: Car 5: Glenn Deering (NSW)

Race 3:
1: Car 2: Christopher Molle (NSW)
2: Car 1: Brett Osborn (NSW)
3: Car 5: Glenn Deering (NSW)

​

News Item Added: 1/3/19

2018 HQ Osborns Transport NSW State Series – Round Five Race Report:

17th & 18th November, 2018, Sydney Motorsport Park

The final round of the NSW State championship had arrived at an overcast Sydney Motorsport Park to decide the 2018 HQ State Champion. A great field of 27 came out to qualify in what would be a rapid session and it was no surprise that the championship contenders occupied the pointy end of the grid. Brett Osborn claimed from Glenn Deering, the second row was occupied by the Molle boys (Chris and Jason respectively) while the third row consisted of Duane Cambridge and Luke Harrison.

Race one was held Saturday afternoon with Deering making a good getaway and Osborn beside him, as the cars arrived at turn 2, Deering out muscled Osborn to take the lead. By the end of the first lap the order was Deering, Osborn, Jason Molle, Chris Molle and Cambridge. Osborn put a move on Deering to take the lead however the tenacious Deering followed suit, this pattern continued throughout the race with the two leaders putting on a great show.

Cambridge was also moving up the field, firstly dispatching of Jason Molle and then getting by Chris Molle. By mid-race the top five drivers pulled away from the rest of the field. Jack Harrison in the Kerway sponsored HQ was running in the top ten when he had to retire on lap 7, he was not alone with another four drivers to DNF. In the end Osborn edged out Deering to take another win, Cambridge arrived home 3rd ahead of the two Molle boys. The two leaders put on one of the best races all year.

In Race 2 Osborn made a brilliant getaway from Cambridge, Deering and the Molle boys, this time however Osborn stamped his authority from the start and started edging out from the second placed driver. Deering was piling the pressure on Cambridge shadowing his car for the first six laps and eventually passing him on lap seven. The pace was frantic, Jason Molle was struggling to keep up with the leader and he eventually dropped down to 9th position after a spirited dice with David Redgrove and Luke Harrison.

Osborn had no peer and in the end he won by a five second margin from Deering, Cambridge came home 3rd but was promoted one place due to Deering receiving a five second penalty for track limits. Chris Molle came home a strong 4th just ahead of Luke Harrison. For Osborne only a DNF in the last race would rob him of a 3rd consecutive state title.

The trophy race and final race of the year would be the title decider, both Osborn and Cambridge made a great start and dragged Deering and Chris Molle with them. The four cars traveled turn 1 through to turn 4 side by side with a little bit of Nascar style bump drafting in the mix, Osborn came out on top in the early skirmish from Cambridge and Deering. As the race evolved Osborn and Cambridge pulled away from the rest and these two raced beside each other for the duration of the race.

Ian McLean and David Proglio where showing some good speed running in fifth and sixth respectively. Redgrove was also having a good race until his unfortunate retirement. Osborn showed his class to claim his third victory for the weekend and most importantly being crowned 2018 NSW State champion for the 3rd year in a row. Cambridge came home 2nd in the race and Deering arrived 3rd.

A big congratulation to Brett Osborn for his state title, Chris Molle was 2nd in the championship and the consistent Cambridge came home 3rd.

Race 1:
1: Car 1: Brett Osborn (NSW)
2: Car 5: Glenn Deering (NSW)
3: Car 7: Duane Cambridge (NSW)

Race 2:
1: Car 1: Brett Osborn (NSW)
2: Car 7: Duane Cambridge (NSW)
3: Car 5: Glenn Deering (NSW)

Race 3:
1: Car 1: Brett Osborn (NSW)
2: Car 7: Duane Cambridge (NSW)
3: Car 5: Glenn Deering (NSW)

​

News Item Added: 22/11/18

2018 HQ Osborns Transport NSW State Series – Round Four Race Report:

8th & 9th September, 2018, Wakefield Park

September marks the start of Spring in Australia however no one told Wakefield Park with temperatures remaining at single figures for all of Saturday and Sunday not faring much better due to this tyre temperature would be key in doing well.

Brett Osborn turned up with a new car (from the Heindrich stable) and a new livery to continue his charge towards a third straight State title. Friday testing would prove to be troublesome for the championship leader, but Saturday’s qualifying would be different. Osborne was able to place the new car on pole with a solid time of 1:15.4958, nearly half a second faster than Jason Molle, the second row consisted of Chris Molle and the ever improving Darren Parker. The thrid row was made up by Duane Cambridge and HQ Veteran David Redgrove.

Race 1 was held late Saturday afternoon in dark and gloomy conditions, Osborn made a tardy start and was beaten into turn two by the two Molle brothers. As the cars traveled up the hill for the first time the order was Chris Molle, Jason Molle, Osborn, Parker, Cambridge, Redgrove and Pedro  Marusic. These seven cars would break away from the rest of the field and have a private race at the front.

Marusic was putting a lot of pressure on Redgrove, while Osborn was doing the same thing to Jason Molle. After a few laps Osborn overtakes Jason and drags Cambridge with him, it would not be long before Chris Molle would have Osborne breathing down his neck. Stuart Lillie over shot his braking mark at the end of the straight spearing into the gravel trap, fortunately he was able to power out of it and rejoin the race.

Osborn made a move on the leader on the main straight to claim the lead while Marusic copied the pass to overtake Redgrove for sixth position. Chris Buckley was driving around with a semi opened bonnet, he eventually received the meatball flag and lost a lap coming into the pits to solve the problem. In the mid field David Allan was trying hard, he had a small spin at the top of the hill and eventually rejoined the field with little harm done, Shaun Boland was not so lucky with his car coming to a rest in a similar spot and retiring. At race end Osborn proved he can win with the new car, Chris Molle finished 2nd and Cambridge was 3rd. Jason Molle drove well for a great 4th while Parker showed that his qualifying fourth was not luck with a solid 5th.

Race two started Sunday morning and Osborn repeated his slow start, on the other hand Chris Molle made a brilliant start to lead the field into turn 2. During the hectic first lap Peter Lynch went wide on the back straight and toured the grass for about 100m, he eventually rejoined in last position. Osborn composed himself and started putting pressure on the leader and eventually passed him on the main straight.

As the race matured the first four cars were bunched up together; Osborn, C Molle, Cambridge and J Molle. Fifth place battle was just as intense with Marusic, Parker and Harrison dicing nose to tail. Cameron Stuart and Jack Harrison had a slight collision at turn 2 but continued on unharmed. Harrison toured the grass on the back straight throwing plenty of dust onto the track while at the front Osborn was showing his dominance and started pulling away from Chris Molle.

In the latter stages of the race Harrison and Boland had a rubbing competition going up the hill with the cars bouncing off each other. At the end Osborn showed too much class coming home 1st, Chris Molle was second and Cambridge was 3rd.

Osborn continued his poor starting form for the trophy race while Chris Molle made another great start. A five car group formed at the front, the four usual suspects, plus Marusic also joined the fray. Osborn wasted no time in putting plenty of pressure on the fast Chris Molle and eventually passed him during the third lap. Marusic’s time at the pointy end did not last long as he unfortunately had to pit only to rejoin the race at the rear.

Parker was trying hard to keep up to the leaders, he went off in the out field twice overdriving the car. Boland started touring  slowly on the back straight signaling the driver behind that he was about to pit and retire. Lynch also went off into the outfield, the wind was bringing dust and dirt onto the track making it difficult for the drivers. The race eventually stabilised with small battle groups forming around the track. At the end Osborn made it three from three, Chris Molle came home 2nd again while Cambridge finished 3rd keeping his championship alive.

Osborn made a move on the leader on the main straight to claim the lead while Marusic copied the move to overtake Redgrove for sixth position. Chris Buckly was driving around with a semi opened bonnet, he eventually received the meatball flag and lost a lap coming into the pits to solve the problem. In the mid field David Allan was trying hard, he had a small spin at the top of the hill and eventually rejoined the field with little harm done, Shaun Boland was not so lucky with his car coming to a rest in a similar spot and retiring. In the end, Osborn came home 1st, Chris Molle finished 2nd and Cambridge was 3rd.

Race 1:
1: Car 1: Brett Osborn (NSW)
2: Car 23: Chris Molle (NSW)
3: Car 7: Duane Cambridge (NSW)

Race 2:
1: Car 1: Brett Osborn (NSW)
2: Car 23: Chris Molle (NSW)
3: Car 7: Duane Cambridge (NSW)

Race 3:
1: Car 1: Brett Osborn (NSW)
2: Car 23: Chris Molle (NSW)
3: Car 7: Duane Cambridge (NSW)

​

News Item Added: 21/9/18

2018 HQ Osborns Transport NSW State Series – Round Three Race Report:

1st of July 2018, Sydney Motorsport Park

A different format was on the cards with qualifying and 3 races to be held all in one days racing, this would put a lot of pressure on the drivers with little time to work on the cars in between events. A large field of 28 drivers came out to qualify and Brett Osborn wasted no time setting a time that would claim pole, he was the only drivers in the 1m 58s. Beside him on the grid was the hard carging Glenn Deering, the second row consisted of Duane Cambridge and Chris Molle. Row three was occupied by Dave Allan and Jason Molle.

Osborn made one of his now famous starts and it did not take long before he was in command of the race, Chris Molle and Cambridge shadowed him for the initial laps trying to instil some pressure on the state champion. Jack Harrison made a very slow getaway and was a few hundred meters behind the rest of the field by the time he arrive at turn 2. Deering, Allan and Jason Molle where having their own dice just behind the leading trio. Battle groups where forming up and down the field; David Proglio, Pedro Marusic and Mark Baxter swapped position numerous times.  Cameron Stuart, Anthony Camilleri and Tristan Wolds where just as spirited.

Up front Osborn edged away as each lap passed, Chris Molle and Cambridge could not maintain the pace and started losing ground to the leader, and then a message of 5 seconds penalty came through the radio for Osborn.  In the latter part of the race Cambridge passed Chris Molle to claim second on the track. Osborn arrived home 1st, Cambridge 2nd and Chris Molle 3rd, once the dust had settled and the time penalty was applied Osborn was relegated to 3rd outright.

In the second race Cambridge made a good start and Osborn followed suit, as the cars arrived at turn 2 for the first time Shaun Boland had a big tank slapper nearly spinning his car, fortunately he was able to save it and continue on. In the early part of the race the order was Osborn, Chris Molle, Cambridge, Deering and Jason Molle, however Cambridge was on a mission, first overtaking Chris Molle and then Osborn to claim the lead.

Luke Harrison and Shannon Banks had their own private dice in the middle of the field while Gordon Macleay and Cameron Stuart followed suit. Up front Cambridge maintained his position and looked in command of the race, unfortunately on the fifth lap he ran into trouble and an eventual DNF. Chris Molle briefly took over the lead until Osborn pounced to reclaim it and eventual win. Jason Molle persevered and finished a strong 2nd while David Redgrove finish 3rd. Congratulation to Osborn winning race 2 on his 100th race start in a HQ Holden.

The trophy race was run under a setting sun, conditions became much cooler and long shadows started forming on the track. As the lights went out Osborn continued his start line form to claim an early lead, the two Molle boys latched onto Osborn’s tail and these three drivers pulled away from the rest. Darren Parker was deemed to be rolling at the start and a pending 5 second penalty was to be applied at the end of the race (this was eventually not applied).

As the leading trio diced at the front a pack of 4 cars formed a race long tussle; Allan, Marusic, Redgrove and Mark Baxter swapped position multiple time, just behind the hard charging Cambridge was also coming through the field. At front Osborn and Chris Molle pulled away from Jason Molle, the final result was Osborn by a mere 0.3 of a second from Chris. With Jason finishing 3rd.

Cambridge drove a brilliant race to claim 4th while Redgrove arrived home in 5th   Congratulation to Osborn for another successful round and well done to the Molle boys for their first podium together.

Race 1:
1: Car 7: Duane Cambridge (NSW)
2: Car 23: Chris Molle (NSW)
3: Car 1: Brett Osborn (NSW)

Race 2:
1: Car 1: Brett Osborn (NSW)
2: Car 32: Jason Molle (NSW)
3: Car 71: David Redgrove (NSW)

Race 3:
1: Car 1: Brett Osborn (NSW)
2: Car 23: Chris Molle (NSW)
3: Car 32: Jason Molle (NSW)

​

News Item Added: 15/7/18

2018 HQ Osborns Transport NSW State Series – Round Two Race Report:

26th of May 2018, Wakefield Park

Perfect early winter weather welcomed the HQ drivers for the 2nd Round of the 2018 HQ NSW State Championship, 22 drivers came out to qualify early Saturday morning in cool conditions. Brett Osborn and Duane Cambridge shadowed each other during qualifying and the tactic payed off with Osborn claiming pole from Chris Molle. Glenn Deering and Jason Molle occupied the second row while the third row consisted of Cambridge and David Proglio.

Chris Molle made a brilliant start to out drag Osborn to turn two, as the cars raced to the top of the hill for the first lap the order was Chris Molle, Osborn, Jason Molle, Cambridge and Deering. The drivers pushed hard from the start and it was evident when Deering left his braking too late at the end of the straight and went off losing time and positions, but he was not alone. During the next lap Anthony Camilleri lost control of his car in a similar spot however he was not able to drive off immediately causing the safety car to come. As all this mayhem was happening Osborn was able to claim the lead from Jason Molle.  At the restart Osborn led Jason Molle, Cambridge and Proglio, however the unfortunate Jason Molle’s strong run ended with a retirement.

Darren Parker was driving well having a competitive dice with Proglio, a dice that lasted for most of the race until Parker went wide at turn two losing some positions. The ever popular Pedro Marusic car started smoking with only a few laps to go, he was able to last the distance. Up front Osborn was in control of the race and had built up a small gap to Cambridge who was trying to keep Chris Molle at bay. The final result was Osborn 1st, Chris Molle overtook Cambridge towards the end to claim 2nd.

Race 2 was held Sunday morning and Osborn made one of his usual great starts beating Chris Molle into turn two. These two driver proceeded to have a race long duel for the lead, Cambridge tried to hang on but the pace of the leaders was very fast. Evan Kennedy found himself wide of turn 9 and travelled on the outfield kicking up a cloud of dust. The unfortunate Jason Molle was making his way up through the field having started from the back of the grid, only for his car to expire again 4 laps in.

The two leaders powered away from Cambridge who was having his own private battle with Deering. Behind them there was a large gap to 5th positioned car of Proglio. Tahneal Hogan overshot turn ten going so wide that the car looked like it was coming in for a pit stop. In the end Osborn just won from Chris Molle, Cambridge held Deering off to claim 3rd.

Chris Molle made a brilliant start in the trophy race and subsequently led the pack up the hill for the first time.  The order as the cars went past for the first lap was Chris Molle, Osborn , Deering and Cambridge. The latter wasted no time and overtook Deering to go to third. The rotten weekend for Jason Molle went from bad to worse with a third straight DNF. Wayne Harrison had a big off at the fishhook, all you could see is a cloud of dust and a white car slowly coming out to re-join the race. The local area is in desperate need of rain and it was evident every time a car hit the edge of the track.

Osborne made a great passing move on Chris Molle at the fast turn one to grab first position, at the same time Wolds yellow HQ speared off at the fish hook with no brakes, he soldiered on a little longer with no stopping power but eventually retired on the outside of turn two calling it a day.  Camilleri had another spin at turn 2 capping off an eventful day. In the end Osborn won the race making it a clean sweep. Chris Molle came home 2nd and Cambridge finished 3rd.

Osborn is starting to show his dominance and he is looking the good for another title.

Race 1:
1: Car 1: Brett Osborn (NSW)
2: Car 23: Chris Molle (NSW)
3: Car 7: Duane Cambridge (NSW)

Race 2:
1: Car 1: Brett Osborn (NSW)
2: Car 23: Chris Molle (NSW)
3: Car 7: Duane Cambridge (NSW)

Race 3:
1: Car 1: Brett Osborn (NSW)
2: Car 23: Chris Molle (NSW)
3: Car 7: Duane Cambridge (NSW)

​

News Item Added: 30/5/18

2018 HQ Osborns Transport NSW State Series – Round One Race Report:

April 28th and 29th 2018, Sydney Motorsport Park

It had been a long off season, five month to be exact and the presentation of the vehicles was second to none. One notable mention should be Duane Cambridge reverence to the diggers, a very nice touch as this meet was run just a few days after Anzac day. A wet qualifying session on Saturday morning did not dampen the enthusiasm of 32 HQ drivers eager to get the season on the way. The drivers where trying hard with Evan Kennedy and John Baxter spinning at turn 17 and to make the conditions worst Chris Molle went through the gravel trap at the same turn spilling lose grave all over the track. Ian McLean was the bravest claiming pole from Cambridge, second row consisted of defending champion Brett Osborn and David Redgrove and the third row was occupied by Darren Parker and Chris Molle.

Race 1 was run in Dry conditions (as they would all weekend) with Cambridge and Osborn making the better starts. The race order in the initial laps was Cambridge, Osborn, Chris Molle, Redgrove and Glenn Deering, these five drivers had a slight gap to the chasing pack. By mid-race distance Osborn and Deering had a turn each in the lead with Chris Molle Just behind them. Deering’s charge fell apart with his car slowing down and eventually DNF’s.

The unfortunate moment of the race was when Wayne Harrison and Matthew Breedon tangled at the high speed turn one. The momentum of the turn sent both cars to the inside of the turn with great velocity, Breedon was fortunate enough to get away with light damage, however Harrison felt the full brunt of the concrete wall. His car hit the wall front on with such impact that the stricken HQ looked like a Banana afterwards. Fortunately both driver got out and climbed the wall towards safety. The race ended not long after that with Osborn coming home 1st, Molle 2nd and Cambridge 3rd.

Race 2 started with Osborn making a good getaway from Molle and Cambridge, they initial jostling for position was soon put on hold due to a safety car coming out. Shannon Banks was leaking oil over the track and the official ran the field behind a safety car for 3 laps giving time for the marshals to clean up. Once released the three leader continued their intense dice, Osborn was being shadowed by Molle while Cambridge was chased by Anthony Camilleri.

Molle lost contact with the leaders and the race was now down to two, Cambridge made a great overtaking move at turn seven that resulted in him leading the race till the end. Osborn had to settle for a second place and Molle recovered by overtaking Camilleri and McLean to finish 3rd.

The three main protagonist in the initial races where again the center of attention in the final trophy race, Cambridge, Molle and Osborn formed the leading group leaving the other driver to squabble for the minor placings. Osborn made the early running with Cambridge and Molle in pursuit.

Some great mid pack battles emerged behind the leaders, Jeff Hokin was having a great dice with MacLeay with some late braking overtaking moves, Deering and Cameron cars often leaning on each other. James Fleet and Jack Harrison swapped positions multiple times. Up front Osborn looked in control and Cambridge was keeping Molle at bay until the latter put on a great overtaking move on the outside of turn two elevating him to second position. The final order was Osborn 1st, Molle 2nd and Cambridge 3rd.

Race 1:
1: Car 1: Brett Osborn (NSW)
2: Car 23: Chris Molle (NSW)
3: Car 7: Duane Cambridge (NSW)

Race 2:
1: Car 7: Duane Cambridge (NSW)
2: Car 1: Brett Osborn (NSW)
3: Car 23: Chris Molle (NSW)

Race 3:
1: Car 1: Brett Osborn (NSW)
2: Car 23: Chris Molle (NSW)
3: Car 7: Duane Cambridge (NSW)

​

One funny moment happened during race two, Marshall at sector 17 radios in to race control:

Marshall: Competitor 23 (Chris Molle) is rubbing…………. (Long silence over the radio)

Clerk of Course: Rubbing what? ………… Himself or another competitor?

Marshall: Rubbing another driver up the arse!

Clerk of course: Ok, did you get the other driver number?

Marshall: Nah (in an Australian accent), but his number plate is hanging down.

Got to love all the good work that the marshal and volunteer do, thank you to all.

News Item Added: 5/5/18