The champions of the 2008/2009 Pacific Sheet & Coil NZ Super Sedan Series have been crowned following the final round at the Taupo Motorsport Park recently.
Grant Brennan of Tauranga took the NZSS1 title while Waitara driver Phill Dravitski is the NZSS2 Champion for 2008/2009.
This year's championship was run in a vastly different format as the Super Sedans, OSCA Saloons and Super GT class came together to run in a unified series. The large fields were split into two groups determined by the speed of each vehicle - the fastest cars in a new combined class known as GT1 and the slower ones in NZGT. The Super Sedan competitors were split between these two classes - the fastest Super Sedans running in GT1 contesting their own NZSS1 Class while the slower cars ran in NZGT fighting out their own NZSS2 title. On two occasions the Super Sedan Series ran standalone rounds, making for a nine round series.
Brennan took the NZSS1 title in his Brennan SB2 Corvette by a massive margin. He amassed 524 points, 227 more than second placed Wayne Conder of Auckland. While pleased with his success Brennan say's he was keen to also take the GT1 title and that made him try a whole lot harder. "The merger of the classes rekindled my interest and meant Brennan Racing's team had to spend time developing the car and engine, rather than just turning up."
While he won the Super Sedan title he finished second to Whangarei driver Carl Hansen in the GT1 Championship. However his season was hampered by gearbox problems that began in the third round of the season and persisted throughout the remainder of the series. "We fought a battle with the gearbox - some weekend's we had to strip it down three times. It was the hardest season that I can recall due to the amount of work we had to do." Brennan, previously the Super Sedan Champion from 2003 until Dayne Running took the title last season, said the problem began after testing a gearbox oil supplied by an oil company. "It did not maintain it's film thickness and caused severe damage, some of which we could not fix between rounds. We had to hope for the best. We had the odd good showing but it was difficult to string two consecutive laps together as some repairs had not been successful." While he was very happy to win the NZSS1 title the GT1 title was a specific goal this season."If not for the gearbox problem we would have given Carl a bigger challenge," say's Brennan. Grant also thanked all the competitors in NZSS including those from OSCA and SUPER GT for making a great racing season and he is looking forward to 2009/2010.
While Brennan's championship win was very comfortable, Dravitski's victory in the NZSS2 Class was quite the opposite. The VN Commodore V8 driver ended the season on 445 points, just 9 ahead of Auckland's Craig Corliss in a Falcon V8 Supercar while Tauranga driver Roger Conder was only 15 points behind Corliss in his Nissan Skyline.
"It was edge of the seat stuff," say's Dravitski who has a motorsport background in Speedway. However he had not raced anything since 1994 when he bought the VN Commodore, modified it and began racing it in the Super Sedan class late last season. Initially he had a heap of engine problems and then at the opening round of this year's championship he blew an engine. However since then he has consistently gathered points at every round.
Coming into his first full season in the championship he admits he did not expect to take the title. "Everybody hopes to," he say's, "but our car was by no means the fastest. However we were consistent and patient."
He is "over the moon" with the success. "I've now got a trophy to put with my wife's ones." Phill's wife Karen competes in club events with some success. Dravitski has enjoyed the Super Sedan Class too. "They are an awesome bunch. I really enjoy the variety of cars and people."
The Waitara driver is grateful for the support of wife Karen and also that of Geoff Nairn. "I wouldn't be able to do this without them. They are there with me every single time."
Already a new car is on the horizon. The championship winning Commodore is for sale and Dravitski hopes to be in a Chev Camaro next season. That may take him up a class but one thing is certain, Phill Dravitski will be a force to be reckoned with again next season.
Major sponsor of the Super Sedan Series, Pacific Sheet & Coil was established in 1995 to service local markets for coated and uncoated flat rolled products. Associate series sponsors are Inspection and Consultancy Services and Engine Detox Services Ltd.
