Dave "Sideways" Sieders Wins Last Australian V8 Ute Series in Final Race At Sydney Olympic Park
- Dec 21, 2016
One place that’s long accepted the Coupe Utility concept is Australia, where they’re referred to as Utes. And while some Utes Down Under are used to drive from Sheep Stations (ranches) into town, Utes with big V8s have also been tearing up the streets of Melbourne, Sydney, Perth, and every town in-between for decades. So popular has the high-performance Ute category become, they have their own racing series starting in 2001. Run in conjunction with the Australian V8 Supercar Series, the V8 Utes race in eight events over the course of the season, including the world-famous Mount Panorama Circuit at Bathurst. Each round is based on a three race format with race two formatted as a reverse grid which can vary depending on the number drawn from a ballot. Race three’s grid is determined by the finishing positions from race one and two.
Which takes us to K&N Filters-supported driver Dave "Sideways" Sieders (each driver is assigned a nickname by the series to be more fan friendly). Sieders set new Australian V8 Ute Racing Series qualifying and race lap records on his way to winning the 2016 Australian Ute Championship at the Sydney Olympic circuit in his Mango Credit Holden, the last time the controversial street circuit will be used for auto racing. While setting the qualifying lap record at the Sydney street circuit by eight-tenths of a second in the first round of qualifying, Sieders didn't make the rest of qualifying easy on himself. He flew down an escape road in the V8 Utes' top ten session on his first flying lap, but managed to cross the line for a second lap locking in his time from the first session and in doing so capturing his 19th career pole position.
By that Sieders means that the Utes that Ford and GM (Holden) have been building in Australia for decades have been discontinued, so it’s the end of the line for the V8 Ute Series. In its place will be a series for mid-sized four-door pickups (like the Chevy Colorado) named SuperUtes and powered by diesel engines. Sieders entered the V8 Ute Series in 2010, taking the first of his 19 pole positions on his inaugural weekend. He became a regular in the series, finishing second in the championship three times and taking one third. His tally is 28 race wins and 14 qualifying round wins. He changed makes from Ford to Holden before he finally clinched the 2016 Australian V8 Ute Racing Championship in race two at the final race weekend of the season (and the series) at Sydney Olympic Park Street Circuit. Sieders also broke Ford's streak of four consecutive championships, giving the last title to Holden (GM).
"It's taken so much to get here, I just don't think it has really sunk in yet," said Sieders, "it's amazing to think of everything we have achieved, the frustrations and the celebrations, it really has been a great journey". |
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