Lobb aims to extend lead

Leading ENZED V8 Ute Challenge driver Caine Lobb is determined to maintain his 74-point buffer over defending champion Chris Pither as the field heads to the penultimate round at Taupo Motorsport Park this weekend.
The Whangarei driver will be looking for nothing less than race wins to maintain, or preferably increase, the gap between him and the Palmerston North 2010 champion.
"We'll just go there and try to win races - we always aim to win," Lobb said.
By winning three of the five rounds so far, Lobb has held the lead since the opening meeting at Pukekohe Park Raceway in November and the Mark Cromie Holden driver has been able to hold off the charge from the Fords of Pither and third-placed driver Simon Beirne from Christchurch.
"Taupo is another tight technical circuit like Manfeild so they will be quick around there and I think there may be a little bit of carnage," he said.
Qualifying will be held today but it will be a random marble draw which will determine the start place on the grid ensuring a dramatic race as the faster drivers make their way from the rear of the field.
The start order is reversed for the second race tomorrow morning with the third and final race of the weekend a more performance-based start ranking when the drivers are lined up in an order determined by their points from the first two races. This race usually brings about a close battle between the front-running drivers of the round, including Lobb, Pither and Beirne who are the leading three drivers in the series.
The Taupo Motorsport Park has been the venue for some exciting races with its twisty nature and very long back straight which offers the courageous driver an opportunity to make a bold passing move when they enter the esses prior to the start-finish line.
After this weekend's racing there remains just one round at the ITM 400 in Hamilton over the weekend of April 15-17 where the ENZED V8 Ute Challenge will share the streets with the V8 Supercars.