MOTOR RACING - Lobb wins dogfight to lead series

A repeat performance of last month's opening round of the Formula Ford Winter Series sees Whangarei's top open-wheeled race driver, Caine Lobb, with a comfortable lead after taking another two wins and a second at Manfeild Autocourse at the weekend.
Lobb, currently based at the Ruapuna circuit in Christchurch, has just got back into the seat of the team-owned Hydraulink Formula Ford after it underwent a complete rebuild following the massive crash at Taupo last year.
After only a few laps around the circuit Lobb knew he had a car with the potential to win this year's Winter Series and the upcoming Formula Ford National Championship, which starts in November.
"The car feels like a brand new one! You know when you drive a car straight from the showroom and everything just feels new? That's what this feels like - it's great," Lobb said.
Lobb was looking good straight away after achieving pole position with a time of 1min:12.6sec, just a fraction of a second off the Formula Ford lap record of 1:12.4.
Last month the Northland driver won the first round with the same results, but at the weekend he faced some stiff competition from Russell Hartley, who won the first race by a mere half a nose cone.
The two drivers opened a substantial gap over the rest of the field and both were several seconds ahead after a gruelling eight laps of dog fighting and exchanging the lead.
"Russell's car has a real `dragstrip' motor, it's a great engine and he just kept driving around the outside of me," Lobb said.
Lobb managed to pull up alongside of Hartley on many occasions but was unable to stay ahead.
In the second race Hartley was involved in a crash on the first corner leaving Lobb to take a decisive win with a clear margin of 8.5sec ahead of the rest of the field.
The final race of the day saw Hartley back in the action but it was Lobb who took an early lead after starting in pole.
Hartley managed to pass Lobb and a battle of wits and driving skill ensued while the two pulled away from the field once again and fought for the win.
Heavy pressure from Lobb eventually pushed Hartley into making a mistake.
He missed a gear change, over revved the engine and nearly cooking the Ford power-plant.
Hartley slowed and left Lobb to take his second win of the weekend and a comfortable series lead, with 434 points to Hartley's 329.
There are two rounds left to run before the drivers prepare for the National Championships.