MOTORSPORT - Lobb puts winning spin on `hell' time

Whangarei racing driver Caine Lobb overcame a "weekend from hell" to all but guarantee his chances of winning the Formula First Winter Series this year with an astonishing effort at Manfeild at the weekend.
Caine Lobb and team are currently negotiating for entry into the Formula Ford Southern Series as their next step up in NZ motorsport and he demonstrated his ability to manage to next step with his form at the weekend.
Lobb lost his engine in practice when a flywheel disintegrated and a second-rate replacement engine that was down on horsepower was installed instead.
But Lobb ignored the disadvantage, put his car on pole and netted two thirds and a fourth from the three races of the penultimate round of the series held at Manfeild Autocourse near Feilding.
It was a qualifying effort that showed why Lobb is leading the present championship and a performance that has him so far in front of his closest rivals that he is almost assured of the series title.
"I got the spare engine - it was pretty slow but I managed to put it (the car) on pole so I was rapt," Lobb said.
"My lap times weren't that quick, I couldn't get a tow off anybody that's how slow the engine was - I couldn't pass anyone and had to be a madman on the brakes."
In the second race, Lobb spun the car but still managed to get back in the race and come in with a credible fourth place.
"It was a bit of a weekend from hell but you get those ones."
Manager Brian Craig said the stress of the training mishap had put everyone on edge, but said that Lobb had handled the whole race day well.
"Caine losing the flywheel from his car was a disaster and for him to go out and get pole ... everyone was just blown away," Craig said.
"His car was a dog and he was so close to winning two of the races - in the second race he did a complete 360 and was so close to coming out back in front again ... he was that far in front," he said.
Lobb is sitting on the top of the results with 622 points, 119 ahead of promising youngster Jamie McNee.
The winter series has one round to come on September 10 and it will again be held at the Manfeild Autocourse. Attention will then be directed toward the Formula First Summer Series beginning in October the 21st and consisting of eight rounds.
The summer season will see the series visit the South Island for the first time when the drivers will compete at Ruapuna International Raceway near Christchurch on January 6 and 7. The other seven rounds are spread over North Island circuits Pukekohe, Manfeild and Taupo.