A new king has been crowned in the V8 Utes Championship with Brad Kroef claiming the title at Hampton Downs this weekend.
His father Greg Kroef was a close second just 15 points behind, while the battle for third place was a hard-fought, Jake Stoneman edging Phill Ross with Sunday’s races proving to be the deciders.
For the new champion Brad Kroef, the weekend’s racing didn’t all go according to the script; his crew having to replace a brake hose and then an oil cooler to keep the car on the track. Kroef’s win was undeniably a team effort.
It all began with Race 2 on Sunday morning; a reverse grid affair where yesterday’s back markers started the race up front. It was a clean start, but on Turn 3 the dominos started to fall when Bruce McRae spun causing a chain reaction. Brad then ran into Dad Kroef, dropping them back in 7th & 8th respectively by Lap 2.
Up ahead the deck was being shuffled. After starting near the back, Ross had overtaken his way to 2nd place by the second lap, but Stoneman was chasing hard. By Lap 4 Ross had found a way around Daniel Ludlam to take the lead. Stoneman wasn’t going away easily, ultimately getting to the front by Lap 9 – a lead he held to the chequered flag over Ross.
Greg Kroef finished 7th place but posted the fastest lap, a blistering 1.16.964, close to yesterday’s qualifying time.
Stoneman pocketed maximum championship points for his efforts, while Ross added 31 to his tally. That meant Race 3 would prove crucial for the first four competitors’ championship aspirations.
Race 3 got away following a delayed start after an incident in the previous race, with Stoneman on pole. Ross remained hot on his tail with Greg Kroef in close pursuit. There was plenty at stake – Ross need to get past Stoneman and his championship position depended on it.
Further back, the championship leader was working through the field. Having started 8th, Brad Kroef had worked his way up to 5th by Lap 5 and he was breathing down Simon Ussher’s neck.
The battle for the lead was just as intense, with Greg Kroef and Ross weaving around each other corner after corner, until Greg finally secured 2nd place with just five laps to go. Not far behind, Ussher and Geoff Spencer got up close and personal and traded paint while Ross also got tangled up in the mayhem, slipping back from the pack. With that, his 3rd in the championship slipped away. Up front, the leaders held their nerve to the chequered flag, with Stoneman notching up his second win for the weekend.
An intense mid-pack dogfight between Stu Monteith, Paul Fougere and Bruce McRae led McRae to admit after the race, “That was the best race all season.”
For Brad Kroef, it was the best result he could have hoped for – his eventual 3rd place earning him enough points to win the V8 Utes Championship by 15 points. He also notched up the fastest lap of the race, a quick 1.17.422.
On the podium after the race, Stoneman said “I’m pretty stoked to be where I am after doing just three rounds of the championship.” Greg Kroef admitted, “We’ve worked hard all season – a great team, with a great family behind us.”
Then as the sun set on the horizon, Brad Kroef was in the limelight. The Heron Racing Team has worked for the win, with mechanical issues threatening to get in the way. “It’s been one of those weekends” he admitted, with a tear of emotion in his eyes.
It’s also been one of those seasons for Brad Kroef, your 2023 V8 Utes champion.
Words ad Images: Supplied
Additional Reporting: Matthew Sampson
