Double disappointment for Miedecke Stone at Hampton Downs 101

Despite the incredible build up to last weekends penultimate round of the 2016 Australian Endurance Series at the New Zealand Hampton Downs circuit which saw Miedecke Stone Motorsport set themselves new milestones in their relatively short racing union, the race itself left the team licking their wounds of what might have been.

Entering two Aston Martin Raving V12 Vantage GT3's into the series for the first time the #95 car of Andrew and George Miedecke also found its way into the Top 10 shoot out in final qualifying on the Saturday before securing a P2 grid start position with the new guys (Tony Longhurst and Richard Moore) in the #96 car starting P16 at their first attempt in an AMR.

With the younger Miedecke (George) starting the race his qualifying pace continued during the opening stages of the race despite competing against very talented Australian V8 drivers spread throughout the field, and despite an early place drop down to P3 he held his own all the way through to the first compulsory pit stop at the half hour mark.

Passing over to Miedecke the elder (Andrew) the #95 re-emerged just in front of the teams sister #96 car but due to the Safety car (now on track for a beached Ferrari) preventing it from pitting and by the time the first round of time based pit stops had balanced out the #95 was P6.


Approaching the second round of pits stops a further Safety Car intervention for yet another gravel trap beached car forced the #95 (then in P5) into fuel saving mode as it approached the end of its stint but three corners in from the race restart on lap 66 the #1 Audi of Tony Bates slammed into the rear of the #95 pushing that into the rear of the Tony Quinn Aston, spinning them all out. Unfortunately for the #95 the damage to the nearside was too severe for it to continue and their race was done.

Despite this, the #96 was progressing well and was comfortably circulating in fifth but nearly thirty laps later, and just nine laps from the end a failure within the car's drivetrain sidelined the car to the side of the track and into retirement.


This result is obvious a crushing disappointment for the team who's hard work and preparation had paved the way for some decent point scoring at least. The Miedecke car ha now be packed away is on route to the season finale at Highlands where the team hope to finish on a 'high'!

Photo credits - MSR / Australian GT