Rapa Rockets to Round Victory in Aussie Racing Series
There is no better stage in Australian Motorsport than the Australian Grand Prix (AGP) for Formula One on the Streets of Melbourne in Victoria, and over the weekend Richie Rapa was able to put in a dazzling performance to capture victory during round two of the 2008 Aussie Racing Car Series during the event.
For Rapa this was his very first round victory since joining the Aussie Racing Car Series at the beginning of last year, and the teenager certainly didn’t do it easy, as he had to fight tooth and nail throughout the four races with Paul Morris Motorsport team V8 Supercar test driver and ex V8 Ute driver James Small.
After qualifying in fourth place, Rapa was able to work his way up to finish the opening race in second place behind Small, and it was in the second race where Rapa managed to go one spot better by taking his first official race victory.
During the third race Rapa led up until the final lap when Small was able to fight his way into the lead and take victory and Rapa finished just behind in second place. Heading into the fourth and final race a mere one point separated both leader Small and Rapa, and whoever won the race would go on to take out the round victory, so the pressure was on both drivers.
In what was a thrilling fourth and final race Rapa trailed leader Small for almost the entire distance up until he was able to snatch victory away from Small on the final lap, and go on to record his second victory of the weekend and seal the round victory in the best possible fashion.
As one would expect Rapa was thrilled to come away from the AGP event with the round success, especially up against the more financed Aussie Racing Car team, such as Small’s, who is backed by the Paul Morris Motorsport V8 Supercar team.
“This result has been coming for quite some time, as I have always known that I had the pace to challenge for round victories, and now this victory has only backed up my belief,” expressed the 18-year-old.
“James [Small] and I battled all weekend, as we just couldn’t get one another out of each other’s sights, and it was good to come out on top as we are just a little budget family team and to come out and defeat all comers is a real buzz.
“I didn’t have the best of luck during the opening round, and to come out a week later and come away with a victory just proves that in Motorsport a week is a long time, and I’m hoping that I can continue to run up the front for the remainder of the series.”
Rapa would like to say special thanks to his whole team for all their efforts over the weekend.
With his maiden victory now in the bag, Rapa has moved into fifth place (91 points) outright in the Aussie Racing Car Series point standings at the completion of two rounds.
Top 5 in the 2008 Aussie Racing Car Series point standings after two completed rounds:
1 Paul Kemal – 98
2 Ben McCashney – 94
3 David Lawrence – 92
4 Adam Gowans – 91
5 Richie Rapa - 91
The third round of the Aussie Racing Car Series is to be held on the weekend of April 4 – 6 at Goulburn’s Wakefield Park Raceway in NSW supporting the second round of the Fujitsu V8 Supercar Series.
Rapa in 2008 is proudly sponsored by: Wholesale Property Brokers, Fabre Australia, Castrol Oil, and Rapa Transport.
28-10-08 Rapa’s Podium Results on the Gold Coast Moves Him Back into Series Contention
13-8-08 Mechanical Issues Hinder Rapa’s Winton Debut
27-5-08 Rapa Takes Oran Park Raceway Success
9-4-08 Rapa Fights Hard for Wakefield Park Results
18-3-08 Rapa Rockets to Round Victory in Aussie Racing Series
11-3-08 Rapa’s Weekend of Promise and Disappointment
4-3-08 Rapa Sets his Sights on 2008 Aussie Racing Series Title
24-10-07 Strong Gold Coast Fight Back from Rapa
18-9-07 Rapa’s Sandown Weekend Finishes in Strong Fashion
23-8-07 Contrasting Weekend of Results for Rapa
