20.06.2004 Paul Stokell claimed the opening Australian Nations Cup heat at Winston today in his Lamborghini Diablo, but two wins for Holden's Richard Pretty has closed down the championship gap

Holden Monaro driver Nathan Pretty boosted his chase for the Australian Nations Cup Championship with a double victory in round four at Winton Motor Raceway today.

Pretty, driving for the Garry Rogers Motorsport team, won two of three races in cold and damp conditions to narrow the gap to series leader Paul Stokell to 34 points after four of eight rounds in the 2004 championship.

Stokell won pole position and today’s first race, but Pretty was confident the Monaro would deliver the goods again after winning the round here last year.

“This is our second round win of the season and it’s great to do it here on my home track,” said Pretty, from Albury-Wodonga. “We’re now well and truly in with a chance to challenge Paul for the championship and I’m looking forward to the fifth round at Eastern Creek next month.”

While Stokell ran away with the first Nations Cup heat, the highlight was an eight-lap battle for third place between David Stevens' Porsche GT2 and a pursuing Peter Brock, in the first race for his new 7.0 litre Monaro. Charging up from 10th on the grid, Brock tried everything to pass the Porsche but was unsuccessful.

In race two, he made sure the Porsche was behind by the first corner and then focused his attack on Stokell in second spot, passing him briefly on the third lap. Stokell had surrendered the lead to Pretty around the same time and appeared content to sit back until late in the race. The pace built as Pretty, then Brock then Stokell recorded fastest lap times.

Three corners short of the flag, Stokell had the Lamborghini’s low nose wedged literally under the the tail of the Pretty Monaro but he could not convert the move into a pass and the Holden scored the win.

Brock came home strongly in third and as a result would have been in a good position for race three, but for a wrong tyre choice. The Monaro appeared to be the only car running dry tyres on a wet track and Brock worked hard to take fifth place.

Pretty won the race from Stokell by 15 seconds, with Allan Simonsen third in his Trophy class Ferrari Challenge and Ian Palmer fourth in Brock’s previous Monaro. Simonsen consistently raced among the outright cars throughout the weekend and wrapped up the class round win.

Round five of the PROCAR Champ Series will be at Eastern Creek circuit, near Sydney, on 16-18 July.

Photo: Procar