19.07.2004 LamboRghini Diablo GTR pilot Paul Stokell extended his Australian Nations Cup points advantage earlier today with three straightforward wins out of three at Eastern Creek

Paul Stokell stretched his lead in the 2004 Australian Nations Cup Championship with another three wins in his Lamborghini Diablo at Eastern Creek circuit, near Sydney, yesterday.

Stokell’s quest for a second straight title also was aided by the misfortune of his chief rival Nathan Pretty, whose Holden Monaro broke down on the way to victory in the second of the three scheduled races.

Pretty’s first-ever Nations Cup pole on Saturday was no compensation for bitter disappointment, the revised round format meant each heat carried 50 percent more points than usual, compounding Stokell’s gain and Pretty’s loss.

With three rounds still to run, Stokell has 422 points and has opened the lead over Pretty from 34 to 88 points.

Stokell also pushed his tally as the most successful driver in Nations Cup to 43 wins.

The GT class 6.0 V12 Diablo and 7.0 litre V8 Monaro appeared closely matched throughout the weekend.

An in-form Pretty stormed to the lead in race one as Stokell uncharacteristically slipped to fourth spot, behind James Brock (Monaro) and David Stevens (Porsche GT2), by the second corner.

Stokell said later he was battling understeer, but he was soon back on the Monaro’s tail and the pair staged an entertaining contest for seven laps, until the Lamborghini slipped by at the hairpin two laps from the finish.

James Brock dropped off the pace with a loose front spoiler on the new Monaro, but still managed to finish third.

In the Trophy class, James Koundouris put aside brotherly love to stage, and eventually win, a lively scrap with brother Theo, both drivers in Porsche GT3 Cup cars.

From the start of race two, Pretty made clear his determination to win and raced Stokell side-by-side all the way to the second corner. Stokell held his nerve and his line, but Pretty continued to attack for four laps until he pulled out of the Lambo’s slipstream and surged past in the straight.

With Stokell now trailing by less than a second Pretty was heading for a win, but the Monaro suddenly pulled off. The problem was probably electrical, Pretty said later.

Race 1 Result (12 laps): 1 Paul Stokell  Lamborghini Diablo GTR  18:55.6951, 2 Nathan Pretty  Holden Monaro CV8  18:57.8029, 3 James Brock  Holden Monaro CV8  19:19.9571, 4 David Stevens  Porsche 911 GT2  19:33.0804, 5 Ian L Palmer  Holden Monaro CV8  19:34.7594

Race 2 Result (12 laps): 1 Paul Stokell  Lamborghini Diablo GTR  18:58.6251, 2 James Brock  Holden Monaro CV8  19:11.3491, 3 David Stevens  Porsche 911 GT2  19:39.9849, 4 Ian L Palmer  Holden Monaro CV8  19:56.1165, 5 James Koundouris  Porsche GT3 Carrera Cup  20:10.2424  

Race 3 Result (12 laps): 1 Paul Stokell  Lamborghini Diablo GTR  16:25.9863, 2 James Brock  Holden Monaro CV8  16.39.3605, 3 James Koundouris  Porsche GT3 Carrera Cup  16:49.1157, 4 David Stevens  Porsche 911 GT2 16:51.5888, 5 Ian L Palmer  Holden Monaro CV8  16:54.0323