Lobb's title hopes falter on city's mean streets

The tough Hamilton street circuit has blown Caine Lobb's championship hopes out of the water but despite the loss there was still some good news for the Whangarei driver.
After leading the ENZED V8 Ute Challenge for the entire season since winning the opening round last November, Lobb was knocked out of contention to reclaim the series title after two retirements at the ITM 400 held in Hamilton this weekend surrendering the title to Chris Pither.
After winning three events and leading over the entire season, Lobb now wraps up his V8 Ute racing career.
But along with the Mark Cromie Holden Racing Team, Lobb announced he was entering the new V8 Super Tourer series in partnership with Greg Murphy Motorsport. The new venture will see Murphy compete in the car owned by Mark Cromie who will then partner with Lobb in three enduro rounds.
"It's time to move forward, we will be taking a back seat for the first season whereas Greg will lease the car and pair up with Caine for the enduros while we watch and learn," Cromie said.
Throughout his four very successful seasons in the tough-nosed and hard battling series, Lobb has finished fourth, third, second and, of course, first when he won the title in the 2008-9 season. He is hoping for as much success in the new V8 class but knows he has much to learn.
"We checked out the cars the other night and they are mint, I can't wait to get inside and drive it," said Lobb.
In the opening race in Hamilton, Lobb came together with defending champion Pither which saw him pushed into a wall, forcing him to retire with damaged suspension and record his first did-not-finish for the entire season.
"I had a good run out of the first corner and Chris just simply didn't accelerate so I tried to get around him and clipped the back of him and he was fishtailing. I went on the inside to pass him and he came across on to me and I was pushed into the wall," Lobb said.
Yesterday disaster struck again when in the second race the Northland driver was forced to retire for the second time this season after a technical malfunction causing the car to overheat.
"We had some trouble with the car overheating and it was cutting out at the back of the track and I had no option but to pit it," he said.
The scenario could not have been more unexpected after such a strong season from Lobb in the Mark Cromie Holden where his unequalled consistency had earned him an unprecedented points lead in the series over defending champion Pither.
Arriving at the ITM 400 with a 71-point lead over Pither, the twin DNFs caused Lobb to slip off the top spot into second place in the series behind the defending champion with just one race remaining and third placed Simon Beirne pressing hard in the points series.
Lobb moved up through the field and found his way into fifth position but it was just not enough to hold off Beirne who, in finishing second, was able to slip past him in the points.
The points after the final round was Pither 1775, Beirne 1684 followed by Lobb on 1663.
The new series is due to get underway February 2012 at Hampton Downs and is expected to draw top drivers from the BNT V8s.