By DAVID NAGEL
NEWLY-crowned Victorian Saloon Car champion Travis Lindorff is one of a rare breed of sportsmen who has experienced the satisfaction of performing perfectly under pressure.
It happened to the 40-year-old from Kooweerup in his most recent outing when he piloted his Casey Accident Repairs VT Commodore – number 51 – to victory in the seventh and final round of the Championship Class series at Sandown.
The final round of the series comprised of three races, Lindorff winning the first, running second in race two before producing the drive of his life to win the final race of the season.
“Given the importance of the weekend that’s definitely the most satisfying win I’ve ever had.” Lindorff, who runs Casey Accident Repairs from his factory in Pakenham said.
“The weekend went perfectly, winning race one, after putting the car on pole, gave me a real good buffer in the championship going into race two. Running second in that race basically wrapped up the title but the last race really topped off the weekend. It was a hard-fought race and I had a good driver (Gavin Ross) right on my tail the whole way. After the race he said I didn’t make a mistake and drove the perfect race… that’s a satisfying thing to hear from one of your peers.”
Lindorff began his love for the sport in go-karts, roughly 20-years-ago, before progressing to racing a HQ Holden. He stayed in that class of racing for six years, then had eight-years-off before buying his current car from a neighbour, stripped it back to a bare shell before having it ready for racing within 18 months.
“It’s a very controlled class and you can only do basic things to the car,” he said.
“We all have the same brake and suspension package, wheels, tyres, computer (ECU) and the camshaft is also controlled. You can’t go out and spend millions of dollars to dominate so it comes down to drivability and set up. The front cars are so close, the top six can sometimes be within three-tenths of a second so it comes down to smartness and experience.”
The six cylinder VT Commodores and AU Falcons may lack the power of their V8 counterparts but the rivalry between Ford and Holden remains as strong as ever.
Lindorff, who has Holden blood running through his veins, hopes this year’s win will lead to a full season in the national series next year.
