Mechanical failure puts halt to Bricknells title contention

A freak mechanical issue during the Tasmanian Sprintcar title final has forced Tasmanian driver Jamie Bricknell to watch from the infield.

After showing great speed during hotlaps, and winning his opening heat, Bricknell looked in good contention to start from the front of the field, before colliding with a spun car during his second heat.

"We had a great run in the first heat" reflects Jamie, "but Kurt (Luttrell) spun in front of me, and despite trying to avoid him, I slid into him sideways."

Despite relatively minor damage, Jamie was unable to restart and was deemed a non finisher.

Starting out of 12th for the feature, Jamie and the team were optimistic about his chances, however before the green flag was dropped, Bricknell came to a halt on the main straight.

"Everything was great on the roll up laps, but I suddenly lost all brake pressure" says Jamie. "The officials could do nothing to help, so I was pushed infield while the race started."

Closer inspection of the rear axle revealed that a minor part had failed, and a brake pad had fallen out of the caliper, allowing the piston to extend beyond it's limit and subsequently losing brake fluid.

After a rollover on the opening lap, and a subsequent red light, Jamie worked frantically on the car in an attempt to restore the braking system, but was unable to rectify the issue and was forced to become a spectator for the final.

"It's a gut wrenching way to end the night," says team owner Steve.  "I've never heard of brake pads falling out, and despite using the best gear we can, sometimes fluke failures occur."

"The team is very professional about it though" continues Steve.  "We're now focusing on the upcoming rounds of the series, and preparing to head to the mainland, so we won't let this interfere with our preparations."

For the 2011/2012 Season Jamie Bricknell is proudly supported by:

Montile Tile Boutique – Launceston, Devonport and Hobart

Precision Autos

KRE Race Engines

C&A Milne Builders

JMC - Jackson Motor Company

All Sorts of Treats

Angryman Photography & Media