Good Fields Good Racing at Teretonga

8 December 2013

Good Fields Good Racing at Teretonga

Good fields provided good racing in an exciting day of action presented by Downer at Teretonga on Sunday. All classes had their opening races on a wet track before conditions dried for the remainder of the day.

Andrew Cundall of Invercargill made a clean sweep of all three OSCA/Sport Saloon races. After being beaten off the line from pole position in the wet opening race he drove superbly in his Toyota Levin to open his day with a win from Geoff Washbourne of Christchurch who came from further down the grid in his 6-litre Commodore with Gary Duncan of Temuka third in his Mitsubishi. The second race featured a reverse split grid with the fast cars coming through from the back. Cundall timed his run to perfection to pip Murray Beeby of Timaru in a Nissan GTR with Washbourne third. Cundall then took the third race, a reverse handicap event, ahead of Geoff Gray of Temuka and Washbourne.

James Munro won all four Sports & Racing Car contests in his Formula Renault in which he is preparing for the Toyota Racing Series. Local driver Brendon Leitch took three seconds and a third in his Stealth Formula Ford while in the South Island Formula Ford section Michael Collins of Christchurch took victory in the first after local star Jamie Conroy retired with a broken rocker shaft after leading early on. Ryan Yardley of Christchurch picked up second with Invercargill driver Steve Heffernan third. Conroy took the second after a reprieve when he and Aaron Marr of Wanganui went off at the first corner. The race was red flagged allowing both to rejoin and Conroy took a good win from Collins and Marr. Conroy then spun out of the lead in the third leaving Collins to lead home from Marr and Robert Toshach of Christchurch.

Nathan Pilcher of Dunedin in a Holden Commodore won the first Noel McIntyre Drainage Clubmans Saloon race in slippery conditions after a good battle with Robert Ralston of Invercargill who finished second in his Nissan Silvia with Dion Dawson third in another Silvia. Ralston won the second clash from Liam MacDonald of Invercargill in a Falcon and Darryn Andrews from Lincoln in a turbocharged Nissan Primera after Pilcher had an off and did not finish. It was Ralston again in the third ahead of Brian Scott of Dunedin in his Corvette and Inky Tulloch of Gore in his turbocharged Honda Integra. Both Scott and Tulloch had started the day off the back of the grid working their way forward as the day went on. Class honours went to Ralston in the 2501cc & over class, Warren Kett of Invercargill (1601-2500cc) and Dayne McIlwrick of Cromwell (1301-1600cc). Scott took the Flying Farewell from Tulloch and MacDonald.

Paul Clarke of Dunedin was on pole in his Fastback Mustang for the first Pre 65 Saloon race but made a poor start allowing Greg Stewart of Lumsden and Invercargill driver Wayne Tuffley to stage a fantastic battle for the lead. After swapping the lead Tuffley took the win from Stewart with the recovering Clarke hot on their heels. The next race, a handicap event, saw Tuffley score another win from Roy MacDonald of Dunedin in a Ford Fairlane and Maurie Bone of Christchurch in an Anglia. Tuffley rounded out the day when he won the last from MacDonald and Stewart to make it three from three.

Ashley Hooper of Dunedin won the first NZ6 Saloon race in his Falcon from Gore driver Paul Muir and Adam Newell of Normanby while Gore driver Russell Keeler in his new AU Falcon came through the field in great fashion from a handicap start to finish fifth. The second race was a beauty with Muir, driving a Commodore, coming through to a good win ahead of Wayne Christie of Christchurch and Brett Stratton of Hawera. Muir also took the third from Newell and Justin Ashwell of Christchurch.

George Gilbert of Timaru led away from pole position to win the first Pro 7 Saloon race from another Timaru driver Daniel Taylor with Mosgiel's Ken Thompson third. In the second race from a reverse grid start Taylor beat Jason Corboy from Rangiora and Gilbert. Gilbert received a time penalty in the third race and then spun fighting for the lead leaving Taylor to win from Thompson and Mitchell Hamilton of Pleasant Point.

Doug Erskine of Tuatapere in one of the bigger engined Mini's came through to take the first Mini 7 South race while Nick Bartley of Kaiapoi and veteran Doug Drake of Christchurch had a fantastic dice to finish second and third in their 1000cc machines. Bartley took the second race, Erskine just failing to make the lead from his handicap while Drake sealed third. Erskine also secured the third from Bartley and Sam Gavin of Hanmer Springs.

The next race meeting at Teretonga Park is the annual Motorsport New Zealand Summer Series featuring NZV8 Touring Cars, the Toyota Racing Series, Formula Ford, Production GT, the NZ Sport Sedan Challenge and NZ6 Saloons.

Keep up to date with what is happening at Teretonga Park this summer at www.teretonga.org.nz

CALENDAR 2013/2014 SEASON - TERETONGA PARK

21/22 September 2013: Motor Racing presented by Downer - ASKO Appliances 3 Hour Endurance Race, ASKO Appliances 1 Hour Endurance Race, Pro 7 Saloons, Honda Cup, Noel McIntyre Drainage Clubmans, Sports & Racing Cars

3 November 2013: Motor Racing presented by Downer - Noel McIntyre Drainage Clubmans, Sports & Racing Cars, Honda Cup

7/8 December 2013: Motor Racing presented by Downer - OSCA, Pre 65 Saloons; Mini 7 South, NZ Six, Pro 7 Saloons, South Island Formula Ford, Noel McIntyre Drainage Clubmans, Sports & Racing Cars

10-12 January 2014: NZV8 Touring Cars, Toyota Racing Series Formula Ford and more

14-16 February 2014: Evolution Motorsport Classic SpeedFest featuring top class classic motor racing

14-16 March 2014: Motor Racing presented by Downer - NZ Super Trucks, NZ Six, Honda Cup, Pre 65 Saloons, Noel McIntyre Drainage Clubmans, Sports & Racing Cars

ENDS

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