Photo: Sceats & Aitken fight for positionThere were tussles galore in the three separate classes within the Suzuki New Zealand Production Racing Series at the third round at the Taupo A1GP meeting this weekend.
As usual, it was the powerful four-wheel drive Mitsubishi and Subaru contenders running within Class C that emerged at the front of the field in each of the three races. In the first race Logan Childs underlined his early season promise by taking the chequered flag first and heading off the similar Lancer Evo 9 of Scott McKelvie and class points leader Simon Sceats (Impreza STI).
In the second race Sceats struck back for Subaru winning the reverse top-ten grid race after a tremendous tussle with veteran racer Grant Aitken driving a Mitsubishi.
The third race win was taken by McKelvie who showed that his team is coming to grips with their Evo 9, which made its race debut at the start of the season. Childs finished second in this race with Sceats finishing third despite overheating. Sceats thus won Class C for the Taupo meeting.
In Class B – two-wheel drive Dale Williams didn’t have things all his own way in his Mazda New Zealand supported MPS. Williams duly won Class B in the scratch race, followed by Steve Taylor’s Honda Civic, but in the second race Williams copped a penalty, which opened the way for Taylor to win the class. In the full reverse grid race, which saw a lot of cars sporting panel damage, Mike Modgill won Class B with his Honda Integra ahead of Williams. Taylor and Modgill tied on points for the day.
The Suzuki Swift Sport Cup cars once again entertained, with Brock Barrie winning the first race from newcomer Dane Fisher. Cody McMaster won the class in the second race from Mark Whyte and again headed off Whyte in the full reverse grid race.
