Pre race favorite Caine Lobb held off a determined challenge from Andrew Waite to win the final and take out the Formula Ford Festival Trophy at Christchurch’s Powerbuilt Tools Raceway on October 14.
A promising field of 18 cars faced the starter in the 20-lap final, after three heat races had been held to determine grid positions. Lobb took an early lead from pole postion, but Waite was soon challenging and after squeezing by on lap two he held the lead for three laps until Lobb reasserted himself.
Waite had John Whelan for close company, and as these two passed and re-passed Lobb was able to edge clear. The battle between Waite and Whelan continued to the finish, their Stealth cars being evenly matched.
Yet another Stealth, that of local man Nick Donaldson, initially held fourth position, but once Donaldson began to slow and eventually retire with his car’s engine fuming, Kurt Peterson moved clear of a gaggle of cars to finish fourth, chased by youngsters Jamie McNee (Wellington), Matt Penrose (Christchurch), Simon Evans (Auckland) and Mathew Wooding (Hamilton).
Penrose, driving an older model RF92 Van Diemen, was impressive in winning in the Pre 93 section. MTA Scholarship winner Stefan Webling also impressed, finishing his first Formula Ford race in 9th position.
The meeting marked the opening round of the various South Island register series. Neville Stowell looked hard to beat in Kumho Sport Saloon races being clearly the fastest in his potent Skyline GTR and picking up wins in the scratch and reverse grid races.
With last seasons winner Blair Sutherland moving up to Development V8s and second placeman Wayne Christie sitting the season out, the way was clear for last season’s third placeman Peter Hughes to take out two wins in the Firestone Super Six Saloon class, with leading female competitor Clara Bond winning the reverse grid race.
Manny Sim debuted his new notchback Mustang in the Kumho Pre 65 category and won first time out in wet conditions, while Wayne Patrick won the second race in his Falcon and Roy MacDonald (Fairlane) took out the handicap race.
Former champion Mark Mitchell returned to the Flexoplas South Island Mini 7 category and won the first of the three races, but Grant Kugener showed that Mitchell won’t have things all his own way by crossing the line first in the second and third races.
Mark Elliot won two of the three races in the Toyo Tyres South Island Pro 7s, with Anton Summerfield winning the other race.
The BMW Series made its South Island debut with seven cars facing the starter and Dougal MacGibbon’s 635 CSI being fastest.
