The exciting format of the Schaeffer Oil N.Z. Super Sedan Series provided three winners from three races when the opening round of the 2007/2008 Series was held at the Taupo Motorsport Centre this weekend.
Melbourne based Luke Youlden won the opening race on today's programme while Dayne Running of Drury won the final event of the weekend later this afternoon. Previously, on Saturday afternoon, Te Puke driver Peter Stewart had won the opening race of the first round of the series in his MKV Cortina Chev. However Running proved to be the most consistent driver of the round, securing a win plus two third placings over the three races.
This morning's race saw Youlden set a scorching pace in his Ford Mustang Cobra to set a new provisional lap record for sedans of 1 minute 25.2 seconds at the circuit as he took victory in the rolling start scratch race. Early in the race Youlden and the eventual second and third placegetters, Glen Brazier of Invercargill in a Chev Corvette and Running in his Chev Camaro, were closely bunched. However as Youlden pulled away it was left to Brazier and Running to provide an exciting battle for the crowd as they fought it out all the way to the line where Brazier took second place. Behind them defending series champion, Grant Brennan of Tauranga, brought his Brennan Corvette SB2 home in fourth place despite a misfire due to a fuel problem.
Meanwhile further back in the field another Tauranga competitor, Andy Greenslade, drove well in his brand new Chev Corvette despite some initial set-up issues with the car. Two newcomers to the series, Peter Wieser of Auckland in a TVR Chimaera and Greg Gillespie of the North Shore in a Scarab V8 also both drove extremely well.
The final race of the opening round took place this afternoon and another good race resulted. The fast cars set a blistering pace as they carved their way through the field with Running emerging as the winner after six laps. He crossed the line just a few car lengths ahead of Brazier while Youlden, the last car away at the start, sliced through the field to grab third place in another exciting race.
Brennan succumbed to a fuel problem early in the race while Gillespie had his rear suspension break on the startline, forcing him into retirement.
Yesterday Stewart had brought his 6 litre Cortina Chev through from the midfield to win from Justin McIlroy of Silverdale in a VT Holden Clubsport V8 and Running.
Conditions at the Taupo Motorsport Centre were dry but cool throughout the weekend.
The next round of the Schaeffer Oil N.Z. Super Sedan Series will take place at Manfeild in Feilding over the weekend of 10/11 November where several additional cars are expected on the grid.
Major sponsor of the series, Schaeffer Oil, has primary markets in the fields of earthmoving, trucking and agriculture and they view this series as the perfect test environment for their high performance racing products.
RACE 1 - HANDICAP RACE (6 LAPS)
1st - Peter Stewart (Te Puke) - Cortina Chev V8
2nd - Justin McIlroy (Silverdale) - VT Holden Clubsport V8
3rd - Dayne Running (Drury) - Chev Camaro
RACE 2 - ROLLING START SCRATCH RACE (6 LAPS)
1st - Luke Youlden (Melbourne) - Ford Mustang Cobra
2nd - Glen Brazier (Invercargill) - Chev Corvette
3rd - Dayne Running (Drury) - Chev Camaro
RACE 3 - HANDICAP RACE (6 LAPS)
1st - Dayne Running (Drury) - Chev Camaro
2nd - Glen Brazier (Invercargill) - Chev Corvette
3rd - Luke Youlden (Melbourne) - Ford Mustang Cobra
CALENDAR - 2007/08 SCHAEFFER OIL N.Z SUPER SEDAN SERIES
Round 1: 20/21 October 2007 - Taupo Motorsport Centre, Taupo
Round 2: 10/11 November 2007 - Manfeild Autocourse, Feilding
Round 3: 1/2 December 2007 - Pukekohe Park, Pukekohe
Round 4: 2/3 February 2008 - Manfeild Autocourse, Feilding
Round 5: 2 March 2008 - Pukekohe Park, Pukekohe
Round 6: 29/30 March 2008 - Manfeild Autocourse, Feilding
Round 7: 10/11 May 2008 - Taupo Motorsport Centre, Taupo
