Photo: Nick ChesterFast becoming one of the most revered machines in Australasian motorsport, the Chester's Plumbing V8 Supercar of Nick Chester set a new benchmark for all in his wake at the Hampton Downs IRC Trophy Meeting today.
Held as a one day event with six of the regular IRC classes competing, Chester stole the show in his 'Uber-Supercar', based on a heavily modified Holden V8 Supercar platform, scorching around the 2.63km circuit in 1:03.359 in qualifying, and setting consecutive 64.0 and 64.1 second racing laps thereafter.
Chester decimated the field in the Greenslade's Furniture Store Tauranga GT1 & GT2 Series, winning the opening race by more than 50 seconds, and the second by 18 seconds, from Brian Gray and GT2 frontrunner Justin Herbert respectively.
Much attention was also focussed on the Bridgestone Porsche Series, fronting up with the largest field of the season so far with the invitation of regular GT3 Cup competitors Simon McLennan and Mark Maddren, and former Mini Challenge Champion Craig Innes. McLennan, in a converted endurance-spec 997 GT3, was pushed hard by reigning champion Ian Hayr in qualifying, but won the first race comfortably with Kevin Etches and the 996 Cup Car of Craig Innes winning the second and third.
In the NZ Sports Car Racing, series newcomer Geoff Short scored pole position in his Juno from the radical of David Glasson, and comfortably won all three races while Glasson and Robert Hulme battled hard over the minor podium placings.
The battle of the young guns in Weldwell Formula First lived up to expectation with some terrific battles between the championship challengers. With the top four qualifiers separated by just 3/10ths of a second, it was Michael Scott who took the opening win, with Matt Higham winning the second and third to extend his championship lead.
Such is often the case in Formula First racing, the top five finishers in all three races were covered by a second or less!
In the Super Mini Challenge, Richard Wagstaff was the victor in two of the weekend's three races, but young gun Elliot Heron proved once again that there's good reason why he is the defending Mini 7 Champion, with an outright race victory in the finale from the chasing pack led by Steve Midgley and Chris Thompson.
In the NZGT category, Richard Grainger took a surprise pole position but Rick Bone and Rodney Gimblett shared race wins, before the field was combined with the GT1 and GT2 classes for the final race, with GT2's Justin Herbert winning from the hard charging Nick Chester.
The one day IRC Trophy Meeting at Hampton Downs today provided a handy test platform for many competing in support of the Toyota Racing Series' International Series in the New Year, where the full regular IRC programme - including the Central Muscle Cars, NZ Six and Mazda Pro 7 Racing classes - will be out in force in the biggest event on the IRC season calendar.
The Hampton Downs round of the 2011/12 IRC Series was the third of a seven round championship held between October and April, with events also staged at Taupo, Manfeild and Pukekohe.
Round four of the championship at Pukekohe, for the high profile 'Thunder in the Park' meet, takes place on November 13.
