Photo: Darryn Andrews of Lincoln - the top performer in the Noel McIntyre Drainage Clubmans Saloon races Good racing in several different categories kicked off the motor racing season at Teretonga Park in Invercargill this weekend.
The meeting was presented by Downer and the first day on Saturday saw the opening round of the South Island Endurance Series with both a 3 hour race and a separate 1 hour event.
Christchurch drivers Paul Kelly and Kevin Bell won the ASKO Applicances 3 Hour Endurance Race after an intriguing battle with Scott O'Donnell of Invercargill and Simon McLennan of Wellington. Both driver pairings were in Porsche GT3s and the Kelly/Bell combination qualified fastest and led until they had to pit for fuel and a driver change.
After that the lead changed regularly between Kelly/Bell and O'Donnell/McLennan. However a fuel rig problem meant that O'Donnell/McLennan were forced to make extra fuel stops handing the race to Kelly and Bell who had also been forced to make an extra pitstop when they tangled with a slower car. O'Donnell and McLennan finished second with Brent Esler and Andy Neale of Christchurch third in their BMW M3 GTR. The race was interspersed with several incidents which saw the safety car and red flags deployed.
In the ASKO Appliances One Hour race Stuart Black of Dunedin won in a Toyota Starlet from Invercargill driver Grant Molloy in a Mitsubishi Mirage. Jamie and Lee Hodgins of Dunedin were third in their Starlet.
Sundays programme featured the Noel McIntyre Drainage Clubmans Saloon races, Sports & Racing Cars and Pro 7 Saloons. The day dawned wet but after qualifying and the opening races conditions dried for the rest of the day.
The Noel McIntyre Drainage Clubmans Saloons provided the biggest fields and the best racing. Qualifying was held in wet conditions and Darryn Andrews of Lincoln was fastest in his turbocharged Nissan Primera while several of the anticipated frontrunners qualified down the order meaning they had to work through traffic once racing started. Andrews went on to win the first two races, the first from Invercargill drivers Bradley Dawson (Toyota Trueno) and early leader Jeremy Dawson (Toyota Starlet), and the second from Brent Cross of Winton who came through the field in his EVO with Jeremy Dawson third.
In the class race Cross beat Andrews across the line with Tony Forde of Invercargill charging through the field to third in his Holden Commodore. In the class battles Cross took the 2501cc & over class, Ivan Harvey (Toyota Levin) of Invercargill, the 1601-2500cc, Jeremy Dawson the 1301-1600cc class and Ian McKenzie (Datsun Sunny) of Otautau the 0-1300cc bracket.
In the Flying Farewell Andrews blitzed the field, winning by 20 seconds from Forde with Jeremy Dawson third. Cross had started strongly but his car went off song and drifted through the field.
The Clubmans Class was notable for some excellent performances, particularly from the debutants in the class. Glenn Johnston of Gore qualified fourth fastest and held that spot in the first race, while Steven Boutcher of Invercargill and Andrew Muir of Gore also drove well. So too did several other relative newcomers and regulars who are rapidly progressing up the order.
Don Nelson of Invercargill qualified fastest before winning the opening Sports & Racing Car race on a wet track ahead of Invercargill drivers Stephen Heffernan and Dave Harris. Jamie Conroy did not start the opening race but returned to win the second, albeit by a margin of .036 of a second from Nelson with Heffernan third. Conroy of Invercargill also won the next two races, both times from Nelson and Dave McKenzie of Invercargill in his Reynard.
In the Pro 7 Saloons Christchurch driver Jason Corboy was dominant. Corboy qualified fastest and won all three races. Ken Thompson of Mosgiel was second on all three occasions although he had some great battles with Timaru driver Daniel Taylor. Taylor gathered two third placings but his car failed in the finale, handing third to Nicholas King of Geraldine.
The next meeting at Teretonga Park will be held on Sunday 30 October and will feature the debut of the German Rennsport Class at the circuit.
