Photo: Warren Heron and son Elliot scored a 1-2 finishThe full IRC Series programme hit the track at the Taupo Motorsport Park over Labour weekend, with championship challengers in all classes emerging as title threats in the early stages of the season.
Run over the same weekend as the Rugby World Cup Final, where the All Blacks captured the hearts of our nation, the IRC fraternity was in great spirits in the heart of the Central Plateau, and a solid crowd turned out in support.
With the event being run on a slightly reconfigured circuit layout with the final complex of turns being opened up, drivers were hungry not only to win each of the weekend's three races, but also to get their name in the record books with lap records expected to tumble across all ten competing classes.
Brian Gray and Justin Herbert took charge of the GT2 racing and battled it out for supremacy all weekend. Herbert took two race wins from Gray, but had a DNF in the final which handed the round win to Gray in his Mazda RX7.
The opening account for the National Securities Central Muscle Cars was dominated by Shane Wigston, winning the first two races, with challenges coming from Clarke Hopkins and Alan Pearce. The diverse field was full of colour with just shy of 20 entrants taking the starting grid for each race.
Similarly, Taupo was the first championship round for NZ Six, competing for the first time with backing from new series sponsors Nitto Tyres. Adam Newell's pre-season run at Manfeild paid dividends as he took the challenge to series stalwart Shane Wenzlick in the Super 6 class, while not far behind Darrell Harris' pair of HQ Holden victories were split by Darren Swinburne.
After his total domination of the Motul Oils SS2000 at the opening round at Manfeild, James Parker didn't have it all his own way at Taupo as Andy Duffin, Antony Te Rito and young gun Todd Prujean shared the three race wins to throw the championship chase wide open.
Dean McMillan showed his class in the Mazda Pro 7 Racing taking pole position and all three race wins in Pro 7 Plus. Myles Fothergill, Tim Forster and Matt Carkeek were left to battle it out for the remaining podium spots.
Former Suzuki Swift Scholarship winner Matt Gibson won two of the three Series One Pro 7 races, with Terry Loving taking the finale.
In Kumho Tyres Pre 65, Tony Elminger, Dave Bone and Bill McKinnon shared the three race victories, while in the NZ Sports Car Racing Huw Allen took the first race victory, and David Glasson the second and third by significant margins.
The battle of the young guns in the Weldwell Formula First Championship picked up where it left off at Manfeild, with Matt Higham, Ryan Hellier, Kyle George and Rowan Shepherd heading the field. Higham took pole position and two race victories, with Hellier taking the third. But it was Kyle George who won the round, with consistent third, second and second podium placings.
In Super Mini Challenge, Richard Wagstaff and Chris Parkinson won races one and three, but the real story came in the second race with an overall 1-2 finish for father and son pairing, Elliot and Warren Heron; Elliot outpacing 'the old man' for the win.
The multiple classes within Bridgestone Porsche saw multiple victors, with Ian Hayr winning the Open class in his GT3, Kevin Etches' 964RS winning Class A and the Boxster S of Tim James winning Class B. Class C was the most fiercely fought, with Wayne Tinker and Jason Nicholl narrowly separated in their 944s.
The Taupo round of the 2011/12 IRC Series is the second of a seven round championship held between October and April, with events also staged at Taupo, Hampton Downs and Pukekohe.
Round three of the championship at Hampton Downs takes place on November 13.
