Photo: Steve Ross leads Ken Smith A collection of world class cars produced stunning racing for those lucky enough to be at Teretonga Park in Invercargill this weekend. The annual Evolution Motorsport Classic SpeedFest produced some wonderful racing as cars and drivers from all over the world battled it out.
Canadian driver Jay Esterer was the man to beat in the AJ Auto Electrical Formula 5000 class. Esterer scorched around Teretonga in a time of 54.00 seconds in qualifying in his McRae GM1, just .304 of a second faster than kiwi veteran Ken Smith in a Lola T430.
He then went on to win two of the three races, the first over 8 laps on Saturday afternoon when he led all the way from Smith with Dunedin driver Steve Ross climbing from fifth on the grid to finish third. Esterer also won the third and final race for the class but Smith interrupted his winning run on Sunday morning when a fuel problem saw Esterer's McRae grind to halt. That gave the win to Smith from Ross with Aucklander Andrew Higgins in a Lola T400 third. Esterer was back in command in the final race leading home Ross who got the better of Smith who finished third. The Formula 5000's were a crowd favourite and provided plenty of action. Both of Sundays races were interrupted by red flags while cars were retrieved from opening lap incidents.
Esterer also competed in the Southern Paints Racing Car Class in a Van Diemen but after finishing third in the opening race he cartwheeled off the track in the second, badly damaging the car but emerging uninjured. Invercargill driver Dave McKenzie drove his Reynard to a debut victory in the opening race, leading home Christchurch driver Greg Long in a Swift SE3 and Esterer. Munro Tall of Queenstown won the second from Dave Arrowsmith of Christchurch in a Swift DB4 with McKenzie third. Tall also took the win early on Sunday morning while fastest qualifier Carl Wall of Christchurch who did not start the first two races won the fourth race from Arrowsmith and Tall. Greg Long won the finale from Riverton driver Don Nelson and Clive Kirkland of Dunedin.
Event sponsor Rick Michels of Invercargill won all five Jesco Historic Touring Car races. Brett Stevens of Motueka was the fastest qualifier but started from the back of the grid in his Ford Sierra in both of Saturdays races. In the first he made it through to second place but the car expired in the second, a race in which Michels and Conrad Timms of Auckland had a great battle with
Michels taking the win - just! Michels beat Timms home in the first race on Sunday and then defeated Arron Black of Dunedin in a Toyota Carina in the next before completing a clean sweep in the finale ahead of Timms and Black.
Guy Stewart of Christchurch and Brendan Mason of Invercargill shared the wins in the Ray White Real Estate & Turntru Machining Classic Saloons Class. Mason of Invercargill was fastest in qualifying in his Camaro but Stewart of Christchurch in his Porsche GT2 won both of Saturdays races. Mason won two of Sundays three races and Stewart the other. Canadian Jack Ondrack in his TVR Tuscan and Tony Mann of Dunedin in a Capri were other prominent competitors in this class.
Stewart also dominated the Sievwright Autos Sports Car Class on Saturday, winning both races, one from Ondrack who charged from the back of the grid and one from Chris Chiles of Christchurch in a Lotus Elan. Stewart continued his winning run on Sunday morning from Chiles and Steve Scoles of Outram in a Triumph TR8. Stewart was a non starter in the last two races, Ondrack taking victory from Chiles on both occasions.
The Probuilt Engines Classic Saloons saw local driver Scott O'Donnell qualify fastest but it was Chiles in the Lotus Elan who went on to win all five races over the weekend. O'Donnell was second in all but one contest in his Alfa Romeo GTA while Matthew O'Donnell of Christchurch was runner-up in an Alfa GTV in the other.
Russell Greer of Blenheim dominated the Southland Times Vintage Car Class, qualifying fastest and then romping away to four very convincing wins in the Stanton Corvette. Ralph Smith of Dunedin in the Lycoming Special, Graeme Hamilton of Lyttleton in an ACE III and Russ Haines of Ashburton (Frangapelli Holden) disputed the minor placings. Greer did not start the final race which went to Hamilton from Smith and Paul Coghill of Dunedin.
The Noel McIntyre Drainage Clubmans Saloon class saw some great battles. On Saturday Brendan Mason of Invercargill won the first race in his Camaro, shadowed all the way by Bradley Dawson having his first race in his uncle Colin Dawson's V8 Mazda RX7. In the second race Dawson blasted off the line best and scorched away leaving Mason to finish second with Robert Ralston of Invercargill third.
On Sunday Dawson won the class race while Darryn Andrews of Christchurch (Nissan Primera), Jamie Hodgins of Dunedin (Toyota Starlet) and Jamie Conroy of Invercargill (Star Car) won their classes.
The Flying Farewell went to Mason by .270 of a second from Dawson.
The final meeting of the season takes place at Teretonga Park next month over the weekend of 19/20 March.
