Motor Sport
There was some extremely close racing across both days of the Ascot Park Hotel Classic SpeedFest at Teretonga Park in Invercargill over the weekend.
Related: Great Racing Action On First Day Of Classic Speedfest
In the HVRA class, Gary Johnstone of Christchurch took first blood in his Jaguar XJS from Leon Hallett of Mosgiel in a Ford Mustang, with David Hunter of Dunedin in an MGB GT third.
A handicap race on Sunday morning saw Mussa Russell of Taupō in a Ford Escort take the win from John Mackley of Wallacetown (Anglia), with Barry Leitch of Invercargill third in a Cortina.
Johnstone and Hallett had a great battle at the front of the third race, with Hallett prevailing by the barest of margins and Hunter third, before another handicap race saw Jamie Green of Dunedin in a Datsun1200 win from Craig Sawyer of Taupō in a Vauxhall Viva and Leitch.
Wayne Perkins of Alexandra in a Viva won the first Pre 78 Classic Saloon race from Mark McGuinness of Wellington in an Alfa Romeo GTV. The second race featured a handicap start with Blair Bishop of Dunedin taking the win in his Fiat 850 ahead of David Berry of Oxford in a Ford Escort. On Sunday morning, McGuinness beat Perkins after a good battle. Steve Pauling of Nelson had been third in each of those races.
The finale was for the Brian Crosbie Memorial Trophy and, in a handicap race, the spoils went to Peter Scobie of Dunedin in a Mini, from Rod Sinclair of Invercargill in his Alfa Romeo Giulia and Bishop.
Bob Hyslop of Tauranga in his Mazda RX7 won three of the four Classic Saloon races. On Saturday he led home Steve Ross of Dunedin in the PDL Mustang and Mike Baker of Picton in a Porsche 964 in both races. On Sunday morning he won from Baker and Marcus Stewart of Christchurch after Ross retired from the race. In the finale, Hyslop retired, leaving the win to Baker from Stewart and Jim Wallace of Christchurch in a BMW M5.
Mark Barrett of Rolleston in a Lotus 23B Replica won three of the four Vintage Racing Car races, with Paul Coory of Mosgiel in a CAE Sprint car taking the other. Barrett and his wife Tracey, plus Coory, dominated the podium in all four races.
Royce Bayer of Rangiora made a clean sweep of the Formula Ford/Libre races in his Argo. He won the first from Jordan Michels of Invercargill with Marc Doran of Queenstown third in a Ray 86F. On Sunday morning, Bayer won again from Doran and Keith Cowan of West Melton in a Johnston FF after Michels came to a halt on the final lap. He won the final two races from Michels, with Doran and Ian Arbuthnott of Pahiatua (Argo) picking up the third placings.
The Allied 24/7 Fuel Mainland Muscle Cars supported the classic classes. Angus Fogg of Riverhead led all the way in his Mustang to win Saturday’s race from Rhys Gould of Christchurch (Mustang) and Mike Wallace of Dunedin in his Chev Monza. Brayden Phillips of Christchurch won Sunday morning’s handicap race in his Mustang from Fogg and Wallace, while Wallace won the third when he got his nose in front right on the line to beat Fogg by .003 of a second after a great battle with Gould third.
The finale was a handicap which went to Hamish Frew of Christchurch in a Camaro, from Phillips and Colin Campbell of Tauranga in a Torana.
Saturday’s Mini 7 South race finished under safety car with Bailey Paterson of Ohoka leading the train of cars across the line, with Justin Neill of Christchurch second and fellow Christchurch driver Daniel Lamb third. Angus Fogg won Sunday morning’s race with a run to the line to pip Neill and Lamb. Paterson, Neill, and Lamb were the first three home in both of the Sunday afternoon races.
Dion Dawson of Invercargill won three of the four Noel McIntyre Drainage Club Saloon races in his Saker SVS, with his brother Kyle taking the other in his Jaguar. Bob Hyslop in his Mazda and Mike Baker shared the third places across the weekend.
The MX5 Heritage Cup ran with the Club Saloons, with Dean Evans of Hamilton winning all four races while Matthew Smith and Mike Harcourt of Christchurch and Everard Petrie of Rolleston shared the placings.
The next race meeting at Teretonga Park is the annual Southern Thunder event over the weekend of 15/16 March, featuring NZ Super Trucks, Allied 24/7 Fuel Mainland Muscle Cars, NZ V8 Utes, and much, much more.