They say that all good things come to those who wait. But by the 11th lap of the feature 12-lap SAS Autoparts MSC NZ F5000 Tasman Cup Revival Series final at Invercargill’s Teretonga Park Raceway this afternoon even three-times former series champion Steve Ross (McRae GM1) had accepted the fact he was going to cross the finish line in second place.

Yet, just as the flagman put out the last lap board for his benefit, the weekend’s fastest qualifier and runaway winner of the first two SAS Autoparts MSC Series races, Michael Collins, slowed dramatically and pulled off the circuit just after the start/finish line; his race run thanks to a broken half (drive) shaft.

To say that Steve Ross couldn’t quite believe his eyes as he scythed past at what is the fastest point of the storied Invercargill track is perfectly understandable too. So sure was the flagman that it was Collins’ white Leda LT27 that was going to win the race he ignored Ross’s dark blue McRae GM1 the first time it crossed the finish line, obliging Ross to do an extra lap before the mistake was identified and addressed.

McRae GM1 driver Steve Ross was the surprise winner of the SAS Autoparts MSC NZ F5000 Tasman Cup Revival Series feature race at the first annual George Begg Classic Superfest meeting at Invercargill’s Teretonga Park today.

So the record at the new-look George Begg Classic Speedfest meeting will note that though series young gun and runaway 2019/20 points leader Michael Collins qualified his Alistair Hey-owned Leda LT27 quickest and set the fastest race laps on his way to winning the first two SAS Autoparts MSC Series races of the weekend, the third was won by Steve Ross.

Michael Collins led the race until the last lap when he was forced to pull over and stop by a broken half (drive) shaft. Photo: Fast Company/Richard Dimmock

It wasn’t as if Ross didn’t deserve the win. Though as he said afterwards; ‘you have to commiserate with the guy (Collins) because he was absolutely on fire all weekend.”

Despite that with fellow young gun LeRoy Stevenson (who was down to drive Alistair Hey’s other Leda LT27) side-lined by a flu bug after qualifying third quickest behind Collins and Ross on Saturday, Ross was the only other driver able to match the pace of the 23-year-old Collins in any of the races.

photo: Vanessa Adcock Photography

Collins had built up a healthy lead of just over 10 seconds in the longer feature final feature this afternoon, too, albeit only after Ross spun off the track early on in the race, losing time but impressively, not his hard-won second place.

Behind Collins and Ross the big story of the meeting was the assured performance of Aucklander Glenn Richards driving the ex Eppie Weitz Lola T400. Though it was his first visit to the track, Richards qualified fourth quickest with a lap time of 56.802 then ran a smooth, quick and confident third in the first two races and a career-best second in the final.

Glenn Richards drove a great race to finish second. Photo: Fast Company/Richard Dimmock

He had plenty of competition too, in the form of fellow Aucklander Grant Martin (Talon MR1A), former NZ Formula Ford champion Kevin Ingram (Lola T332), visiting Australian driver Paul Zazryn and fellow Lola T332 driver Codie Banks, Yet no matter who was (often very) close behind him Richards never lost his cool.

It was just as close meanwhile in the Class A category for earlier F5000 cars, with Tony Roberts back in top in his high-wing McLaren M10A but never quite able to completely shake off season-long rival Frank Karl (McLaren M10B).

With its special guest appearance at the new George Begg-themed Classic Speedfest meeting at Invercargill’s Teretonga Park now done and dusted, the SAS Autoparts MSC NZ F5050 Tasman Cup Revival Series returns to the North Island for the final 2019/20 round at the big HRC Legends of Speed meeting at Hampton Downs over the March 21/22 weekend.

The regular ‘travelling’ members of the NZ F5000 Association then have a couple of months to prepare their cars for their next ‘trip away;’ in this case to Ireland and Great Britain for major Historic motor racing meetings at Mondello Park on Aug 15 and 16 and at Oulton Park from Saturday August 29 to Monday August 31.

Qualifying

  1. Michael Collins 54.451
  2. Steve Ross 55.119
  3. Glenn Richards 56.802
  4. Paul Zazryn 56.935
  5. Grant Martin 57.049
  6. David Banks 57.186
  7. Kevin Ingram 57.581
  8. Codie Banks 58.067
  9. Tony Roberts 1:01.862
  10. Shayne Windelburn 1:02.095
  11. Frank Karl 1:03.817
  12. Tim Rush 1:10.175
  13. LeRoy Stevenson

Race 1 (Sat pm 6 laps)

  1. Michael Collins 5:38.766
  2. Steve Ross +6.006
  3. Glenn Richards +14.982
  4. Grant Martin +17.090
  5. Kevin Ingram +19.750
  6. Shayne Windelburn +39.319
  7. Tony Roberts +48.687
  8. Frank Karl +52.011
  9. Tim Rush + 1 lap

DNF. LeRoy Stevenson, David Banks, Paul Zazryn

DNS. Codie Banks

Race 2 (Sun am 8 laps)

  1. Michael Collins 7:55.644
  2. Steve Ross +0.809
  3. Glenn Richards +20.661
  4. Grant Martin +20.993
  5. Kevin Ingram +21.688
  6. Paul Zazryn +22.152
  7. Shayne Windelburn +24.439
  8. Codie Banks + 25.586
  9. Tony Roberts +42.267
  10. Frank Karl +1 lap
  11. Tim Rush +1 lap

Race 3 (Sun pm 12 laps)

  1. Steve Ross 11:34.261
  2. Glenn Richards 10.348
  3. Kevin Ingram +14.871
  4. Paul Zazryn +16.477
  5. Codie Banks +19.937
  6. Shayne Windelburn +34.251
  7. Tony Roberts + 1 lap
  8. Frank Karl +1 lap

DNF: Michael Collins, Grant Martin

2018/19 SAS Autoparts MSC NZ F5000 Tasman Cup Revival Series Calendar

  • Rnd 1: 16-17 Nov 2019 – The Sound MG Classic, Circuit Chris Amon Manfeild Feilding NZ.
  • Rnd 2: 18-19 Jan 2020 – Taupo Historic Grand Prix – Bruce McLaren Motorsport Park Taupo NZ.
  • Rnd 3: 1-2 Feb 2020 – Skope Classic – Mike Pero Motorsport Park Ruapuna Christchurch NZ.
  • Rnd 4: 15 -16 Feb 2020 – George Begg Classic Speedfest Teretonga Invercargill NZ.
  • Rnd 5: 21-22 Mar 2020 – HRC Legends of Speed Hampton Downs Waikato NZ.
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