Little And Clarke Winners On Day One Of Southern Thunder

Alex Little of Lower Hutt in a Freightliner Century and Paul Clarke of Dunedin in a Ford Mustang were the winners in the headline classes on the opening day of Southern Thunder at Teretonga Park in Invercargill today.

While the early qualifying sessions were wet the track dried out for the final qualifying sessions and apart from one brief shower during the race programme, racing was carried out on a dry track.

**D50_2067:** Alex Little of Lower Hutt #66 leads Troy Etting of Auckland on his way to victory in the first race of the weekend at the Teretonga Park round of the NAPA Auto Parts NZ Super Truck Championship supported by Kings House Removals today. Photo: Supplied

Little, who has a great success rate at Teretonga Park, was the provisional winner of the opening NAPA Auto Parts NZ Super Truck race supported by Kings House Removals today. He crossed the line one second ahead of Troy Etting of Auckland in a Kenworth W924 with Troy Wheeler of Gisborne in another Freightliner Century third.

Dunedin driver Paul Clarke in a Ford Mustang qualified fastest and then won the Allied 24/7 Fuel Mainland Muscle Car race by .345 of a second after a great race with Brayden Phillips of Christchurch in a Chevrolet Monza. Rod Hayman of Saint Andrews in South Canterbury followed them home in third place in his Chev Camaro. Series points leader Brian Scott of Dunedin did not race today after suffering a mechanical issue.

The Pre 78 Classic Saloons had two races today, the first a conventional grid start won by Bruce Farley of Nelson in his Vauxhall Viva. Shane Caughey of Moana, at the edge of Lake Brunner on the West Coast, was second in his MK1 Ford Escort with Gregg Cooper of Invercargill in a Capri third. The second was a handicap race which was won by Gerald Hargreaves of Winchester in his Daimler from Jason Lambert of Christchurch in a Mustang with Farley third.

**D50_1228:** Liam Nicholson of Taupō on his way to victory in the first Formula First race held at Teretonga Park in Invercargill for thirty years. Photo: Supplied

Formula First made its first appearance at Teretonga Park since March 1996 and Liam Nicholson of Taupō celebrated the occasion by winning the opening race by the barest of margins from five-time champion and current championship leader Chris Symon of Palmerston North with Liam Foster of Papatoetoe third.

Harry Wilson of Invercargill won the opening Noel McIntyre Drainage Club Saloon race of the weekend after qualifying fastest earlier in the day. In a race cut short by a red flag Dave McLean of Balfour in his Honda Integra was second with Craig Allan of Invercargill (Nissan 180SX) third.

Tomorrow’s action commences at 10am with a full day of racing. Tickets at the gate for Sunday’s action cost just thirty dollars while children 14 & under accompanied by an adult are free.