The annual Evolution Motorsport Classic SpeedFest provided good entertainment on the first of two days of racing at Teretonga Park in Invercargill today.
In the Southland Times Racing Car class Don Nelson of Riverton was dominant. Nelson qualified fastest in his Reynard SF89 and won both races. Trevor Earley of Invercargill was second in the opening contest with Stephen Heffernan third in a Van Diemen RF87. Earley stalled on the startline of the second race allowing Heffernan to take the runner-up spot with Barry Forth of Christchurch third in his Royale. Young Southland kart graduate Brendon Leitch shone in his second motor racing appearance, qualifying third and scoring an eighth and tenth placing in the two races.
Brendan Mason of Invercargill set the early pace in the Ray White Real Estate Classic Saloon class. Mason qualified fastest in his Chev Camaro ahead of Canadian Jack Ondrack in his TVR Tuscan and led Ondrack home by a margin of 12 seconds in the first race, setting a new classic saloon lap record of 1 minute 03.605 along the way. Neither Mason nor Ondrack started the second race leaving the third placegetter from the first race, John Osborne of Christchurch in his Nissan 300ZX to win from Dunedin's David Hunter in a Jaguar and Graeme Sargent of Timaru in a Holden Torana XU1.
Ralph Smith of Dunedin won both Allied Petroleum Vintage Car races in his Lycoming Special after the fastest qualifier Mark McFadden retired his 260m Zephyr early in the opening race. Graeme Hamilton of Lyttleton in an ACE III and Paul Coghill of Dunedin in a HWM Jaguar Longmore RF took a second and third apiece behind Smith.
In the Turntru Machining Sports Car class Murray Sinclair of Christchurch took pole position and won the first race in his beautiful Chevron B16 from Ondrack who was also racing his TVR Tuscan in this category. Steve Scoles of Outram in a Triumph was third with Graeme Beck of Edendale in his Beck Special fourth.
Gareth Hall of Christchurch burst through from third on the grid to win the first race of the Kumho Tyres Pre 65 Saloons championship. Invercargill driver Wayne Tuffley had taken pole position and chased Hall all the way, taking the lead briefly in his Ford Mustang but Hall's Chevrolet Nova SS had more straightline speed. Jim Kelly of Dunedin was third in his Ford Mustang.
The Mini 7 South series supported by R&D Motorsport and Hanmer Refuse Services saw Mark Donaldson of Christchurch qualify fastest but in the race the bigger engined cars of Tuatapere's Doug Erskine and Invercargill driver Alan Crawford took first and second ahead of Donaldson.
Fastest qualifier Brett Stevens of Motueka won the opening Jesco Hydraulics Historic Touring Car race in his Ford Sierra Cosworth from event sponsor Rick Michels from Invercargill in a BMW M3. Gary Wilkinson of Christchurch took third in his Zakspeed Ford Escort after Warren Good of Dunedin received a time penalty for jumping the start.
Andrew Cundall got off the line ahead of pole man, fellow Invercargill driver Scott O'Donnell, in the Noel McIntyre Drainage Clubmans Series race. The duo had a good battle with Cundall's turbocharged Toyota Levin crossing the line ahead of O'Donnell's Porsche GT3 RSR. Pierre Neame of Winton was third in his Ford Capri.
In Class B of the Noel McIntyre Drainage Clubmans races young karting star Jamie Conroy had pole position in a Ford Star Car. However Conroy was slow off the line and had to battle back through the field. He set the fastest lap and was challenging Christchurch driver Glen Dunlop on the final lap when the red flag appeared. Dunlop took the victory in his Toyota Starlet from Conroy and Gore driver Paul Muir in a Holden Commodore.
The action continues at 10.00am tomorrow.
