Nelson’s Ian Burson had to see off two serious challengers before scoring a comfortable victory in the New Zealand Super Saloon Grand Prix on Friday night.
The win, at AmPro Tools Woodford Glen Speedway was especially satisfying for Burson, coming off a disappointing New Zealand Championship finals campaign on his home track five days previous.
“It’s a fantastic feeling, it’s the next big thing and we have won it,” Burson says of his second Grand Prix victory, the first coming at Dunedin back in 2010.
The drivers were split into two qualifying groups of 13 and after three heats the top nine from each would go through to the 25 lap final. A quality field was in attendance with 2nz Neville Wood, Mike Verdoner and Kristin Vermeulen the only high profile names missing from Nelson in the 26 car field.
Burson dominated the AmPro group with two wins and a second. Brent Emerson was impressive winning heat one and had a huge drive in heat two. Sent to the back following an incident with Craig
Cardwell Emerson stormed back through the field to finish forth. Cardwell and Grant Flynn had shown glimpses of form without impressing overall, while new national champion Steve Flynn, along with 3nz Mark Carey, looked to be struggling on the bigger track.
Wins in the Koken group were shared between local hero Richie Taylor, Blenheim’s Paddy North and Aucklander Ben Harding. The toughest group, Koken offered many genuine winning chances. Taylor and North were standouts but Shane McIntyre, Martin Halcrow, and Ben Harding had shown enough to suggest they were in the mix. Steve Williams, Shane Carey and Dean Waddell failed to impress.
Top qualifier Burson started from pole position in the final with Emerson in the Lovelady house car on his outside. John Lovelady prepared cars have a proven history in feature races at Woodford Glen, especially on a slick track but Friday was all about Burson’s Hypermac.
Cardwell and North were on row two, with Taylor, McIntyre, Harding, Grant Flynn and Shane Carey not far behind.
Emerson found the front early, only to spin off with a puncture, handing the lead to Burson. Taylor snuck threw to second and was mounting a serious challenge for the lead, before he also retired with a puncture, leaving Burson with a comfortable trip home. Harding (head gasket), McIntyre (steering) and Grant Flynn, who spun himself, were also in contention when their chances ended.
After a torrid battle with Shane Carey, North, who had been a stand out all night, finished a well deserved second. Shunted back at the start of the final he then had a nervous moment, spinning on turn three mid race. The incident was deemed to be the fault of Halcrow sending the Wellington driver to the back and North back to his position.
Below par in qualifying, and deserving of some luck after Nelson, Shane Carey turned it on when it mattered for third, ahead of Josh Boulton who was flying home for forth after starting from grid 13 while Craig Cardwell battled on for fifth.
It was a puncture that put the final nail in the coffin of Burson’s campaign last week and ironically it was the dreaded puncture that stopped his two biggest challengers on Friday night.
“It’s just luck of the draw, it swings both ways,” Burson explains. “You just have to keep trying and eventually the rewards will come your way.”
