It is game on in the 2009/2010 Kumho Sport Saloon Series after Neville Stowell took the overall round honours at Powerbuilt Tools Raceway at Ruapuna in Christchurch this weekend.
Timaru driver Chris Small still leads the series but the twenty-eight point margin that he had at the beginning of the round had been whittled to just two points by the end of proceedings.
Stowell, also of Timaru, was the fastest qualifier on Saturday in his Nissan Skyline GTR and started the first race on Saturday afternoon from pole with Small alongside.
Stowell went on to win that race from Small with Christchurch driver Gary Ridden third in his Mitsubishi EVO. Phil Hood of Kaikoura was fourth in his EVO ahead of series returnee Michael Gallagher in his new Mazda RX7 with Timaru's Nathan McAuley completing the top six in his EVO.
Retirements included South Canterbury drivers Murray Beeby in his Nissan Sentra with alternator problems, Ivan McAuley with gearbox issues in his EVO, Stan Moore with a misfire in his EVO while local driver Nick Smart in his Nissan Skyline was a non-starter with gearbox woes.
In the following mornings handicap grid race Stowell and Small started from the back as Grant Waters of Timaru led away in his Mitsubishi from Invercargill driver Shane Crosbie in a turbocharged Toyota Starlet. Gary Ridden of Christchurch was the big mover early on, carving through the field in his EVO. He worked his way through and started to pull back early leader Waters. However when Waters was eventually caught it was Stowell who led the charge. Ridden, Nick Smart of Christchurch and Gallagher quickly followed and then a lap later Small also passed Waters. Stowell kept up the pace to win from Ridden, Smart and Gallagher with Small and Waters completing the top six.
Gary Duncan of Temuka retired with a gearbox problem while Nathan McAuley broke a rollpin selector and Luggate's Matt Edgar had an engine problem in his turbocharged Corolla.
The final race proved costly for series leader Small. A loose turbo hose slowed him while Stowell made it through the field to take fifth place, giving him the round and allowing him to close to within two points of the series leader who was forced to cruise home in twelfth place. Meanwhile Waters won the race with another good drive from a fast closing Gallagher who capped a fine series debut in his new car with second. Smart was third followed by Ridden and Stowell, who finished with only 6lb boost due to a damaged intercooler. Stan Moore of Temuka, Hood, Jeremy Grice and Crosbie were next. Noel Parish of Motueka in his Nissan 300ZX and Grant McKissock who had already secured two good results both limped home suffering a lack of power while Christchurch driver Garreth MacKenzie and Edgar retired.
The next round of the series takes place at Timaru International Motor Raceway next weekend.
QUALIFYING
1st - Neville Stowell (Timaru) Nissan Skyline GTR - 1 minute 31.522 seconds
2nd - Chris Small (Timaru) Mitsubishi EVO - 1.32.023
3rd - Nathan McAuley (Timaru) Mitsubishi EVO - 1.32.976
4th - Nick Smart (Christchurch) Nissan Skyline GTR - 1.33.196
5th - Gary Duncan (Temuka) - Mitsubishi EVO - 1.33.856
6th - Gary Ridden (Christchurch) Mitsubishi EVO - 1.34.114
7th - Phil Hood (Kaikoura) Mitsubishi EVO - 1.34.915
8th - Ivan McAuley (Timaru) Mitsubishi EVO 3 - 1.35.136
9th - Michael Gallagher (Ashburton) Mazda RX7 - 1.35.390
10th - Jeremy Grice (Christchurch) Subaru Legacy - 1.35.393
11th - Stan Moore (Timaru) Mitsubishi EVO 1 - 1.35.684
12th - Matt Edgar - (Timaru) Toyota Corolla - 1.36.346
13th - Garreth MacKenzie (Christchurch) Toyota Corolla - 1.36.685
14th - Grant McKissock (Timaru) Mitsubishi EVO - 1.37.447
15th - Murray Beeby (Timaru) Nissan Sentra - 1.37.905
16th - Grant Waters (Timaru) Mitsubishi GSR - 1.38.447
17th - Noel Parish (Motueka) Nissan Fairlady - 1.41.923
18th - Shane Crosbie (Invercargill) Toyota Starlet - 1.42.816
RACE 1 (7 LAPS - ROLLING START)
1st - Neville Stowell
2nd - Chris Small
3rd - Gary Ridden
4th - Phil Hood
5th - Michael Gallagher
6th - Nathan McAuley
7th - Garreth MacKenzie
8th - Matt Edgar
9th - Grant McKissock
10th - Jeremy Grice
11th - Grant Waters
12th - Gary Duncan
13th - Noel Parish
14th - Shane Crosbie
DNF - Murray Beeby, Ivan McAuley, Stan Moore
DNS - Nick Smart
RACE 2 (7 LAPS - HANDICAP GRID)
1st - Neville Stowell
2nd - Gary Ridden
3rd - Nick Smart
4th - Michael Gallagher
5th - Chris Small
6th - Grant Waters
7th - Garreth MacKenzie
8th - Phil Hood
9th - Grant McKissock
10th - Stan Moore
11th - Jeremy Grice
12th - Murray Beeby
13th - Noel Parish
14th - Shane Crosbie
DNF - Matt Edgar, Gary Duncan, Nathan McAuley
DNS - Ivan McAuley
RACE 3 (6 LAPS - HANDICAP START)
1st - Grant Waters
2nd - Michael Gallagher
3rd - Nick Smart
4th - Gary Ridden
5th - Neville Stowell
6th - Stan Moore
7th - Phil Hood
8th - Jeremy Grice
9th - Shane Crosbie
10th - Noel Parish
11th - Grant McKissock
12th - Chris Small
DNF - Garreth MacKenzie, Matt Edgar
DNS - Murray Beeby, Ivan McAuley, Gary Duncan, Nathan McAuley
