February 14, 2010 - 1:45pm | Admin
With the Canterbury championship on the line in all classes close competition was the hallmark of racing at Ruapuna Speedway on Saturday evening.
Jamie Duff backed up being the first South Islander home in the New Zealand sprintcar title last weekend when taking out the provincial title. Duff and Scotti Savage each took out one of the qualifying heats while also claiming a second placing which saw them start on the from row for the championship feature. Duff was and early leader with Savage blowing his title chances when spinning out early in the race. Duff then was passed by Matt Honeywell and one staged dropped back to third place before storming home on the closing laps, including a brilliant outside pass on Honeywell to regain the lead. Honeywell was relegated back to third for a racing infringement which saw NZ Three Quarter Midget car champion, Glen Durie, claiming second place in what was his first outing in a V’8 powered car, with Durie driving Ray Baugh’s car for the evening.
Rachel Melrose was a clear winner on the Three Quarter midget title when impressively winning all three heats to finish ten points clear of Glen Milroy was two points back to third placed, Kyle Glover with consistency being rewarded for these three driver’s finished all three heats with a non finish costing Lindsay Bailey, Tom Lumsden and Ryan Stone any chance of a top three placing.
Stone who was celebrating his birthday took out the Sinclair Trophy Feature when leading out from the start of the 20 lap race. The race was stopped after Glen Everett’s car dropped an hundred metre trail of all on the track. At that stage Stone was being pressed at the way by Bailey with Melrose closed behind for third place.
Dave Kerr and Nelson’s Nevil Basalaj battled out the midget title with each winning a heat. Kerr lead out in the final from the Nelson driver with a great battle going on for the third place between Nick Marquet (Nelson) and Phillippa Melrose which Marquet finally prevailed.
Kieran Harris dominated the Modified Sprint title with winning both heats and then the final from Daryl Harris and Brett Robinson. Alex Boreham and Jay Basalaj (Nelson) likewise were unbeaten in the development classes with Boreham winning the Young Mini Stock title for James Thian and Jamie Collins while Basalaj headed home Brett Leversedge and Nathan Clive in the race for the Quarter Midget title.
Race Results
Night of Champions - Canterbury Championships
Sprintcars
Ht 1. Scotti Savage 1, Jamie Duff 2, Matt Honeywell 3.
Ht 2. Duff 1, Savage 2, Mike Gourley 3.
Qualifying Points. Duff and Savage 11, Gourley 7, Glen Durie 5, Honeywell 4, Steve Mora 3 Canty Championship Feature. Duff 1, Durie 2, Honeywell 3.
Midget
Ht 1. Dave Kerr 1, Phillippa Melrose 2, Gary Chadwick 3.
Ht 2. Nevil Basalaj (Nelson) 1, Kerr 2, Nick Marquet (Nelson) 3
Qualifying Points. Kerr 17, Basalaj, 14, Melrose and Marquet 13, Gavin Wilkie(Dunedin) 9, Steve McCallum 8, Gary Chadwick 6, Andrew Brown 2, Mark Morris 1
Canty Championship Feature. Kerr 1, Basalaj 2, Marquet 3.
Three Quarter Midgets
Ht 1. Rachel Melrose 1, Lindsay Bailey 2, Kyle Glover 3.
Ht 2. Melrose 1, Ryan Stone 2, Tom Lumsden 3.
Ht 3. Melrose 1, Bailey 2, Glen Milroy 3.
Canty Championship Melrose 1st, Milroy 2nd, Glover 3rd. Points Melrose 51, Milroy 41, Glover 39, Bailey 32, Stone 30, Lumsden, Blair Warren and Ben Gilmore 28, Kimberley Yateman 26, Brian Fridd 25, Dick Webb 24, Gareth Nixon 22, Glen Everett and Kelvin Mathers 18, Marty Kennett and Matt Phillips 0
Feature - Sinclair Trophy. Stone 1, Bailey 2, Melrose 3.
Modified Sprints
Ht 1. Kieran Harris 1, Keith Brough 2, Daryl Harris 3.
Ht 2. K Harris 1, Craig Jones 2, Andre Goldsmith 3.
Qualfying Points. K Harris 16, Brough 12, Jones 10, D Harris 9, Goldsmith and Anthony Dawson 8, Brett Robinson 7, Luke Brough 2
Canty Championship Feature. K Harris 1, D Harris 2, Brett Robinson 3.
Youth Minisprints
Ht 1. Alex Boreham 1, James Thian 2, Ricky Blackler 3.
Ht 2. Boreham 1, Ashleigh Murray 2, Jamie Collins 3.
Qualifying Points. Boreham 24, Thian 20, Collins 19, Murray and Blackler 17, Kieran Teague 13, Ryan Smith and Jessie McAlister 11, Craig Cox 10, Cassey Blackler 8, Syd Fergusson 2, Aaron Grey 0
Canty Championship Feature. Boreham 1, Thian 2, Collins 3.
Quarter Midgets
Ht 1. Jay Basalaj (Nelson) 1, Matt Leversedge 2, AJ Rowlands 3,
Ht 2. Basalaj 1, Nathan Clive 2, Leversedge 3.
Qualifying Points. Basalaj 12, Leversedge 9, N Clive 6, Baylee Clive 5, Hunter Rowlands 4, AJ Horwell 2.
Canty Championship Feature. Basalaj 1, Leversedge 2, N Clive 3.
