It was an incident packed night of racing at XPH Ruapuna Speedway on Saturday, as the new season commenced. At least six car’s rolled and one sidecar flipped but thankfully there were no serious injuries as competitors and machinery roared into life after the winter break.

The sprintcar class provided plenty of action with Glenn Everett racing to the fastest

lap of the meeting of 13.95 seconds when he took out the opening heat, although Danny Mayson 'pushed him' all the way, with Steve Mora coming home in third place. Jamie Duff looked to have the next heat in the bag until he spun when leading to hand the win to Ray Baughan with Mayson again second while Everett had to settle for third place.

A slick inside pass on the opening turn by Everett saw him claim his second chequered flag of the night when he won the Feature. The former South Champion was shadowed all the way by Mayson, who waited for a mistake that never came as Everett stuck to the pole line as the track had ‘slicked off’, with Matt Honeywell third.

Twenty-four Three Quarter midgetcars took to the track for their first race as drivers tried to achieve as much track time as possible for the national title that will be contested at Ruapuna in January. Both Rick Brett and Ryan Stone started where they left off last season, being locked together as they charged through the field to challenge for the lead. Brett just held Stone out for the race win.

Glen Durie, back in a TQ after racing the last few season’s in a full midget was untroubled to win the next heat from Glen Milroy and Lindsay Bailey. Stone was back in the winner’s circle when he held out Durie to lift the Feature with Rachel Melrose third.

Several incidents saw several cars eliminated in the midgetcar ranks with a first lap tangle sidelining Nelson’s Nevil Basalaj for the night. Follow Nelson driver, Nick Marquet made it a winning debut when he held out Phillippa Melrose and Bryce McCall in heat one. A multiply car pile-up saw the second heat abandoned with Dave Kerr then winning the Feature from Andrew Brown (Nelson) and McCall.

Tom Lumsden was the standout in the Modified Sprint class with two win’s including the Feature. Keith Brough was the other winner with Brett Robinson and Darryl Harris both claiming several top three placings.

The visiting sidecar combination of Nigel Payton and Mike DeGray were unbeaten with Brent Tomkins and passenger Paul Cuniffe following the Nelson duo home in both races.

In the development classes Alex Boreham and Cromwell’s Lyndon Buchanan showed the way in a big field of Youth Ministocks with Boreham claiming two win’s to Buchanan’s one with Bayley Clive wining the first quarter midget race with Matthew Leversedge then coming back to win the next two races.

Race Results (Competitors from Christchurch unless stated)

Sprintcars

Ht 1. Glenn Everett 1, Danny Mayson 2, Steve Mora 3.

Ht 2. Ray Baughan 1, Mayson 2, Everettt 3.

Feature. Everett 1, Mayson 2, Matt Honeywell 3.

Midgetcars

Ht 1. Nick Marquet (Nelson) Phillippa Melrose 2, Bryce McCall 3.

Feature. Dave Kerr 1, Andrew Brown (Nelson) 2, McCall 3.

Modified Sprints

Ht 1. Tom Lumsden 1, Brett Robinson 2, Andre Goldsmith 3.

Ht 2. Keith Brough 1, Darryl Harris 2, Lumsden 3.

Feature. Lumsden 1, Robinson 2, Harris 3.

Three-Quarter Midgetcars

Ht 1. Ricky Brett 1, Ryan Stone 2, Nick Donaldson 3.

Ht 2. Glen Durie 1, Glen Milroy 2, Lindsay Bailey 3.

Feature. Ryan Stone 1, Glen Durie 2, Rachel Melrose 3.

Quarter Midgetcars

Ht 1. Bayley Clive 1, Jay Basalaj (Nelson) 2, Rebecca Barclay 3.

Ht 2. Matthew Leversedge 1, Basalaj 2, Clive 3.

Feature. Leversedge 1, Basalaj 2, Hunter Rowland 3.

Youth Ministocks

Ht 1. Alex Boreham 1, Lyndon Buchanan (Cromwell) 2, Barton Dick (Dunedin) 3.

Ht 2. Buchanan 1, Boreham 2, James Thain 3.

Feature. Boreham 1, Buchanan 2, Thain 3.

Sidecars

Ht 1. Nigel Payton/Mike DeGray (Nelson) Brent Tomkins/Paul Cunniffe 2, Paul Anderson/Michael Stevenson 3.

Ht 2. Payton/DeGray 1, Tomkins/Cunniffe 2, Anderson/Stevenson 3.