Allan ‘Wako’ Wakeling completed the ,double, when he took out the second leg of the Sprintcar Summer Slam when the Auckland driver won the Latimer Hotel and Conference Centre Gold Cup after having already won the Salute to Goodie the previous evening at Xpress Printing House Ruapuna Speedway.

Wakeling became the first driver to win the Gold Cup for a second time when heading home American Ricky Logan with Jamie McDonald (Auckland) in third place, with Wakeling’s form likely to see him among the favorite's for next Saturday’s New Zealand Championship at Cromwell.

Wakeling was cagey about his chances of winning the national title for what would be a record ninth time.

“It was good to have two win’s so it show’s we are on the pace so hopefully we will be in with a chance. We will be trying to win, but so will be a lot of the other guys heading to Cromwell” said Wakeling.

The Auckland panel beater has been racing for over two decades and called on all his experience when pulling off a stunning pass to take the lead in the Feature for the eighth staging of the Gold Cup. Wakeling went into the Feature as second qualifier behind professional driver, Logan on a slick track which should have been a ‘bread and butter track’ for the American.

Logan lead from the opening lap and quickly opened up a fifty meter lead after just three laps and looked set to run away with the race but Wakeling then slowly closed the gap and on lap eight  pulled off an amazing pass when sliding under the American who was running wide on the Prison Bend.

As the leading drivers started to tread their way by lapped cars the there was a great battle developing for third place between Tauranga’s Skinny Colson and Colin Entwistle and McDonald with the three cars locked together for the twenty lap race. Colson held third place for the first 16 laps with McDonald and both Entwistle then passing their rival.

At race end Wakeling had opened up a handy lead over Logan, to take the checkered flag by two seconds, a half a second back to McDonald. Jamie Duff was the first Christchurch driver home, in six place with the drive of the race going to New Zealand champion, Dean Brindle who crashed out of his second heat having hooking the wheel on Colson car as the latter was slowing for a yellow light. Brindle’s crew has plenty of work to do to repair the car but were rewarded when given a ‘wild card’ in to the Gold Cup under the promoter’s choice rule. This meant Brindle had to start at the back of the field and by race end had worked his way into a creditable ninth placing.

Nelson’s Nevil Basalaj had a good meeting in his midget, recording two wins and a second behind David Kerr. Kimberley Yateman, twice, and Brian Fridd were the winners in the TQ section with the Modified Sprint and Youth Ministocks classes evenly contested with each race won by a different driver with Matt Leversedge again the pick Quarter midget drivers.

Saturday 30 January

Sprintcars

Latimer Hotel & Conference Centre Gold Cup

Ht 1. Mayson 1, Baughan 2, Logan 3.

Ht 2. Wakeling 1, Logan 2, Harley 3

Ht 3. Entwistle 1, Colson 2, Scott 3.                     

Qualifying Points. Logan 37, Wakeling 34, Colson 33, McDonald 32, Duff 31, Entwistle, Honeywell, Hartley & Mayson 30, Price 29, Scott 26, Clemence & Halcrow 24, Gourley 21, Savage 20, Halpin  & Baughan 19, Teece 18, Brindle 13, Barlett 12.                                      .

B Main . Gourley 1, Halpin 2, Savage 3.

Pole Shuffle. Logan 1, Wakeling 2, Colson 3, McDonald 4, Mayson 5, Duff 6.

Gold Cup Feature. Wakeling 1, Logan 2, McDonald 3, Entwistle 4, Colson 5, Duff 6.

Midget

Ht 1. Dave Kerr 1, Nevil Basalaj (Nelson) 2, Phillippa Melrose 3.

Ht 2. Basalaj 1, Blair Low 2, Andrew Brown (Nelson ) 3.

Feature. Basalaj 1, Gavin Wilkie 2, Steve McCallum 3.

Three Quarter Midgets

Ht 1. Kimberley Yateman 1, Fridd 2, Stone 3.

Ht 2. Yateman 1, Fridd 2, Nixon 3.

Feature. Fridd 1, Tiplady 2, Glen Milroy 3.  

Modified Sprints

Ht 1. Dawson 1, Keith Brough 2, K Harris 3.

Ht 2. Brough 1, K Harris 2, Craig Jones 3.

Feature. K Harris 1, Robinson 2, Brough 3.

Youth Minisprints

Ht 1. James Thian 1, Alex Boreham 2, Ricky Blackler 3.

Ht 2. Ashley Murray 1, Craig Cox 2, Syd Fergusson 3.

Feature. Boreham 1, Murray 2, Blackler 3.

Quarter Midgets

Ht 1. Luke Adams 1, B Clive 2, Leversedge 3.

Ht 2. Leversedge 1, Adams 2, B Clive 3. 

Feature. Leversedge 1, AJ  Horwell 2, Rebecca Barclay 3.