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South Island Superstock & Modified Championships +
DHL Saloons - 1st December 2012This Saturday All Cars Auto Dismantlers bring to you the South Island SuperStock Champs, Canterbury Modified Champs plus a round of the DHL Saloon Series.
Defending South Island SuperStock Champion Brett Nicholls of Nelson heads the entry list. However the field is full of past champions in what promises to be a very hard fought fight to stand atop the podium. Notable absences are Malcolm Ngatai, Craig Boote and Shane Harwood to name a few.
12C Nick Selfe
14C Aaron Rowlands
15C Andrew Good
23C Tony Newman
24N Paul Ewing
27C Peter Field
46N Blair Cunningham
48N Brett Nicholls
62C Adrian Fitzgerald
74N Ian Clayworth
85N Dale McKenzie
94C Noel Inns
186N Jared Gray
492I Campbell McManaway
841C Matt Boulton
In other action the Canterbury Modified champs will see a strong field of drivers all keen to finish the final meeting before our Xmas break on a high note. Defending champ Luke Keegan will be hard to beat but expect stern challenges from the likes of Maurice Hedley, Dan Rae and Mike Gourley. Saloons get their night to shine when the DHL Saloon Series hits the track. A strong 28 car line up will keep fans on the end of their seats. Get behind Canterbury locals Walter Whittlestone, Peter Schouten, Dougal McClimont and Adam Gent as the take on the best from around New Zealand. Heading the list of visitors is past New Zealand Saloon (and Super Saloon) Champion Steve Williams. Public gates open at 5, the action starts at 7pm - Fun for the whole Family!
Fowler bags a hat trick. by Mat Kermeen
Nelson's Nick Fowler joined an elite group of drivers when he won a third South Island Super Stock Championship at Woodford Glen, Christchurch, on Saturday night. Despite some remarkably talented drivers in the grade, just three have achieved the honour of wining the South Island championships - three or more times. Fowler joins fellow Nelson's Sam Woodford (three titles) and Canterbury's Gerald Griffiths, the only man to win four. It's pretty cool to get three, there is a lot of guys that have two but there's not many that have won three, Fowler said. Fowler will forever be remembered at Woodford Glen for his heroics in getting Craig Boote across the time in the 1996/97 New Zealand Championships but on Saturday he reminded everyone he has a legacy of his own. With Boote overseas, Fowler towed the new generation Gordge to Canterbury, joining seven of his Nelson club mates. The opening race threw up several contenders, all were Nelson drivers but ironically Fowler was not one of them. Jarred Gray, Thomas Stanaway, Dale McKenzie and Brett Nicholls had early tilts at the lead but Fowler spun to the back early. McKenzie made mistakes early but he and Nicholls lost series places when spun around by Noel Inns late in the race. Gray benefited from Nicholls' demise and Cunningham found his way to second finishing in front of Stanaway. Fowler fought back to fifth, setting the fastest lap of the race. The chance of the title staying in Canterbury took an even bigger hit than Nelson's dominance when Nick Selfe retired to the infield with a puncture. Fowler stormed back into contention with a slick win in heat two over Stanaway and Nicholls. I thought I could have been out of it after the first heat. I knew the points would be close and I said to the boys I need to win the second heat. I felt back in it after that, Fowler said. Noel Inns' night ended in heat two when Nelson's Paul Ewing punted him hard into the rut that had developed outside the racing line in turn two. Inns' dug in, then flicked over hard enough to course minor roll cage and front end damage. Matt Boulton's chances disappeared after losing a rear wheel. Stanaway (27pts) started heat three, one point ahead of Fowler 26, Nicholls 25, Cunningham 23, McKenzie 22 and Gray 22. Fowler and Stanaway made the most of handy grid draws. The pair diced for the lead early but when Stanaway got crossed up going out of turn four, he was tagged by Blair Cunningham. But, that was just the beginning. Half a lap later, Stanaway, was again crossed up and collided hard with Aaron Rowlands. Stanaway was removed on a red light with extensive front end damage. Out front Fowler's race could not have been going more too plan. The champion scorched away to win comfortably over McKenzie and Matt Boulton who is rapidly getting the hang of the ex Malcolm Ngatai rocket. Fowler's two wins and a fifth earned him 41pts, five ahead of McKenzie (36pts), with a further two back to Gray (34pts) who completed the Nelson trifecta. Fowler had more than the championship to be happy about. We are really getting there with this beast now. It's taken some time and it's not perfect yet, but we're starting to really get the set up in this car now. I'm really happy with it tonight, he said.
Luke Keegan proved once again that he is currently a class above the Modified pack. His third Canterbury Championship, in as many years, was all but in the bag after he won the first two heats. Mike Gourley showed the sort of form he will be capable of with a bit of time in the new car, scoring a comfortable win in the final heat. David Thompson was another who will impress with more track time in his first race of the season the talented peddler pushed Keegan to the limit when finishing in second place. Saturday night was the first time the travelling road show, that is the DHL Saloon Speedweek rolled into Woodford Glen. Steve Williams won the round from Bayparks's Steve Cowling and Blenheim's Rob Flood. Judging by the reaction of the drivers, it seems inevitable the series will return to the Glen after Saturday's highly successful introduction.
