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| Rowlands wrapt
with runner-up finish Unless he finishes second in a national championship, Aaron Rowlands will never be so happy to finish second as he was on Friday night. Rowlands finished behind Nelson’s Shane Harwood in the first Superstock race of the night at AmPro Tools Woodford Glen Speedway, but was awarded the Wayne Wilding Memorial Trophy as the first local home. The traditional meeting is when every grade contests a Remembrance Championships in honour of all members who have passed away. After the rain came down on in Christchurch on Boxing Day, the meeting was pushed back a night to Friday. Raced over a three heat format, the trophies are highly sort after but the first one of the night, the Wayne Wilding Memorial Trophy is contested over just the opening race and the prestigious trophy clearly meant a lot to Rowlands. “This is a huge thrill for me and a real honour because he was like a mentor to me being in the (car) wreaking industry.” The former streetstock driver remembers Wilding well as a family friend, a fellow racer and competitor in the auto dismantling industry. Like every Superstock driver, Rowlands rates the trophy highly and said it is one that every driver wants to get their hands on. “Wayne was a great guy, very well liked. It came as a real shock to everyone in the speedway community, especially the Superstock drivers, when he passed away.” A well known club member and major sponsor through his All Cars Auto Dismantlers business, Rowlands was easily in his best form of the season on Friday night but settled mid pack in the Wayne Wilding Memorial race. “This means a hell of a lot, it’s one of the most important trophies of the season,” Rowlands said. Rookie, Tony Newman, jumped to an early lead while Jason Smith, Harwood and Andrew Good diced for the minors. Nick Selfe was pushed wide early, falling well back and Campbell McManaway only lasted two laps on his comeback to the grade. Malcolm Ngatai made his first appearance of the season but fell out of contention early in the opening race with a gearbox issue. Harwood eventually got the lead before Newman spun collecting Smith, allowing Rowlands to charge on through into second place. Rowlands could not catch Harwood but he pulled away on the local challenges to take the trophy. Smith was unlucky, looking a winning outright chance until he collected Newman, who likewise was a huge chance before spinning out of turn four. Ngatai was superb in races two and three, scoring two convincing wins in his new rocket’s first outing. Harwood (25 points) put together three consistent heats to win the RemembranceChampionship over Ngatai and Selfe who were tied on (22) just one point ahead of Rowlands. Ngatai was awarded second on a count back. Smith failed to finish the final race due to a minor engine niggle which prevented him finishing in the top three. Stockcars Jamie Hamilton was over the moon to get another run before the national championships and made the most of it, winning the rememberance championships with 71 points, two clear of Colin Cameron. Four points behind Cameron, Peter Ross took the final podium spot over Jacob O’Connor, Campbell McManaway and Nick Sidaway who all impressed. In just the second meeting in the car he co-built with Glen Leech, Hamilton cruised to two heat wins before Cameron took the third. The field was down on numbers and quality, with many big names choosing not to risk damage so close to the January 3 and 4 New Zealand Championships at Woodford Glen. Friday was Hamilton’s first local championship in his young career but he was not getting too carried away, knowing that most of the big names were absent. “It’s awesome, especially with all the work we have put into the car. “It’s a real honour to win a Remembrance (Championship) but at the same time everything went our way tonight and most of the quicker drivers were either not here or playing around with different set-ups.” Leon Huddlestone made his first appearance of the season and started strongly with a second in the first heat. Vaughn Fairburn debuted the fifth Leech Motorsport car of the season and showed real speed but broke two axles’ on the rough track. Super Saloons Richie Taylor could not win a meet raffle at the local pub last season but after an unlucky second in the Canterbury Championships and a win in the Remembrance Championships the popular driver is officially back. With his horror run of luck behind him, Taylor looked the best on a weather beaten track that provided a less than ideal surface for the class. Taylor did his work early, winning the first two heats but right behind him was Blenheim driver Paddy North and local Dennis Bolt, who have both stepped up a gear this season. The pair finished tied on points, two behind Taylor but North was awarded second on a count back. Nelson’s Ian Burson finished fourth, his worst performance at the Glen in over a season, but read nothing into it, likewise Josh Boulton who was running off the back of the grid. Streetstocks Possibly the most entertaining class of the night, Streetstocks had it all. There were hits and spins going in all over the track and the return of Steve “Action” Jackson seemed to be the catalyst to most of the carnage. The top three finishes were all drivers that would have been rated outside the favourites at the start of the night which kept the big crowd on edge. Shane Chapman’s speed and consistency handed him the title, beating Daniel McNally by two points with Shane Jones a further ten points behind in third place. Modifieds Luke Keegan was not his usual dominant self but did what he needed to do. Keegan finished on top ahead of Mike Gourley and first year driver Hayden McKay who has long exceeded all expectations. It was only a poor heat one that stopped Gourley being a real threat while McKay, Nigel Nevin, David Thomson and Paul Richards are all on the way up in pursuit of Keegan. A Grade/Saloons Ryan Marsden was the likely favourite, but when he did not finish race one, the title was thrown wide open. Dougal McClimont just won the final heat on a fast deflating right rear but David Filius was right behind him in second, enough to take the title by one point over McClimont. Third place went to one of the most deserving drivers in the field. Jason Phillips has had nothing but problems with his new car, but finished all three races to take third in a count back over Steve Peterson. Production Saloons Another big field fronted for the Remembrance Championships and it was another class where the underdog took the prize. A fourth and a tenth was not the best start but Mark Glenie’s win in the third heat was enough to grab the win over Tim Lang and Hogan Jeffs. The ramp race derby finished the night in destructive fashion which may be an omen for the New Zealand Stockcar Championship at the Glen in less than a week. |
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