The Eastern States Titans won the battle but the North won the war at AmPro Tools Woodford Glen Speedway over the weekend.
Four stockcar teams – Canterbury Crushers, North Island Invitation, Ken’s Cowboys (Palmerston North) and the Titans locked horns on Friday night before, four became two, for the annual North verses South Teams Challenge on Saturday night.
Friday night’s teams racing started with the Titan’s despatching the Cowboys after a see-saw battle. The Cowboys looked home for much of the race with Jordan Dare holding the lead but he was slowed by the Titans block men – who were organised and read the race to perfection - allowing Ralph Gillespie through to a lead which he never relinquished. In the final few laps, a well timed Ricco Gray hit on Dare in turn four, put out the race beyond doubt.
The Crushers caught a lucky break in their first hit out. The Invitation team lost two cars in the warm-up and another before a lap was completed. Sandy Flett deposited Paul Anderson up the back straight wall, late in the race but that was the only action in a quiet and one sided race. Crusher, Lloyd Jennings, took an easy but fortunate win over teammates Troy Wilson and Daniel McClure.
Kyle Heibner almost created the boil over of the weekend in round two after his Invitation teammates sent Gillespie into the infield. Heibner looked in control but, after falling behind early, Steve Biddulph made up a mountain of time and with the help of his ever reliable henchmen, Gray and Sam Thompson, snuck home for the Titans.
The Crushers had a chance to eclipse the Titans with a comprehensive win over the Cowboys but, the experienced northerners’ were having none of that. Jennings tried hard but lacked support from his teammates who could not get a clean shot on leaders Brad Powell and Dare who stormed over the finish line to salvage a victory for the Cowboys.
The only team to win two races, the Titans finished on top of the table, and along with the Cowboys were clearly a class above the rebuilding Crushers and the patched together Invitation side.
By teams racing standards the racing had not been brutal but that could partly be attributed to the fact, the Crushers and Invitation sides were in their first teams race of the season and, had little experience together as a team, plus the racing was four on four rather than five aside as is normally contested. Given the circumstances, no driver or team, went anywhere near letting themselves down.
The weather was almost the winner on the Saturday night as the heavens opened just 30 minutes before the scheduled start time. After solid sessions of wheel packing from Super Saloons and Modifieds the track was finally race ready just after 8pm. Had it not been for the efforts and commitment of those drivers, racing simply would not have been possible.
Promoter Steven Lennon made the wise decision to delay the North verses South race several times to provide a better track surface, for better action and to save the race from becoming a lottery on a wet track.
Dare and Heibner quickly found the front early and were never seriously challenged by any of the southerners, despite the best efforts of Ricco Gray late in the race. Biddulph and Jennings also tried hard for the south but when Gillespie retired after a big hit from friendly fire, the race was effectively over.
Cantabrian John Gray was deposited onto the turn two wall but managed to manoeuvre himself back down to mother earth but. In a cruel twist of fate, once back on all four wheels his car caught fire – ending his race. In the end it was a comfortable victory for the north as Dare crossed the line first to retain the cup they won in 2011.
The weather shortened program the program considerably but the club still managed to get through 14 races after a late start. |
