Canterbury
A Grade Saloon Championship
Firstly was the Streetstock Teams race with visiting drivers from Blenheims Eastern States Speedway. These guys were taking on the best of the Woodford Glen drivers and take them on they did! Some major hits and attacks very nearly saw the win go to the visitors but the cunning of the locals paid off with a narrow victory going to the Christchurch Team. The all in races provided plenty of opportunities for inevitable paybacks but it was great to see both teams all shaking hands at the presentation. Well Done to both teams for putting on a great show. The main attraction for the "non-contact" fans was the Canterbury A Grade Saloon Championships. 15 cars fronted for the first heat but at first it appeared the non-contact rule had been forgotten by some drivers. It wasn't long before the infield was littered with damaged or failing cars and at race end only 9 of the cars passed under the chequered flag. Heat two saw a slightly depleted field of 9 cars take to the track but this time the driving had improved and developed into a clear three way battle for the podium places between 9c Marc Ryan, 24c Ian Walsh and the 38c car of Malcolm McTaggart. In the final heat 10 cars fronted and Ryan drove a sensible, calculated race to earn himself enough points to win the championship while around him Walsh and McTaggart both finished in positions which resulted in them equal on points. A count back provided Walsh with 2nd overall with the final podium placing going to McTaggart. Well done guys and especially to Ian Walsh who I understand is in his first season of racing. The ramps were deployed again tonight to generate extra excitement with the 30+ derby cars on hand. The first lap created a massive roll-over which occured so quickly many of the onlookers probably missed it but from where I was sitting it looked impressive. The 20 lap race / derby was full of big hits and plenty of action. The fight for survival was won by 22 Andrew Gould but not before many of the cars (for want of a better word) were destroyed. Now on to my DON (Driver Of the Night) award. This is difficult tonight but I cannot overlook the young guy who recieved a great birthday present. I have no idea of the fellows name but understand he is a relation to Campbell McManaway and was placed in the drivers seat of his superstock as his birthday gift. Although he had never raced a car before he got to grips with the car and handled it very well. In my mind ... A deserving winner of tonights DON Award. I look forward to his return to the drivers seat in the near future. Anne
Opinion |
A huge
crowd turned out tonight to enjoy the many events on
offer among the racing programme. Three major promotions
provided plenty of action for the race fans packing the
stadium.
