Three in a row for Stowell

24 Apr 2010
By Kumho Sport Saloon Series
Neville Stowell of Timaru took his third straight Kumho Sport Saloon Series title when he clinched the 2009/2010 championship at a soggy Timaru International Motor Raceway today. Stowell had missed the opening round of this years series and only gained the points lead at the penultimate round last month. He and fellow Timaru driver Chris Small came into the final round today just 20 points apart. Stowell won the first race in his Nissan Skyline GTR and when he was placed 10th in the second race, five places behind Small, he had done enough to seal his third successive championship.

''It was one of those days today," said Stowell. "Winning the first race was a big plus. That meant I just needed to keep Chris in sight in the second to take the championship." With the title secured Stowell, Small and many others elected not to start in the final race in the wet conditions.

"I'm pretty happy with the championship. I didn't expect to get there. It's good it came down to the last round. Things worked in my favour. Chris had some breakdowns during the season that enabled me to peg him back," said a happy champion.

Small ended the championship as runner-up and also added the Class A Championship title. Small was pleased with second, saying that was the main aim at the beginning of the season. Gary Ridden of Christchurch was third in the overall championship and took the Class B title.

Weather dominated the day and on a streaming wet track Ivan McAuley of Timaru in his Mitsubishi EVO was quickest in qualifying in 1 minute 24.131 seconds ahead of Michael Gallagher of Ashburton in a Mazda RX7. Stan Moore of Temuka was third ahead Small, Nathan McAuley, Ridden and Stowell in seventh position. Small and Nathan McAuley had a coming together after McAuley left the track while Stowell had his windscreen fog up and the session was red flagged before he could improve.

The track was damp but conditions had improved for the opening race. Ivan McAuley got a good start and led away from the rolling start. Small accelerated his EVO into second as they hit the back straight ahead of Gallagher, Ridden, Stowell and Gary Duncan. Stowell passed Small for second place on the third lap while Duncan got past Small at the first corner of the sixth lap for third place. Later on that same lap Stowell made his move past Ivan McAuley and into the lead, taking the chequered flag two laps later. McAuley drove a good race to second ahead of the fast finishing Duncan with Small fourth. Nathan McAuley was fifth ahead of Ridden who had a quick spin on the final lap. Gallagher was seventh, suffering from visibility problems.

Moore was a non-finisher after he went off at John Jones Steel corner and badly damaged his EVO while Grant Waters dropped a couple of cylinders and cruised to the finish after running competitively early on.

The rain set in before the second race, making conditions treacherous for the reverse grid handicap event. Series returnee Matt Dunn led early until Duncan went through to the lead. Ridden did a good job to work his way through to second place ahead of Moore who made a great recovery from his race one mishap. Grant McKissock crossed the line fourth ahead of Gallagher.

Confusion reigned at the finish however. Stowell in tenth place received the chequered flag first in error while penalties were applied to Duncan and Ridden. Duncan had received a drivethrough penalty near the end of the race and without sufficient time to complete it he received a 50 second time penalty. Meanwhile Ridden was handed a 5 second penalty. Those penalties elevated Moore to first in a stunning comeback from his accident in the morning. Ridden retained second ahead of McKissock, Gallagher, Small, Dunn, Waters, Duncan, Raymond Hart and Stowell.

Garreth MacKenzie of Christchurch had aquaplaned and spun on the opening lap, hitting Nathan McAuley as he did so, sending both cars into retirement. The corner onto the front straight caused numerous problems - Ryan Austin in his Toyota spinning and resuming as did Ivan McAuley who slid along the grass before hitting the barrier. Duncan described the corner as "scary in an exciting kind of way. We were aquaplaning through there. I have raced grass karts and they stood me in good stead." Jeremy Grice of Christchurch was another retirement in his Subaru Legacy. Once again several drivers including Grant Waters, Noel Parish and Gallagher struggled with vision problems in the race.

With conditions little better and the championship decided it was a depleted field of just six cars that lined up for the final race.

Moore took the early lead and Duncan of Temuka, revelling in the conditions was quickly up to second. Ivan McAuley had another lurid moment onto the front straight on lap 2 and then another two laps later that brought contact with the wall, forcing him into retirement. Meanwhile Moore and Duncan were battling at the front of the field where Duncan prevailed, snatching the lead on the last lap to win from Moore. Waters held off McKissock for third with Noel Parish of Motueka, who struggled with tyre and visibility problems, fifth.

Moore's second place secured him the handicap championship while other 2009/2010 title winners were Grant McKissock of Timaru in Class C and Mark Elliott of Christchurch, who did not compete today, in Class D.

 

 

    Sports Saloons title decided this weekend
 

23 Apr 2010
By Lindsay Beer
Two Timaru drivers will fight out the 2009/2010 Kumho Sport Saloon Series title at their home circuit this Saturday.

The series began back in October at the same circuit where it concludes - Timaru International Motor Raceway at Levels.

Local driver Grant McKissock led after that first outing but at the next round another Timaru driver, Chris Small, took over the series points lead. However as competitors arrive to fight out the finale yet another Timaru driver has topped the standings. Defending champion Neville Stowell has clawed his way back up the points after missing the opening round, taking the lead at the penultimate round last month.

On Saturday the championship will be decided. Stowell and his Nissan Skyline GTR will begin the round with 381 points and Small in his Mitsubishi EVO has 361. Behind them in third is Christchurch driver Gary Ridden while McKissock is still fourth.

While Stowell leads the championship he says, "anything can happen. I'm definitely not confident. A lot will come down to the first race. If you don't finish that first race then it becomes very hard."
Stowell added he would not mind rain on the day. "I go okay in the rain and it will be easier on the car," he says. Should Stowell win the championship it will be his third consecutive championship win."

Small says he will be giving it 100%."The pressure is on Neville. We're not too far away. We will be ready to capatilise on any slip ups. If he doesn't finish a race we should take it. It will be a lot of fun coming through the traffic in the last two races."

Adding even more interest to the series this weekend is the arrival of high profile Timaru driver Brent Collins into the class. Collins, a former Toyota Racing Series and MINI Challenge Champion, will drive a Mazda RX7 Batman as will former frontrunner Michael Gallagher of Ashburton who has returned to the series recently. Another new face this weekend is Ryan Austin of Timaru in a Toyota Corolla while Matt Dunn of Timaru makes his first appearance in this years series in his turbocharged Toyota Corolla.

Class titles and the Handicap Championship will also be decided this weekend. Small has a comfortable lead in the Class A championship from Stowell while Ridden leads Timaru brothers Ivan and Nathan McAuley who are second and third respectively in Class B. McKissock leads Class C from Motueka driver Noel Parish, Stan Moore of Temuka and Timaru's Grant Waters. Waters has finished in the top six in four of the last six races including a recent win. "Considering we dropped one round I’m pleased with where we are placed," the 25-year-old, who recently finished second in the 2010 South Island Kart Championship says.

Christchurch competitor Mark Elliott has a narrow lead over Invercargill's Shane Crosbie in Class D while the separate Handicap Championship is led by Temuka driver Stan Moore who has a three point lead over McKissock.

The Kumho Sport Saloon competitors receive a 10 minute qualifying session at 9.15am on Saturday morning to establish grid positions for the opening race. The first of three races for the class takes place at 10.45am over 8 laps from a rolling start while an 8 lap handicap race follows at 1.15pm. The final race of the season for the Kumho Sport Saloon competitors is timed to start at 2.30pm. That race is another handicap event over 6 laps of the 2.4 kilometre Timaru circuit.
 

 

Stowell chases down Sport Saloon Series lead

28 Mar 2010
By Kumho Sport Saloon Series
Since Timaru driver Neville Stowell returned to the series after he missed the opening round of the 2009/2010 Kumho Sport Saloon Series he has been hustling his way back up the championship points table.

At the fourth round of the series at Powerbuilt Tools Raceway in Christchurch last weekend he got within two points of championship leader Chris Small. This weekend at the
Timaru International Motor Raceway he finally gained the lead after winning the penultimate round of the championship at the circuit.

Stowell (Nissan Skyline) and Small (Mitsubishi EVO) had been the two fastest qualifiers on Saturday morning and had finished first and second in Saturday afternoons race in which Ivan McAuley of Timaru finished third. Another Timaru driver Raymond Hart was fourth in his Skyline ahead of Michael Gallagher of Ashburton and Gary Duncan of Temuka. Gary Ridden of Christchurch had qualified third in his EVO but lost 4th gear during the opening race, bringing about his retirement while Todd Mudie of Timaru in another EVO also retired with electrical issues. Motueka driver Noel Parish was a non-starter due to a lack of suitable tyres in the conditions .

This morning Stowell raced to another win before he added a third place in this afternoons handicap race to take the round honours.

Garreth MacKenzie of Christchurch was the runner-up to Stowell in this mornings 8 lap reverse grid handicap event, driving an excellent race to cross the line second behind Stowell. Otago rally driver Jason West and Shane Crosbie of Invercargill were the first away while Mark Elliott of Christchurch in his Mazda RX7 was the early leader before he retired from the race. MacKenzie took over at mid distance and led until Stowell came through at the end. However second was still a great result for MacKenzie while Stan Moore was equally impressive in third. Gary Duncan, Chris Small and Ivan McAuley completed the top six.

The final race was the traditional handicap event and Elliott bounced back to drive brilliantly for a good win. Hamish Collins of Timaru had led in his Mazda RX7 in the initial stages until Elliott took over. Collins held on for second while Stowell got through to third place ahead of Waters, Raymond Hart and Ivan McAuley who rounded off a good weekend. Ridden was again a non-finisher.

The final round of the championship on Saturday 24 April will also be held at Timaru International Motor Raceway.

QUALIFYING
1st - Neville Stowell (Timaru) Nissan Skyline GTR - 1 minute 11.993 seconds
2nd - Chris Small (Timaru) Mitsubishi EVO - 1.12.114
3rd - Gary Ridden (Christchurch) Mitsubishi EVO - 1.12.179
4th - Stan Moore (Timaru) Mitsubishi EVO 1 - 1.13.421
5th - Ivan McAuley (Timaru) Mitsubishi EVO 3 - 1.13.795
6th - Nick Smart (Christchurch) Nissan Skyline GTR - 1.14.729
7th - Mark Elliott (Christchurch) Mazda RX7 - 1.15.614
8th - Michael Gallagher (Ashburton) Mazda RX7 - 1.16.153
9th - Hamish Coillins (Timaru) Mazda RX7 - 1.17.594
10th - Murray Beeby (Timaru) Nissan Sentra - 1.18.141
11th - Grant McKissock (Timaru) Mitsubishi EVO - 1.18.468
12th - Garreth MacKenzie (Christchurch) Toyota Corolla - 1.19.954
13th - Gary Duncan (Temuka) - Mitsubishi EVO - 1.22.422
14th - Jason West (Dunedin) - Suzuki Swift - 1.25.294
15th - Shane Crosbie (Invercargill) Toyota Starlet - 1.26.263
16th - Noel Parish (Motueka) Nissan Fairlady - 1.29.509
17th - Todd Mudie (Timaru) Mitsubishi EVO - 1.35.402
No Time - Raymond Hart (Timaru) Nissan Skyline GTR
No Time - Grant Waters (Timaru) Mitsubishi GSR

RACE 1 (8 LAPS - ROLLING START)
1st - Neville Stowell
2nd - Chris Small
3rd - Ivan McAuley
4th - Raymond Hart
5th - Michael Gallagher
6th - Gary Duncan
7th - Murray Beeby
8th - Stan Moore
9th - Grant McKissock
10th - Garreth MacKenzie
11th - Mark Elliott
12th - Hamish Collins
13th - Grant Waters
14th - Jason West
15th - Shane Crosbie
DNF - Todd Mudie, Gary Ridden
DSQ - Nick Smart
DNS - Noel Parish

RACE 2 (8 LAPS - HANDICAP REVERSE GRID START)
1st - Neville Stowell
2nd - Garreth MacKenzie
3rd - Stan Moore
4th - Gary Duncan
5th - Chris Small
6rd - Ivan McAuley
7th - Grant Waters
8th - Gary Ridden
9th - Raymond Hart
10th - Hamish Collins
11th - Murray Beeby
12th - Michael Gallagher
13th - Grant McKissock
14th - Noel Parish
15th - Shane Crosbie
16th - Jason West
DNF - Mark Elliott
DNS - Todd Mudie, Nick Smart

RACE 3 (6 LAPS - HANDICAP START)
1st - Mark Elliott
2nd - Hamish Collins
3rd - Neville Stowell
4th - Grant Waters
5th - Raymond Hart
6th - Ivan McAuley
7th - Chris Small
8th - Grant McKissock
9th - Stan Moore
10th - Gary Duncan
11th - Garreth MacKenzie
12th - Michael Gallagher
13th - Murray Beeby
14th - Noel Parish
15th - Jason West
DNF - Gary Ridden
DNS - Shane Crosbie, Todd Mudie, Nick Smart



Championship rivals at the front in Sport Saloons
28 Mar 2010
By Kumho Sport Saloon Series
Neville Stowell opened proceedings at the penultimate round of the 2009/2010 Kumho Sport Saloon Series with another win at the Timaru International Motor Raceway at Levels near Timaru today.

Stowell and fellow Timaru driver Chris Small are locked in a tight battle for championship honours and once again today they were at the front of the field. In qualifying Stowell grabbed pole by .121 of a second from his championship rival and then led him home by 4.181 seconds in drizzly conditions in the opening race over 8 laps.

Another Timaru driver Ivan McAuley finished third today, good reward after a season in which he has suffered more than his share of mechancial issues. Christchurch driver Nick Smart was fourth on the road in his Nissan Skyline GTR but was disqualified when his boost light activated promoting Raymond Hart in another Skyline to the position. Michael Gallagher of Ashburton in a Mazda RX7 was fifth while Gary Duncan of Temuka rounded out the top six.

Gary Ridden of Christchurch qualified third this morning in his EVO but lost 4th gear during the race, bringing about his retirement while Todd Mudie of Timaru in another EVO also retired with electrical issues. Motueka driver Noel Parish was a non-starter due to a lack of suitable tyres in the conditions .

QUALIFYING
1st - Neville Stowell (Timaru) Nissan Skyline GTR - 1 minute 11.993 seconds
2nd - Chris Small (Timaru) Mitsubishi EVO - 1.12.114
3rd - Gary Ridden (Christchurch) Mitsubishi EVO - 1.12.179
4th - Stan Moore (Timaru) Mitsubishi EVO 1 - 1.13.421
5th - Ivan McAuley (Timaru) Mitsubishi EVO 3 - 1.13.795
6th - Nick Smart (Christchurch) Nissan Skyline GTR - 1.14.729
7th - Mark Elliott (Christchurch) Mazda RX7 - 1.15.614
8th - Michael Gallagher (Ashburton) Mazda RX7 - 1.16.153
9th - Hamish Coillins (Timaru) Mazda RX7 - 1.17.594
10th - Murray Beeby (Timaru) Nissan Sentra - 1.18.141
11th - Grant McKissock (Timaru) Mitsubishi EVO - 1.18.468
12th - Garreth MacKenzie (Christchurch) Toyota Corolla - 1.19.954
13th - Gary Duncan (Temuka) - Mitsubishi EVO - 1.22.422
14th - Jason West (Dunedin) - Suzuki Swift - 1.25.294
15th - Shane Crosbie (Invercargill) Toyota Starlet - 1.26.263
16th - Noel Parish (Motueka) Nissan Fairlady - 1.29.509
17th - Todd Mudie (Timaru) Mitsubishi EVO - 1.35.402
No Time - Raymond Hart (Timaru) Nissan Skyline GTR
No Time - Grant Waters (Timaru) Mitsubishi GSR

RACE 1 (8 LAPS - ROLLING START)
1st - Neville Stowell
2nd - Chris Small
3rd - Ivan McAuley
4th - Raymond Hart
5th - Michael Gallagher
6th - Gary Duncan
7th - Murray Beeby
8th - Stan Moore
9th - Grant McKissock
10th - Garreth MacKenzie
11th - Mark Elliott
12th - Hamish Collins
13th - Grant Waters
14th - Jason West
15th - Shane Crosbie
DNF - Todd Mudie, Gary Ridden
DSQ - Nick Smart
DNS - Noel Parish

ddd

Sport Saloon Battle Intensifies
26 Mar 2010
By Kumho Sport Saloon Series
Two local drivers, Chris Small and Neville Stowell will provide the major interest as they fight it out during Round 5 of the 2009/2010 Kumho Sport Saloon Series at the Timaru International Motor Raceway this weekend.

Small has led the series for much of the season but Stowell, who missed the opening round, is on the charge and last weekend at Powerbuilt Tools Raceway in Christchurch he closed to within 2 points of Small. With just two rounds left, both at Timaru, the penultimate round this weekend will be a pivotal one.

Another very healthy grid has been attracted to this round with all the regular runners with several newcomers in the mix.

While Small and Stowell will have the championship very much on their minds several other drivers will be eager to record some good results at the 2.4 kilometre Levels circuit.

Gary Ridden from Christchurch has had a fine debut season in his Mitsubishi EVO. Mechanical issues have hampered him from time to time but when the car has been co-operating he has been a threat. Last weekends round at Powerbuilt Raceway saw the series debut of Michael Gallaghers new car, a Batmobile Mazda RX7 and the early signs were impressive.

As usual South Canterbury drivers dominate the fields with several from the region on the grid. Mitsubishi drivers, Gary Duncan, Grant McKissock, Stan Moore, Ivan McAuley, and Grant Waters all hail from the area as do Raymond Hart (Nissan Skyline) and Murray Beeby (Nissan Sentra).

Nick Smart of Christchurch in his Nissan Skyline has the potential to run at the front while his fellow Christchurch drivers Garreth MacKenzie (Toyota Corolla) and Mark Elliott (Mazda RX7) are also very quick.

Prominent Dunedin rally driver Jason West is an exciting new addition in a Suzuki Swift while Hamish Collins debuts in a Mazda RX7 Batman. Noel Parish in a Nissan 300ZX from Motueka and Shane Crosbie of Invercargill (turbocharged Toyota Starlet) make the trek from opposite ends of the South Island to complete the field.

The Kumho Sport Saloon competitors have just 10 minutes for qualifying at 10.05am on Saturday morning with their first race from a rolling start over 8 laps at 1.55pm that afternoon. On Sunday a reverse top 50% grid race over 8 laps takes place at 9.50am while a handicap race over 6 laps is scheduled for 1.55pm
 

 

Game on in Sport Saloons
22 Mar 2010
By Lindsay Beer
It is game on in the 2009/2010 Kumho Sport Saloon Series after Neville Stowell took the overall round honours at Powerbuilt Tools Raceway at Ruapuna in Christchurch this weekend.

Timaru driver Chris Small still leads the series but the twenty-eight point margin that he had at the beginning of the round had been whittled to just two points by the end of proceedings.

Stowell, also of Timaru, was the fastest qualifier on Saturday in his Nissan Skyline GTR and started the first race on Saturday afternoon from pole with Small alongside.

Stowell went on to win that race from Small with Christchurch driver Gary Ridden third in his Mitsubishi EVO. Phil Hood of Kaikoura was fourth in his EVO ahead of series returnee Michael Gallagher in his new Mazda RX7 with Timaru's Nathan McAuley completing the top six in his EVO.

Retirements included South Canterbury drivers Murray Beeby in his Nissan Sentra with alternator problems, Ivan McAuley with gearbox issues in his EVO, Stan Moore with a misfire in his EVO while local driver Nick Smart in his Nissan Skyline was a non-starter with gearbox woes.

In the following mornings handicap grid race Stowell and Small started from the back as Grant Waters of Timaru led away in his Mitsubishi from Invercargill driver Shane Crosbie in a turbocharged Toyota Starlet. Gary Ridden of Christchurch was the big mover early on, carving through the field in his EVO. He worked his way through and started to pull back early leader Waters. However when Waters was eventually caught it was Stowell who led the charge. Ridden, Nick Smart of Christchurch and Gallagher quickly followed and then a lap later Small also passed Waters. Stowell kept up the pace to win from Ridden, Smart and Gallagher with Small and Waters completing the top six.

Gary Duncan of Temuka retired with a gearbox problem while Nathan McAuley broke a rollpin selector and Luggate's Matt Edgar had an engine problem in his turbocharged Corolla.

The final race proved costly for series leader Small. A loose turbo hose slowed him while Stowell made it through the field to take fifth place, giving him the round and allowing him to close to within two points of the series leader who was forced to cruise home in twelfth place. Meanwhile Waters won the race with another good drive from a fast closing Gallagher who capped a fine series debut in his new car with second. Smart was third followed by Ridden and Stowell, who finished with only 6lb boost due to a damaged intercooler. Stan Moore of Temuka, Hood, Jeremy Grice and  Crosbie were next. Noel Parish of Motueka in his Nissan 300ZX and Grant McKissock who had already secured two good results both limped home suffering a lack of power while Christchurch driver Garreth MacKenzie and Edgar retired.

The next round of the series takes place at Timaru International Motor Raceway next weekend.

 

Great entry for Sport Saloon Series

18 Mar 2010
By Kumho Sport Saloon Series
One of the strongest fields of the season will contest Round 4 of the 2009/2010 Kumho Sport Saloon Series at Powerbuilt Tools Raceway at Ruapuna in Christchurch this weekend.

All the frontrunners are on hand while a leading light from several seasons ago has rejoined the fray with a new car.

Nineteen cars have entered the round and spectators can expect a hard fought weekend of racing. Chris Small of Timaru currently leads the championship in his Mitsubishi EVO but the biggest threat that he and the rest of the field will have to overcome this weekend is defending champion, Neville Stowell of Timaru. Stowell has been all but unbeatable since he debuted his Nissan Skyline in the series at the beginning of 2007. A combination of the very potent Skyline along with Stowell's driving talent has made them the combination to beat. However Small and several other regulars are very fast and always near the front of the pack. Nick Smart in his Nissan Skyline always shines at this, his home circuit, while fellow Christchurch driver Gary Ridden in another Mitsubishi EVO has had his share of problems in his first season in the class but his speed is not in doubt. Meanwhile Timaru based brothers Nathan and Ivan McAuley, Raymond Hart of Timaru in a Nissan Skyline plus Temuka's Gary Duncan and Kaikoura driver Phil Hood in EVOs are also always to the fore.

However much interest this weekend will centre on the return to the series of Ashburton driver Michael Gallagher. Gallagher was a frontrunnner in the series before taking a break several years ago. In the intervening years he has taken his time to build up a rotary powered Mazda RX7 'Batmobile' with fuel injection and a close ratio gearbox. Gallagher has done one club event in the car and describes himself as "a bit rusty". However there is no doubting Gallagher's ability behind the wheel and he is looking forward to "getting going now before sorting out any finetuning the car needs over winter." Already his lap times at this circuit in his new car are considerably quicker than those he set in his earlier model RX7 several years ago.

Another recent series returnee, Luggate based Matt Edgar, has performed well in his turbocharged Toyota Starlet this season after a lengthy absence.

Two other hometown drivers will take to the grid this weekend. Jeremy Grice had a good round in his Subaru Legacy at his home circuit when the series last visited in January while Garreth MacKenzie had a tough time on that occasion with a variety of problems putting paid to his weekend.  

Stan Moore of Temuka had a very good round at this track in January while Timaru drivers Grant McKissock, Grant Waters and Murray Beeby, plus Motueka's Noel Parish and Southlander Shane Crosbie are all capable of making an impact.

Competitors will have a 15 minute practice session on Saturday morning before qualifying at 12.55pm that afternoon. Race 1 of the round follows over 7 laps from a rolling start at 3.20pm. On Sunday a 7 lap handicap grid start event is scheduled for 10.50am followed by a 6 lap handicap event at 2.20pm.
 
 
Stowell Bags Another
 

21 Mar 2010
By Kumho Sport Saloon Series
Timaru driver Neville Stowell bagged another win in the 2009/2010 Kumho Sport Saloon Series when he won the opening race of the fourth round of the series at Powerbuilt Tools Raceway at Ruapuna in Christchurch yesterday.

Stowell qualified on pole in his Nissan Skyline GTR ahead of fellow Timaru driver Chris Small in a Mitsubishi EVO and that is the way they crossed the line after the 7 lap race. At the finish Stowell led Small by just .764 of a second. Christchurch driver Gary Ridden was third in his Mitsubishi EVO followed by Phil Hood of Kaikoura in a simlIar car. Series returnee Michael Gallagher finished a fine fifth in his new Mazda RX7 while Timaru's Nathan McAuley completed the top six in his EVO.

There were several casualties in the race including Timaru drivers Murray Beeby (Nissan Sentra), Ivan McAuley (EVO), Stan Moore of Temuka (EVO), while local driver Nick Smart in his Nissan Skyline was a non-starter.

Today the Kumho Sport Saloon competitors feature in two more races, a 7 lap handicap grid start event at 10.50am followed by a 6 lap handicap event at 2.20pm.

QUALIFYING
1st - Neville Stowell (Timaru) Nissan Skyline GTR - 1 minute 31.522 seconds
2nd - Chris Small (Timaru) Mitsubishi EVO - 1.32.023
3rd - Nathan McAuley (Timaru) Mitsubishi EVO - 1.32.976
4th - Nick Smart (Christchurch) Nissan Skyline GTR - 1.33.196  
5th - Gary Duncan (Temuka) - Mitsubishi EVO - 1.33.856
6th - Gary Ridden (Christchurch) Mitsubishi EVO - 1.34.114
7th - Phil Hood (Kaikoura) Mitsubishi EVO - 1.34.915
8th - Ivan McAuley (Timaru) Mitsubishi EVO 3 - 1.35.136
9th - Michael Gallagher (Ashburton) Mazda RX7 - 1.35.390
10th - Jeremy Grice (Christchurch) Subaru Legacy - 1.35.393
11th - Stan Moore (Timaru) Mitsubishi EVO 1 - 1.35.684  
12th - Matt Edgar - (Timaru) Toyota Corolla - 1.36.346
13th - Garreth MacKenzie (Christchurch) Toyota Corolla - 1.36.685
14th - Grant McKissock (Timaru) Mitsubishi EVO - 1.37.447
15th - Murray Beeby (Timaru) Nissan Sentra - 1.37.905
16th - Grant Waters (Timaru) Mitsubishi GSR - 1.38.447  
17th - Noel Parish (Motueka) Nissan Fairlady - 1.41.923
18th - Shane Crosbie (Invercargill) Toyota Starlet - 1.42.816

RACE 1 (7 LAPS - ROLLING START)
1st - Neville Stowell
2nd - Chris Small
3rd - Gary Ridden
4th - Phil Hood
5th - Michael Gallagher    
6th - Nathan McAuley
7th - Garreth MacKenzie
8th - Matt Edgar
9th - Grant McKissock
10th - Jeremy Grice
11th - Grant Waters
12th - Gary Duncan
13th - Noel Parish
14th - Shane Crosbie
DNF - Murray Beeby, Ivan McAuley, Stan Moore
DNS - Nick Smart

 

Small extends Sport Saloon Championship lead

10 Jan 2010

By Lindsay Beer

Timaru driver Chris Small extended his championship lead while another South Canterbury driver, Neville Stowell, took the overall honours during Round 3 of the 2009/2010 Kumho Sport Saloon Series at Powerbuilt Tools Raceway in Christchurch this weekend.

However it was far from plain sailing for either driver as Stowell battled oil pressure problems in his Nissan Skyline GTR while Small had braking issues in the first two races before a gearbox problem slowed his Mitsubishi EVO in the final showdown.

Temuka's Stan Moore was selected as driver of the round after an excellent drive to second on Sunday morning followed by a seventh place finish in the final race.

Stowell and Small qualified first and second respectively on Saturday with Stowell leading Small home in Saturday afternoon's opening race. Christchurch driver Nick Smart was third in his Skyline followed by Gary Ridden who drove a great race from the back of the grid in his EVO. Timaru drivers Nathan McAuley and Matt Edgar rounded out the top six. The race finished under the safety car when Moore left the circuit.

Sunday morning's race was a handicap event and Grant Waters of Timaru was the early leader from Moore while the backmarkers quickly latched onto the pack. Moore took the lead on the second lap holding on until lap five when Stowell took over. Stowell crossed the line to take his second win of the weekend while Moore held on for second despite a scary moment on the last lap at the scene of his Saturday excursion. Gary Ridden of Christchurch continued his great weekend with third place. Raymond Hart, Chris Small and Nick Smart came through in the next three spots with early leader Waters seventh. Phil Hood of Kaikoura brought his EVO home in 14th place, the car cutting out intermittently while Timaru's Ivan McAuley lost horsepower and cruised his EVO home at the rear of the field. Murray Beeby retired his Nissan Sentra with damage to the lower arm while Garreth MacKenzie borrowed Carl Vaughan's Mitsubishi after trouble with his own car the previous day only to retire with a water leak.        

Waters again led early in the final race and looked set to win until Hood brought his Mitsubishi through on the penultimate lap. Hood led Waters across the line with Mark Elliott of Christchurch third. Hood had overcome overheating issues with a makeshift repair while Waters said his car had "nothing left". A window had also popped on his Mitsubishi early in the race. Elliott had battled a series of issues all weekend in his Mazda RX7 but the car had improved with each race.

Raymond Hart of Timaru crossed the line 4th in his Nissan only to be disqualified for using incorrect tyres, promoting Matt Edgar one place. Gary Ridden completed a superb weekend with his third good result followed by Jeremy Grice, another to complete a strong round. Ninth place for Stowell was good enough to give him the provisional round victory. Glenn Hodgson retired when a suspension bolt came loose while Beeby struggled home a lap down.

Stowell was "chuffed" with his result. "We took it one race at a time, he said after a weekend that he was not confident of completing. "I was short shifting everywhere." Small suffered from brake problems in the first two races and then had gearbox issues as he cruised to 14th place in the final race. However an increased championship lead was pleasing for him and he rated his new Stowell built engine as "amazing".

The next round of the series will also take place at Powerbuilt Tools Raceway over the weekend of 20/21 March.

RACE 1 (7 LAPS - ROLLING START)
1st - Neville Stowell
2nd - Chris Small
3rd - Nick Smart  
4th - Gary Ridden
5th - Nathan McAuley
6th - Matt Edgar
7th - Phil Hood
8th - Jeremy Grice
9th - Glenn Hodgson
10th - Grant McKissock
11th - Murray Beeby
12th - Ivan McAuley
13th - Noel Parish
14th - Mark Elliott
15th - Grant Waters
DNF - Stan Moore
DNS - Raymond Hart, Garreth MacKenzie

RACE 2 (7 LAPS - HANDICAP GRID START)
1st - Neville Stowell
2nd - Stan Moore
3rd - Gary Ridden
4th - Raymond Hart
5th - Chris Small
6th - Nick Smart  
7th - Grant Waters
8th - Matt Edgar
9th - Mark Elliott
10th - Grant McKissock
11th - Jeremy Grice
12th - Nathan McAuley
13th - Glenn Hodgson
14th - Phil Hood
15th - Noel Parish
16th - Ivan McAuley
DNF - Murray Beeby, Garreth MacKenzie

RACE 3 (6 LAPS - HANDICAP START)
1st - Phil Hood
2nd - Grant Waters
3rd - Mark Elliott
4th - Matt Edgar
5th - Gary Ridden
6th - Jeremy Grice
7th - Stan Moore
8th - Nick Smart  
9th - Neville Stowell
10th - Grant McKissock
11th - Nathan McAuley
12th - Noel Parish
13th - Ivan McAuley  
14th - Chris Small
15th - Murray Beeby
DNF - Glenn Hodgson
DSQ - Raymond Hart
DNS - Garreth MacKenzie

 

Stowell & Small head opening Sport Saloon race

10 Jan 2010

By Lidsay Beer

Timaru driver Neville Stowell has built up a formidable record in the Kumho Sport Saloon Series since he debuted his Nissan Skyline GTR several seasons ago and today he carried on his winning way at Powerbuilt Tools Raceway at Ruapuna near Christchurch.

Stowell began the day by qualifying on pole position, 1.3 seconds ahead of closest rival Chris Small in a Mitsubishi EVO. Yet another South Canterbury driver, Raymond Hart in a Nissan Skyline was third ahead of Matt Edgar in a Toyota Corolla. In trouble during the qualifying session were Christchurch driver Gary Ridden with electrical problems and Grant McKissock of Timaru who blew his boost light, the duo forced to start from the back of the grid in their Mitsubishi EVOs.

Stowell stormed into the lead from the rolling start with Small in second place and Christchurch driver Nick Smart in another Skyline in third. However the most impressive performance on the opening lap came from Ridden as he came from the back row of the grid to be 6th. A lap later he had advanced to 4th position.

Small kept in touch with Stowell in the early laps before he began to drop back with brake problems. Stowell was also struggling, his problem being an oil pressure issue. Consequently he was taking it easy, easing off each time the oil pressure light came on. Behind the leading pair, Nick Smart was running on his own in third ahead of Ridden.  Further back there were some good battles developing but on lap five both Jeremy Grice and Stan Moore came unstuck at the sweeper leading off the front straight, Moore becoming stranded in the gravel. That brought out the safety car which remained on the track until the finish.

The race ended with Stowell adding another win to his tally with Small in second place, enough to give him the championship lead. Smart crossed the line third followed by Ridden, Nathan McAuley and Matt Edgar who continued his strong return to the series. Kaikoura driver Phil Hood was next with Jeremy Grice recovering to complete the race in 8th place.          

Stowell said his oil pressure problem was an internal one while Small was very happy to assume the championship lead. Ridden was rapt with his progress through the field. "I was an angry man," he said of his qualifying position near the back of the field. The team promise there is more to come tomorrow. Mark Elliott was perplexed with his Mazda RX7, a range of issues hampering his progress while both Raymond Hart and Garreth MacKenzie were non-starters.  

Tomorrow morning, the second race, a handicap grid start event over 7 laps will take place at 10.45am with the final race of the round, a 6 lap handicap event, timed to start at 2.25pm.

 

 

Sports Saloons ready for next battle

07 Jan 2010

A good field of eighteen Kumho Sport Saloons will line up for the third round of their 2009/2010 championship at Powerbuilt Tools Raceway at Ruapuna in Christchurch this weekend.

After the opening round of the series at Timaru produced three different race winners defending champion Neville Stowell returned to the series for the second round at Teretonga Park last month to win two of the three races and indicate he will be the big threat again this season.

Stowell will be on the grid again in his Nissan Skyline GTR this weekend and as usual he will be hard to beat. His chief opposition looks set to come from fellow South Canterbury drivers Chris Small, Gary Duncan and brothers Nathan and Ivan McAuley in Mitsubishi EVO's plus Cantabrians Nick Smart in a Nissan Skyline and Gary Ridden in his Mitsubishi EVO.

Several others will also be in the mix including Raymond Hart of South Canterbury in another Nissan Skyline, Motueka's Noel Parish (Nissan Fairlady) plus Phil Hood of Kaikoura (Mitsubishi EVO).

After testing at the 3.3 kilometre circuit on Friday a 20 minute qualifying session will be held at 11.45am on Saturday morning to establish grid positions for the first race of the round over 7 laps from a rolling start at 3.25pm that afternoon.

The following morning, the second race, a handicap grid start event over 7 laps will take place at 10.45am with the finale, a 6 lap handicap race, scheduled for 2.25pm on Sunday.

 

Stowell returns to winning ways

07 Dec 2009
 

By Kumho Sport Saloon Series
Neville Stowell was at one stage a doubtful starter for today's second round of the 2009/2010 Kumho Sport Saloon Series at Teretonga Park. However he duly arrived at the Invercargill circuit and immediately went back to his winning ways, finishing the day with two wins and a seventh placing to take the round after missing the opening round at Timaru in October. After today's action the overall series lead is held by Chris Small, eleven points clear of previous leader Grant McKissock with Nathan McAuley just two points further back. Stowell, Small, McKissock and McAuley all hail from Timaru.

Stowell qualified his extremely quick Nissan Skyline GTR on pole this morning and ran away with opening race. Chris Small was second initially in his EVO but dropped back with problems during the race while Gary Ridden of Christchurch ran third early before his car developed a misfire on lap 2. Gary Duncan of Temuka drove a good race in his EVO to finish second while Nathan McAuley was the big mover coming through from the back of the grid after blowing his boost light in qualifying to place third in yet another of the Mitsubishi EVO's. Ridden hung on for fourth while Matt Edgar, making his first appearance in the series for two years was fifth ahead of Small.

Stan Moore of Temuka left the track early on before continuing while Shane Crosbie of Invercargill was nursing his Toyota Starlet after a fire during qualifying. Ivan McAuley failed to finish. Duncan was absolutely rapt with his second place finish after many long hours working on his car over recent times to enable him to compete today.

The second race was a reverse grid contest and Crosbie took the lead initially from pole position. Chris Small was the big mover and he was up to second place by the end of lap 2 and into the lead a lap later. Stowell was on the move too, picking his times to pass as he worked through the traffic. The defending champion grabbed the lead as they entered the final lap and crossed the line for his second win of the day. Small was second and Duncan continued his good day to finish third. Nathan McAuley was fourth followed by Edgar and McKissock. Ridden was next, the misfire rearing it's head again on the second lap. Local driver Brent Cross was a non-finisher in his EVO.

The final race was a handicap start and it was Crosbie who led away again while Timaru's Ivan McAuley was the best of the second group. Crosbie had a spin on the opening lap and as they completed the first circuit it was Christchurch driver Mark Elliott in a Mazda RX7 who led from Moore and Crosbie. Ivan McAuley was through to the lead on the penultimate lap and he took the flag ahead of Elliott, the fast finishing Small, Edgar, Noel Parish, McKissock, Stowell and Murray Beeby. Nathan McAuley was an early retirement with a gearbox problem. Stowell broke his own lap record during the race, leaving the new mark at 1.02.862.

Stowell's results sealed the round win while Duncan was second overall with Chris Small picking up the final podium position.

The next round of the series takes place at Powerbuilt Tools Raceway in Christchurch from 8-10 January.
 

Kumho Sports Saloons Wide Open
02 Dec 2009

By Kumho Sport Saloon Series
Expect another even contest when the second round of the 2009/2010 Kumho Sport Saloon Series takes place at Teretonga Park in Invercargill this weekend.

After a prolonged period of domination by Neville Stowell of Timaru, the reigning champion has not entered the opening rounds of this years championship. Stowell's absence saw three different drivers taste success at the opening round at Timaru International Motor Raceway in October. Timaru drivers Chris Small and Grant McKissock took a win apiece in their Mitsubishi's while Noel Parish of Motueka captured the other victory in his Nissan Fairlady 300ZX.

While three drivers shared the spoils at Timaru it is McKissock who leads the championship as the series prepares to pay its only visit to Teretonga this summer. The Timaru driver backed up his win at the opening round with an eighth and a fourth place to gain 76 points for the round, one more than the consistent Nathan McAuley who also hails from Timaru.
.
Two more South Canterbury drivers, Raymond Hart and Ivan McAuley, are tied for third with 68 points while Chris Small and Nick Smart of Christchurch are next with 67 apiece.

In the class battles McKissock leads Class C while Nathan McAuley has a slender lead in Class B over Small. Stan Moore of Temuka is the leader in Class D and Parish leads the Handicap Championship.

Three Southlanders join the field this weekend for their local round. Shane Crosbie of Invercargill was a regular at most rounds last season in the ex-Arron Black championship winning turbocharged Toyota Starlet and this weekend he makes his first appearance of 2009/10 series. Making a return after a lengthy absence is Andrew Brown of Invercargill. Brown was a regular competitor for many seasons but has been away from the sport for some years. In the past he came very close to taking the overall title so his return to the series will be watched with interest.

The other Southlander on the grid will be Brent Cross of Winton. Cross has made a favourable impression in local clubmans racing at Teretonga and can be expected to acquit himself well.
 
 
 
Three different winners in Kumho Sports Sedans
19 Oct 2009
By Lindsay Beer
The opening round of the 2009/2010 Kumho Sport Saloon Series produced three different winners from the three races at Timaru International Motor Raceway today.

Chris Small of Timaru won the opening race in his Mitsubishi EVO after setting the fastest time in qualifying on Saturday. Small crossed the line 3.8 seconds ahead of fellow Timaru driver Nathan McAuley in a similar car. Two other local drivers were third and fourth, Raymond Hart crossing the line third in his Nissan Skyline ahead of McAuley's brother Ivan McAuley in fourth place in another EVO. Series debutant Gary Ridden of Christchurch was fifth in his EVO with Phil Hood of Kaikoura in yet another of the Mitsubishi's rounding out the top six.

The second race, a handicap event, saw another local driver taste victory. An elated Grant McKissock greeted the flag in his EVO just in front of Hart to take the win. Nick Smart of Christchurch was third in his Nissan Skyline GTR. Ridden was fourth ahead of the McAuley brothers, Ivan securing fifth and Nathan sixth. Small suffered a blown engine in the race, just managing to nurse the car home, while Daniel Liemburg and Phil Hood were non-finishers - Liemburg also suffering engine dramas.

The third and final race, another handicap event, went to Motueka driver Noel Parish in his Nissan Fairlady 300ZX. Temuka driver Stan Moore was next, a shade over 3 seconds behind Parish, while Hood recovered from his earlier problem to finish third. McKissock was fourth with Nathan McAuley and Garreth McKenzie of Christchurch next. After his engine failure in the previous race Small re-entered the fray in his father's race car - a Nissan Skyline - to finish in the points. Gary Ridden was a non-finisher on this occasion while Grant Waters also retired with gearbox problems.

Earlier in the day the Mitsubishi EVOs of Gary Duncan and Glen Hodgson had clashed at the start of a race ending both their days prematurely.
 
The next round of the championship takes place at Teretonga Park in Invercargill over the weekend of 5/6 December.
 

 

Stowell takes championship with clean sweep

16 Mar 2009
By Lindsay Beer
Timaru driver Neville Stowell wrapped up the 2008/2009 Kumho Sport Saloon Series in fine style at his home circuit today. Stowell ended the championship with another round win to complete a clean sweep as he took the title for the second consecutive year. Stowell took out the round despite not starting the final race, a handicap event, due to a cracked sump suffered in a coming together earlier in the day.

Stowell's domination of the series was complete today when he won his sixth round from six for the season. He also won his class title and finished third in the handicap championship held in conjunction with the series.

Stowell started the day by taking his Nissan Skyline to victory in this morning's race to add to his win in yesterday's opening contest. Timaru drivers filled the next four places with Raymond Hart second in his Skyline, Chris Small third in his Mitsubishi EVO, Ron Shelton fourth in his Nissan Silvia and Matt Dunn fifth in his turbocharged Toyota Corolla.
Christchurch driver Scott Ballingall was sixth in a Mitsubishi EVO.

Nathan McAuley of Timaru and Phil Hood of Kaikoura caused some excitement at the start of the race when they had a coming together with McAuley's car tipping onto two wheels before landing back on all four. Both drivers retired their Mitsubishi's from the race.
 
Later in the day series newcomer Murray Beeby of Timaru won the handicap race in his Nissan Sentra from Invercargill driver Shane Crosbie in a turbocharged Toyota Starlet and Timaru's Grant McKissock in a Mitsubishi. Grant Waters was fourth in his Mitsubishi ahead of fellow Timaru driver Ivan McAuley in a similar car while another Invercargill driver, Darcy Hewitt, was sixth in a Nissan Primera.

Yesterday Stowell had qualified on pole position ahead of Mike Small, the last man to beat him in a round of the series almost one year ago. Then in the opening race he beat Chris Small, Mike Small's son, across the line. Small senior was third ahead of Ron Shelton.
   
Stowell declared himself "happy as" after the victory. "We were lucky to win the round. Raymond Hart and I had a coming together in this morning's race and because of the cracked sump I chose not to start the handicap race. The faster cars didn't get through and move up in the handicap race so I managed to win the round."
   
Other class winners in this year's championship were Matt Dunn in the T2 Class and Chris Small who won the T3 Class by one point from Gary Duncan of Temuka while the Handicap Champion for 2008/2009 was Noel Parish of Motueka.
 

Stowell again

14 Mar 2009

It was a familiar scenario as the final round of the 2008/2009 Kumho Sport Saloon Series got underway at the Timaru International Motor Raceway at Levels on the outskirts of Timaru today. Local star Neville Stowell took his Nissan Skyline GTR to pole position and then went on to win the opening race of the round to maintain his unprecedented run of success in the class. Should he continue on and win the round tomorrow Stowell will end the season having won every round of the series.
Today he qualified on pole position ahead of Mike Small, the last man to beat him in a round. Small, also from Timaru, has only contested two rounds this year - both at his home circuit. Last April he beat Stowell in a round at Timaru, the last time Stowell as defeated. Stowell went on to win this afternoon's race at the 2.4 kilometre circuit. He crossed the line ahead of Chris Small, Mike Small's son, in a Mitsubishi EVO. Small had a coming together with Nathan McAuley during the race when McAuley's brakes failed. Mike Small was third ahead of yet another Timaru driver, Ron Shelton in a Nissan Silvia.  
At 10.00am tomorrow a race with a reverse grid for the top 50% will be held while the final race of the championship, a handicap race over 6 laps, is scheduled for 2.00pm
Stowell looking to seal Sport Saloon clean sweep
12 Mar 2009
By Lindsay Beer
Neville Stowell of Timaru is looking to complete a series clean sweep when he competes in the final round of the 2008/2009 Kumho Sport Saloon Series at his home circuit, Timaru International Motor Raceway at Levels on the outskirts of Timaru this weekend.

Stowell has dominated this year's championship and has won all five rounds to date. Should he win this weekend's round he will have achieved the feat of winning every single round of the championship this season. Since he debuted his Nissan Skyline GTR midway through the 2006/2007 season Stowell has been virtually unbeatable. The combination won every round that remained in the car's debut season but it came too late to win the series. Last season Stowell blitzed the opposition at every round until the penultimate outing when Mike Small took victory at Timaru. Stowell then bounced back to win the final round and take the championship. This season he has won every round and he arrives at Timaru with a huge lead in the overall championship.

Another Timaru driver, Matt Dunn, is currently second in the series after a strong season in his turbocharged Toyota Corolla. Gary Duncan of Temuka is third in his Mitsubishi EVO while Timaru drivers Nathan McAuley, Ray Hart and Chris Small round out the top six positions.  

Stowell, Duncan and Dunn all lead their respective classes while Russell Burney and youngster Daniel Liemburg lead their classes in normally aspirated cars.

The closest title battle is in the Handicap Championship which is fought out over the final race of each weekend. Currently Motueka driver Noel Parish leads this championship with Stowell breathing down his neck.

All of the key contenders apart from Burney will be on the grid this weekend. Other local drivers on the grid will be Grant McKissock, Stan Moore, Ivan McAuley and Grant Waters.
Fellow Timaru drivers Mike Small, Ron Shelton and Todd Mudie all make a rare appearance while Murray Beeby debuts in his Nissan Sentra. From Kaikoura comes Phil Hood while Scott Ballingall brings his EVO south from Christchurch. Meanwhile making the trek from the south are Darcy Hewitt and Shane Crosbie of Invercargill.    
       
Qualifying takes place at 9.35am on Saturday morning with the first race over 8 laps from a rolling start timed for 1.15pm that afternoon. At 10.00am on Sunday a race from a reversed 50% grid will be held while the final race of the championship, a handicap race over 6 laps, is scheduled for 2.00pm.  
 

 

 

Stowell leads the way in Sports Saloons

07 Mar 2009
By Lindsay Beer
Timaru driver Neville Stowell extended his domination of the 2008/2009 Kumho Sport Saloon Series to the opening race of the fifth round of the series at Powerbuilt Tools Raceway at Ruapuna near Christchurch today.

Stowell set the pace in qualifying and then won the opening race from Ron Shelton, also of Timaru. Shelton incurred a ten second penalty during the race but still had enough time in hand to secure second place in his Nissan Silvia. The race produced a Timaru trifecta as yet another driver from the South Canterbury town, Matt Dunn, finished third in his turbocharged Toyota Corolla.

Chris Small, second equal in the championship coming into this round, could not start today's race due to a clutch problem while Kaikoura driver Phil Hood was disqualified when his car overboosted. Christchurch driver Scott Ballingall also received a ten second penalty for jumping the start.

Stowell has won every round to date in his Nissan Skyline GTR, securing pole position at every round along with nine wins, two second placings and an eleventh from the twelve races. The only races he has not won have been handicap events. After two rounds he had a lower boost pressure of 14lb placed on his Nissan Skyline GTR and from this round he is limited to 7200rpm.

Tomorrow's programme sees two further races. The first, scheduled for 11.10am, is over 7 laps from a grid with the top 50% reversed while the final race is a handicap event over 6 laps, timed to start at 2.35pm.
 

 

Big battle behind Sports Saloon leader
06 Mar 2009
By Lindsay Beer
The big battle at the penultimate round of the 2008/2009 Kumho Sport Saloon Series will be between the drivers who lie from second through to fifth in the point standings.

Timaru drivers Chris Small in a Mitsubishi EVO and Matt Dunn in a turbocharged Toyota Corolla are tied on 225 points in second place in the championship with Temuka driver Gary Duncan in another Mitsubishi EVO just two points behind them. Another Timaru competitor, Raymond Hart, is fifth on points in his Nissan Skyline just two more points behind Duncan. With just this round and one more at Timaru International Motor Raceway the following weekend remaining it is now the business end of the series. The four should all be in close proximity to each other this weekend but they will also have to contend with several other competitors. Timaru's Ron Shelton returns for a rare appearance in this years series but he can be expected to be quick in his Nissan Silvia. Two more to watch will be EVO drivers Phil Hood of Kaikoura and Nathan McAuley of Timaru.

However everyone is likely to be chasing series leader and defending champion Neville Stowell of Timaru. Stowell has won every round to date in his Nissan Skyline, fashioning an outstanding record along the way - pole position at every round, nine wins, two second placings and an eleventh from twelve races. The only races he has not won have been handicap events. After two rounds he had a lower boost pressure of 14lb placed on his Nissan Skyline GTR but he has kept on winning. From this round he will be limited to
7200rpm and it will be interesting to see if the chasing pack can rein him in.

Stowell's domination has him over a hundred and fifty points ahead of Small and Dunn.

Scott Ballingall of Christchurch is the only local driver on the grid this weekend in a Mitsubishi EVO while Noel Parish brings his new Nissan south from Motueka. Also from the Nelson region is Glen Hodgson in another of the popular EVO's. Other South Canterbury drivers on the grid will be Grant McKissock, Stan Moore, Ivan McAuley and Grant Waters all in EVO's while young Daniel Liemburg will line up in his normally aspirated Toyota Starlet. From the south comes Shane Crosbie of Invercargill with his ex-Arron Black turbocharged Toyota Starlet.

A fifteen minute test session is available for competitors on Saturday morning followed by a further fifteen minute session for qualifying at 1.30pm. The first race over 7 laps from a rolling start is scheduled for 4.05pm. Sunday's programme for the class begins with a 7 lap race at 11.10am in which the top 50% of the grid is reversed. The final race is a handicap event over 6 laps, timed to start at 2.35pm.
 

 

Sport Saloon success