Excellent Start To New Season At Teretonga

Media Release
2 October 2012

Excellent Start To New Season At Teretonga

A great weekend of motor racing kicked off the new season at Teretonga Park in Invercargill at the weekend.

The racing, presented by Downer, featured the ASKO Appliances 1 Hour and 3 Hour South Island Endurance races on Saturday followed by the opening round of the Toyo Tyres New Zealand Pro7 Championship, Noel McIntyre Drainage Clubmans Saloons and Sports & Racing Cars on Sunday.

The feature event on Sunday was the first round of the New Zealand Pro7 Championship with two classes involved - Pro7 Plus and Pro7. In the Pro 7 Plus Class Hamish Collins of Timaru won two of the three races with Dean McMillan of Napier taking the other. Others who were prominent were Matt Gibson of Wanganui, Matt Carkeek of Wellington and Tim Forster of Hastings. An incident in the first race saw Collins drop down the order so it was former NZV8 driver McMillan who takes a 7 point lead into the second leg of the championship at Manfeild in the Manawatu in February. Cross is second with Gibson third a further 7 points in arrears.

In the Pro7 Class Daniel Taylor of Timaru took the honours in two of the races and Bob Smith of Wanganui the other. Taylor left Teretonga with an 8 point lead over Smith with Mosgiel driver Ken Thompson third.

Colin Dawson dominated the Noel McIntyre Drainage Clubmans races in his Mazda RX7 V8 with Scott Laurence, Darryn Andrews and Anthony Ralston sharing the places. In the class race Dawson took the honours in Class 4, Warren Kett Class 3 and Jeremy Dawson in Class 2.

In the Flying Farewell Paul Fairweather of Invercargill tasted victory at his debut race meeting in a Nissan Primera from Ralston and Glen Johnston of Gore.

Dave McKenzie of Invercargill won three of the four Sports & Racing Car events with Don Nelson of Riverton taking the other.

On Saturday defending champion Paul Kelly of Christchurch and Melbourne based kiwi Daniel Gaunt took the honours in the ASKO Appliances 3 Hour South Island Endurance Series race after a great dice with eventual second placegetters Ant Pedersen (Hamilton) and Andrew Bagnall (Auckland). Gaunt and Pedersen had a ding dong battle for a long period of the race where little more than half a second separated the cars. Christchurch pair Rick Armstrong and Matthew Hamilton were third. Southlander Scott O'Donnell held the lead the field for some time during his stint at the wheel in the first part of the race. The first three driver pairings across the line all drove Porsche 997 GT3's. In the 1 Hour Enduro Grant Williams and Brent Buist of Christchurch in a Mazda RX7 V8 took the lead with a slick pit stop and maintained the gap through the remainder of the race to beat Kelly across the line with George McFarlane and Grant Silvester of Christchurch third.

The next meeting at Teretonga Park takes place on 4 November.

Full information on the Southland Sports Car Club 2012/2013 season can be found at - www.teretonga.org.nz

Lindsay Beer
Publicity Officer
Southland Sports Car Club

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Photograph - Dean McMillan of Napier contesting the Toyo Tyres Pro7 Plus NZ Championship at Teretonga Park in his Mazda RX7. McMillan leads the New Zealand title race in the class - please credit Kevin Thomson - Southspeed

CALENDAR 2012/2013 SEASON - TERETONGA PARK

29/30 September 2012: Motor Racing presented by Downer - South Island Endurance Series, NZ Pro 7 Championship, Noel McIntyre Drainage Clubmans Saloons, Sports & Racing Cars

4 November 2012: Motor Racing presented by Downer - Noel McIntyre Drainage Clubmans Saloons, Sports & Racing Cars & Motorcycles

1/2 December 2012: Motor Racing presented by Downer - OSCA Saloons, Pre 65 Saloons, Mini 7 South, South Island Formula Ford, Noel McIntyre Drainage Clubmans Salloons, Sports & Racing Cars

11-13 January 2013: NZV8s, Toyota Racing Series; Formula Ford, Sports GT, Production GT & one class to be confirmed

15-17 February 2013: Evolution Motorsport Classic SpeedFest featuring Classic Saloons, Historic Touring Cars, Vintage Car Club, Sports & Racing Cars, South Island Pre 65 Saloons, Noel McIntyre Drainage Clubmans Saloons & Formula 5000 - to be confirmed

17 March 2013: Motor Racing presented by Downer - Noel McIntyre Drainage Clubmans Saloons, Sports & Racing Cars, NZ Six Saloons, Pro 7 Saloons, A1 Autos One Hour Race

ENDS

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