Krammer Wins Autocross Series

20 June 2013

Krammer Wins Autocross Series

Neville Krammer of Wallacetown near Invercargill has won the inaugural Laird Motorsport Southern Inter Club Autocross Series 2013.

Autocross is a Clubsport branch of entry level event to motorsport that requires competitors to tackle a set course at speed, normally set out with cones. The series was contested over three rounds - the Eastern Southland Car Club Irwins Autocross in March, the Southland Sports Car Club Teretonga Park event in April and the Queenstown Car Club's Stalkers Gravel Pit event in May. Krammer, of the Eastern Southland Car Club, won the series in his Subaru Legacy with 91 points, four more than fellow club member Graham McRae of Gore in a Toyota Corolla. Third overall was youngster Hamish Roche of the Queenstown Car Club who scored 82 points in his Suzuki Swift. Anthony Ralston of Invercargill (Southland Sports Car Club) was just one point further back in fourth place. The Laird family took the next three places in the series points with Karen Laird fifth ahead of son Kevin and husband Roger.

The top three placegetters in the series were not eligible for class series honours leaving Kevin Laird of Gore to take out Class D in a Subaru Legacy from his father Roger in the same car with Tony Adamson of Queenstown in an ex-Chris West Mitsubishi EVO 3 third. Ralston took Class C in his Nissan NX from Cameron Morrison of Invercargill in a Nissan Pulsar and Dan Barlow of Queenstown (Ford Capri) while Class B went to Winton driver Brendon Mitchell in a Datsun 1600 by just one point from Invercargill's Raimon Wilkinson (Suzuki Baleno) with Justin Johnstone also of Invercargill third in a Toyota Levin. Karen Laird (Suzuki Swift) of Gore claimed Class A from Balclutha brothers, Richard and Carlos Goatley who were second and third respectively in a Toyota Starlet.

The series began at the Irwins Autocross on grass with Krammer taking overall victory and maximum points in Class D while Warner Reid of Clydevale in his Toyota MR2 turbo took the honours in Class C. McRae was the victor in Class B and Balclutha competitor, Paul Gouman (Toyota Starlet) won Class A. The following month Cameron Morrison took overall honours at the sealed event at Teretonga while Krammer again won his class and Morrison came out on top in Class C. The Class B winner was Brendon Mitchell while Karen Laird took out Class A. Roger Laird was the overall winner and Class D victor on the gravel at Queenstown with Barry Somerville (Invercargill) the winner of Class C in a Nissan Pulsar. McRae took maximum points again Class B while Roche took out Class A. The gravel event was described by Laird as, "extremely challenging - the surface was rough but it was very enjoyable and quite different."

The final tally of points for the clubs involved in the series saw the Eastern Southland Car Club come out on top with 923 points. The Queenstown Car Club were next on 726 with the Southland Sports Car Club third with 468. The Central Otago Motorsport Club were next on 168 followed by Otago on 16.

Eighty-one competitors scored points in the series with the clubs who hosted each event scoring the most points at their own round.

The series proved to be a great success and the organisers already have exciting plans for next year. The concept of a series involving all the clubs came from Julian Ford of the Queenstown Car Club. When he became too busy to continue with the initiative Roger Laird, along with Tony Adamson of the Queenstown Car Club and many others, grabbed the ball and brought it to fruition.

ENDS

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