Tulloch Takes Feature at Teretonga Finale

16 March 2014

Tulloch Takes Feature at Teretonga Finale

Inky Tulloch of Gore took victory in the annual 1 Hour enduro feature race at Teretonga on Sunday. Tulloch took the lead in his turbocharged Honda Integra when race leader Brian Scott of Dunedin in a Chev Corvette was forced to make an extra pit stop for fuel late in the race, dropping to third behind Tulloch and Darryn Andrews of Lincoln in a Nissan Primera. Scott finished third, the only other driver to cover 52 laps in the hour.

The race supported by A1 Auto Services brought down the chequered flag on the season at Teretonga. The race was the last of the day on a programme of racing presented by Downer which saw good competition in every class. A brief light shower made the track damp for two races during the afternoon but the remainder of the racing was held in dry conditions.

Tulloch and Scott were also prominent in the Noel McIntyre Drainage Clubmans Saloons with Tulloch winning the opening race from Liam MacDonald of Invercargill in his NZV8 Falcon and another Invercargill driver, Robert Ralston in a Nissan Silvia. Jamie Conroy, fresh from winning the NZ Formula Ford Championship last weekend, broke his own 0-1300cc lap record in his Falcon Star Car in this race.

The second Clubmans race saw MacDonald and Scott fight a great battle at the head of the field, MacDonald scoring the win from Scott with Tulloch third and Conroy an amazing fourth in the Falcon Star Car. The class race was held on a damp track, Scott coming through to win from Tulloch and Daniel Cropp of Prebbleton. The class battles in this race saw Scott take the 2501cc & over honours, Warren Kett of Invercargill 1601-2500cc, Jeremy Dawson of Invercargill 1301-1600cc and Conroy 0-1300cc. Cropp was the leading contender in the Honda Cup battles during the day.Scott also won the Flying Farewell from Ralston and MacDonald.

Russell Keeler of Gore won all three NZ6 Saloon races comfortably. Starting ten seconds behind the field on each occasion in his later model AU Falcon, Keeler reeled in the bunch each time and carved his way through to take a clean sweep. The racing in the main pack was superb but fellow Gore driver Paul Muir in a Commodore emerged to be second in all three races. Alvin Frew of Waikouaiti was third in a Commodore in the first race while Justin Ashwell of Christchurch (Falcon) was third in the other two races.

Rodger Cunninghame of Invercargill won two of the three Pre 65 Saloon races with Wayne Tuffley winning the other. Paul Clarke of Dunedin was on pole position for the first but received a ten second time penalty at the start in his Ford Mustang. Nevertheless he settled into a great battle with Tuffley of Invercargill in another Mustang until Clarke slowed and retired from the race on the penultimate lap leaving Tuffley to win from fellow Invercargill drivers Cunninghame in another Mustang and John Smolenski in a Falcon. Ian Perry of Christchurch took advantage of his handicap and led the second race for the class, a reverse grid handicap event, as a brief shower made the track damp, and held off everyone but Cunninghame who swept throught to win on the final lap. Perry held on for second in his Sunbeam Stiletto while Clarke and Tuffley continued their battle cutting through the field to finish third and fourth. The final race was held in dry conditions again and Perry again started well in front. In the dry however the bigger cars were able to get through with Cunninghame taking win number two with Clarke and Tuffley second and third respectively.

ENDS

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