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A large field of sprintcars turned on some heart stopping racing at Ruapuna Powerbuilt speedway on Saturday evening, with Lindsay Gilbert producing the drive of the night to take the chequered flag in the feature going from third to first on the last lap. Gilbert, a Southbridge farmer, started the fifteen lap feature near the back of the 13 car field with his crowd pleasing hard charging style seeing him in eighth place by lap one. As race leader, Darren Nankivell opened up a handy lead from Cromwell’s Gary Price, Gilbert slowly picked off his rivals one by one and with half the race run was in fourth place behind Nelson’s Kevin Freeman, who had finished third in the opening heat and then won the next heat. Gilbert passed the Nelson driver in the next lap and with Nankivell and Price slowed by lapped traffic Gilbert closed in on the leaders and on the white flag lap first passed Price and then called on all 700 plus horsepower on the final turn to blast around the outside of Nankivell to win the drag to the chequered flag by less than a tenth of a second, with Price just managing to hold out Freeman for third place from the fast finishing Glen Everett and Karen Forsey. Racing was just as intense in the Three Quarter Midget class with Glen Durie winning the opening heat and then backing up in the feature after being pressed all the way by Ryan Stone. Stone followed Durie home in the opening race and then finished third in the next heat behind Gareth Bindon and Jeremy Beaton. American modified sprint driver, Chris ‘The Hitman’ Haskell was untroubled to win his opening two heats with the 21 year old then spinning out of the feature which was won by Brett Robinson from Kieran Harris with Charles Gardiner in third place. The modified sprint class provided two of a handful of spectacular rolls during the meeting with Glen Sole rolling in the first heat with the meeting delayed for several minutes in the feature after Steve Duff junior gained some serious air time when flipping heavily on the Prison Bend. All then drivers were unhurt. David Kerr won both heats in the midget car class and then had to be content with second place in the feature behind Ray Baughan, who led the event from start to finish. Bevan Nuttridge and passenger, Karl Foster continued to impress on their sidecar, winning all three races from Liam Stockman and Blair Lock. The solo class was dominated by Andrew Aldridge and Kody Tocher with Aldridge, who has signed a contact to race professionally in England from March winning two races from Tocher with Tocher taking out the second race from his rival. In the junior classes Anthony Knowles was unbeaten on his bike while Matt Leversedge was the stand out in is quarter midget.
Results – Competitors from Christchurch unless stated Sprintcars
Ht 2. Freeman 1, Karen Forsey 2, Lindsay Gilbert 3. Feature. Gilbert 1, Darren Nankivell 2, Price 3. Modified Sprints
Ht 2. Haskell 1, Charles Gardiner 2, Brett Robinson 3. Feature. Robinson 1, Harris 2, Gardiner 3. TQ Midgets
Ht 2. Gareth Bindon 1, Jeremy Beaton 2, Ryan Stone 3 Feature. Durie 1, Stone 2, Beaton 3. Midgets
Ht 2. Kerr 1, Robertson 2, Baughan 3. Feature. Baughan 1, Kerr 2, Rachel Melrose 3. Sidecars
Ht 2. Nuttridge/Foster 1, Stockman/Lock 2, Wilson/Butt 3. Feature. Nuttridge/Foster 1, Stockman/Lock 2, Wilson/Butt 3. Solo’s
Ht 2. Tocher 1, Aldridge 2, Craig Blackett 3. Feature. Aldridge 1, Tocher 2, Blackett 3. Junior’s Solo’s
Ht 2. Knowles 1, Joshua O’Docherty 2, Shilo Tocher 3. Feature. Knowles 1, Wilson 2, Tocher 3. Quarter Midgets
Ht 2. Warren 1, Leversedge 2, Amy Fridd 3. Feature. Leversedge 1, Hassan 2, Caleb Baughan 3. |