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Rotorua - 20 January 2007
West Coast Adult Ministocks Champs & West Coast Production Saloon Champs
Pictures by Mike Pollard & reporting by Roger Morrison

Good sized Ministock fields, a terrific track surface and tight close racing were the features of the latest offering from Brent Boddy Cars Ocean View Speedway on the evening of Sunday 21st January.

West Coast Adult Ministock Champs

This title has been long sought after in part of the continent and the 2006/07 version was no different with a healthy 20 strong filed with the 9 locals joined by 7 cars from Palmerston North & 4 from Stratford. The Stratford entries looked the biggest threat with Jared Pryce & Phillip Gargan both having had good success this season at Ocean View while Cameron Hurley has long been a good performer at Wanganui. A couple of interesting entries locally were Carl Burns picking up the drive of the Heibner Motorsport 17V normally driven by youth driver Sam Doyle and Ian Barron in 88V, having a spin while he waits for his Superstock to be finished.

Heat One.

An all the win for 93P Aaron Roe who made good use of his no.1 marble draw. The event was incident free with the likes of Pryce, 58V Paul Ellis and 82V Shon Black also quick off the mark.

Heat Two.

This heat saw the best drive of the night with Burns battling hard with 78P Ben Poulsen. Burns had run down Poulsen with some inventive lines through the corners, particularly in the southern bend where a wide line saw him almost slingshot in to the back straight to make up valuable ground. And the pass on Poulsen was copybook as he dived up the inside going to the southern bend to take the all vital points. Further back Pryce induced a half spin, which cost him valuable points at the end of the day.

So after 2 heats, Burns had a 1 point advantage over Gargan, Ellis and Black with Pryce and Roe only 3 points adrift so it was still anyone’s title.

Heat Three.

To the drivers credit this was a relatively clean run race with no major "accidents" to blot anyone’s copybook. Teams racing can be the blight of these championships and apart from one driver standing on his brakes at the start & a couple of racing incidents, it wasn’t as bad as it could’ve been!!! Up front 9P Brett Whiting took advantage of a good draw to pull away from 89V Blair Lockett and Barron. Burns knew all he had to do was finish in front of his opposition and this he achieved by keeping in front of Ellis to take 5th place & the overall title.

So although not having a drive this season Burns confirmed his talent to take the overall title ahead of Ellis. Lockett and Gargan were tied on 3rd and needed a run-off to solve 3rd placing. A magnificent toe-to-toe battle was spoiled going in to turn 3 on the last lap when Gargan shunted Lockett off line with his front bumper, which resulted in the race being handed to Lockett. I guess Gargan realised he had to take the chance and try his luck.

West Coast Production Saloon Champs

Just the two visitors on hand, which is a shame as Shayne Hughes & co. were keen to test their skills against as many visitors as possible.

Heat One.

55V Leanne Black made full use of the ace grid draw to build and hold on to a hard fought win against 73V John Huijs who tried every trick imaginable to force his way past. Black however triumphed in a great race of nerves and the pumping fist out the window as she crossed the finish line spoke volumes about how pleased she was to take the chequered flag.

Heat Two.

It was 23V Shayne Hughes turn to dominate the racing as he strolled away from his grid to take the heat ahead of 91V Aaron Littlefair. Further back Black lost vital placings to her competition, which put her title shot in doubt.

So after 2 heats, Littlefair had opened up a small 2 point gap on Hughes, Huijs and the consistent 53V John Caird. And with Black only a further point back it was still anybody’s title.

Heat Three.

Huijs had the best grid draw of the combatants for the title and mid race looked to be best placed to keep ahead of his competition although Caird was pushing his Mitsubishi hard. But a mid race spin from 39V Nigel Moody saw the re-shuffle cause all sorts of mayhem. Caird touched the wall in his chase for honours and parked infield. Huijs got shuffled back through the field and while 7V Andrew Kerr and 44V Bryce Curtis (in the suspended Grant Loveridge’s Cortina) were out front, it was Littlefair’s eventual 4th placing one place behind Huijs that decided the title – by one point. In the run-off for 3rd Hughes easily accounted for Black.

So for a change the name Hughes was not at the head of the field as Littlefair in his Nissan Fairlady took the honours from Huijs.

Superstocks/Stockcars

The classes were combined with just the 3 Superstocks & 10 Stockcars on show. 5V Darryl Taylor and 45V Steve Guilford were backing up from the World 240’s in Rotorua where Taylor was a creditable 6th. The stockcar pilots would have been conscious of keeping their cars straight for the upcoming Stockcar Teams Champs in Wellington. The only visitors were 74B Tony Palmer and 68P Mike Gaskin.

Racing was relatively clean with Race 2 providing the most action with 6V Dion Mooney on a search & destroy as he pulverised Gaskin and ended 99V Richard Watkins night with a heavy punt in to the wall. He also took on 18V Tony James who survived to fight on. James himself took on the mantle of stirrer in the last race taking out 31V Daniel Matthews and trying to stop the flying Taylor. Taylor was on song all night and had the legs on the opposition.

Race One. 1. 5V Darryl Taylor. 2. 61V Richard Black. 3. 6V Dion Mooney. 4. 45V Steve Guilford. 5. 99V Richard Watkins. 6. 98V Gerry Linklater.

Race Two. 1. 31V Daniel Matthews. 2. 5V. 3. 45V. 4. 98V. 5. 74B Tony Palmer. 6. 65V Lisa Black.

Feature. 1. 5V. 2. 98V. 3. 31V. 4. 18V Tony James. 5. 74B. 5. 65V.

Grand Slam. 1. 45V. 2. 5V. 3. 98V. 4. 74B. 5. 18V.

Cars racing
Jnr Ministocks 21
Snr Ministocks 20
Stockcars 10
Saloons 10
Sidecars 5
Superstocks 3

A full report on this meeting can be found at www.oceanviewspeedway.co.nz