Teretonga Park in Invercargill is ready for an action-packed two days this weekend as eight very different motor racing classes head to the circuit to fight out their respective series.
The OSCA super saloons are always a highlight and 12 months ago Dunedin drivers, Brian Scott (Porsche 991) and Steve Ross (Jaguar TraNZam) both stood on the podium in second and third respectively. They will return to do battle this year. Ross took a win in the first round of this year’s championship at Timaru recently. Winton driver Pierre Neame in his Mustang will be a threat as will Gary Duncan of Temuka in his Mazda RX7.
Will Neale, of Prebbleton, leads the South Island Formula Ford Championship as it comes to Teretonga with Izaak Fletcher, of Tai Tapu, second and Dylan Grant, of Auckland, third. Dylan Petch, of Rolleston, is fourth in the points and was on the third step of the podium here last year while Jacob Begg, of Winton, has made a strong start in Class 1 this season and comes to his home circuit sixth in the points.
HVRA is on the programme with an exciting grid. Leon Hallett, of Mosgiel, has entered his Ford Falcon while Dunedin driver Paul Coory will line up in his Ford Mustang. Keeping them honest will be Gary Johnstone, of Rolleston, in his Jaguar XJS and Mark McGuinness, of Wellington, in his Alfa Romeo GTV. Barry Leitch, of Invercargill, will debut his Alan Mann tribute Mk1 Lotus Cortina while other Southlanders include John Mackley in an Anglia, Gregg Cooper (Capri) and both Stacy Lines and Howard Kingsford-Smith in Minis.
Coory and MacGuinness will both back up in the pre-78 saloon class where they will be joined by a host of other exciting machinery. Southlanders Murray Kelman, Rod Sinclair, Tony Forde and Ewan MacPherson also grace the grid.
Local driver Bradley Dawson took the round win in Mazda Pro8 NZ Saloons from Jared Pyke, of Rangiora, and Ben McConochie, of Rolleston, 12 months ago and all three are back to do battle this year. Jeremy Dawson and Jeremy Skeggs are other Southlanders on the grid and will be competitive while Cory Stewart, of Prebbleton, took a race win on the classes last visit.
Greg Mitchell, of Darfield, leads the 2K Cup South Island Championship in his BMW as it ventures south for the series Teretonga Challenge. Faron Poulter, of Christchurch, a race winner here last year, is second and Gavin Thompson, of Cust, third. Mitchell won the round here last year with another prominent competitor Greg Barclay, of Woodend, third in his Toyota MR2. Invercargill driver Anthony Kay debuts at Teretonga in a Corolla.
A 27-car field has entered the SS Cup races with two of last year’s race winners, James Black, of Mosgiel, in a Honda Civic and Jason Kelly, of Dunedin, (Nissan 280ZX) among the entries as is Corey Ashworth, of Ashburton, who stood on the podium in third place last year.
The Noel McIntyre Drainage Club Saloons feature an interesting field with Brian Scott in the Porsche bound to be a frontrunner while Timaru’s Jimmy Liemburg, father and son Boyd and Harry Wilson, and several others set to provide great racing.
Racing starts at 9.30am on Saturday and at 9am on Sunday.
Pre-sale tickets are available until Friday at E Hayes & Sons, Dee St, Invercargill, at a cost of just $35 (plus any applicable charges) for a weekend pass while tickets at the gate over the duration of the race meeting are $45 for a weekend pass.
Children 14 and under accompanied by a paying adult are free.
- By Lindsay Beer
