The Pre 78 Classic Saloon/HVRA races provided poignant moments.
Te Anau driver Rodger Cunninghame, racing for the final time last weekend after 50 years of competition, took a win in the Saturday race and just missed a second win of the weekend on Sunday after Rolleston driver Gary Johnstone in a Jaguar XJS beat him by .019 of a second.
In the final race, a handicap event, Mark McGuinness, of Wellington in an Alfa Romeo, won the Brian Crosbie Memorial Trophy, remembering one of Southland’s best saloon racers.
Cunninghame finished sixth in that race and received the chequered flag from his wife Barbara. He was then greeted by his wife and granddaughter as he stepped from his car for the final time.
Todd Read, of Queenstown, won the other handicap race in his Ford Escort from Winton’s Ewan Macpherson in an Anglia.
A large contingent of drivers from the United Kingdom, plus one each from Denmark and the United States, lined up in the Formula Junior class where Robin Longdon, of Knutsford in the UK in a Lola Mk2, won all four races, the first two after good battles with Noel Woodford, of Auckland, in a Gemini MK3A.
Steve Ross, of Dunedin, won three of the four classic saloon races in the iconic PDL 1 Mustang with Mike Baker, of Picton (Porsche 964), second on each of those occasions.
Rangiora driver Royce Bayer, in an Argo SMR001, won three of the four Formula Libre races; Jacob Begg, of Winton, took the other in his Van Diemen RF92.
Barry Leitch, of Invercargill, in a Ralt RT4 had a troubled weekend, starting only two of the races and not making the finish of either — the first due to a mechanical problem and the second after a car spun in front of him.
Paul Coghill, of Dunedin, made a clean sweep of the vintage racing car races in his Jaguar Special, leading home Tracey Barrett, of Christchurch, in a Lotus 23C Replica on each occasion.
Russell Greer, of Blenheim, took two third placings in his Stanton Corvette while David Owen, of Christchurch, in his Jaguar C Type and Bill Cowie, of Blenheim, (Holden Spangeralli) snared the other third placings.
Invercargill driver Jordan Michels won both the Noel McIntyre Drainage Club Saloons Group A races in his Marc Mustang, while Guy Stewart, of Christchurch, took both Group B contests in his Porsche 911.
Michels also won the 2501cc class race and the Flying Farewell while 14-year-old Nieko Scoles, of Woodlands, took the 0-2500cc honours in his Toyota 86.
The next motor race meeting at Teretonga Park will be Southern Thunder, featuring the NZ Super Truck Championship and Mainland Muscle Cars plus several other classes on March 16-17.
- By Lindsay Beer
