Twenty-six mighty Mainland Muscle Cars will take part with a fantastic grid of Camaros, Mustangs, Chevy Monzas, a Pontiac Firebird, Dodge Challenger, Falcons, Commodores and Toranas.
John Hepburn, of Timaru, leads the championship in his Monaro as the series comes south from Canterbury’s Rhys Gould (Falcon XE) and local driver Brendan Mason in his Chev Monza.
Local driver Tony Forde joins the fray in his Holden Commodore and Sandra Eden, of Whanganui, was a race winner last time out in her Torana.
Hepburn topped the podium at the Teretonga round in both 2021 and 2022 and was runner-up to Gould last year, just one point separating the pair on that occasion.
Two-time New Zealand Super Truck champion Alex Little, of Lower Hutt, is gunning for his sixth successive Mobil Delvac 1 Trophy win at Teretonga Park.
Little first won the trophy, fought out at Teretonga Park each year, in 2018 and has won it every year since, apart from 2020 when the event was cancelled due to the nationwide lockdown.
King House Removals sponsor the round and Little in his Freightliner 3 Series will face stiff opposition from South Canterbury driver Brent ‘‘Bones’’ Collins (Freightliner), Shane Gray, of Wellington (Kenworth), and Dave West, of Pukekohe (Freightliner Argosy). Former four-time champion Ron Salter, of Auckland, is also in the field in a Scania while 2006/07 and 2013/14 Super Truck champion John Hepburn, of Timaru, is entered in the Flying Farewell as is a former three-time champion – Malcolm Little, father of Alex Little – and local favourite Garry Price, now based in Cromwell.
The Historic Vintage Racing Association races feature some quality entries with Mosgiel driver Leon Hallett at the wheel of his ex-Greg Hessler A/Sedan Boss Mustang while Stacy Lines, of Invercargill, will pilot the ‘‘Mighty’’ — the Falcon driven by American Keith Davidson at the recent Ascot Park Hotel Classic SpeedFest.
Gary Johnstone, of Rolleston, returns in his Jaguar XJS while the winner of the prestigious Brian Crosbie Memorial Trophy at SpeedFest, Mark McGuinness, of Wellington, is back for more in his Alfa Romeo.
Some quick Minis are also part of the action with Angus Fogg rumoured to be steering one of them.
Dean Evans, of Hamilton, will be one of the frontrunners in the MX5 Heritage Cup battles while several Southlanders, including Stu Mitchell, Doug North, John Smolenski and Garry Price, now based in Cromwell, will take the battle to Corey Ross in the Pre 65 Saloon races which will run in conjunction with the NZ 6 Saloons.
A good field of Noel McIntyre Drainage Club Saloons has also been assembled as the season comes to an end at Teretonga Park.
Presale tickets are available from Auto Centre, Tweed St, Invercargill, E Hayes & Sons, Dee Street, Invercargill, and Harrisons Supplies, Mersey St in Gore.
Presale tickets are just $40 plus any applicable charges while a weekend pass at the gate over the weekend of the event is $50. A single day pass for either Saturday or Sunday is $30 a day while children 14 and under are free throughout the event as long as they are accompanied by an adult.
The action starts at 10am on Saturday and at 9.30am on Sunday.
- By Lindsay Beer
