Hill Tops the T.Q. Club Champs

Alicia Hill made the wise choice of forgoing the South Island Sprint Car title in Christchurch to stay at Milestone Homes Top of the South Speedway and contest the final round of the T.Q. club championship.

Run over three rounds, the points couldn’t have been tighter. John Schoester and Jayden Corkill were tied on 87 points with Jonti Austin a point back and Hill five behind.

The narrowest of margins ended the first heat with just .031 seconds the difference between Austin winning from Hill.

Corkill’s chances ended with retirement on lap 4, Schoester only managed 5th place. Heat 2 went the way of Hill, with Austin 4th and Schoester 8th.

The top three changed to Austin leading by a point from Hill and Schoester dropping to 3rd heading into the final heat. Schoester took the race lead in the final race but was passed by Hill on lap 3. Austin was only able to make it from 8th to 4th in the race, Schoester finished 2nd with Corkill 3rd.

A couple of pole-line penalties were dished out by the referees from the final heat, Hill dropping two positions with Austin being pinged four spots. The outcome still left Hill winning the title with Schoester pipping Austin into 2nd overall by a single point.

The Stock Car open club champs dished up a few surprises, the local stirrer Max Baker changing tactics and running for points. A race win and a 3rd in heat 2 had him vying for the title with the NZ GP champion Wade Sweeting going into the final heat.

Sweeting’s luck ran out, tangling with another car and failing to fire-up before the red light was bought on, sending him infield. Baker who was sitting in second place took over the race lead, and with no-one targeting him he took his second win for the night and the Open Club Championship. Jack Rarity came 2nd with the returning Morgan Dumelow taking out 3rd spot in the borrowed Riley Eathorne machine.

The Super Saloons returned for the first time in over a year, Ian Burson taking out the first two races at his home track, unfortunately a crash in heat 3 left him with a hand injury and unable to carry on. Palmerston North’s Peter Bengston took the feature race from Dunedin’s Ricky Boulton.

The four-race format was needed for the ever-growing Youth Ministock grade. Wins to Leilah Jefcoate, Locky Martin, Charlie Boon and Luke Higgins in a busy night on the track.

Taylor Martin took out the Quarter Midget feature, holding out Greymouth’s Thompson brothers, Kohen and Lakyn who were 2nd and 3rd. Bailey Bensemann picked up the driver of the night award in his new car.

Shared wins in the Production Saloons, Vaughan Cornelious, Eddie Frans, and David Allen picking up wins in a competitive night’s racing.

The Nelson Knights Streetstock Team finished 3rd at the State of Origin meeting in Christchurch and Stephen Taylor won the South Island Sprint car title in a return to the 9n car at Ruapuna Speedway.

The Super Stock Stampede returns in a fortnight with around 40 Super Stocks from around NZ including 1nz Asher Rees and 2nz Blair Uhlenberg among the line-up.

Plus the Stock car “Best Pairs Knockout” returns, Ministock Mania, Historic cars and Streetstock club champs, racing Friday, 15 March 6pm start and Saturday, 16 March with a 5pm start. tickets can be booked at www.nelsonspeedway.co.nz or the kiosk in Richmond Mall.