Champ Does The Double In Cromwell
[Photography by Suzy Walker](https://www.facebook.com/SuzyWPhotography)
Andrew Andrew
- RACE REPORTS
Champ Does The Double In Cromwell
Central Motor Speedway
Shuttleworth Motorsport Media
Images supplied by: Christopher Scrimgour
(Disclaimer - results as seen by myself while commentating, results may have changed slightly due to relegations etc. - This article or extracts from it are not to be used by any other form of media without prior permission.) Not since season 2014 has the driver who has won the New Zealand Super Saloon Championship backed it up by winning the New Zealand Super Saloon Grand Prix in the same season. Mark Osborne did it back then and this time around Chris Cowling of Tauranga completed the feat, adding to his three New Zealand Super Saloon Grand Prix titles he already has under his belt.
Central Motor Speedway in Cromwell set the scene for the event that was sponsored by Heavy Tracks Hire, twenty eight cars line up for the event, the entrants were in four groups and the top sixteen would gain automatic entry into the thirty lap feature, with four more cars coming from the repocharge. The repocharge wouldn't be required however with a number of cars suffering mechanical and crash damage throughout the day.
Heat one saw groups A and B go head to head and there was an early incident when Trevor Elliott of Christchurch got crossed up in turn four leading to Josh Verity of Tauranga making contact with nowhere to go.
Both cars would join the grid for the restart only for Verity to stop again in turn one, he would get going again before making solid contact with the wall in turn four putting him out of the event with major front end damage.
Up front it was Ian Burson of Nelson who was setting the early pace, racing off to take an early race win ahead of Shane McIntyre of Blenheim second and Craig Cardwell of Auckland third.
Heat two was groups C and D and it certainly wasn't lacking action either, starting with the newly crowned New Zealand Champion Chris Cowling being dispatched to the wall on the back straight after making contact with Ryan Marsden of Christchurch, both cars would get to restart from their original spot.
[yith_wc_productslider id=11338] At the restart Cowling started to make moves on a number of cars before clipping Alister Lister of Dunedin causing him to also spin up in a cloud of dust and bringing up another restart. The next spin was Garry Edwards of Tauranga spinning up in turn two, then George Phillips of Cromwell would also fall victim to turn two leaving Steve Cowling of Tauranga nowhere to go, making solid contact putting Phillips out of the race.
Chris Cowling would eventually get the race win in a drama filled race, with Sam Waddell of Tauranga second and Steve Cowling third.
Once the dust had settled from the first couple of heats we got down to a nice clean fast race when groups A and D hit the track, McIntyre would be an early casualty, his night ended with mechanical dramas.
Local driver Ray Stewart would put on a great display of driving for the home fans, stamping his authority on this race, Stewart got off the line cleanly and remained unchallenged to take the heat win with ease, second place went to Burson with Kane Lawson of Christchurch looking very fast in third.
Groups C and B were up next and again a good fast race dominated by Waddell, the four bar cars really starting to come into their own on Cromwell's fast flowing track. The only stoppage in this heat was for Edwards who parked up in turn two on the very last lap.
Waddell would claim the heat win, Cardwell again impressive in second with Bodie Abrahamson of Auckland third.
With one race each remaining for the drivers there was a number of cars back on their trailers so the call to cancel the repocharges was made, all cars would go on to compete in the winner takes all final, but these last two heats would be vital on adding to drivers points hauls for grid positions.
Group C and A were next up and Dunedin's Terry Soper was all class in this race, Soper would fire off from the front to bag a well driven race win, behind Soper was Lawson in second who seemed to be relishing Cromwell's large sweeping turn three and four, looking very quick through that part of the track, Waddell got up to third to ensure a front row start in the final.
The last heat race was the remaining cars from groups B and D and we were back in carnage mode with multiple caution stoppages, the first when Wayne Belk of Australia made contact with Joe Ingram of Palmerston North, both cars remained racing, but the key moment was when Chris Cowling and Marsden would again make contact after an earlier incident in heat two. This time around Marsden was pinged and sent to the rear of the field for the restart.
Cardwell looked to have this race well under control but Cowling would again work his way to the front of the pack, getting a move made on Cardwell with four laps remaining, banking another race win to join Waddell on the front row of the grid in the final. Cardwell would place second with Stewart third.
Now with the heats done it was time to crown the New Zealand Super Saloon Grand Prix Champion with the thirty lap feature final, the big question was who could challenge Chris Cowling, second question would be how many four bar cars would fill the podium on a night that they clearly dominated the competition.
The scene was set and the crowd were amped, Chris Cowling and Waddell raced hard into turn one when the green flag dropped and all cars got through cleanly behind them, it was a fast clean lap but it didn't take long for the action to start unfolding, the first incident when Ricky Boulton of Dunedin came into turn one very hot, hitting Steve Cowling side on but managing to come out the other side.
Unfortunately the move wasn't so good for Cowling who ended up tangled with Greig Johnston of Cromwell and Matt Greene of Dunedin who sustained considerable damage.
The next caution was for Edwards who again came unstuck at turn two, these stoppages allowing the field to get constant chances to attack Chris Cowling at the front of the pack, which the likes of Waddell, Cardwell, Stewart, Lawson and Burson were trying their best to do.
The race would finally get back into some form of rhythm, one car that was really starting to make ground was Ingram who was on the charge from well down the pack, while again Cowling cleared off into the sunset before being called back with another caution when Burson's car appeared to losing methanol and flaming on the underside. This would have been gut wrenching for Burson who looked very good at the Championship in Dunedin and also here in Cromwell.
This caution however would be the last caution, it was green flag racing from here through and no one was stopping Chris Cowling who lap upon lap would stretch the lead further and further, really stamping his dominance on the field with a seven second race victory, home in second was Cardwell and Waddell in third while Ingrams late race speed got him up to a well deserved fourth place.
Chris Cowling was in a league of his own and again showed his class with a hard fought but dominant performance.
In support races the visiting Streetstocks were on hand to battle it out for the Central Otago Championship.
Heat one was fast and clean and it was a Beachlands trifecta with Jamie Lott taking out the win over Jareb Verdoner in second and Braden Adams third, the trio had a brilliant race with the lead swapping on multiple occasions.
Dunedin's Mitch Lavender put himself in the mix in heat two, again some great fast action which saw minimal dramas unfold, Lavender would take out the race win ahead of Verdoner in second and Adams again third.
The final heat is usually the one that has the most carnage, an to fair there was plenty but nothing too reckless that would cause any major damage or stoppages. This heat dealt up a surprise winner with Jacob Campbell of Dunedin stealing the race win despite coming under attack late in the race, Campbell got home for the race win ahead of Adams with clubmate Andrew Keach third, Campbell's win would send him to a third place run off with Lavender, which Lavender would win.
Overall placings in the Central Otago Streetstock Champs went the way of Adams in first, Verdoner second and Lavender third.
The Streetstocks also ran a fourth race which was a red light race, but this race was called after a fair bit of confusion amongst the drivers.
Six Shooters kicked off the nights entertainment and it was Cromwell driver Emma Gordon who started up front that cleared off to bank a heat win, Gordon's clubmate Finn Cleveland was second with Riverside's Harrison Brown third.
Heat two was a great race to watch, this time Cleveland showed his pace pulling away from the field while behind him Gordon again looked quick this time battling hard with Cromwell drivers Brian Ellison and Adam Evans who was out of his Sprintcar and back in the Six Shooter for the day. Cleveland would take the win ahead of Ellison in second with Gordon third.
Race three saw Cleveland leap from the third row to be leading by the time the flag dropped and racing away from the pack, this looked to be a pretty eager start but wouldn't matter Cleveland would find himself stranded on the back straight with two laps remaining, while in turn two Daniel McIntosh of Riverside would park up in the wall.
This restart would be vital as Brown, Gordon and Evans were all in with a shot and with one lap remaining were all side by side going through turns one and two, Brown got a slight advantage and managed to take advantage and snatch a well driven race win, Evans gave it his all to get second ahead of Gordon.
This result would give Gordon the overall win for the night with Evans second and Brown third.
Youth Ministocks were again great to watch with a big field which had cars entered from Central Motor Speedway, Woodford Glen and Nelson Speedway.
The only caution period in heat one came about when Christchurch driver Luci Elliot came unstuck on the main straight bringing out a restart.
Nelson's Jack Burson would repeat what his father Ian did in Super Saloons and take out heat one with a nice drive, second would go the way of Dylan Jones of Cromwell and his clubmate Ashdyn Gable would place third.
Gable would become the victim of wall on the back straight in heat two, unfortunately for Gable hitting Patience Cooper of Cromwell while putting her down a lap and putting him out of the race, Gable was clearly frustrated with not being given the space to pass a lapped car. Clay Dawson of Cromwell took control up front and banked a heat two win after another great display of driving from Jones who placed second and Burson coming from the back up to third.
The final heat for Youth Ministocks was another great battle, this time with no cautions, just fast wheel to wheel action the entire heat. Dawson, Trent Ainsley and Joshua McIntyre both of Cromwell battled hard, the lead changing multiple times.
McIntyre looked to have the job done with one lap to go but went slightly wide in turn two allowing Dawson and Ainsley through an inside gap, the three cars would remain fighting for the lead but Dawson would do enough to take the win, Ainsley home second and McIntyre third.
Overall results would see Dawson first, Burson second with Jones third overall.
The final grade to race was Production Saloons and Christchurch driver Vaughan Fairburn was all class, in heat one Fairburn would gain vital ground on race leader Brad McTaggart of Cromwell after James Woods also of Cromwell's bumper came off condensing the field.
Fairburn pressured McTaggart hard and with one lap to go would snatch the lead and ultimately the race win, McTaggart would settle for second with Woods third.
Race two and again Fairburn was the class act, the only time he was really challenged in this heat was when the caution occurred for Joshua Dowden of Dunedin who stopped in turn two.
At the restart Fairburn would race off to grab his second race win of the day, McTaggart claimed second again with Aaron Brookland of Dunedin third.
The final race saw Dowden spin in turn three and unfortunately for McTaggart and Des McTaggart they would both make contact sustaining damage that was bad enough for both McTaggart cars to retire from the race.
Out front it was again Fairburn looking good but he would have to battle with clubmate Andrew Bennett and Brookland for the lead of this race. All three cars put on a show right up until the last corner, at this point Brookland had a slight advantage but Fairburn looked like he could make a late pass to steal the win.
Brookland would come off turn four a bit wobbly but did enough to take a well deserved win, Fairburn capped off an impressive day in second with Bennett third.
Fairburn would also take the overall win, Brad McTaggart second and Bennett third overall. [yith_wc_productslider id=11338]
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