Gasman Delivers At Ainsley Memorial

Andrew Andrew

• RACE REPORTS

Gasman Delivers At Ainsley Memorial

Central Motor Speedway

Photography by Suzy Walker

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.)

One of the feature meetings on The Central Motor Speedway calendar is the Daryl Ainsley Memorial, a day of celebration and remembrance for a man who gave so much to the speedway community both on and off the track, a trophy competed for across all the grades that competitors from far and wide travel south to compete in.

Close friend of Daryl Ainsley, Jason Scott had a fitting tribute not just to Ainsley but also Scott Gordon and Mark "Jacko" Jackson who had also just passed recently, Scott had the front wing of his Sprintcar sign written up with images of these three guys, Scott would race with the wing throughout the day and give it away to one lucky punter at the conclusion of the meeting.

Sprintcars put on some great racing across the two heat races and the feature, in heat one "The Gasman" Steve Duff of Christchurch got off to a flying start from the front row of the grid, Duff would battle with Scott for the first few laps before racing off to a handy race lead that would see him first to the flag and banking top points in heat one.

Scott would try and hold onto second place but would be hauled in by Josh "Young Buck" Buchanan of Cromwell who would steal second place, Scott having to settle for third.

The next heat Duff would have to come from the rear of the grid, this job was made a little easier after Cromwell clubmates Nigel Colvin and Hayden Johnston would have a coming together on turn two allowing Duff to move up the order.

Up front it was Cromwell driver Finn Cleveland who was all class, bolting away from the field to claim the race win, Duff put on a spectacular drive to get up to second place with Scott third.

This would now see Duff and Cleveland start from the front row of the grid in the feature final, a twenty lap battle that would decide the Daryl Ainsley Memorial Trophy for Sprintcars, a race that become almost a case of last man standing.

The first caution would come out when Johnston and Cromwell's Whetu Tawea would spin up on the exit of turn two, both cars restarting to join the field before Scott would run into turn three a little hot, pulling up and Buchanan spinning with him.

Buchanan would be back in the thick of things again when he got a bit loose out of turn two, making contact with Colvin ultimately ending Colvins race with a right rear flat tyre. While all of this was unfolding it was Duff having to fight off Cleveland at each restart but the Gasman remained cool and calm and built a lead at every start just to have it evaporate again with a caution.

The next caution came when John Sievwright of Cromwell would slow out out turn two, behind him Scott was powering out but had to hit the brakes to avoid Sievwright, unfortunately for Scott Shanarrah Stronach of Cromwell was also coming out of turn two at pace and hit Scott giving him a helping hand to go over on his side, putting both cars out of the race.

Duff would again come under pressure at the restart from Cleveland but Cleveland would suffer a mechanical drama which would see him go infield after what was a promising run across the heats and the final. From here it was one way traffic for Duff who would be first past the flag to win the Ainsley Memorial, Buchanan fought back from early dramas to take second with Taewa home in third spot.

Super Saloons were hot off the final round of the Debbie The Webster Super Cup final held the night prior, the grade saw the addition of Christchurch driver Mark Osborne who was behind the wheel of the Bodie Abrahamson Stealth from Auckland.

Osborne delivered a clinical drive in heat one totally destroying the competition in what was a fast paced heat race. In the distance behind Osborne was Ryan Marsden of Christchurch in second while local driver Greig Johnston impressed in third spot. The talking point of this head was Bay Park driver Sam Waddell who called for the three minute bell at the start of the race, but would not take place in the race due to mechanical issues. Waddell was dominant the night prior. [yith_wc_productslider id=11338]

Heat two for Super Saloons and Waddell's crew had got the car sorted and he was good to go. Waddell wasted absolutely no time what so ever stamping his mark on the event, Waddell would race off to a big win and some much needed points after not starting heat one. Behind Waddell was a great battle between Kane Lawson of Christchurch and Alister Lister of Dunedin, the pair fighting for the minor positions for the majority of the race before Lawson got the advantage and came home in second, Lister impressive in third.

These results would give Osborne and Johnston the front row for the feature final and when the green flag dropped Johnston would make Osborne have to work for the lead which he would eventually take. All eyes were on Waddell who started well down the grid, could he make it through traffic to challenge the leaders, a caution would have been what Waddell and his team were praying for.

"Racing" Ray Stewart of Cromwell was finding his groove mid race and passing cars throughout the pack, Stewart would get to Johnston and find a way through with relative ease and at this point was starting to reel in the race leader Osborne.

Further back in the pack Waddell was on the move and in clear air up to third place, Osborne was stuck behind Cromwell's Owen Dixon and Dunedin's Matt Greene who he was trying to put a lap down but just couldn't get past.

With one lap remaining Stewart looked to have the measure of Osborne and Waddell had joined the party from well back in the pack, this race was coming down to the last two corners and Osborne was having to use every tool at his disposal to hold on to the lead.

In what was a brilliant sight and a great way to complete the evenings racing these three cars were all in with a shot coming out of turn four, one more lap would have without a doubt seen a different result but Osborne had done enough to get across the stripe first with Stewart second and Waddell completing a remarkable drive in third place, 0.694 of a second separated the top three cars, a fitting way to finish the Daryl Ainsley Memorial for Super Saloons.

There was plenty of action across the Production Saloon class also, heat one saw a good clean race with no cautions, this race would go the way of Cromwell driver Sam McKenzie in a borrowed car, he would get home ahead of clubmates Des McTaggart in second and Gavin Hurring third.

Heat two delivered up a surprise with Liam Ballantyne of Cromwell racing off to an early lead in his rookie season, Ballantyne pulled away from the pack but McKenzie would soon drag the race leader in but couldn't find a way past.

As the laps wore on you could sense the pressure of McKenzie on Ballantyne was effecting the leader with Ballantyne over shooting turn two for three laps in a row finally allowing McKenzie a way past and a second race win of the event, Ballantyne with a career best second and plenty of confidence to take forward would get home ahead of McTaggart in third.

The third heat would see the only caution of the day for Productions with debris on the back straight bringing the race to a short halt. Again McKenzie stamped his dominance on this heat both he and Hurring duking it out for the front spot before McKenzie broke the shackles to take his third win of the day, Hurring was happy to settle for second with Daniel "Rolly" Rolton grabbing his first podium in some time placing third and showing promising signs.

Youth Ministocks were again great to watch with a number of drivers really coming of age this season and making the races an absolute lottery as far as who will place where.

Heat one saw a great battle up front, Cromwell clubmates Trent Ainsley, nephew of Daryl Ainsley and Ashdyn "Smash" Gable fight it out lap after lap, Ainsley having the advantage of clear air but Gable doing a great job of shadowing the leader leaving Ainsley wondering if Gable would attack high or low.

Gable would leave his run right until the last lap to fire past Ainsley and steal the heat one win in a remarkable drive by both young drivers. Christchurch driver Jacob Skurr held off an attacking pack to claim third spot.

Heat two and this race would be stopped when Jess Evans of Cromwell spun hitting the wall in turn four, Evans had impressed over the two nights racing but the Ainsley Memorial would be over for her this time around.

This race was also another good fast heat with plenty of passing going on through the field but the telling pass was made on the very last corner of the very last lap when it looked as if Cromwell driver Dylan Jones would take the race win, only for clubmate Clay Dawson to slip past for the race win, Jones having to be happy with second and Skurr again third.

This would now send us to the feature final and a start that Ainsley would rather forget after being sent infield early after making contact with Skurr, he would however continue to race but had lost a fair bit of ground on the lead cars.

Again a battle up front would see Dawson, Skurr, Jones and Gable race hard for the top spot, Dawson making his move for the lead with a bit of a bump and run move on Jones to allow him to slip by, ultimately a move that would see Dawson take the win and the Daryl Ainsley Memorial for Youth Ministocks, Skurr would cap off a consistent day in second with Jones home third.

Six Shooters kicked off the nights entertainment and it was Cromwell's Tony Creighton who was setting the pace early. Creighton was simply too quick in heat one, taking advantage of a good start that would see him build enough of a gap on the field to take the heat one win, Blair Smith of Cromwell drove a nice race to claim second ahead of Invercargill driver Harrison Brown.

Heat two was another fast clean race, this time it would be Brown who would get to the front and control the race. Brown however was made to work hard with George Hedley of Cromwell nipping at his heels after banking his first senior race win the night prior. Hedley was brimming with confidence but could get the job done on Brown, Brown taking the win with Hedley second from Smith in third.

It was Smith who looked the goods in the feature final, he had been a front runner in the heats and looked as if he had left his best for last as he raced off to a decent lead over the pack in the feature.

An incident between Hedley and Creighton bought out a caution and allowed the pack to get back to Smith who was running away with the race, unfortunately for Smith both Brown and Brain Ellison of Cromwell would get the better of him at the restart and leave him fighting to keep third. Brown would continue on to win the Daryl Ainsley Memorial for Six Shooters, Ellison second with Smith third.

The final grade to run was Saloons, a grade that Ainsley had excelled in, claiming three South Island Saloon titles. Cromwell's George Phillips got off to a flying start cruising away from the pack before an incident in turn four would see Riverside's Mark Dobson spin up, causing Christchurch driver Ashton Osborne to make contact, and Dunedin's Stu "The Flying Scotsman" Miller to live up to his name getting airborne over Dobson putting all three cars to the infield, but all three would remarkably return for the second heat.

Phillips would beat the field with ease in heat one, racing off to a dominant win ahead of Graham Williamson of Riverside in second and Jason Gold of Dunedin third.

Phillips would make it a repeat dose in heat two, the Cromwell driver really at one with his car and what was a top notch track surface. Williamson had challenged Phillips early but couldn't match Phillips pace with Phillips lapping one second faster most laps. Osborne would eventually make a move on Williamson to claim second place making it a Stealth one / two with Williamson third.

That result would see Williamson and Phillips share the front row of the grid and while Williamson threw everything he had at Phillips down into turn one and two he simply couldn't match Phillips on share pace, the current 2NZ in fine form pulling away from his rivals.

Again Osborne would pass Williamson who was now coming under pressure from Cromwell's Stephen Robertson who was millimeters off the wall lap upon lap, Phillips however would get the job done with ease winning the Daryl Ainsley Memorial for Saloons, Osborne home second and Williamson third overall.

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