Sam The Man At Super Cup
[Photography by Suzy Walker](https://www.facebook.com/SuzyWPhotography)
Andrew Andrew
- RACE REPORTS
Sam The Man At Super Cup
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.) The final round of the Debbie The Webster Super Cup was contested at Central Motor Speedway under dark gloomy conditions on Friday night, heavy rain saturated surrounding areas but the weather gods must be speedway fans as they stayed away from the Cromwell track. Heading into this round Christchurch driver Trevor Elliot held a fifty three point buffer over Ian Burson of Nelson with Ray Stewart of Cromwell a further eighteen points from second. You had to really feel for Burson who has had a rotten run of luck this season, his team scrambled to get him to this round to contest the final only for his first race to last all of one lap. Burson led heat one early only for his car to come to almost a grinding halt in turn four, with Bursons car slowing Dunedin's Terry Soper had nowhere to go and the two cars collided ultimately putting Burson to the infield. At the restart Soper got off to a flying start but this was also short lived as he would also retire with only four laps run. From here it was Bay Parks Sam Waddell who would take over the race lead, in his four bar machine nicknamed "Clifford The Big Red Dog". Waddell monstered the opposition racing away to a lead that just kept getting bigger and bigger, Waddell the former national champion would with this race by an astounding three quarters of a lap, breaking the current Central Motor Speedway lap record for Super Saloons previously held by the late Peter Dickson since 2017. The real battle was happening behind Waddell with Bodie Abrahamson of Auckland getting home in second ahead of Stewart in third. Heat two lasted just two laps before Riverside's Grant Molloy parked up in turn three causing a restart, out front Stewart had his race face on and was keen to battle with clubmate Greig Johnston who had led for a fair majority of the heat, Stewart kept the pressure on Johnston and got the job done taking the race win, Johnston was well rewarded with second and in third was Abrahamson. [yith_wc_productslider id=11338] The final heat race saw two great battles unfold, the first up front between Dunedin's Ricky Boulton and Christchurch driver Kane Lawson while the battle for third and fourth was just as good between Elliott and Johnston. Lawson put all sorts of pressure on Boulton, but Boulton defended like his life depended on it, keeping Lawson at bay to take the race win with Lawson second. Elliot managed to hold on for third place but had to withstand a late charge through the pack from Waddell who got past Johnston late in the race to claim fourth. This would now lead to the top eight cars hitting the track for the HPE Pole Shuffle, battle one saw Dunedin's Alister Lister eliminate Elliott in an upset, Lister wasn't done there either disposing of Lawson before Johnston finally bought Listers run of fine form to an end. Lister went from eighth on the grid to climb up to sixth. Johnston would then face Abrahamson who he managed to beat, then Boulton would roll out, the pair going toe to toe over the two lap sprint, making contact on the very last lap giving Boulton the shuffle win over Johnston. Boulton then faced Stewart and looked to make easy work of Stewart before facing off for pole position against Waddell. Boulton had the better of Waddell for most of the shootout but once Waddell got the bug red machine cranked up Boulton didn't have an answer watching Waddell sail past to grab pole in the final round of the season. This would now lead to the final race, the thirty lap feature final, Boulton would lead Waddell off the line down to turn one and two but Waddell monstered Boulton on the first lap and drove off into the distance, behind Waddell Stewart was going to make a move on Boulton and try be the one to apply the pressure on Waddell. Stewart got to within a second of the leader as Waddell battled with Johnston who had spun up and was a lap down, Johnston challenged Waddell for many laps before Waddell finally got past right as Stewart was there to attack. Waddell would end up lapping every car up to Abrahamson who was in fourth place and take out the incident free thirty lap feature final with ease, Stewart drove outstandingly all night to get second, while Boulton held on for third. Debbie The Webster Cup thanks its sponsors Debbie The Webster, Elliott Scaffolding, HPE, Motorsportsales.co.nz and Riverlands Holiday Park. Youth Ministocks also had a big night with the running of the Gold Rush Challenge, a popular event in the Youth Ministock grade. The drivers were split into four groups all racing each other once with top points scorer the winner. Heat one saw one of the race favorites take out a good fast clean race, Clay Dawson of Cromwell fought off his fellow clubmates for the win, Josh McIntyre claimed second with Zak Phillips driving a good race to third. The second heat was the race of the night, Trent Ainsley, Dylan Jones and Ashdyn Gable of Cromwell and Jacob Skurr of Christchurch were almost inseparable at the front of the pack, all nose to tail trying to gain an advantage. Ainsley would take out a well driven race win just ahead of Gable with Skurr claiming third spot. Jones would come out and impress in heat three, the only incident occurring when Jones was making a move on the lapped car of Cromwell's Brooke Marshall, Marshall got crossed up coming out of turn four with Jones just clipping her rear bumper sending her to the wall causing a caution. Jones would control the race from the restart to claim the race win, behind Jones was McIntyre with Dylan Prattley of Cromwell third. There was plenty of action at the start of race four with Skurr making a big dive down the inside of a slower car at turn one, unfortunately for Skurr he carried a little too much pace ending with him spinning and collecting Gable, Dawson and Cromwell's Lachie Campbell - Tate in the process. This would put Dawson out of the race but the rest of the drivers regridded and went on to battle once again. [yith_wc_productslider id=11338] Skurr would get a jump at the restart and manage to hold off Phillips who was the fastest car on track, Phillips would have to settle for second place ahead of Baylee Craig of Cromwell. Gable would dominate the next heat in what would be these cars final chance to bag some points in the Gold Rush Challenge, Gable drove a clean sensible race and despite being challenged on a couple of occasions from McIntyre he held on to a well driven race win, McIntyre settling for second with Skurr up to third. The final race for the remaining Youth Saloons was won and done early when Jones would again race away from the pack. Jones has been a big improver in the class this season and was showing the way in the final race, taking out his second race win of the event coming home first ahead of Dawson in second and Phillips in third. Overall the Gold Rush Challenge went the way of Jones with McIntyre second and Gable third, while points were tied for first and second Jones produced a better lap time to take the win. Youth Ministocks wish to thank thier sponsors CK Catering, Shuttleworth Motorsport Media, BMac Sheetmetal, Creighton Sandblasting And Paint, Five Stags, On Point Windscreens Glass and Tinting and Wakatipu Gravel Supplies. Six Shooters were concluding their Mini Series which has run over the last few weeks at Beachlands and Riverside and would conclude here at Cromwell. Race one saw Cromwell driver Tony Creighton clear off from the front of the pack to lead early in what was a good clean race with a big field of cars. Cromwell's Emma Gordon started mid pack and was working her way through the field and looking quick, she would get a chance to have a crack at Creightons lead after Harrison Brown of Riverside came to a grinding halt in turn two with just two laps to go, condensing the field. Brown had made contact with the wall earlier in the race but continued on and was running third when this incident happened. When the race went green it was all eyes on Gordon, could she make a move for the lead despite also having to defend Brian Ellison of Cromwell who was right in behind her. Laps certainly favored Creighton and he would take the win just ahead of Gordon with Ellison finishing third. Heat two and Gordon started from the front row, an early incident unfolded when Duane Cracknell of Riverside spun in turn three leaving Kane Jemmett of Christchurch and Sophie Wills of Cromwell with nowhere to go, causing a three car pile up. All cars would restart and continue in the pack while out front Gordon would race off to a handy lead which she would take to the finish line, a fairly straight forward race win for Gordon who is in white hot form currently, Ellison was again fast and consistent getting up to second with Nigel Marshall of Riverside third. The third and final Six Shooter race would see Gordon have to start right at the back of the field and have to grab valuable points with each pass. This race would see a great battle unfold up front with two of the grades young guns fighting hard for the heat win, Riversides Hayden Graves fought hard with Cromwell's George Hedley, both boys out of Gore. This is Hedleys first season in Six Shooters after a successful Youth Mini Stock career and he was eager to bank his first senior race win. Hedley would eventually get to Graves and make a move for the race lead, the pair would come under immense pressure from Ellison who got right up to the leaders after Creightons car came to a halt with just two laps to go. Hedley would however hold onto the race lead and take a well driven win, Graves was solid in second and again Ellison was impressive in third spot. Gordon would come from the rear of the pack to get up to sixth giving her the overall win in the Six Shooter Mini Series with Ellison second and Marshall third. Saloons were racing as a support class and a small but classy field of cars were entered, race one saw Dunedin's Stu Miller lead early before local driver Ivan Murdoch snatched the race lead briefly but it was only a matter of time though before Ashston Osborne of Christchurch would make a move for the lead and sail off into the sunset, demolishing the competition and claiming the heat one win, Murdoch would hold on for second with Miller third. Osborne would be a spectator for heat two when he spat a steering belt in the warm up laps putting him out of the race. This race had an ugly start when Miller hit turn one at pace he overshot the corner and almost pulled up on the other side of the turn at a standstill just as the other cars in the race were powering out. This caused Riverside's Darren McLeod to make solid contact with Miller and in return Murdoch hit McLeod putting McLeod out of the race. At the restart it was Murdoch who got the jump, he would go toe to toe with Dunedin's Jason Gold who looked well on the pace all night, behind them was Graham Williamson who would sit patiently in third place getting his chance to make a move when Murdoch and Gold had a slight coming together in turn two allowing Williamson to slip past and take the race win, Gold got up to second ahead of Murdoch. Williamson started up front in race three and would have to battle hard with Gold who was again fast. These two drivers have been almost inseparable over the last two weekends of saloon racing and were putting on a show. Osborne wa back from his heat two issues and managed to put Gold back a spot and give Williamson space to run off to his second race win of the event, Osborne would snatch second with Gold third. The final grade to run was the Stockcars and it was always going to be a fairly tame affair on track with the Central Coyotes not wanting to suffer any form of damage leading into The East Coast Teams Champs at Beachlands. Heat one saw Cromwell's Shane McDonald having to fight off his son Brodie to take the race win, Brodie looked fast and took second ahead of Cromwell's Casey McEwan in third. Brodie would turn the tables in race two racing off to a well driven race win with Shane having to settle for second this time around, McEwan again placing third. The final Stockcar race and Brodie got off to a flying start and took the lead early and would remain unchallenged, there was however plenty going on behind him and Liam Squire of Dunedin would put in a brilliant drive to hold off Shane McDonald who was fighting to get up to second but couldn't get the job done on Squire. Brodie McDonald home first, Squire second with Shane McDonald third. [yith_wc_productslider id=11338]
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