Six Shooter Championship Goes Down To The Wire

Andrew Andrew

• RACE REPORTS

Six Shooter Championship Goes Down To The Wire

Riverside Speedway

Photography by Vanessa Adcock

Images supplied by: Christopher Scrimgour

Another stunning Southland spring day welcomed a big crowd at Aotea Electric Riverside Speedway for the second meeting of the season.

In what could only be described as perfect conditions for fans and drivers alike, the conditions were far cry from the constant weather issues the club has faced over the last two seasons.

The headline act was Six Shooters racing for the first Southland Championship on offer for the new race season. The grade was bolstered by a number of cars that had travelled South from Central Motor Speedway in Cromwell. It would be a vacant title as last years winner Adam Evans wasn't entered. Favorites going into the event were Cromwell drivers Luke Shearing who won two of the three races on offer at the opening meeting, and former Southland Champion from two years ago Ben Smart who is also from Cromwell.

The format was three races followed by a winner takes all fifteen lap feature final. Heat one saw Cromwell's Emma Gordon race off to an early lead only for mechanical dramas to put her well down the pack. Riverside driver Nigel Marshall then took control of the race only to be passed by Smart on the final lap, Smart had battled hard with Shearing for the majority of the race and banked maximum points with this race win, second was Marshall with Shearing third.

Heat saw Shearing try and hit the lead early but made contact with another car while passing in the opening lap, while Shearing did hit the front and race off to a handy lead, that move would come back to haunt him at the conclusion of the race. Behind Shearing an epic battle was shaping up with Shearings younger brother Jake, fresh out of Youth Ministocks fighting hard with Marshall for the second spot.

This was just Jake Shearing's second meeting in the senior ranks, but really only his first in anger as he was hampered with mechanical dramas at the opening meeting, he was certainly not shy in going toe to toe with more experienced drivers around him.

Out front though Luke Shearing would take the win with Jake Shearing second and Marshall third. Speedway New Zealand Officials would then relegate Luke Shearing two spots for his lap one contact, dropping him to third but handing Jake Shearing his first ever senior race win.

The third heat was a chance to bank some points to get as far up the pointy end of the grid as possible, out front Riverside's Hayden Graves took an early lead, he pretty much had to battle with Jake Shearing to grab an advantage into turns one and two, just nudging ahead and clearing off.

Luke Shearing managed to get himself up to second early in the race before spinning himself up, but still managing to keep going. Graves looked in full control of the race in the dying stages with Smart and Jake Shearing in a hot battle behind him. With just one lap to run Riverside driver Jason Jenner spun bringing out a caution and allowing the field to put pressure on Graves for the race lead.

When the green flag dropped for the two lap sprint Graves ensured no one was getting past him, and as he finally took the checkered flag the big Southland crowd jumped to their feet to applaud the first local Six Shooter driver to take a heat win. Smart managed to hold of Jake Shearing to claim second, with Shearing third.The feature final would see Smart the top points scorer take the outside grid spot with Jake Shearing on pole for the race that would decide the Southland Champion.Just four laps in Graves got a solid run out of turn two while trying a move down the outside of Jake Shearing, unfortunately for Graves he clipped the wall and hit it with force ending any chance he would have of a podium finish. Smart would once again find his groove at the restart but it was only a matter of time before both Marshall and the Shearing siblings started to work their way towards Smart, Luke Shearing getting right onto Smarts rear push bar with just laps to run.

The pair would run side by side, Luke Shearing looking fast but needing to make a late pass. Smart was defending with all he had, before the two cars made contact, Smart getting airborne but still managing to keep going while Luke Shearing's car suffered damage meaning a retirement to the infield was inevitable. Smart would then stay clear of Marshall and Jake Shearing who battled behind him, Marshall in fact making a late move that would secure him second overall with Jake Shearing third, but the Southland Six Shooter Champion would be Ben Smart, claiming his second Southland title in three seasons.

Youth Saloons were credited last meeting for being the only grade not to bring out a caution, but that all went out the window at this meeting with the running of the annual Best Pairs Trophy.

The best pairs was a blind pairs format, so no one had any idea who they were partnered with until the final results were read out. Alex Crosbie had returned to the grid after a stint in Malaysia at the Ferrari Drivers Academy and he certainly didn't waste any time at all showing off the skills he had learnt abroad. Crosbie had skipped off to a handy lead before the first caution was bought out after Dayne Harvey clipped Bayton Benfell in turn three, sending Harvey skyward and into the concrete wall at force. Harvey managed to walk away unscathed which is more than can be said for his car which suffered major damage.The race would restart but only moments later come to a halt once more this time with Stellar Hamilton hitting the wall between turns one and two, her day also over with substantial damage.

At the restart Crosbie would take off once more, the New Zealand Formula Ford Champion racing away from the field to take his first win of the season. Second would be Joshua McIntyre with Caden Race up to third.

Race two didn't go so well for Crosbie as he raced into turn one, ahead of him Tyson Thomas would spin while leading, leaving Zoe Menpes with nowhere to go accept into him, this incident put Thomas out with Menpes managing to remain in the race but only for a few laps before also heading infield. While this incident was unfolding Crosbie also made a rear mistake clipping the wall in turn one and ending his day.

The race would then get underway once more, by now McIntyre had made his way to the front of the pack and would remain unchallenged to bank a race win, second was Joshua Richardson who had found some good form in this race and Benfell a solid third overall.

The third and final race was an absolute screamer, Richardson got an early lead and looked in full control, set to take his first ever race win. Many battles were taking place behind him with a number of the new drivers on the mentor program starting to gain confidence and battle the more experienced drivers. Of the mentor drivers Kadin Cracknell was exceptional, working his way well up from the tail of the pack.

Out front Richardson took the white flag with McIntyre right on his rear bumper, the pair negotiated lapped traffic and Richardson was looking nervous but determined right up until the last corner where the two made contact in what could have ended in tears. McIntyre backed out while Richardson would take his maiden race win, McIntyre continued on to second with Menpes grabbing a well driven third placing.

With all of the points in it would turn out that the two drivers battling for the race three win, McIntyre and Richardson were actually paired together and won the Best Pairs Youth Saloon trophy, had the pair taken each other out in the final corner incident it would have been Menpes and Race who would have claimed the win, instead having to settle for second spot with Rose Stanton and Thomas third.

Stockcars were again entertaining and a crowd favorite with plenty of biff and barge over the three heats. Heat one saw the lead change multiple times, Peter Knight held it briefly before retiring with mechanical issues, Kahu Moxham who was on debut in Stockcars also failed to finish. Phil Johnson would be the man who would eventually settle up front and remain up front to take his first race win of the season, in second was Baylee Mowat with Karl Thomson placing third.Race two saw Shanan Knight get spun early and end up the best part of a lap down, but with all the dramas happening between the cars ahead of him he would manage to do the unthinkable and work his way back up the front and into the lead to take a hard fought race win, second again was Mowat with Adam Naber who was in a menacing mood up to third.

The final race was a two on two teams race, both race one and two winners Johnson and Knight would team up against Jesse Hamilton and Naber from Otepuni Motorsport. This was classic teams and despite just the four cars on track it was entertaining for the big crowd with Knight the main instigator putting in some damming hits on the Otepuni lads. No driver would give up though, Hamilton's front suspension was smashed in after a heavy blow from Johnson, this however didn't stop him, he would try and slow the opposition while Naber would try and deal out the killer blow. Naber waited down the back straight for Knight but Knight got into the back of Naber spearing him out to the wall to keep the lead comfortably and be first across the line to take the race win for himself and Johnson.Tony Jones was sublime in Production Saloons, the Riverside Life Member was "Tony The Untouchable" at this meeting which was pleasing to see after Jones took last season off with health issues.

Race one Jones would start from dead last and work his way through the big field of cars one by one. Some great battles were developing up front with Aaron Reed, Blake Murdoch and Alistair Green all fighting hard until Jones put himself in the mix, clearing all three cars and racing off to win heat one by over a straight.Murdoch would place second with Green third.

Race two wasn't to be any easier for the field with Jones starting from the front row, it was pretty much game over when the lights went green, only a mechanical drama would stop him and unfortunately for his rivals, this didn't happen, two wins from two race starts. Brad Fitzgerald banks his seasons best placing with a well driven second placing, while Blake Hamilton was again on the podium in third place.

Heat three saw Jones start mid pack, but within three laps he was back in front and racing off from the pack. Hamilton did try his best to stay within reach and possibly learnt a lot from following Jones. Jones again took the win, making him hot favorite to take out the Southland Production Saloon Championship in just three weeks. Hamilton banked a second placing while third place went the way of Murdoch.

Production Saloons were given a bonus race at the end of the meeting, Jones sat this one out allowing Reed to take a race win.A small filed of Saloons and Supers were combined and the battle up front between Dan Black and Scott Williamson was intense. The two drivers were side by side for about six laps before catching Maurice McLeod in his Super Saloon, Williamson passed McLeod on the outside but Black made contact with McLeod allowing Williamson to skip off to a handy lead.

McLeod would suffer damage and hit the infield while Black continued on eventually taking over the race lead when Williamson suffered mechanical dramas after looking very fast. The second of the Super Saloons Euan Shearing also pulled to the infield with issues leaving just Black and his brother Jamie Black the only two cars left running.

Dan Black would go on to win all three races ahead of Jamie Black, Dan Black saying it was a great way to get some much needed testing done ahead of the Brian FM South Island Saloon Series in three weeks.

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