Eastland Group Raceway
Pit Stop Saloon Car Champ of Champs Review
March 20 2010
Bevan Chapman.

 A good-sized crowd certainly got its money's worth Saturday night at Eastland Group Raceway, with close to five hours of racing and several titles decided on the banked track. One of the best Saloon Car fields ever assembled in Gisborne took to the track for the Pit Stop Saloon Car Champ of Champs, with the twenty-plus car line-up being split into two qualifying groups.
Qualifying wins went the way of Auckland drivers Phil Towgood and Scott Lansdowne, Huntly's Aaron Tonks, and Tony Heuvel (Rotorua), before the top twenty progressed to the winner-takes-all Champ of Champs final.

Starting at the front of the pack, Tauranga driver and current 3NZ Terry Corin immediately took control of the decider, fighting off a challenge from former national champ Towgood and opening up a handy lead over the field. However with only a handful of laps to run that lead was quickly undone when Heuvel - who was running near the front of the pack - slammed heavily into the back straight wall, his car rolling wildly onto its roof. On the restart the pressure was right back on Corin, but again he raced away from the field and went on to take a classy Champ of Champs win from Towgood and Lansdowne. Corin then returned to blitz the field in the final race of the night and claim the Bruce Ellmers Memorial Cup. 

Twelve combinations fronted for the Ireland Motors Sidecar Champ of Champs, with Kihikihi visitors Dave Gannon and Raymond George showing some stunning pace to remain the only unbeaten bike with just one race to run. But it was while leading that final race that disaster struck the pair - their bike pulling up just metres short from the finish line - handing not only the race win but the Championship to Clive Ireland and Brendan Weber.
Deane Miller and Jason Walters later claimed second following a run off with Andrew Buchanan and Philippa Burns (Palmerston North). 

More than thirty Ministocks were in attendance for the second and final round of the Hawkes Bay/Gisborne Ministock series.
Ben McArthur - in his final appearance behind the wheel of a Ministock on his home track - went close to making it a fairytale finish to his youth racing career, but in the end had to settle for second behind Hawkes Bays Luke Kwok in the feature final.

Gisborne-based but Hawkes Bay-registered driver Ricky Kuru claimed the opening two Stockcar races, before deciding to stir things up in the feature, Lance Sutherland taking advantage of this distraction to take out the win.

Paul Habib and Lonnie Larby continued their season-long battle in the Solos, Larby coming out on top with two wins following a fall in the first race.

It was no surprise to again see a big field of Production Saloons on the track, Fraser Wright racing away to a big win in race one.
Race two saw Michael Jones - in the car of the injured Wayne Hall - setting off a mini pile-up, but that wasn’t enough to prevent Jed Miller leading from start-to-finish. Former top driver Daniel Cook then wrapped up his night back behind the wheel with a chequered flag in the feature race. 

Streetstocks again provided plenty of entertainment, Frank Hartley avoiding the carnage in the opening race to take a good win before Cody Gooch did the same in the second.

The biggest cheer of the night though was for Anton McKay's win in the Streetstock feature.
McKay led the whole way as the rest of the field took each other out behind him, the win a long-time coming for the long-time campaigner, who celebrated by climbing on to the roof of his car with the chequered flag.

Racing on the banked track now takes a break until after Easter, when it’s hoped Sprintcars will return to wrap the speedway season in Gisborne.

Bevan Chapman.

Eastland Group Raceway
Pit Stop Saloon Car Champ of Champs Preview
March 18 2010
Bevan Chapman.

A big field of more than 26 cars is expected this Saturday night for the Pit Stop Saloon Car Champ of Champs at Eastland Group Raceway.
Top of the entry list is current 2nz champion Brent McClymont, who always looks forward to racing on Gisborne’s banked track.
As fast as he is, McClymont will be just one of many capable of taking out the title Saturday night, hes likely to face some particularly strong competition from former national champion  Phil Towgood.
Following the Champ of Champs final heat, the field will return to the track for a one race winner-takes-all dash for the Bruce Ellmers Memorial Cup.

Saturday night will also see the running of the Ireland Motors Sidecar Champ of Champs, with sixteen bikes expected for the event.
At times Deane Miller has been unbeatable on the banked track this season, and he will be looking to continue his impressive form at home and defend the title.

Stockcars, Production Saloons, Ministocks, Solos and Streetstocks will also be in action, with a number of season point’s battles still to be decided across these classes.
The Stockcar field will be minus members of the Gisborne Auto Electrics Gisborne Gladiators team, who are returning this weekend to Wellington for the finals of the New Zealand Stockcar Teams Champs.

Of note is the earlier race start time this Saturday of 6pm, and a special pre-meeting display by the Classic Car Club

Pit Stop Saloon Car Champ of Champs Entry List
2NZ Brent McClymont
5R Graham Brockelsby
7G Paul Habib
8G David Moorcroft
10A Bob Leslie
10M Neil Head
13R Murray Guy
14B George Hildred
17H Andrew Ross
17R Tony Heuvel
17W Stuart Cunningham
18B Mark Hayman
23B Troy Devery
24G Roger Corrin
29B Steve Martin
43H Aaron Tonks
46M Terry Corin
48A Phil Towgood
49M Graeme Massey
51G Brent Colbert
66A Peter Church
69K Mike Wilson
74A Scott Landsdowne
77K Rossco Creswell
77M Karl Kendler
83H Nigel Harlen
86G Ralph Scott
92B Darryn Hannan
97R Tania Brockelsby
98H Greg Powell
99M Steve Witlling