Seasoned campaigner Fraser Gillespie and Dave Utientuis won the NZ Short Track Sidecar title at Moore Park on Friday evening. 

Oreti’s Gillespie took the prize scalps of all the current NZ 1, 2 and 3 in winning the title. Second home were the local pairing of Brent Tomkins and Arnie Marshall who front only occasional these days. Current NZ no 1 Les Plummer and Kervin Dermanser took out third place with a last minute attack on the 3 NZ pairing of Derek Ramsay and Tony Hislop. Ramsay had 3rd sown up but just drifted a little too wide on the last turn. Plummer cut underneath to take the place by a tyre width on the line.

Gillespie said it has taken him 30 years of racing to win a NZ title. He won all of his qualifying races and the final but was held to third in place heat 12 by Tomkins and Ramsay. Gillespie was forceful from the start and the only chair without the flaring around the body, cut a nostalgic look at racing of a past era when they held some of the more modern machinery at bay. Reminiscing was at hand too as the portable lights lit only the track and wall as the darkness moved in quickly. Even with a couple of areas that would need a little more light in the future, all the racing was impressive in both quality and appearance. 

Canterbury’s Hamburger Transport Ronnie’s Rebels won the Provincial Solo Challenge with their Moore Park efforts. (Rain cancelled the second round and the Sidecar Masters scheduled for Ruapuna on Saturday) They outscored the Oreti Stormers, the Palmy Terrors and the Auckland Rhinos in the 16 race event. Captain Larry Ross and Andrew Aldridge whisked the team forward for the win by each scoring a maximum of 12 points from their four rides. Manager Ian Graham stressed the importance of his other two riders, Cory Lang and John Ross.

They fought hard for the scraps in securing seven points between them to give the Rebels the win. Without these points, even though Ross and Aldridge had been undefeated, the Rebels would have been left short.

The Invercargill Licencing Trust Southland Oreti Stormers Team ran home second five points behind the Rebels. Grant Tregoning pulled in 10 points to top their list. Andrew Bargh as the reserve also scored 10 points for the Keegan Contracting Palmerston North Terrors. Had they had the NZ 2 Jade Mudgway in the team or the former international rider David Bargh, the results could have been very different. Bargh was a late withdrawal due to work commitments and was bitterly disappointed in not being able to make the meeting.

It was young Sean Mason and Dylan Moohan who led the charge for the VTFitroy – TNL Freighting Auckland Rhinos. A little more time for the Bagshaw brothers to gain some more experience and the Rhinos results will improve. Mason is a young man to watch in the future.

Oreti’s Jamie Moohan dominated the reserve races with three wins. Juniors saw NZ 2 Bradley Wilson Dean get the better of NZ 1 Anthony Knowles in two races. Invercargill’s Hayden Sims and Broden Johnston dominated the B grade with the new Christchurch rider Paleti Woods signifying he has got what it takes to proceed further in the sport. Junior 250 display saw Oreti’s Jake McCrae come home ahead of Knowles twice out of the three races.

Speedcross racer  Jason Korstanje just scrapped home ahead of Lawerence Muldoon in their initial outing. The mixture of two and four stroke standard motocross bikes, with only a tyre change permitted put on some close racing. Ryan Hampton and Nicolaas Korstanje made a statement that they are capable of an upset while Toby Harrison will cause some trouble if he can string another good lap together and close the door on those behind.

Thanks to Warrick Korstanje
CMSC Media