Controversy marks speedway win

Press, 7 March 1983, Page 15

Controversy marks speedway win

Amid a storm of controversy a Christchurch driver. John Townshend, in his Chevette 2.3 won the Chaneys Service Station 1933 Mainland 4cylinder saloon car championships at Woodford Glen Speedway on Saturday.

Another Christchurch driver. Colin Cameron, appeared to have the series sewn up after going into the last heat 2 points in front of Townshend and Greg Keegan. In this race Cameron could afford to finish one place behind his close rivals but he drove a race as if his life depended on it and in doing so put two wheels on the infield when passing a Dunedin driver. Stu More. This move saw Cameron being disqualified from the results and all chances of winning the title vanish. Cameron subsequently protested but the A.C.L’. stewards upheld the referee's decision. It is believed that Cameron will now appeal to the A.C.L’. Board of Control. After winning his qualifying heat the Nelson driver. Brian Jenkins, in a fuel-injected Volkswagen, won the first of three finals after starting on the front row with Keegan. Townshend and Cameron started towards the rear of the 16-car field. Cameron was into third place on lap 5 with Townshend joining him in fourth on lap 8 of the XO-lap race. Try as they could the pair could not catch the leaders and Jenkins took the win by 2s from Keegan. Cameron took an early lead in the second race after starting from the second row. Cameron was hounded byTownshend and Jenkins who had started a row behind him. On lap 6 Invercargill's Russell Lee took third place off Jenkins but it was apparent that the VW was in trouble. Jenkins's trip south was to end one lap later when his gearbox cried enough. Cameron went on to win by 2’zs from Townshend with Lee only half a car length behind Townshend for third. In the last incident-filled race Cameron started on grid 9. Townshend at 7 and Keegan at 12. Lee. who had thrown his chances away by spinning out in the first heat, took an early lead and cleared out from the field. Cameron charged his way past Townshend and by the half-way mark was into second place. As the race neared the end

Cameron was stalking Lee with every turn of the wheel but his second place appeared enough to take the title.

Townshend followed Cameron home with Keegan who had driven an excellent race from his unfavourable grid draw following Townshend.

Final results: J. Townshend. Christchurch. Chevette 2.3. 43 points. 1: G Keegan. Christchurch. Escort Mk I. 42. 2; G Hodge. Dunedin. Escort Mk 11. 34. 3; R. Lee. Invercargill. Brabham Torana. 33. 4. Tony Cardwell won three races for the A grade saloons after starting in all races from near the rear of the 20-car field. His complete domination was prevented by a determined Lofty Johnstone who won the first race. Honours were evenly shared in the three Sportsman races, races which produced some of the closest racing seen in the class all season. Bruce Annan was again in the winner's circle in the stock cars but honours were also shared in this class. Chaneys Service Station Mainland 4-cylinder championships: Ist qualifying. P. Brain (C) 1, J. Townshend (C) 2, L. Summerfield 3. 2nd qualifying: B. Jenkins (Nelson) 1, C. Cameron (C) .2. R. Lee (Invercargill) 3. Repechage: R. Byrne (C) 1. G. Hodge (Dunedin) 2. G. Keegan (C) 3. Heat 1: Jenkins 1. Keegan 2. Cameron 3. Heat 2: Cameron 1. Townshend 2. Lee 3. Heat 3: Lee 1. Townshend 2. Keegan 3. A grade saloons.— Dunlop Race: L. Johnstone 1. T. Green 2. K. Huddlestone 3. Bardahi Race: T. Cardwell 1. F. Twort 2. B. Burgess 3. 3ZM Race: Cardwell 1. Green 2. P. Edmonds 3. Coca Cola Feature: Cardwell 1. S Ware 2. D. Sangster 3. Rookie saloons.— Programme Promotions race: J. Achilles 1. W. Gray 2. T. Waters 3. 3ZB Race: B McSaveney 1. F. Arneson 2, A. Warman 3. Seekers Race: G. Benns 1. W. Gray 2. Waters 3. Stock cars The "Star" Race: P. Ross 1. B. Tizzard 2, A. Hurst 3. Dunlop Race: J. Mooar 1, B. Annan 3, Tizzard 3.' Tectyl Race: B. Annan 1. B. Johnstone 2, Hurst 3. Race 4: Hurst 1, Annan 2, Ross 3. Sportsman.— Tectyl Race: M. Stead 1. G. Foster 2, J. Scott 3. Seekers Race: J. Annan 1, Stead 2, A. Birrell 3. “Weekend Star” Race: N. McKenzie 1. Stead 2, Birrell 3.