Southlander prevails

Press, 23 July 1986, Page 30

Southlander prevails

Jeff Kirk, of Invercargill, had to survive a four-lap runoff with Mike Taylor (Leeston) to win the 1986 Hornby Auto Parts midwinter classic for super modlfleds on Sunday. The meeting was successfully completed after being washed out on two earlier dates. In the opening stages of heat one Kirk broke Taylor’s one-lap record, bringing it down to 16.695. Kirk led from the drop of the green flag, and, during the penultimate lap, Jumbo Berryman, one of the quintet battling it out for the minor platings, lost a wheel and was out for the day. Doug Giles led on the first lap of heat two before passed by Taylor, followed in hot pursuit by Ken Hannah, Bill Walker and Kirk. Taylor managed to recapture his one-lap record with a time of 16.665. Heat three was one of the

best races of the day. Kirk took an early lead with Taylor charging his way through the field. On the seventh lap Taylor got past Kirk with a charge through the inside. This left Taylor and Kirk equal on points, but Kirk led all the way in the four-lap run-off. Other top performers of the day included Wayne Eggers (fender benders), Rod Hurst and Roger Mills (mini rods) and Steve Wichman and Geoff Deal (A grade saloons). Tom Taylor escaped injury when he rolled his mini rod in spectacular fashion during the feature. Abbreviations used in the results are.— Ashburton (A), Christchurch (C), Dunedin (D), Ellesmere (E), Invercargill (I), Oxford (0), Temuka (T).

Fender benders.— Hornby Radiator Shop handicap: D. Bennett (E) 1, S. Cox (C) 2,

A. Crawford (A) 3. Handicap: P. Woods (A) 1, W. Eggers (E) 2, Cox 3. Millars Tractor Spares handicap: Eggers 1, Woods 2, C. Cross (C) 3. Ellesmere Auto Parts handicap: Eggers 1, Cox 2, Bennett 3. B grade saloons.— Joanola Tearooms handicap: R. Weavers (A) .1, D. Batchelor (A) 2. Star Motors handicap: A. Hansen (A) 1, G. Cooper (C) 2, J. Childs (C) 3. Kevin Baird Panelbeating handicap; Weavers 1, K. Kerr (A) 2, I. Barr (E) 3. Feature: Batchelor 1, Hansen 2, Kerr 3. Mini rods.— Burnham Butchery handicap: R. Hurst (E) 1, R. Mills (E) 2, T. Taylor (E) 3. Handicap: Hurst 1, K. Clive (E) 2, Mills 3. South Island Hardware handicap: Hurst 1, Mills 2, Clive 3. Doyleston Engineering feature: Mills 1, Clive 2, Hurst 3.

A grade saloons.— Leeston Diner handicap: N. Stowell (T) 1, S. Wichman (D) 2, G.

Deal (A) 3. 55 Riccarton Road L.M.V.D. handicap: Deal 1, Wichman 2, B. Stewart (T) 3. Hanidcap; Wichman 1, Deal 2, Stonewell 3. Leeston Hotel feature: Wichman 1, Deal 2, N. Baldwin (0) 3. Super modifieds.— Plucks Engineering handicap: M. Taylor (E) 1, J. Kirk (I) 2, K. Hannah (C) 3. Taylor, lap record, 16.935. Hornby Auto Parts midwinter classic.— Heat one: Kirk 1, B. Walker (C) 2, Hannah 3, Taylor 4, D. Giles (E) 5. N. Blakemore (E) 6. Kirk, lap record, 16.695. Heat two: Taylor 1, Hannah 2, Kirk 3, Walker 4, Giles 5, G. Foster (E) 6. Taylor, lap record, 16.66. Heat three: Taylor 1, Kirk 2, Hannah 3, Foster 4, Blakemore 5. Run-off for first place: Kirk 1, Taylor 2. Points: Kirk, 27, 1; Taylor, 27, 2; Hannah, 25, 3; Walker, 16, 4; Blakemore, 15, 5; Giles' and Foster, 12, equal 6; B. Gaudian (Invercargill), 5, 8.