Askew prevails at the Glen

Press, 11 December 1989, Page 34

Askew prevails at the Glen

By

JOHN HAWKINS

lan Askew, of Blenheim, overcame a hefty shunt in the second heat to run out the winner in the Sydenham Park Chev Spares Canterbury Super Saloon Championship, raced over three heats at Woodford Glen on Saturday evening. Askew was a deserved winner. In the opening race of the series Richie Taylor, from Timaru, quickly moved into the lead from grid position three, but by lap five Askew, from grid eight, was hounding him. Although Askew tried every avenue of attack Taylor could not be moved and hung on to claim the heat win ahead of Askew and the little Chevette of Wayne Mitchell. In the second heat, Rob Gold’s fast but temperamental Datsun held down first position for nine laps until injection problems caused the car to fall back through the field, Brian Kenton, who had been shadowing Gold, then inherited a lead he was not to lose, but behind him Craig Paterson, from Dunedin, and Barry Stewart, Temuka, tussled over second position. By lap 13 Paterson had shaken off Stewart but Askew took up the cudgels in the struggle for second. There was a fair bit of give and take between these two but the dice culminated in Askew’s car slewing up the wall on the back

straight on the final lap after contact with Paterson’s. Stewart and Mitchell made the most of their opportune ties to take second and third behind Kenton, while Paterson recovered to claim fourth position. A protest by Askew against Paterson’s driving resulted in the Blenheim driver’s crippled car being instated in fifth position, gaining vital points, but at that stage his chances of competing in the final heat seemed slim as the damage looked bad, particularly as the right-front hub had been ripped off. A good effort by Askew’s crew meant the car was ready in time to take up its front-row position alongside Gordon Kenton for the third and final heat, albeit minus front brakes. This handicap made little difference to Askew who fought tooth and nail with Kenton throughout the race, eventually claiming the narrowest of victories, with Stewart finishing in third position. A run-off between Mitchell and Taylor after a tie on points for third placing in the championship resulted in an easy win for Mitchell after Taylor spun when close behind. Points: I. Askew, 56, 1; G. Kenton, 50, 2; W. Mitchell, 49, 3 after run off with R. Taylor, 49; B. Stewart, 47, 5; C. Paterson, 46, 6.