Round 3 - Teretonga Park, Invercargill 16th and 17th January 2010
Invercargill, Teretonga Park, great weather, crowd and organisers.
Left Auckland at midday Tuesday 12th to arrive at Strait Shipping in Wellington to get the 3a.m. ferry on Wednesday morning. We sleep on the ferry and are on the road again, as Willie Nelson sings, by 7.00a.m.
We stop at Oamaru about 6.00p.m., and find a motel and a restaurant. We are having a fine meal and some beverages when I feel a hand on my shoulder with a grip that caused pain. Without looking I'm thinking, "the only person that does this is Danny Lendich from Wendy’s Restaurants and Speedway fame. But not so, it was his brother Victor from the NZ Generator Hire Company on his way to Invercargill with the power generators from Auckland!!!!! Victor is a colourful character and we had a great time reminiscing old cars, old drivers and Victor's top 10 idiot list that cannot be printed!
Next day we hit Invercargill at 2.16p.m. and get a private tour through the Bill Richardson Truck Museum, one of the finest in the world. Then, out to the track to set up, missing the first visit to Macaulay Ford since 1971 because our car was already prepped. After 40 years racing at Teretonga we want for nothing. Kevin Wall shows up first with food, coffee, tables, carpet etc. Wendy Jenks and Alan Batt are at their normal postings, but no Kirsty! Bill McPartland, the United Video franchise owner has made the trip south and is in fine form, as are his surrounding franchise shop owners. A unique place for sure.
Our testing went well prior to qualifying. Our focus was on getting a good race set up that would be kind to our tyres. Looking back I should have changed our car for the one lap shoot out for pole position and we missed out by quarter of a car length, really close but in good shape on the second row of the grid.
Race 1 was follow the leader in P2 with little chance of getting past as he drove faultlessly a metre off the pole line and blocked all the way. Any attempt to go off line to pass and Tim Edgell would have had us back from 2nd to 3rd. So, P2 it was.
Race 2; much the same really, blocked all the way with the close field of competitors waiting for any mistake to pounce on us. We had the fastest race car for sure, but didn't help.
Craig had a plan that could only work on the final lap on the final turn. Into the braking area on the last lap Craig waited for the leader to check his mirror and moved to the opposite side he had been using all race long. JMR then moved to block us and Craig dropped down under him and they came on to the finishing straight side by side. Two Marsh engines in a drag race; ours appeared to be tuned better and we pull up alongside at the line.
We cross the line in front by approx 110mm, in a photo finish that was not photographed. We are given 2nd place again using the electronic timing which can differ depending on the position of the transponder mounted on the race cars. No complaints, just an explanation and not an excuse. P2 is okay and United Video are over the moon with the exposure from the JMR camera focused on our car!
Race 3, the reverse grid event, in which we start at the rear of the field, was exciting. We pass 14 cars including the series leader JMR, and keep him behind easy enough. We finish 8th unscathed, just behind pole position driver Angus Fogg. We place second for the event, and more points...and more to come.
If, (yeah but), we hadn't had the mechanical problem at Round One at Pukekohe we would be better off points wise, but that's racing. Roll on Timaru…..Also, welcome Fusion, at last a good sound for our long trips.
A big thank you from everyone, especially to Southland and the weather. Second place in the championship and closing...
P.S. The pressure is on to change to Holden; does anybody have any thoughts……
Garry and the team
PS Racing