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Allard Races To Victory In New Zealand Sprintcar Grand Prix
Author : Evan Griffen
Saturday evening saw the running of the 2009/10 New Zealand Sprintcar Grand Prix held at Auckland’s iconic speedway venue Western Springs. Another massive crowd was on hand after a beautiful sunny day but once again Springs Promotion had their faults with once again turning up a rough track at the start of the night before it settled down and proved to be fast with 2 different racing lines.
The evening started with the traditional outlaw style two lap time trial where Baypark’s Colin Entwistle topped the clock with a 12.021sec followed by fellow Baypark local Rodney Wood on 12.138. Jonathan Allard was third fastest with first Auckland local Hans Boere fourth. Current New Zealand Sprintcar Champion was fifth while regaining Grand Prix title holder Skinny Colson ended up 17th in time trials.
Heat one saw something really out of this world when Allan Haigh off grid 2 came down on Glenn Torpey on the formation lap damaging Haigh’s front end before the green flag had ever dropped. The heat was won by American Ricky Logan who was out to set the pace followed by Jeremy Halpin and Mark Browne. Heat two saw Daniel Eggleton grab the jump on Colson and totally dominate this race ahead of Colson while back in the field Alan Wakeling, Wood, Dean Brindle and Carl Wilson were battling out to see whom was going to fill 3rd and 4th to transfer into the Dash. Third and final heat was taken out by Jamie McDonald, but once again the battle was behind him between Torpey, Allard and Ryan O’Conner. Allard finished second after what was a amazing inside slide job going into turn 3 on Torpey who also got passed by third placegetter O’Conner.
The finishing order of the dash was to determine the first 12 grids of the A-Main so this was going to be one fast race. Wood pulled a wheel stand which backed everyone else up behind him which gave Entwistle a clear run to lead the pack. Allard passed both Wood and Entwistle outwide to take the win followed by Entwistle and Wood. The B-Main saw Brindle run away with this with Wilson making up two positions to finish in second , Boere in third and Palmerston North’s Nelson Hartley rounding out the top four.
Right from the start, Allard checked out in the 25 lap New Zealand Sprintcar Grand Prix with a blistering pace, Wilson spun to the infield on turn 4 lap 1 along with Baypark’s Kerry Bartlett and Halpin spinning the same place as Wilson a lap apart. Wood went wide to give Logan the gap and pass underneath to hunt down Allard. Mid race there were battles among Wakeling, McDonald, O’Conner, Entwistle and Brindle till with 5 laps to go O’Conner just overcooked it going into turn three spinning round bringing on the first caution.
Off the restart, Allard gets away from the pack to claim the 2009/10 Wynn’s New Zealand Sprintcar Grand Prix followed home by fellow American Ricky Logan and first Kiwi home Tauranga’s Rodney Wood. McDonald finished fourth with Wakeling fifth then Entwistle, Brindle, Browne, Colson, Torpey filling the top ten. Raymond Griffen finished eleventh after starting 18th then followed by current South Island Champion Karen Forsey 12th and Hans Boere rounding out the field in 13th.
www.sprintcarchallengetour.com
www.placervillespeedway.com
www.stocktondirttrack.com
www.thunderbowlraceway.com
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