Doug Walsh JR's Racing ..... Limited Saloon 16g

16th November 2002

Opening night for my home track the Gisborne Pak n Save Speedway. A week leading up to our opening I learnt through the internet that Bay Park Speedway were standing down their Limited Saloons, so the call went out to get a few cars here to race. Mike Griffiths 97m gave me a call to say he had 5 cars ready to come to Gisborne and race. The cars that fronted were Mike Griffiths 97m, Graeme Massey, Peter Benner 12m, Steve Waller 99m, 56m, and 86h turned up out of the blue. All up we had 8 Limited Saloons which included myself and Chris O’Connor 4b, and one Super Saloon Kenny Dibben 21g which was the best line up of cars we’ve had for a long time. It was decided that Ken Dibben start from the rear of the field all night.

Race 1 saw me draw pole and alongside me was 99m on grid 2, half way through the race I started catching the tale enders the track conditions were perfect for Saloons (maybe it was due to us being out in race 4). I went through to take the win and lapping every car except 99 and 21, the car felt magic.

Race 2 I drew grid 5 and 99m was outside me, I new I had a lot of work to do, up front were 97m, 86h, 12m and 56m. Midway through the race I started picking off the cars one by one a lot of the out of town competitors were having steering problems which made it a lot easier for me (I along with my tactician Brett Morley) must of had it right, with about 4 laps to go 79m was leading and I was tucked right behind him, I knew I had to out fox Mike to win the race as he has a good car and he is a good driver as well, as he got the white flag I braked a lot later than him going into turn 1 by this time Mike and I were side by side going down the back straight when I could see 56H driving the pole so I kept mike down on pole so I managed to complete the pass on Mike and 56m through turn 3 & 4 to take the win, it was awesome. I guess with local knowledge of the track and the car was handling awesome made the difference.
Race 3 This was the feature was which was over 15 laps, I draw the back of the field on grid 7 with Ken Dibben 21g in the Super beside me on grid 8. I knew I had a lot of work to do as there were some good cars up ahead, we were a couple of laps into the race when 56m got it all wrong through turn 3 & 4, he went up the wall big time and as he came back down he took out 99m and 86h this bringing on the caution light, as we were running under the yellow up ahead of me were Mike Griffiths in 79m,and ahead of him was Peter Benner in car 12m. (For those of you that don’t know Peter is a Paraplegic and still gets out their in his race car and gives all of us a good run for our money … thanks Pete) The yellow went out and the chase was on, after about 3 more laps 12m, and 79m went into turn 1 but 79m got a big push on and I tucked underneath Mike to put me into second behind 12m, but Pete wasn’t going to give up his lead easily I tried inside, outside, of the 12m car but couldn’t get passed then went to do the big dive outside of 12m when he went wide as well, this let Ken Dibben 21g in the Super Saloon under us and the lead. The next lap Peter left the door open and I tucked down the inside to get into second behind Ken 21g.

Overall it was good to see the visiting cars do the long haul to Gisborne and the racing was awesome, a credit to Myles Richardson (clerk of the course) and Peter Truitts (the grader driver) for having a really great track to race on whether you where on the pole or out wide, the track was the same all night.

	16th November 2002
	Opening night for my home track the Gisborne Pak n Save Speedway. A week leading up to our opening I learnt through the internet that Bay Park Speedway were standing down their Limited Saloons, so the call went out to get a few cars here to race. Mike Griffiths 97m gave me a call to say he had 5 cars ready to come to Gisborne and race. The cars that fronted were Mike Griffiths 97m, Graeme Massey, Peter Benner 12m, Steve Waller 99m, 56m, and 86h turned up out of the blue. All up we had 8 Limited Saloons which included myself and Chris O’Connor 4b, and one Super Saloon Kenny Dibben 21g which was the best line up of cars we’ve had for a long time. It was decided that Ken Dibben start from the rear of the field all night. Race 1 saw me draw pole and alongside me was 99m on grid 2, half way through the race I started catching the tale enders the track conditions were perfect for Saloons (maybe it was due to us being out in race 4). I went through to take the win and lapping every car except 99 and 21, the car felt magic. Race 2 I drew grid 5 and 99m was outside me, I new I had a lot of work to do, up front were 97m, 86h, 12m and 56m. Midway through the race I started picking off the cars one by one a lot of the out of town competitors were having steering problems which made it a lot easier for me (I along with my tactician Brett Morley) must of had it right, with about 4 laps to go 79m was leading and I was tucked right behind him, I knew I had to out fox Mike to win the race as he has a good car and he is a good driver as well, as he got the white flag I braked a lot later than him going into turn 1 by this time Mike and I were side by side going down the back straight when I could see 56H driving the pole so I kept mike down on pole so I managed to complete the pass on Mike and 56m through turn 3 & 4 to take the win, it was awesome. I guess with local knowledge of the track and the car was handling awesome made the difference. Race 3 This was the feature was which was over 15 laps, I draw the back of the field on grid 7 with Ken Dibben 21g in the Super beside me on grid 8. I knew I had a lot of work to do as there were some good cars up ahead, we were a couple of laps into the race when 56m got it all wrong through turn 3 & 4, he went up the wall big time and as he came back down he took out 99m and 86h this bringing on the caution light, as we were running under the yellow up ahead of me were Mike Griffiths in 79m,and ahead of him was Peter Benner in car 12m. (For those of you that don’t know Peter is a Paraplegic and still gets out their in his race car and gives all of us a good run for our money … thanks Pete) The yellow went out and the chase was on, after about 3 more laps 12m, and 79m went into turn 1 but 79m got a big push on and I tucked underneath Mike to put me into second behind 12m, but Pete wasn’t going to give up his lead easily I tried inside, outside, of the 12m car but couldn’t get passed then went to do the big dive outside of 12m when he went wide as well, this let Ken Dibben 21g in the Super Saloon under us and the lead. The next lap Peter left the door open and I tucked down the inside to get into second behind Ken 21g. Overall it was good to see the visiting cars do the long haul to Gisborne and the racing was awesome, a credit to Myles Richardson (clerk of the course) and Peter Truitts (the grader driver) for having a really great track to race on whether you where on the pole or out wide, the track was the same all night.