18th January 2003

Well we didn't race at our home track at the Gisborne Pak n Save Speedway, as once again most tracks were running so I got a clearance to go and race at the Meeanee Speedway in Napier.

We turned up to the track at 4pm and it was brilliant weather, like Sunburn material. This meeting was the NZ Sidecar Champs and on the race programme we were scheduled to run our 1st race at race 26. There were six Limited Saloons turn up, Brett Sloman 85p, four from Napier and myself.

Before we lined up for the race the I changed the set up thinking that the track was going to be really slick, then we were told there was two run offs before we went out so they put a consolation side car race out before the runoffs so this in fact made our first race 30 on the programme. As you can imagine the track was perfect for the Sidecars and not to good for saloons. The time was now 9.30pm the water truck went out before us so we had to do a few wheel packing laps before we got underway. As we were doing the wheel pack I was checking out the track surface (as I normally do) and straight away I thought o heck we did the wrong set up for this one.

I drew grid 1 and Johnny Browne 18b was on 2. I took off and through turn 1 and 2 it all went wrong, we had a big push on and 18b got the jump and so did Ash O'Dowd 39b, Chris O'Connor 4b, Mike Hermansen 9b all went sailing past. About lap 4 I was doing everything to get my car to turn in and to stop the push. I tried to throw my car in to the turn but it was to much as I spun up through turn 1 & 2 and 85p spun to miss me. We went under the yellow and the next lap I spun again and this time through turns 3 & 4, but 85p couldn't stop and went into the side of my car, luckily it was the last lap and I finished in 5th place. Ashley O'Dowd in the 39b car went on to win.

Race 2, I drew grid 4 we had the car back to its original setting, 39b was on grid 1, 4b was on grid 2, and 9b was on grid 3. At the start of the race 4b left the gate open so I sailed up the inside of him, and in the interim had a slight touch with the number  9 car of Mike Hermansen who ducked a little to the infield this put me into 2nd place behind 39b. I followed Big Ash 39b for about 4 laps when someone spun which bought the yellow lights on, so back under racing again with about 3 laps to go and still chasing 39b when Ash got it all wrong and he spun through turn 1 & 2 bringing the yellow once again, this put me into the lead and went on to win race 2

Race 3, saw me draw grid 6, missing from the race was 39b due to an electric problem, and 18b with a split rear calliper. We started the race with 9b on pole 85p on 2, and 4b on grid 3, by this time it was 11pm and the track was a dust bowl but it looked like Mike Hermansen in the number 9 car was getting it all right, he was pulling away from the field with Brett Sloman 85p chasing. Chris O'Connor in 4b went a bit wide through turns 1 & 2 and I tucked up underneath to put me in 3rd place and that was how we finished with Mike taking out a well deserved win.

Overall it was a long night and luckily I stayed the night at my brothers house and travelled home to Gisborne on Sunday.  We got a week off and our next  meeting is on 1st February at Bay Park Speedway Mount Maunganui for the unofficial NZ Limited Saloon Car Champs