24th February 2003

Friday 21st Feb we flew in from the Gold Coast Australia unpacked all the bags and then into the shed to get the race car ready for the next nights meeting the 2003 JR's Racing Sponsored Limited Saloon Invitation Meeting. Saturday was very hot and we pulled up to the Pac n Save Speedway here in Gisborne for the nights racing and in the pits were Phil Towgood 58m, Mike Griffiths 79m, Peter Benner 12m, 56m?, Ashley O'Dowd 39b, Steve Waller 99b, Steve Louden 32a, Paul Roia 24m and myself 16g a total of 9 cars, it would have been great to have 16, but a few cars pulled out for obvious reasons.

Race 1, I drew grid 8 on the inside of me was Mike Griffiths 79m and behind us on grid 9 was Phil Towgood. As the race got under way the 56m car was right in front of me and it looked like he just came to a stand still and I had no where to go but to hit him and unfortunately for him he suffered a flat left rear and a broken diff housing (as I found out later in the pits). Midway through the race 58m had gone passed me and the track conditions weren't good for our first race, it was a bit loose out wide and Phil was the only one to pass 3 cars, it was just follow the leader and the win went to 32a Steve Louden who pulled away from the rest of us, and I finished up in 7th place.

Race 2 saw only 8 cars and I started from grid 4, Mike Griffiths 79m was on 3 and Ashley O'Dowd 39b was on 1 and 2 was empty. The race was under way and I got the jump on the 79 car which put me into 2nd place behind the 39b car of Big Ash. The race was going to be whoever made a mistake the next car was going to slip in as the pace was hot and it was bumper to bumper stuff. Ashley was holding good lines and he knew that I was knocking on the door and likewise was Mike Griffiths doing to me. With about 3 laps to go Ash started to get a bit loose through turns 3 & 4 but I had a look up the inside a couple of times but didn't want have any touches with the 39b car so Ash went on to win and I finished in 2nd place just ahead of Phil Towgood.

Before going into the last race 39 was leading on points 79 was 2nd and 32a and 58m were 3rd equal.

Race 3 and Phil Towgood was on pole 99m Steve Waller was on 2 and I stated on grid 3. The race was under way and I got the jump on the 99 car of Steve Waller and tucked in behind Phil Towgood, three laps into the race and everything went wrong for the 16g car, I couldn't steer the car through the turns it was Horrible to drive I had a mid turn push and as I went wide through turns 1 & 2  99m and the rest of the field went through as a freight train which left me out by the wall and the car slipped out of 2nd gear, so I put things right and took off but it was all to late, as the white flag fell I was at the end of the pack but my car at this stage was handling ok again, so at the end of the race I finished 8th.

Phil Towgood went on to win the 3rd heat so it meant that Ashley O'Dowd 39b and Phil had to have a 4 lap run off to decide the 2003 Limited Champ. Ashley won the toss and took pole. Both cars went out onto the track and looked good coming off turn 4 to take the green looked like the 58 car anticipated the start and got the jump on Ash, both cars were head to tail and on lap 3 Phil just about overcooked it to let Ashley in but Phil kept it together to take out the nights racing, Ash 2nd and Mike Griffiths was 3rd. It was an awesome nights racing here on the East Coast  and a big thank you to the cars that made the effort to turn up especially Steve Louden from Auckland. Later I found that the relief valve got stuck in my power steer to cause my awful 3rd race.

Overall a good nights racing and congratulations to Phil, Ashley and Mike. My next meeting is on 8th March at the Pac n Save Speedway here in Gisborne for the Sprint Car Invitation.

Good racing everybody,

Cheers

Doug