Friday 28th March, the car was loaded, it was 4pm and we were on the road to Rotorua Speedway a day earlier so that we could take the kids to Rotorua's Gondalas and  the Luge on Saturday morning. It took us 4 hours to get to Rotorua after we stopped at Awakeri for tea, and with the torrential rain that we got between Awakeri and Rotorua it  was not looking to good for racing, it poured constantly for hours after we arrived.

Saturday 29th, up at 7am looked out the window of the motel and it was overcast and the blue sky was trying to poke through, about 9.30am I got a phone call from Warrick Calvert (Rotorua Speedway Committee Member) to say that Rotorua Speedway had pulled the pin on the nights racing due to apparently the track was still a lake so I Quickly got on the phone and rang the Napier Track to see what the weather was doing and it was perfect, so that was our plan of attack at lunchtime was to head off to Napier to race.

The tow was going to be at least 4 hours through Taupo to Napier but we got to the track at 4.30pm ready for a 6.00 start. This meeting was the New Zealand Grand Prix for Three Quarter  Midgets and we were up first.

There were 5 Super Saloon and 5 Limited Saloon Cars so the club ran us all together with the Supers off the front of the grid (but a lap down) and the Limited Saloons behind.

Race one I drew grid 4 beside me on grid 3 was 9b Mike Hermansen, on 2 was 39b Ashley O'Dowd, on 1 was 4b Chris O'Connor and John Brown was at the back on grid 5.The race was underway and all the supers except for one all took off leaving the Limited's to deal with 29b Graeme Martin. Two laps into the race big Ash 39b was on the outside of 29b ready to make the pass when all of a sudden he pulled back onto the infield (I found out later that he had blown another diff) I had got up to third at this stage chasing Chris O'Connor when through turns 1&2 he to pulled into the infield, (blew a rear main seal and a electrical problem) so this only left myself 9b and 18b to fight this race out which also put me into the lead. After a couple more laps the yellow lights came on and out of turn 4 John Brown was up against the wall (broke steering arm I think?) so we were all bunched up Supers and Limited's and I was right behind the super of Graeme Martin, the race was under way again and I was trying the inside line and outside to pass 29b but he was baulking me so when the white flag came out I did the big dive on the outside through turns 1&2 and got past to secure the win. 

Race 2. Their were only two limited's to race the rest of the night, 9b and myself. I was on grid 2 and 9 was on 1 but this time it was to be driven by Tony Ohlson (co owner of the car). We were into the race and I got the jump on Tony and all I had to do basically was to stick as close to the Supers as I could without letting one of them pass me, the track was starting to cut up through the turns but I hung in there and with 3 laps to go I came up to pass the 9b car again and went on to win race 2.

Race 3 saw Mike back behind the wheel of the number 9b car and he was to start on grid 2 and myself on grid 1. We both took off together then I started to get in front of Mike and that's how we ended up, I went on to take out my third win of the night.

With the results on the board obviously nobody told the lap scorers that the Supers were a lap down on the Limited's (But ill take the three wins.) I was happy with the way my car went after we've done some changes to the car with the help of Sam Lyle (ex super saloon racer and Gisbornes saloon rep) which has made a difference, considering I had a big steering problem the last time I raced.

Overall Napier still has a few problems with their track surface but otherwise a good nights racing.  My next meeting is this weekend 5th April at my home track the Gisborne Pak n Save Speedway, this meeting I will be running with the Super Saloons for my Dads Trophy. (Phil Walsh Memorial)