'Summer Slam' field fills up

Sydney Sprintcar racer Martin Lawes has joined the lineup for next weekends (January 21 and 22)  'Sprintcar Summer Slam' to be contested at Equus Ruapuna Speedway, Christchurch.

Lawes is currently sitting fourth in the point standings for the Parramatta City Raceway track premiership, and will cross the Tasman  with Brisbane's Allan Woods for the two nights of racing.

Woods has shipped his own QT chassied car across from Australia for the meeting, while Lawes will use a car provided by Edge Parts and Performance.

Six top North Island drivers are also traveling south for the event, with former New Zealand Champions Dean Brindle and Jamie McDonald (both from Auckland) confirming their entries, along with the Bay Park duo of Colin Entwhistle and Kerry Bartlett, and Palmerston North drivers Ian Easton and Nelson Hartley.

Brindle was the first kiwi home in the recent New Zealand Championship at Bay Park, and he has been in hot form in his Traffic Management XXX, while McDonald has also been in top form, winning the preliminary feature at Bay Park.

Christchurch driver Jamie Duff will make his return to Ruapuna in the Powerbuilt J and J. 

Duff finished fourth in the International Classic at Western Springs in November, and he was unlucky to be eliminated in a first corner skirmish during the final at Bay Park when a rival spun in front of him. Earlier in the weekend Duff had set the fifth fastest time during qualifying.

Another Christchurch driver Ray Baughan is in a race against time after striking engine problems while racing at Western Springs last week however his team are confident that they will complete repairs in time to take part in the biggest Sprintcar show to be held in the South Island this year.