Christchurch driver wins T Q Nationals

Christchurch driver, Glen Durie took out the New Zealand Three Quarter Midgetcar title at XPH Ruapuna Speedway on Thursday evening after rain had delayed the 57th running of the event from the previous Saturday night.

Napier’s Craig Todd filled the runner-up position with Christchurch’s Ricky Brett in third place.

The 36 year old was a popular winner of the 25 lap final and brought to an end a fourteen year drought since a South Island driver last lifted the trophy.

Durie went into the final starting from grid eight with the defending champion Shane O’Connor of Auckland suffering from a motor problem with his car failing to fire up meaning his title was gone even before the green flag was dropped. From the start it was the top point scorer, Todd that opened up the early lead from Brett and Christchurch drivers Ryan Stone and Lindsay Bailey. There were several caution lights early in the race with Durie making his winning move from the middle stages of the race picking off his rivals one at a time and by lap fourteen was up to second lap behind Todd who was chasing his first national tile after twice finish as runner-up as well as claiming third on another four occasions.  

Durie's car was clearly the strongest over the latter stages of the race and took his chance after the second to last period under a yellow light, caused after Auckland’s Lawrence Baker was involved in a heavy roll after tangling with Chris Gwilliam (Auckland) on the front straight. As the race resumed Durie powered to the lead passing Todd on the outside of the Town bend with five laps remaining and then survived one more caution period before the chequered flag dropped. On the closing laps Brett worked his way by Bailey to claim a place on the rostrum. 

After the race Durie, who started racing when he was seventeen hailed it his biggest win.

“I have won the South Island title a couple of times . The car was working well out wide in the second heat and we decided to use that line in the final. I was happy to start from grid eighth and knew I was in was a chance if I stayed in the top six. 

I had a couple of breaks early on and once I got by a slower car which held me up for a couple of laps I knew I had the car to win however I was a little worried if I would have enough fuel especially during the last yellow”, said the motor engineer who celebrated his birthday on Saturday. 

Earlier in the night former New Zealand Champion Dick Webb failed by a narrow margin to qualify for the final.

Webb had to start off grid 18 in the repecharge, a race that he had to finish in the first three placegetters to gain a spot in the finals.

Webb did at one stage hold third position, but the ignition problems that ruined his original qualifying attempt returned and his car stopped with a couple of laps to go in the fifteen lap race.

In supporting classes the sprintcar class was hotly contested with Ray Baughan, Matt Honeywell took out the heat with Jamie Duff coming out on top in the Feature. The modified class produced their usual close racing with Kieran and Darryl Harris to the fore with race win while in the development classes Alex Boreham and Matt Leversedge were unbeaten in their respective Youth Ministocks and Quarter Midget class classes.

 NOTE- VIDEO COVERAGE OF THE EVENT CAN BE WATCHED ON www.ruapunaspeedway.co.nz

Race Results

 New Zealand Three Quarter Midgets Championships
(Competitors from Christchurch Unless Stated)

Qualifying Heats 

Edge Parts & Performance Group

Ht 1. Craig Todd (H Bay) 1, Shane O’Connor (Auck) 2, Ricky Brett 3. 

Ht 2. C Todd 1, O’Connor 2, Brett 3.

Ht 3. Brett 1, C Todd 2, Daryl Webster (Auck) 3. 

Qualifiers for Final: Todd 41 points, Brett 38, O’Connor 31, Jared Taylor (Auck) 31, Webster (Auck) 31, Gareth Bindon 27, James Tollison (H Bay) 26 

Non Qualifiers to Repercharge: Kimberley Yeatman 20, Blair Warren 20, Marty Kennett 15, Ben Smith 9, Dick Webb 0, Paul Russ 0.

Xpress Printing House Group

Ht 1. Ryan Stone 1, Dwayne Todd (H Bay) 2, Chris Gwilliam (Auck) 3.        

Ht 2. Gwilliam 1, Todd 2, Gina Harris (Auck) 3.

Ht 3. Paul LeCren (Auck) 1, Stone 2, Gwilliam 3.

Qualifiers for Final: Stone 38, Gwilliam 38, Todd 36, LeCren 34, Harris 33, Rachel Melrose 19, Ben Gilmore 15

Non Qualifiers to Repercharge: Nick Donaldson 11, Calvin Mathers 10, Nevano Cowan(Auck) 8, Gareth Nixon 8, Anton Johnson (Auck) 7, James
Nicholson (Nelson) 0, Brian Fridd 0

The Rock FM Group

Ht 1. Lawrence  Baker (Auck) 1,  Dylan MacGregor (Gisborne) 2, Mark Alexlander (H Bay) 3.                 

Ht 2. Brock Maskovich (Auck) 1, Karl Glover 2, Ben Tiplady 3.           

Ht 3. Baker 1