Four seasons of perseverance were rewarded with a convincing Baypark Speedway feature race win for Formula 2 Midget Car racer Troy Jeffries (Auckland) on Saturday night.
In a perfect performance, Jeffries won both of his heat races, clocked the fastest lap of the night, and raced his Honda-powered car to a clear 4.2-second winning margin over Baypark front-runner James Earl in the 20-lap feature.
“I’ve had six second places and four thirds, and I’ve been trying to get a win here for four years,” Jeffries says.
A track surface with more grip and a few more bumps than the first two meetings (due to heavy rainfall mid-week) tripped up a couple of his rivals, but Jeffries had a car that handled the conditions and was able to drive away from the field with a string of quick mid-16-second laps.
“I loved the challenging track, which really made me work for it. I enjoy that,” he says.
Earl claimed second spot, and Tauranga’s Luke McClymont – making a one-off appearance in the F2 class – completed the podium after battling with Brynn Jackson and Tylar Browne.
Sprint Car honours went to Californian Jonathan Allard. Bouncing back from early-season setbacks, Allard had an eventful race, which saw him qualify with the highest points and then be relegated to the second row for jumping the initial start.
He raced his way into second, chasing young Katikati racer Ayrton Hodson, who was putting in an exciting drive in a bid to win his second Baypark feature race.
The battle ended on lap 11 with a Turn 4 collision as Allard attempted an inside pass and collected Hodson’s left front wheel, ending Hodson’s race with a puncture and bent front axle.
Allard led home Tauranga’s Rodney Wood and Tokoroa’s Keaton Dahm, with Ryan O’Connor taking fourth spot and another notable drive from teenager Cruz Hodson to finish fifth.
There was no stopping Kihikihi racer Karl Garnett in the opening Stock Car action of the season. Garnett finished second to Bailey Fitzgerald (Kihikihi) in the first race and then raced clear for two wins to score 77 points from a possible 78 and secure the overall honours.
Baypark’s Matt Coombe secured second on 73pts while Rotorua’s Jason Munro completed the podium with 66pts.
The Youth Mini Stock action saw Hawke’s Bay racers setting the pace with Troy Peach taking out the overall points (decided on the first three races) with 75 points, two ahead of Vinzent McGregor. Two Auckland drivers tied for third on 66pts, with Jaxon Hazelman’s quicker lap time the tie-breaker over Lucas Baldwin.
It was also a very successful weekend for Baypark Speedway competitors in action at major events around the country.
In their first hit-out for the new season, the Baypark Busters won the Huntly Super Stock Invitation teams event, defeating the Auckland Allstars in the final.
And Tauranga’s Chris Cowling continued his impressive start to the season by winning the Canterbury Super Saloon Car Champs at Woodford Glen Speedway on Friday night, and followed up by winning the inaugural Black Baldy 30-lapper on Saturday night.
The Super Saloons are back in the spotlight at Baypark’s next meeting on Saturday, December 6, competing for the South Pacific Championship – the longest established title on the Baypark calendar.
Header Image: Stuart Whitaker/The Write Angle
