Veteran Hamilton Sprintcar driver Dean Brindle tracked down American ace Johnathan Allard to make the last lap pass and win the 30-Lap Daltons Bay Piston Cup at Baypark Speedway in Mount Maunganui.
Running in support of the Sprintcars were Stockcars, Super Saloons and Youth Ministocks on a track surface prepared for the third meeting in a row by Local Sprintcar driver Rodney Wood. A veteran speedway driver and multi time champion now leading the mid-week and race night prep while competing serving up the softest and liveliest track to date, under his tenure.
The Stockcar races were won by Rotorua registered Tony Coxhead and locale Max Walton and #48m Lee Porter who was lucky to finish with his right rear wheel barley attached by the end of the race.
Michelle McPherson and #18m Sam Waddell claimed wins in the 10-Lap heat races with Waddell going on to claim the Super Saloon Feature win ahead of fellow local and current 2NZ Chris Cowling. McPherson home 3rd.
The Ministocks section was cleaned up by #53m Caleb Hutchins claiming all 3 wins for a perfect sweep of the night.
The Sprintcars started with 2 qualifications laps each with current 1NZ Michael Pickens setting a fastest time of 13.544 seconds, only 0.148 faster than 2 time former Champ Allard, Wood, Brindle and Jamie Duff, filling in for Jamie McDonald in the #71a car among the five fastest.
The Semi Main saw several cars strewn across the track in the opening laps with Palmerston North’s Dean Cooper winning the 10-Lap race ahead of Ryan O’Connor, Max Guildord and Son of Rodney, Cole Woods. All of whom earning the right to start in the last 2 rows of the B-Dash.
Former National Champion and relief driver Duff won the B-Dash with Colin Entwisle, O’Connor and Cooper in the top 4 the advancing to the back of the 8-Lap A-Dash. Allard dominating this race over 5 seconds ahead of Brindle with Pickens 3rd and Duff 4th. Cooper and O’Connor driving well in the preliminaries, from the Semi to the A-Dash to start 5th and 7th respectively.
Allard got the jump at the start of the Feature with outside front row starting Brindle second while Rodney Wood championed the highline early side by side with Duff. Allard encountered lap traffic on lap 4 as Duff broke free of Wood then passed Brindle into second.
Duff hit the lead on lap 7 on the back straight as he and Allard split lap traffic, the pair colliding into one another off of turn four. Allard coming off best from the contact ahead as Brindle used this to catch and pass Duff.
After a mid-race yellow flag bunched the field back up Allard once again won the start and establish a small lead briefly until he reached the tail of the field where Brindle closed the gap to challenge for the lead only to have another caution flag period slow the race.
With 10 to go Allard spent the next 5 laps pulling away from a comers. However Brindle spent the last 5 laps gaining on the American and used a great run off of turn 4 and down the front straight under the white flag to set himself up for a full send in turns one and two.
Allard now with his brake rotor glowing and suffering from brake fade on the highline got tight and was unable to keep his momentum as Brindle nailed the bottom and streaked out of range on the back straight and through the final bend to claim the win.
Rodney Wood was 3rd with Duff 4th and fast qualifier Pickens home 5th with his right front shock tower ripped from the chassis. Cooper, Greg Pickerill, Cole Wood, Zackary Sokol and Guilford finishing inside the top ten.
“I felt we had a bit of a freeer car [than Allard]. Just the way his car was handling in through some of that lap traffic so we were just trying to bide our time, but you can’t much around either.” Said a delighted Brindle.
“So when I saw the white flag I knew I just had to do it and the pathway opened and I managed to pull it off.”