The SS Cup championship delivered another high-quality weekend at Euromarque Motorsport Park, with a 32-car field contesting Round 5 across four races at Ruapuna.
While the points table suggested a comfortable championship lead, the on-track action told a different story, with tight margins, reverse grid battles, and shifting fortunes across the field.
Qualifying
Qualifying produced one of the closest sessions of the season, with less than 3-tenths separating the top 5 drivers.
Lincoln Brunton set the outright fastest time with a 1:34.899, but a Class A breakout ruled it out, leaving Michael Diver to claim pole with a 1:35.181. Warren Walker and Dave McLean followed closely, with Peter Sutherland and Jacob Cunniffe completing a tightly packed top five.
Further back, Matt Ryan’s weekend took an early hit with a gearbox failure, ruling him out of Race 1.
Race 1
Race 1 was disrupted before it even began, with pole sitter Michael Diver forced to start from the pit lane following late mechanical repairs.
An opening lap incident between Peter Swaney and Richard Simpson brought out the safety car and ended Swaney’s race early, resetting the field.
From the restart, Dave McLean took control and delivered a composed drive to secure the opening win, ahead of Warren Walker and Jacob Cunniffe.
Behind them, Peter Sutherland set the fastest lap of the race on his way to fourth, while Diver recovered strongly from the pit lane to finish sixth.\
Race 2
The first reverse grid handicap race brought the expected traffic and unpredictability, but at the front, it was a display of control rather than chaos.
McLean again proved clinical, working his way through the field with patience and precision before taking his second win of the weekend.
Mick Ross produced one of his strongest performances to secure second, holding position throughout the race, while Carmen Liemburg continued her consistent form with third.
The midfield told a different story, with constant position changes dictated by traffic. Walker and Cunniffe both showed strong pace but were unable to fully capitalise, while Ryan returned to the track but remained buried in the pack.
Race 3
Race 3 saw the field reset within class, but once again, the outcome at the front became clear as the race developed.
McLean continued his dominant form, moving forward early, taking control, and securing his third consecutive win. His fastest lap of 1:35.464 underlined his pace.
Michael Diver backed this up with another strong second place, confirming himself as the closest challenger on outright speed, while Ross Jones delivered a standout performance to finish third.
Lincoln Brunton, who started from pole, was unable to convert early track position and slipped back to sixth, while Walker and Cunniffe again found themselves managing traffic despite competitive pace.
Ryan continued his recovery with a tenth-place finish but remained on the back foot after missing Race 1.
Race 4
The final race of the weekend delivered a fitting twist.
Returning to the reverse grid handicap format, the race once again became a test of patience and execution, and this time it was Peter Swaney who emerged on top.
After his Race 1 DNF, Swaney produced a standout drive through the field to take victory and set the fastest lap of the race in the process.
Carmen Liemburg capped off a strong weekend with second, while Peter Sutherland secured third.
McLean’s winning streak came to an end, but a fourth-place finish ensured he continued to maximise points, while a late DNF for Diver brought an abrupt end to what had been a strong weekend.
The takeaway
McLean leaves Ruapuna with three wins and maximum impact on the championship, but the gap may not be as secure as it appears.
Diver showed the pace to challenge, Swaney bounced back in style, and Liemburg’s consistency continues to make her a factor.
With reverse grids, tight class brackets, and Joker strategies still in play, the SS Cup heads to Highlands this weekend for the final round of the season!
