Tight, action-packed racing was the order of the weekend in the Nankang Tyres NZ Mazda Pro7 & Pro8 South Island series as they hit Teretonga for four races.
Jared Pyke, Chris White, Corey Stewart and Will Kitching all walked away with wins from the event which showcased how close the field were right from the outset.
It was Pyke who set the fastest time in qualifying, but that didn’t come easily, only .14 of a second separating the top three. A further 10 drivers came within 1.5 seconds of this time.
Pyke utilised his advantage to hold off the field in Race 1, Kitching finishing second and Sam Wallace third.
The intensity picked up in Race 2, a reverse top 10 grid and early Safety Car throwing a spanner into the works.
Enter Chris White, a Prebbleton teenager and class newcomer, making the most of the situation to take a commanding 2.8 second win over Kitching whilst Pyke worked his way through the field to finish third.
Pyke’s charge ended there, however, his RX8 ending in the sand at Turn 1 in Race 3, resulting in withdrawal. It was Stewart’s time to shine to take a narrow victory over Shane Roughan and Bradley Dawson.
As has been the case with this series, the field were all on hand to help Pyke repair his car ahead of the fourth and final race, an important task with round honours and championship standings on the line.
A Teretonga meet without a little rain to spice things up is always never out of the question, and the conditions left the drivers with a decision to make for the final race: Do we go with wets?
Kitching, another teenager in the field, was one of four drivers to do so, a smart decision which proved the rest of the field’s undoing.
He came home to take the flag over Wallace while series veteran Kris Mackie rounded out the podium. The trio ran away with the race, some 16 seconds the gap to Dawson in fourth.
The win gave Kitching round honours over Wallace whilst Simon Grace was rewarded with third overall in a consistent showing.
Grace also walked away the iconic Sylvester Performance “Drove the wheels off it” award for his efforts, a respectable effort after a 10 year hiatus from the sport.
The lead of the championship is now handed over to Kitching following Pyke’s misfortune, the youngster with a target on his back as the one to beat next round.
The Mazda Pro7 and Pro8 South Island series now take an extended break over Christmas, returning to the track at Levels on January 28-29.
Header image: Ash McConchie in action at Teretonga.
Image Credit: Mad Angles Photography
