Opening round of OSCA North and South at Ruapuna, round sponsored by Hatton Horse Floats.
Round 1 of the NZ OSCA Championship kicked off at Powerbuilt Tools Raceway on the first weekend of January with searing temperatures on and off the track. Unfortunately last years NZ OSCA Champion Colin Dawson struck engine trouble in qualifying along with a couple other competitors. The Bed Rumours Mustang of Andy Greenslade and the Camaro of Lawrence Knowler filled the first row for race one and it was action aplenty for the forst lap of race 1. Chris Hatton in the Hatton Horsefloats Camaro and Matt Cronins' Spantech Levin had a coming together into turn 4 resulting in both getting punctures and putting them out. Andy Greenslade went on to win the first race with Paul Williams hounding him for the last three laps after dispatching Knowler. Williams tried a number of moves on the Mustang but ended up crossing the line just a second behind. Knowler came home third after Tim Rooney and Cameron Jones couldn't find a way past, all three crossing the line within two seconds just behind the leaders. Laine Etwell finished a lonely sixth with Tony Stewart further back. Rounding out the top ten was Austin McKinley making his return in his Camaro, Mark Burgess' North Island Championship winning RX7 and Russell Due making his first trip South in his Camaro.
Race 2 gave us a reverse grid and it was the three V8's of Geoff Washbourne, Due and McKinley who fought tooth and nail to hold onto the lead as long as possible. It wasn't until the last lap when the lead pack caught these 3 and it was Rooney who was holding out Greenslade as they scythed through the field.
Rooney managed to get to the line first out dragging Greenslade and McKinley to take the win with just 0.4 seconds separating the three of them. Just behind was Washbourne who held out Due and the fast closing Hatton and Jones with the four of them crossing the line within 1.6 seconds. Etwell followed with Knowler behind just getting the better of Steven King Turner in his Camaro who rounded out the top ten. Cronin followed with Raymond Hart's Skyline, Burgess, Wayne Ross in his newly acquired Mustang and the Starlet of Derin Greenslade rounding out the top fifteen. This second race had the crowd on their feet with some great duels throughout the field and some fantastic close finishes.
Race three gave a chance for the slower part of the field to get out and lead a few laps and Hart needed no further invitation and duly kept the lead going into the last lap. Hatton got the best run through the traffic and was chasing Hart down but couldn't quite take the chequer first and followed Hart across the line with Andy Greenslade a close third. Washbourne held onto fourth by the narrowist of margins from Derin Greenslade, Due, Rooney, Jones, Etwell and Ross with this group of cars finishing within 3.8 seconds and Rounding out the top ten was Stewart
After Round one Andy Greenslade has the lead in the points with Rooney and Washbourne in close pursuit.
Part 3 of 3
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Ruapuna Clubday2 flying farewellby haroo69nz591 views
on telly! wooohoo, u rock
redcrystalroses 3 years ago