Lots of rain overnight with plenty of surface water.  The grassed areas were very boggy.

There was much sky gazing and indecision as to whether to remain on wet weather tyres or move to slicks.  Slicks it was, as the Production cars had left distinct dry lines.  

At both race days David Taylor and his team from Motorsport Services generously put on a cooked breakfast and lunch for all the MINI Challenge teams. A gesture that was appreciated by all.

Threatening showers were still around so Dean McMillan took a gamble and went for wets.  Once on the grid the rain cloud magically disappeared and the sun was attempting to break through.  

RACE 2.

Ryan Bailey was on the front row outside of Championship leader Craig Innes.  Bailey was holding high revs and started to creep so he lifted off just as the lights went green.  Innes had the better drive off the line as did Simon McLennan who was behind Innes and quickly into 2nd. Joel Thrupp who was 4th on the grid because of his 4th fastest lap yesterday was also through into 3rd. Bailey found himself a distant 4th. Thrupp was all over Innes and McLennan joined them into Turn 1.  

Hunt and Grigor got going again.  Kirkpatrick parked it up immediately.  A lap later McMillan parks up also and Parkinson is back in the gravel but this time at Higgins.

Couple of laps later and Thrupp was past McLennan in the middle esses but as the three entered the front straight McLennan went right around the outside reclaiming 2nd.  
Bailey was about three car lengths behind them. Two more corners and Thrupp was back to 2nd and now all front four were close.

As they went into Toyota bend at the end of the front straight McLennan is sideways with Thrupp the only one near him.  Bailey is through and once it settles Innes has at least ten car lengths on them.

Meantime Gavin Yortt, Mark Maddren, David Grigor and Marty Hunt were having a race of their own.

The top four settled down to at least four car lengths between them.  I had said in the preview that they would be 'freight training' but with some nine opportunities to pass the separation worked better as they were all changing lines trying to out-fox each other.

That's the way it went to the line apart from Hunt and Grigor who had nothing between them as they went to the line side-by-side - Hunt got it by 0.188  It was one of the most exciting races we had seen for ages.

Back in the pits Simon McLennan said "I turned into T1 knowing that, despite limited vision, that Simon was not up to my B pillar."

The Stewards said that both were side-by-side and there was nothing in it.  Video replay clearly shows that McLennan definitely owned the line and Thrupp was at fault.  

To his great credit, Thrupp came straight over to the MINI pits. His MINI was pitted quite some distance away with his Production Suzuki as the two classes were back-to-back. He said to Simon McLennan "I thought I had an opportunity on the inside and I went in a little too. It was wet off he racing line and sorry I turned you."    

It was Chris Parkinson's third visit to the gravel and MINI Challenge's Technical 'man' Peter Burke, had already changed his cars ABS sensor.  There was obviously something very wrong in the wiring loom causing the failure and considering the history of the car that's a logical explanation.

The four that left the track at T1 had varying damage. Dean McMillan was on wets and had wheel-spin off the line.  He got a side-slap from James Kirkpatrick at T1 and had a steering problem and completed the lap and pulled into the pits.   Kirkpatrick also has steering damage.  Both cars had broken suspension bottom racks.  Marty Hunt was hit on the right hand side by Kirkpatrick and in turn he forced McMillan to go straight ahead through the gravel. Although he finished minus a front left flare Marty Hunt also had brake calliper damage.  In the video replay, courtesy of Marty Hunt and Brent Melsop, it was hard to attribute blame to anyone as it all happened so quickly in real time.

RACE 3.

This is 'reverse grid Top 10' and as James Kirkpatrick was the first dnf he did not make that Top 10. As it turned out Chris Parkinson joined him at the back of the grid as well.  The lights went green and David Grigor, who was on the front, had a very slow start.  Ryan Bailey has a 'blinder' and went from Row 3 (in 6th position) to 2nd.  Not much later he was into 1st.  Mark Maddren was also past Marty Hunt. Meantime Craig Innes was up to 3rd.

Two laps later Bailey had a 50 metre lead advantage and McLennan was right on Innes.  Innes would always go deep at the end of the esses and McLennan dived underneath him.  That slowed Innes'd drive out of the corner and next thing Grigor was past him as well.   5th to 9th were 'freight-training' each other.

A lap later and Joel Thrupp is right on Grigor.  Whilst Bailey appeared to have the legs on McLennan and Innes it had to be remembered that McLennan and Innes were both carrying 50 kgs of 'weight ballast reward'.

Towards the end Bailey, Mclennan, Innes, Grigor and Thrupp had closed up on each other especially Thrupp over Grigor.

Another lap and it's very close at the front.  Meantime Hunt, McMillan, Kirkpatrick and Yortt are racing their own race.  Next thing Thrupp is past Grigor.  The front three are now 'freigh training'.

Two laps to go and just when McLennan looks like he can have a go at Bailey, McLennan pulls off the track.

That is the way it went to the flag but on the final lap there was a big incident.  Marty Hunt was turning into the right hander leading onto the back straight (Higgins), when Yortt piles into the back of him at great speed and both cars go off.

Great run by Ryan Bailey and an excellent overall win.  Innes is 2nd and extends his Championship lead thanks to McLennan's unfortunate dnf. Joel Thrupp is 3rd - his first podium.

Simon McLennan explained his dnf, "Clutch, I had no drive at all." Craig Innes said "My speed was hampered by handling problems caused by 'wheel rub' from others.  I lacked brakes as I over-heated them trying make up for my lack of speed."

Gavin Yortt was most apologetic to Marty Hunt for the right rear damage to Hunt's car.  He said he ran out of brakes and the video replay (courtesy of Marty Hunt) showed how big the hit was.  Yortt definitely came off second best as his frontal damage was very extensive with the engine moved back into the firewall.  Not long after they finished the skies opened up again.

The 7th and final Round is at Pukekohe in two weeks time.

Media : HH Media