West takes Mobil Delvac 1 Trophy at Teretonga Park

A new name will be engraved on the Mobil Delvac 1 Trophy after the latest round of the NAPA Auto Parts NZ Super Truck Championship at Teretonga Park in Invercargill this weekend. Dave West of Pukekohe won the trophy which is up for grabs each year the championship visits the circuit.

The championship was brought south by King House Removals and featured three good races with a different winner in each. Alex Little of Lower Hutt was aiming for his sixth straight trophy win but had a tough weekend finishing second to team mate Brent ‘Bones’ Collins of Pareora in the first race on Saturday and then fourth in Sunday morning’s race after getting oil from Collins’ truck on his windscreen and then losing low boost. Little then took no part in the third race after his Freightliner Century failed to leave the dummy grid. Collin’s challenge also evaporated after he had replaced a head gasket after Saturday’s win only for it to let go again on his way to second on Sunday morning.

Through it all came West in his Freightliner Argosy. He finished third on Saturday and then won Sunday morning’s race before finishing fourth in the third race behind Shane Gray of Lower Hutt, Ron Salter of Auckland and Marc King of Eketahuna to take the top step of the podium from Gray (Kenworth) and Collins (Freightliner Century).

In the Flying Farewell Gray headed home Ricky West and Garry Price of Cromwell.

The Mobil 1 Mainland Muscle Cars were the other headline category and local driver Brendan Mason in his Chev Monza prevailed after four races. He took the top step of the podium from Rhys Gould of Christchurch in a Falcon XE and Matt Coory of Dunedin (Ford Mustang). Mike Wallace of Dunedin in a Chev Monza won two of the races while Gould and Mason took one each. Championship leader coming into the round, John Hepburn of Timaru, broke a rocker in his Holden Monaro during qualifying and did not race.

The Historic & Vintage Racing Association provided a different winner in each race with Simon Crampton of Christchurch (BMW M3), Trev Lines of Amberley (Mini), Leon Hallett of Mosgiel (Mustang) and Stacy Lines of Invercargill (Falcon) each taking a win.

The MX5 Heritage Cup paid their first visit to Teretonga Park and Hamilton driver Dean Evans took home the spoils. After his own car suffered issues on Friday, he took over fellow driver, Richard Bosselman’s car, and won the round from Canterbury drivers Brayden Phillips and Benny Yan.

Local driver John Smolenski in a Ford Falcon took round honours for the Pre 65 Saloons after two good race wins, with Corey Ross of Rolleston (Mustang) and Paul Whiting of Christchurch in a Ford Anglia second and third respectively.

Mick Ross of Dunedin in a Commodore was the best in NZ 6 Saloons from Cody Welch of Alexandra (Falcon) and Marty Russell of Dunedin (Commodore).

Jordan Michels of Invercargill in his Marc Mustang won three of the four Noel McIntyre Drainage Club Saloon races while Liam MacDonald (Ford Falcon) won the other. In the class race MacDonald took the 2501cc & over class, Dave McLean of Balfour in a Honda Integra the 1601-2500cc class and Josh Cooper in a Corolla the 1301-2500cc.

Drivers faced difficult conditions throughout the weekend with wet conditions on Saturday and early Sunday and then drier conditions for the rest of the event.