MEDIA RELEASE
10 NOVEMBER 2007
BLAST FROM THE PAST MARKS
FIFTY YEARS IN STYLE
The first motor racing circuit in New Zealand to
celebrate it's 50th Anniversary did so in style today. Teretonga Park, on the
outskirts of Invercargill, held it's first race meeting in November 1957
and today "Blast From The Past" presented by Fulton Hogan was held as part of a
weekend of celebration to mark the occasion.
The race meeting was restricted to cars and/or
drivers who had previously competed at one of the two hundred and
forty-five meetings held since 1957 prior to today's event at the circuit.
One driver, Doug Macdonald of Marahau near Motueka, was
the only driver on track today who had raced on Teretonga's opening race day
back on 30 November 1957.
Macdonald raced his 1960 Alfa Romeo replica after
appearing fifty years ago in an MGTD at the historic first meeting on the
circuit. After today's event he said, "I loved it. The track is such a huge
improvement since I raced here. It is a total credit to the Southland Sports Car
Club and the people doing the organising. It is a whole lot safer for spectators
and competitors. I just wish I was twenty or thirty years younger so I could
keep going a bit longer."
Four others from that opening meeting are attending
the weekend's events but did not race today.
Meanwhile on the track, despite the fact that this
was a 50th Anniversary Celebration meeting, racing was as competitive as ever
with several incidents and some uncomprising battles throughout the day.
Scott O'Donnell of Invercargill set the pace in
the EnviroSouth Classic Saloon car races. O'Donnell, driving a Porsche GT3 Cup
car with technology not even dreamed of fifty years ago, was fastest in
qualifying and won the first two races. He took the first from Stephen Grellet
of Dunedin and the second from Mark Scott of Wellington. Both Grellet and Scott
drive BMW M3's. Mark Scott won the third race from Rick Michels of Invercargill
in yet another M3 after O'Donnell started from the rear of the grid and raced
through the field to third.
Noel Atley dominated the Invercargill PartsWorld
Racing Cars class with his Begg 018 Formula 5000. Atley, of Invercargill,
qualified fastest and won all three races with Dunedin driver Steve Ross second
in his Lola Formula 5000 car in all three. 1998/99 New Zealand Formula Ford
Champion, LeRoy Stevenson of Queenstown showed he had lost none of his skill
when he qualified his Stealth Formula Ford second fastest and then took two
third placings and a fourth in his first outing since the 2005 New Zealand Grand
Prix. Hong Kong driver Kerry Anderson and locals 14-year-old Damon Leitch, Steve
Heffernan and Phil Reed were also prominent.
Graeme Beck of Invercargill was the man to beat in
the Southern Paints Sports & Racing Car Class. He qualified his Beck Special on
pole position ahead of Lawrence Knowler's Lotus Eleven. However Knowler struck
troubles during the day as Beck raced to three wins with Otago drivers Ralph
Smith in his Lycoming Special and Phil Thomson in his Triumph Spitfire second
and third on each occasion.
Current New Zealand and South Island OSCA Saloon
Car Champion Colin Dawson of Invercargill qualified fastest in his 6 litre Mazda
RX7 for the Noel McIntyre Drainage Clubmans Saloon races. Andrew Cundall of
Invercargill in a Toyota Levin and Brett Stevens of Motueka in a Ford Sierra
Cosworth were second and third respectively. Dawson went on to win the first two
races, the first from Stevens and Pierre Neame of Winton after Cundall pulled
out at the start and the second from Cundall and Stevens. Dawson was a
non-starter in the third and final race leaving Stevens to take the win from
Scott Laurence and Matthew Ralston.
The Newfield Autos Motorcycle races featured a wide
variety of machinery and were dominated by Invercargill riders John Beck of
Invercargill on his Suzuki GSX-R 1000 and Jeremy Holmes on a Honda CBR600.
While the conditions did not reach the scorching
temperatures of the first race meeting fifty years ago a pleasant, sunny day at
the circuit encouraged a good crowd to attend.
Tomorrow a standing 1/4 event, luncheon and circuit
drives will be held at Teretonga for those registered for the 50th Anniversary
Celebrations.
Lindsay Beer
Publicity Officer
Southland Sports Car Club
021 351 499