ROUND SEVEN OF THE 2015/2016 ENZED CENTRAL MUSCLE CARS SERIES FROM TAUPO

WORDS:

A superb line-up of 26 cars fronted up to the grid for the final event of the of the 2015–2016 Enzed Central Muscle Cars Series at Bruce McLaren Motorsport Park, Taupo. The front row was filled by Andy Knight’s beautiful Chev Monza with Dean Perkins in the XD Falcon alongside. Behind them sat the youngest in the class, John Midgley, in the XE Falcon, with the experienced senior in the class, Bruce Anderson, in the ’69 Mustang next to him. As soon as Knight shot off the line, he had Greg Honnor’s ’69 Mustang on his tail, pole-vaulting up from the third row on the grid. Finding themselves in the unfamiliar position of being at the back of the starting grid with the prominent doctor, John Elliott, in his Torana, were Bruce Kett in the Camaro and Michael Eden in the GT-HO Falcon; they had both failed to post qualifying times because of fuel mechanical issues. SHARON CUTTANCE

PHOTOS:

LYALL CHINNERY By lap two, Paul Boden’s smoking Chev Nova was slowing and pulling back and off the track, while, mid pack, Clarke Hopkins’ Torana was sparring with Steve Ross’s Commodore. The tidy Mustang of Bruce Dreadon sat astern Greg Holden’s Falcon, and behind them the Group2 Camaros of Bruce Kett and Tristan Teki were engaging in battle. By lap three, Teki had shimmied his way up and slipped past Dreadon. Honnor fell into the arms of the big red Falcon, after sinking back a little from Knight and allowing the Monza to step away. Colin Meadows, in the Camaro, was trailing Ross and Hopkins, as Steve Noyer in the Group2 Mustang edged closer, while fellow Group2 Camaro competitor, Mark Holland, and Dunedinite Paul Clarke followed. Ross caught Hopper and pressed him hard around the track as Teki tried to manoeuvre around the Eden Falcon, with Kett seemingly sitting back. Greg Holden’s Falcon and Steve Scoles’ Camaro battled

until the higher horse powered Group1 car tidied up the opposition. Coming out of the chicane, Anderson flew through the grass shortcut, keeping his chin clean and not losing a spot. With only a few laps to go, the pointy end of the field lapped the tail enders. While Honnor retired with gearbox trouble, Ross had by now slipped past Hopper. Further back, Greg Cuttance in the XE Falcon was keeping his arch-rival, Cam Crawford, in the XA Falcon at bay as Sean Fowler in the Torana watched from a distance. On the penultimate lap, pushing into the hairpin too hot didn’t pay off for Ross as he spun his Commodore, Hopper and Hopkins happily capitalizing on this. Andy Knight took the chequered flag ahead of Perkins. The emerging talent, Midgley, was followed by Anderson, Hopper, and Hopkins. Ross finished seventh, Meadows eighth, and the last two spots were filled by the Group2 cars of Noyer and Holland.