Luck runs the way of Luke Miers
Luke Miers finally had the luck run his way to dominate the Brent Lowe Memorial Stockcar title at the Robertson Holden Speedway in Palmerston North.
The sought-after title named after the hard-hitting stockcar driver who died in an accident on Christmas Eve 2015 drew a massive field of more than 50 cars, with qualifying before a one-race final onmonday.
Without doubt Miers has been the stockcar class’ outstanding driver over the past season, but has often suffered from flat tyres or cars spinning out of control in front of him. But on this occasion he had everything go his way as he cruised to a relatively untroubled win in his impressive new Peter Rees car.
With more than 200 drivers entered for the New Zealand Championships at Meeanee, Napier, on January 15 and 16, Miers will start as one of the favourites. Because only three or four drivers are guaranteed to make the three-heat finals, Miers and all the other Palmerston North drivers will need luck just to make the final.
In recent weeks the Palmerston North Pumas selectors have been experimenting with different drivers in their team’s races in an effort to pick a team that can take the title from Wellington.
As shown on Monday night, Kyle Rowe and Daniel Burmeister, who finished on the podium, will be important cogs in the Pumas wheel when that title is fought for.
A high-class field of saloon car drivers, with competitors coming from as far away as Invercargill and Cromwell, were among the 20 starters for the opening round of the Mufflers New Zealand series.
The big crowd was treated to brilliant racing, with national champion Thomas Korff coming back from a puncture in the opening race with an incredible piece of driving in the next qualifying heat before taking out the final.
Korff went three wide to overtake the two cars in front of him on the same corner and with the crowd on its feet he went on to win. Then, starting from eighth on the grid in the final, the Stratford driver stayed out against the wall, working his way up to third. A similar pass meant Korff took the lead before going on to win by the length of the straight. Second went to 2NZ Scott Langsdon, with caddy-cum-racer Steve Williams in third.
A poor second heat cost Palmerston North’s national champion Shane Dewar hope of winning the Manawatu¯ minisprint title. It went to Stratford’s Bayley Betts, who finished each of the three heats in the top five.
After winning the opening heat from the front, Dewar didn’t have much luck in the next heat, getting caught up in race incidents that kept him at the back of the field and well behind Betts on points after two heats.
Worse was to follow for Dewar when he punctured in the runoff for second place with Donald Kuriger.
With the New Zealand Superstock title at Rotorua next weekend, Shane Mellsop has hit form at the right time, with an impressive victory in the first heat, heading home the consistent and improving Brendon Sharland and Wellington’s Hilton Parker.
Brett Hyslop had a first win in his new self-built car.
On a night when the track was difficult for the sidecars, Auckland combination Jamie Moohan and Patrick Larsen won the opening race. Other wins went to the Rob Miller-james Gerrard, Glen Murray-emma Murray and Tony Hislop-aidan Foothead combinations.
The adult ministock races went to Will Hart and Steven Sowry.