PREMIER MOTORSPORT CHAMPIONSHIP

The penultimate round of the Premier Motorsport Championship for the 2016/’17 season took place at Hampton Downs underneath the menacing clouds of the ‘Tasman Tempest’, which drenched the North Island on March 11 and 12. This resulted in several yellow and red flags throughout the weekend, which kept the marshals on their toes at all times. The classes racing were the BNT NZ Touring Cars, Enzed Central Muscle Cars, NZ Formula First, Pirelli Porsche, Porter Group NZ V8 Utes, Ssangyong Actyon Sport Ute Series, Toyota 86, and Tradezone GT cars.

However, the main drawcard to the event was the BNT NZ Touring Cars class, with a combination of Fords, Holdens, Nissans, and Toyotas. This was its final race of the season. Simon Evans, son of Owen Evans, who most would know for his New Zealand landspeed record feats in 1996, won the title in stunning fashion by taking two out three of his races over the weekend. The V8 utes was another of the championships to finish its 2016/’17 campaign at Hampton Downs, and although Matt ‘The Springer’ Spratt won the round, the overall series winner was Richard Moore.

The Toyota 86 class, a stepping stone into motor sport, also finished off its six-round championship at Hampton Downs. Young Ryan Yardley, driving for the Carevets team, had a stellar season to finally secure the coveted trophy. He didn’t win any races over the weekend but finished high enough in the order to gain enough points.

The championship will head to Pukekohe next for what will be an action-packed weekend, when the big gun will be brought out — truck racing.