Taylor Lampp claims top honours at Palmerston North speedway
Taylor Lampp survived the threeheat final of the Robin Pratt Memorial Trophy to secure his first win in the prestigious championship at the Robertson Holden Speedway last Saturday night.
The final fieldwas whittled down to 36 starters from the more than 50 entries, but the destruction through the three heats saw just 16 drivers finish the third heat in front of a small crowd who turned out on a cold penultimate night of the 2020-2021 season.
Other pre-championship favourites perished either through being taken out like Stratford’s Brad Podjursky who finished second in the opening heat only to be taken out in each of the next two races.
Mechanical problems or colliding with other cars, like first heat winner Kyle Rowe, as well as Sam Prescott, Wellington’s Keegan Levien, Kaelin Moonry, Hamish Mcleod, Cameron Renwick, Brendon Learmonth and Daniel Burmeister, put paid to their title chances.
It was left to two of the most consistent Palmerston North drivers this season, Lampp and Manawatu¯ champion Matt Phippen, to fight out the title.
Heading into the final heat Lampp had a narrow one point lead over Phippen, and Lampp's extra pace on the night proved the difference.
Third-placed Callum Sturzaker from Whanganui did well to finish on the podium as he was battered around in the third head, but with so few cars finishing the race his second ninth-placed finish in the three heats was enough to secure third place overall, 12 points behind Lampp.
Kyle Taylor just missed the podium, finishing in fourth-equal with Rotorua’s national championship runner-up, whose 13th place finish in the third heat cost him a podium placing.
The Saloon class has been on the rise over the past two seasons, with now eight Palmerston North contracted cars, and they turned on some of the best saloon car racing seen in Palmerston North over their four races. The Halcrow family have been one of the biggest additions to a class that has really only had Calvin Honore carrying the class flag. The veteran super saloon and sprintcar driver shifted his engineering business to Opiki and along came his two daughters Ashleigh and Danielle, who race in the saloon class. Martin drove on Saturday night, taking out awin and three podium finishes, but it was Danielle who stole the show with two good wins – her first. The other win went to Wellington’s Jaron Mcbeth, while Rachel Bradbury and Josh Smith were impressive also. The Sidecars as usual put on some close racing, with Mark Whye and Jacob Cooper taking out the feature ahead Tony Hislop and Adrian Foothead. Whye and Cooper picked up two other wins to be standout team on the night. Other race wins went to John
Hannan and Rob Miller, with two wins, as did Glen and Anne Murray, with points leader Kieran Payne and Mikey O’neill collecting the other race win.
Donald Kuriger won the first minisprint race before Jordan Mcleod showed the field a clean pair of heels in the following races as he secured big wins, including taking out the feature by almost half a lap.
Bayley Betts and Brad Mcdonald picked up second placings.
A big field of 42 youth ministock drivers made for close racing, with the promising Max Lowe securing two wins including the feature as well as a top four finish, but then failed to finish the last race.
Lowe was still the top points scorer on the night, ahead of Wellington’s Levi Pou, who had two third-place finishes along with a win, but one non-finish cost him also.
The opening win went to Wade Bengston, who secured his first win in the class.
He then followed that up with second in the next race.