Dunn seals driving series with Super Sunday win

The series win was already in the bag but Dexter Dunn is too competitive to just turn up to pick up his prize.

The leading Kiwi reinsman took an unassailable lead into the final heat of the World Driving Championship at Menangle yesterday but continued an amazing week by winning the last of the 20-heat series.

Dunn, 25, wearing black colours with a silver fern, stole the early show on Australia’s Super Sunday of racing, featuring the Interdominion Grand Final when he drove the Darren Hancock-trained Global View to a near perfect victory.

Dunn placed Global View straight into the one-one position from his handy barrier draw of four.

In traditional American style, Dunn was leaning back in the cart when he angled out as they turned for home and he gradually picked up the threelength lead of Courage To Rule to take the victory.

A winner of last seven successive New Zealand driving premierships, Dunn’s 2¾-length win yesterday gave him a mammoth 200 points for the series.

The final winning margin was 54 points, with Frenchman Tony Le Beller second with 146 points and American Tim Tetrick on 142.

Global View’s time of 2:49.10 for the 2400m was a track record for the distance at Menangle with a mile rate of 1:53.4 and last quarter in 27.3 seconds.

Dunn’s exploits won praise from Australian commentators who described his efforts throughout the series as a masterclass and a clinic.

Winning the series pockets the Canterbury-based driver A$ 50,000.

Dunn has become the first Kiwi to win the championship since Mark Jones in 2003.

Other past Kiwi winners include Tony Herlihy, Maurice McKendry, Kevin Holmes and Robert Cameron.

Dunn’s commanding win is a far cry from earlier in the week.

After night two of the series at Newcastle last Sunday, Dunn was ninth of the 10 international drivers.

Winning three heats at Wagga Wagga on Wednesday night and picking up three seconds thrust him into the lead.

Meanwhile, yesterday, Natalie Rasmussen made a massive start to the day for the Kiwi when she won the second race – the Lady Drivers’ Invitational driving Ive Gottalife.

Passing Shot brings a victory of a different sort for Black Caps captain Brendon McCullum at Ellerslie.