Words: Daryl Shuttleworth
Images: Jo Broadhead Photography
The Ron Spriggs Memorial delivered far more than festive speedway action, with the rulebook shaping every chapter of the night at Powderworx Central Motor Speedway. Disqualifications, penalties, and post-race decisions ensured no result came without scrutiny.
The event, presented by BMac Sheetmetal, saw several drivers face a visit to the officials for several different infringements over the night. Youth Ministocks were the hardest hit, with five drivers disqualified from Heat 1, and one from each of Heat 2 and 3.
To the credit of the officials, they were consistent throughout the meet, and no one was exempt, including the on-track winner of the Sprintcar feature, American driver Joel Myers Jr.
The Sprintcars had a bumper field, with some quality drivers on track getting valuable track time ahead of the Mark Cromie Racing New Zealand Sprintcar Championship later this month.
Heat 1 brought groups A and B out, and an early spin by Cromwell’s Russell Jack on Lap 2 brought the first restart. The next incident occurred two laps later when Wellington’s Stephen Taylor spun up while leading. He would show good pace later in the race, moving his way back up through the field.
Riverside’s Harrison Brown took the lead and had American Jonathan Allard and Cromwell’s Zack Sokol chasing him hard in second and third, but that pair would have a coming together, putting them both out.
Nelson’s Connor Rangi eventually caught Brown and raced off to a six-second win, leaving Brown in second and Cromwell’s Jason Scott third.
Heat 2 was full of action. The race started well, but on Lap 6, Ruapuna drivers Harry McIntyre and Liam Astle spun up in Turn 3. Behind them, Christchurch’s Dyllan Forsey slowed, only for the trailing Rangi, who was still at pace, to smack hard into the back of him, putting the Heat 1 winner out of the race. Rangi got out of the car and singled out Forsey as he circulated, showing his frustrations over the incident.
The race restarted, but only just got going again before Forsey and Allard made contact in Turn 3, causing the American to roll and make impact with the wall, ending his entire weekend.
Allard would head infield and join his Dalton teammate as a spectator, possibly discussing taking Forsey off the Dalton’s Christmas card list.
For Forsey, bad turned to worse just a few laps later, this time on Lap 8. Local driver Josh Buchanan was sent airborne and upside down after he and Forsey came together in Turn 3; both cars would retire to the infield.
Nelson’s Gus Dawson claimed the win once the dust settled, with Myers Jnr second and Scott third.
For the final heat race, groups A and C hit the track. Myers Jnr led early, but two laps in would retire with mechanical issues, as would fellow countryman Kaleb Montgomery, who returned from America just the day prior.
Montgomery, who was dominant at the USA Invasion just a few weeks ago, returned home but since decided to return to compete in the New Zealand Sprintcar Championship.
Harry McIntyre put in an impressive drive to claim the win ahead of Invercargill’s Jacob McIntyre, with Buchanan rewarding his team with a solid third placing after his roll over in Race 2.
Cue the 20-lap feature. Jacob McIntyre got away to a nice start and led convincingly early on.
Behind him, Myers Jnr and Brown fought hard, leading to a tangle up in Turn 2 on Lap 6. Both cars would restart, and Jacob McIntyre, up front again, had to fight off the challengers.
Myers Jnr started from the back of the grid and would soon fight his way up the field before another caution was brought out for Cromwell’s Dean Miller, who stopped on the back straight with just five laps to go.
By this stage, Rangi, Taylor, Dawson, Scott and Myers Jnr were narrowing in on Jacob McIntyre. The leader would come under attack at the restart, but would manage to fend them off until Whetu Taewa of Cromwell looped up in Turn 2, resulting in yet another restart.
This is where Myers Jnr came under the watchful eye of the SNZ Officials, as he jumped out of line at the restart and passed three cars to suddenly be putting pressure on Jacob McIntyre.
This battle produced the best five laps of the night, with the two young drivers going at it toe-to-toe. McIntyre looked to have the race in the bag, but Myers Jnr took a dive with just one lap to go and then fended McIntyre off to win the feature race and secure the Ron Spriggs Memorial. McIntyre was second, with Rangi getting up to third.
Post race, officials deemed Myers Jnr had breached the restart and would be relegated two spots, dropping the American to third, seeing Jacob McIntyre inheriting the overall win, with Rangi elevated to second.
Other results from the night saw Riverside’s Kadin Cracknell and Cromwell drivers George Hedley and Blair Smith secure race wins in Six Shooters. Overall victory went to Christchurch’s Kirk Hawkins, with Hedley second and Smith third.
Cromwell’s Mike Verdoner won all three Saloon races to win the Ron Spriggs Memorial. Second overall was Corey McQuillan of Christchurch, with Dunedin’s Aaron Andrews third.
Dylan Prattley of Cromwell was another driver who pieced together three race wins from as many starts in Stockcars to win the night. Second went to Cromwell’s Carl Gable, with Regan Todd, also of Cromwell, third.
Production Saloon race winners were James Westerman and Aven Erskine of Cromwell, and Regan Constable of Dunedin. Overall, Westerman claimed the Ron Spriggs Memorial over Constable in second and Erskine third.
Youth Ministock race winners were Marcel Vlaanderen in Races 1 & 2, while his Christchurch clubmate Jack Anderton also grabbed a win.