Records fell at the first round of the 2012 ASKO One Hour Race Series at Powerbuilt Ruapuna on Sunday. With a record One Hour field of 42 cars taking part it was a credit to all drivers involved that not a single safety car intervention was required during the race. This, along with a great line up of cars, helped race winner Paul Kelly (997 GT3) set a new race record, covering 40 laps of the Ruapuna Grand Prix circuit. The race was so clean and fast that in fact the top 5 cars all matched or bettered the previous race distance record set last year by Grant Williams/Brent Buist (RX7 V8)

Kelly lead away from pole but was quickly overtaken by the Williams/Buist 7 litre monster, however the lead was short lived and Williams eventually retired just over the 10 minute mark with a blown diff. John Cottier (Starlet) was another in a strong class position early in the race, but he had earlier sustained severe damage to his Starlet in one of the CCC Sprint Races, and was another early retirement with suspension damage resulting from this previous race contact.

As the race settled down, Kelly meticulously picked his way through the big field with Mike Baker (997 GT3) in hot pursuit, however Baker was continuing to be slightly cautious as had been suffering a sticking throttle in the earlier club races. With such a wide range of machinery and pace amongst the competitors some great battles ensued right throughout the field, and pit work was also to the fore as some teams competed their compulsory ‘chinese fire drill’ pit stop in lightning time, whilst others were decidedly more casual.  The compulsory stop was the demise of Ray Deaker’s (Porsche 964) race, he stated post race that he was simply having way too much fun to pull in for a stop, so simply didn’t bother which unfortunately resulted in his disqualification.

As with endurance racing the outcome is never decided until the chequered flag is shown, and three competitors completed the 50 minute mark but never seen the end including Honda Cup pilots Mark Wederell (Integra) and Dean McGuigan (Integra) plus Danny Whiting (997 GT3) who ended up stuck in a gravel trap with only one and a half minutes of the race to run.

With GT Class runners Kelly & Baker filling the first two spots, it was Porsche debutants George McFarlane/Grant Silvester (997 GT3) taking 3rd overall and 3rd in the GT class. It was both McFarlane & Silvester’s first time in a GT3 and it was a real credit to them to set the fastest lap of the race, especially as the car only arrived into the country less than a week ago.

Class 1 (3501cc+) was won by the Graeme Rhodes/Paul Rickerby (RX7 V8) after the sister car of Williams expired. These guys were in a great battle with fellow 3hr competitors John Wadsworth/Warren Croft (Commodore VY) until the Commodore was slowed by one of the many pit lane speeding violations handed out during the race. As the top 2 cars were only using this round as a shakedown for the 3hr the 1hr Series battle for this class now looks to be between Daniel Currie (WRX) and Nathan Pilcher/Gary Baker (Commodore 6) who finished 3rd & 4th in class respectively.

Class 2 was also lead home by a 3hr team on shakedown & return to the Series with John Petrie/Angus Petrie (WRX) leading home Grant Aitken (Evo 9) and Chris White (BMW M3) 3rd. 4th & 5th in the class were the Mini Challenges of Arron Black & Richard Knowles who had a real ding done battle throughout the first half of the race, then Steve Grant in yet another Mini Challenge 6th, after several passes through the pit lane. Grant receiving a drive-through for speeding in pit lane during his compulsory pit stop, then a subsequent 3 drive throughs for speeding on drive throughs.

Class 3 was won by Garry Cliff in the x Team Nurburgring Civic. Garry noted that the Civic hardly used ¼ of a tank during the race & quipped he could do the full series on a tank & still drive home! There was also a great battle in this class between the seven BMW E30’s who were racing for Class 2 honours, their own E30 class in the One Hour Series, plus the race was a round their SI BMW E30 championship. In the end it was Anthony Tucker taking E30 class honours and 2nd class 2, with the E30’s finishing 21st to 28th respectively with Sue McLaughlin splitting them. Dougal MacGibbon’s S2000 Starlet again proved fragile despite being the quickest qualifier in the class, limping home to 30th overall & 9th in class.

Class 4 was won strongly by Stu Black (Starlet) after 2011 1hr series winner Jeremy Dawson (Starlet) had problems in qualifying and was another hit with a drive through for speeding in pit lane, with Bradley Dawson (Trueno) taking 3rd despite a lack of gears, ahead of Ken Sinclair (Peugeot 106) limping home with a damaged clutch.

The battle of the ladies was won by Sue McLaughlin’s (Porsche 964), finishing a very respectable 27th overall,  from Alex Meiling (BMW M535i) and with both ladies initially only planning to do the Ruapuna round, the smiles on their faces suggest we will probably see both of them back for our Levels finale.

Meantime, round 2 of the One Hour Race Series is at Invercargill’s Teretonga Park on Saturday 29th September and this will also be the opening round of the ASKO Appliances 3 Hour Series. The final One Hour Series race then follows at Timaru’s Levels Raceway on 13 October, which is also the 2nd of the three round 3 Hour Series, which will wind up at the Ruapuna V8 Supertourer meeting on 24 November.

Series organisers would like to thank ASKO Appliances, Hagley Aluminium, Paul Kelly Motor Company, Southern Finance and Mobil 1 Lubricants for their support of the series. Entries are still available for the remaining rounds of the championship and with double bonus points on offer at Teretonga the score is far from settled. For more information on the South Island Endurance Racing Drivers Club or for race entries contact Series Secretary Chris Dunn at zn.oc.artxnull@cdreis, ph 021-107-9293. More information for fan and supporters can be found on the clubs facebook page at facebook.com/sierdc

Ruapuna Results (top 10)

1st Paul Kelly – 997 GT3 – 40 laps
2nd Mike Baker – 997 GT3 – 40 laps
3rd McFarlane/Silvester – 997 GT3 – 40 laps
4th Peter van Eekelen – 997 GT3 – 39 laps
5th Rickerby/Rhodes – RX7 V8 – 39 laps
6th Tim O’Connor – Ferrari 430 – 38 laps
7th Wadsworth/Croft – Commodore VY – 38 laps
8th Bill Young – 996 GT3 – 38 laps
9th Petrie/Petrie – WRX  – 37 laps
10th Grant Aitken – Evo 9 – 37 laps

Points – GT Class
1st Paul Kelly – 997 GT3 – 95 points
2nd Mike Baker – 997 GT3 – 90 points
3rd McFarlane/Silvester – 997 GT3 – 86 points

Points – Class 1 (3501cc+)
1st Rhodes/Rickerby – RX7 V8 – 95 points
2nd Wadsworth/Croft – Commodore VY – 90 points
3rd Daniel Currie – WRX – 86 points

Points – Class 2 (2001-3500cc)
1st Petrie/Petrie – WRX – 95 points
2nd Grant Aitken – Evo 9 – 90 points
3rdChris White – BMW M3 – 86 points

Points – Class 3 (1601-2000cc)
1st Garry Cliff – Civic – 95 points
2nd Anthony Tucker – BMW E30 – 90 points
3rd Steve Lancaster – BMW E30– 86 points

Points – Class 4 (0-1600cc)
1st Stu Black – Starlet – 95 points
2nd Jeremy Dawson – Starlet – 90 points
3rd Bradley Dawson – Trueno – 86 points

Points – BMW E30 Class
1st Anthony Tucker – BMW E30– 95 points
2nd Steve Lancaster – BMW E30 – 90 points
3rd Roger Young – BMW E30 – 86 points