Third consecutive win for the veteran driver after leader obstructed by lapped traffic halfway through race.
Luck was on midget car driver Brad Mosen’s side on Saturday night as he claimed his third consecutive Auckland Championship title at WxC Speedway-Western Springs.
The 27-year-old started on pole position in the feature race, having qualified fastest through the heats, but didn’t have it all his own way as fellow Aucklander Chris McCutcheon snatched the lead on the first corner.
Mosen struck good fortune halfway through the race however, as McCutcheon was obstructed by lapped traffic, leaving the door open for Mosen to retake the lead and get the win.
“It obviously wasn’t the best start for us with Chris leading into turn one, then pulling away for a while there,” said Mosen. “But my car just kept getting better and better as the race went on and we managed to pull him right back in.”
“I kind of got a bit lucky getting past him amongst those lapped cars and once we had clean air it became a lot easier and I could really start to enjoy it.”
This victory hands the midget car veteran his third Auckland title in as many years, and back-to-back opening night feature wins at WxC Speedway-Western Springs.
“It’s a great way to start the season for us and get a trophy locked away on opening night, but this season it’s about the bigger picture, so hopefully I’ll be doing a few more of these interviews over the summer,” he said.
Former sprint car driver Ryan O’Connor finished second, ahead of McCutcheon in third place.
The sprint car feature was a lot more one-sided as American-Kiwi Jonathan Allard showed off his extra seat time to claim the title by a comfortable margin.
While the majority of sprint car competitors have enjoyed an off season away from the track, Allard has been racing weekly up in the US, earning some impressive victories and keeping his good form intact.
“It’s great to be back in New Zealand and have my team together again, working hard as always,” said the Californian.
Current 2NZ Dean Brindle claimed second place, while Canterbury’s Jamie Duff made his journey worthwhile by rounding out the top three.
History was made in the TQ feature as the Baker family dominated proceedings. Scott Baker took the chequered flag first ahead of his father Lawrence and brother Ryan in third, making it a full-family affair on the podium.
“It’s a special thing we’ve done, especially on night one of the season,” said Scott. “I don’t think it’s ever done before so we’re making history.”
The sport itself also made history on Saturday night with racing being broadcast online live to subscribers around the world, a new feature of the venue this season.
