NZ Team Champs - Finals 5th February 2012
Congratulations to all the British Lions for coming hope 3rd in this years NZ Team Championships behind the Nelson Tigers and winners for the second successive year, the Palmerston North Panthers.
The Lions achieved the highest position possible from their second tier qualification by convincingly beating Christchurch Gleneagles in the first race and then the Rotorua Rebels in the race for 3rd & 4th.
The Lions finishing position means that they will be a seeded team if they enter next year so will not be in the same qualification group as the Rebels, Tigers or Panthers.
Finally a big thankyou for Speedbox TV for fantastic coverage of both nights racing. Not as good as being there but a lot cheaper!
NZ Team Champs Qualifying 4th February 2012
The British Lions qualified for the second tier of Final Night racing on Saturday evening which means they have the chance to come home 3rd overall. The Lions first match against the Hawkes Bay Hawkeyes was probably the best session of the night and after a destructive encounter Danny Wainman led the Lions home. The second session would be the Lions biggest test against the current Team Champs but the race was slightly spoilt by rain which made the track extremely greasy.
Frankie Wainman borrowed his brothers cars for this race after his own suffered serious front end damage during the first race encounter. FWJ performed one of the hits of the night on Peter Rees and managed to roll him before the car caught fire. Strangely Rees was allowed to continue even though he received outside assistance to extinguish the fire! The Panthers were just too strong for the Lions especially with the damage sustained in their first race but they still did themselves credit by getting to the Finals night from the strongest group.
The Lions now face Cantebury Gleeagles in their next race tomorrow. Lets hope they have enough time to repair all of the damage suffered on night one.
NZ Team Champs 4/5th February 2012
This weekend sees the British Lions doing battle down under at the New Zealand Team Champs in Palmerston North. The Lions Team comprises of Frankie Wainman Junior, Daniel Wainman, Tom Harris, Mick Harris, Mark Taylor and Matt Newson.
The draw sees them in the same group as the current multi team winners of the Palmerston North Panthers together with the Hawkeyes.
Heres hoping for a great and safe weekend for one and all.
New Zealand Chapionships
This years NZ champs were held at Huntly on the North Island of New Zealand over the weekend of 28th & 29th January following a rained off qualifying session on Friday Night.
Congratulations go to Joe Faram who won the championships and now has the right to carry 1NZ for the year ahead. In second place was Kerry Humphry the new NZ2 and NZ3 will be carried by Shane Penn.
Venray Changes
Work has started to shorten and narrow the inner stock car track at Venray and add a concrete wall to the outside of the track on the home straight. See my photos page for pictures of the construction work kindly provided by Toon.
Official 2012 F1 Fixtures Released
The official 2012 F1 fixtures have now been released. Main changes to the provisional list is the movement of the F1 Semi at Kings Lynn back to the end of July - this no longer clashes with the Saloon WF at Taunton or the NL Dirt Champs in Sint Maarten. There is now a shale speedweekend at Kings Lynn at the end of May and the British has been changed from Buxton to Coventry in July. Two additional dates have also been added - a further date for Stoke in August and Birmingham in September. Further details can be found on my fixtures page.
World 240's - Rotorua - NZ
Congratulations to Andy McCabe 31p for becoming the new World 240's Champion and Paul Harrison for picking up a very creditable 4th position. Frankie Wainman and Mick Harris were the two other visitors from the UK and they both finished further down the order.
The winner of the 240's also get the rights to represent New Zealand in the BriSCA F1 World Final, so look forward to seeing Andy at Skegness in September
Pictures are now available on my photos page which have been kindly provided by Ian and Lyn Raisbeck.
Premier Sport
Premier Sport have confirmed coverage of F1 racing is to continue for the next two years covering 24 meetings a season. There is also a 90 minutes 2011 season highlights programme planned to be shown on Tuesday 7th February 2012
Ian Raisbeck - Oxford Champ
Congratulations to Ian Raisbeck, formely fron the UK but now from from Christchuch, New Zealand for becoming the Saloon B Grade 2011 points champion at his local Oxford Speedway. Photos of Ian with his trophys and car can be seen on my photos page. Look out for photos from Ian & Lyn shortly from their trip up to the North Island to see the World 240's and of the new race car he is building to compete at Woodford Glen Speedway near Christchurch.
Coventry 27th Decemeber 2011
All the boxes were ticked to make this a truely brilliant meeting, and it was!
The racing was some of the best of the year, it just goes to show that you don't always need the big names in the formula to have some great racing.
It was a good day for Frankie Wainman Jnr, 515 who took a Heat and Final double. Well done Frankie.
Finally I would like to add a big thankyou to Startrax and in paticular Nik Styles for giving me the opportunity to do some starting and help out on the back of the pacecar. I really enjoyed it.
Thats all for 2011, have a happy new year. I will see you in March where we do it all over again and I for one can't wait!
Old Programmes - Lost Tracks
Stu Ralls has kindly sent me a set of images of programmes from tracks that are sadly no longer in existence or do not currently stage stock car meetings. Of the 45 programmes, my Dad tells me I've been to 4, they are Baarol, Bradford, Matchams Park and Swindon.
The programmes can be seen on my photos page. Thanks again Stu - a great piece of nostalgia. I'll have to get Dad into the attic to find one from Swaffham to complete the picture.
Thank you
I would like to take this opportunity to thank both Incarace and Startrax for there support once again over the 2011 season, am I am very much looking forward to working with them again next year.
The draft fixture list for BriSCA F1's is now on my website for the 2012 season and any ammendments to that I will add as and when they are published.
Another brilliant season draws to a close so Merry Christmas to you all and I hope to see you on the 27th December at Coventry (depending on snow).