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CRC Motor Racing Series From New Zealand

30 December 1998

Courtesy of SportsWeb

CHRISTCHURCH racing driver Gary Wilkinson achieved a longtime dream in todays Taupo round of the CRC Motor Race Series - following in his father Robins footsteps to win the NZ Mini Seven Championship

The 32-year-old had to keep his head as Wellington driver Karl Warmouth won the first two races of the day and so took the Husqvarna title to the wire - and as all around there was mayhem.
"It was pressure like Ive never known it before, I can tell you," said Wilkinson.

"It was very, very nervewracking. It was just a matter of sitting back and letting it all happen around you."

It paid off: In the second race, he inherited a valuable second place when British driver Jonathan Lewis and fellow-Christchurch racer Wayne Timms collided on the fast left-hander off the main straight - both spearing off the track (Lewis into angry retirement, Timms to rejoin down the order with damaged steering).

That proved critical and when he was able to a) - stay out of trouble and b)- hold off Warmouth in the finale, hed taken the title from the Lower Hutt 25-year-old by 13 points - 91 to 78.

"Its been one of my dreams to get my name on that trophy beside my Dads," said an emotional Wilkinson later.

"And without my old man, who builds the horsepower, I wouldnt be here."

Wilkinsons win overshadowed a remarkable performance from Warmouth, who is in his first full championship campaign - and his first full season of motor racing!

In the CRC Touring Car Championship races, title hot favourite Jason Richards did as promised and stamped his dominance on the small field - driving his BMW 320i to three victories.
In what Richards reckons was his "best-ever day yet in motor racing," the young Aucklander was only headed all day for a mere few seconds - and that was in the opening moments of the finale, in which the days top six points-scorers start in reverse-grid order.

In a wild run to the first corner - with BMW team-mate Barrie Thomlinson taking to the grass to avoid the Honda Civic of Murray Poot - Richards jinked through the traffic to claim the lead from Ford Telstar ring-in Angus Fogg at the hairpin on the first lap.

Richards also set a new 42.12s touring car lap record en route to his second win. Thomlinson spun away a sure second placing in the opener, letting Geoff Shorts Telstar by, but came back to follow Richards home in the second (ahead of Fogg and Short) and fought off Short for third in the finale (behind Richards and Fogg).

Richards has extended his lead in the championship to 36 points, with two rounds to go in the CRC series. Thomlinson is second, on 84, with newcomer Aaron Harris third, another 24 points back. Aucklander Ted Jarvis leads the 0-1600cc points standings.

Christchurch 30-year-old Dennis Charlett completed a standout second season in the NZ 125cc Motorcycle Championship in style, taking two hard-fought wins over arch-rival Steve Ward and so claiming the national title by just three points.
The pair went into the second race of the day tied on points and defending champion Ward tried so hard he gave himself a few scary moments in the finale - and was eventually forced to follow Charlett to the finish line.

Charlett, a virtual unknown in top-level motorcycle racing until this year, reckons he "virtually wasted 10 years of my life on bucket racing (riding club level 100cc fun machines)." Now he hopes to make up for lost time by competing in both Australia and NZ next year.

A gracious Ward said: "Ive had my day of glory. Its good that now Dennis has his."

A rash of collisions, one of them taking out front-runners Bryan McConkey and Matthew Farmer as they fought for the lead in the second race, marked the Flamecrusher Formula 1st Championship outings.

Kalasih took the win in that and the followup to close on championship leader Nick Luxford in the series standings.

Pic's courtesy Graham Blow.
To use these images or to purchase your very own copy, please contact either Graham Blow. or SportsWeb

CRC Motor Race Series - Round Four, Taupo - December 28:
CRC NZ Touring Car Championship - Race 1:
Jason Richards (BMW 320i), 1;
Geoff Short (Ford Telstar), 2;
Barrie Thomlinson (BMW 320i), 3;
Aaron Harris (BMW 325i), 4;
Murray Poot (Honda Civic), 5;
Ted Jarvis (Toyota Corolla GTi), 6.
Race 2:
Richards, 1;
Thomlinson, 2;
Angus Fogg (Telstar), 3;
Short, 4;
Harris, 5;
Poot, 6.
Race 3:
Richards, 1;
Fogg, 2;
Thomlinson, 3;
Short, 4;
Harris, 5;
Poot, 6.
CRC Championship points:
Richards, 120, 1;
Thomlinson, 84, 2;
Harris, 60, 3;
Short, 47, 4;
Poot, 38, 5;
Peter Butler (Telstar), 28, 6.

Class 2 (0-1600cc):
Ted Jarvis (Toyota Corolla GT), 54, 1;
Dean Mildenhall (Nissan Sentra), 36, 2;
Anton Tallott (Peugeot 106), 18, 3.

Flamecrusher Formula 1st NZ Championship - Race 1:
Bryan McConkey (Wright Saturn Vee), 1;
Dom Kalasih (Saturn V95), 2;
Nicholas Luxford (Challenge G7), 3;
Phil Abel (Challenge G3), 4;
Charles Dawson (Challenge G4), 5;
Matthew Stewart (Stewart 86), 6.
Race 2:
Kalasih, 1;
Luxford, 2;
Dave Domett (Challenge G8), 3;
David Payne (Challenge G5), 4;
Dennis Martin (Comet), 5;
David Scammell (MP4), 6.
Race 3:
Kalasih, 1;
McConkey, 2;
Payne, 3;
Domett, 4;
Matthew Farmer (Saurus 1), 5;
Luxford, 6.
Flamecrusher Championship points:
Luxford, 241, 1;
Kalasih, 202, 2;
Farmer, 130, 3;
Martin, 124, 4;
McConkey, 119, 5;
Payne, 97, 6.

Husqvarna NZ Mini 7 Championship - Race 1:
Karl Warmouth, 1;
Gary Wilkinson, 2;
Jonathan Lewis (UK), 3;
Wayne Timms, 4;
Tom Ryan, 5;
Jody Vincent, 6.
Race 2:
Warmouth, 1;
Wilkinson, 2;
Vincent, 3;
Doug Drake, 4;
Brian McMahon, 5;
Timms, 6.
Race 3:
Lewis, 1;
Wilkinson, 2;
Warmouth, 3;
Vincent, 4;
Drake, 5;
McMahon, 6.
Husqvarna Championship - provisional final positions:
Wilkinson, 91, 1;
Warmouth, 78, 2;
Vincent, & Timms, 46, equal 3;
Doug Sims, 42, 5;
Ross Francis, 26, 6.

Pro 7 Series - Race 1:
Ross Powell, 1;
Cameron Hislop, 2;
Bob Smith, 3 (all Mazda RX-7s).
Race 2:
Smith, 1;
Powell, 2;
Dean McMillan, 3.
Race 3:
Leon McKnight, 1;
Paul Savage, 2;
Garry Bradburn, 3.

Holden HQs - Race 1:
Shane Wenzlick, 1;
Martin Rowe, 2;
Graham Moffat, 3.
Race 2:
Peter Grant, 1;
Jake Stoneman, 2;
Moffat, 3.
Race 3:
Bruce OBrien, 1;
Stoneman, 2;
Daryl Fraser, 3.

SS2000 Series - Race 1:
Brian Gray (Mazda RX-7), 1;
Greg Kilworth (RX-7), 2;
Gavin Stewart, (RX-7), 3.
Race 2:
Kilworth, 1;
Gray, 2;
Andrew Duffin (RX-7), 3.
Race 3:
Kilworth, 1;
Gray, 2;
Peter Henry (RX-7), 3.

Muscle Cars - Race 1:
Ross Hill (TWR Holden Commodore VL), 1;
John Vijn (Ford Falcon XE), 2;
Mark Ross (Ford Mustang GT 350), 3.
Race 2:
Michael Eden (Falcon GTHO), 1;
I. Williamson Ford Mustang), 2;
Ross, 3.
Race 3:

Brett Walker (Falcon XY), 1;
Ross Francis (Falcon GT), 2;
Vijn, 3.

GTs/Allcomers Saloons - Race 1:
Paul Higgins (Porsche 911), 1;
Craig Fray (Chevron Aprisa), 2;
Ben Knight (Mazda RX-7), 3.
Race 2:
Fray, 1;
Higgins, 2;
Greg Gillespie (Datsun 240Z), 3.
Race 3:
Peter Henry (RX-7), 1;
Tony Stewart (Ford Sierra Cosworth), 2;
Mark Skelton (Nissan Skyline), 3.

NZ 125cc Motorcycle Championship - Race 1:
Dennis Charlett, 1;
Steve Ward, 2;
Mal Jackson, 3;
Bruce Godfrey, 4;
Nigel Beale, 5;
Adrian Main, 6 (all Honda RSes).
Race 2:
Charlett, 1;
Ward, 2;
Jay Dibben, 3;
Godfrey, 4;
Masatatsu Nakamura (Japan), 5;
Beale, 6.
Final championship places:
Charlett, 1;
Ward, 2.

NZ Sidecar Championship - Race 1:
Andy Scrivener/Chris Meads (Kawasaki 1000), 1;
Colin Brewer/Troy Walton (Kawasaki 1100), 2;
Garry West/Ash Voice (Kawasaki 1100), 3;
Chris Lawrance/Richard Lawrance (Suzuki 1100), 4;
Aaron Lovell/Robbie Shorter (Suzuki 1100), 5;
Dave Annan/Chris Hanson (Kawasaki 1100), 6.
Race 2:
Colin Buckley/Paul Ellis (Yamaha 1000), 1;
Brewer/Walton, 2;
Scrivener/Meads, 3;
West/Voice, 4;
Lawrance/Lawrance, 5;
Lovell/Shorter, 6.