Ford Anglias do extraordinary things in Harry Potter films - and in the hands of twice New Zealand speedway champion Jamie Fox, thanks to six-and-a-half litres of methanol-fuelled V8 power.
Fox, from Auckland, won Baypark Speedway's Modified Invitation on Saturday night after a race-long duel with fellow Aucklander Scott Lane.
Taranaki racer John Jackson was third and Michael Gourley, who made the trip from Christchurch, finished fourth.
For most of the 20-lapper, Fox and Lane raced side-by-side and swapped positions almost every lap on a dry and very dusty track.
The low line Fox was running gave him an advantage in turn one and two, while Lane would regain the advantage around the outside at the north end of the track.
"It was hard work but I really enjoyed it," said Fox.
"For about 17 laps we raced side-by-side and never touched wheels.
If one of us had made a little mistake it would have been all over.
"The high line was better at the start of the race but I think it wore out later on. I stayed on the bottom because it was the only place I could go."
It's been a strong start to the season for Fox, with his Baypark win following a recent victory at the BOP championships in Rotorua. He's contesting the North Island title, which he's previously won three times, at Rotorua on December 28.
And the distinctive Anglia bodystyle?
"We put the Anglia body on the car last season," said Fox.
"It's hand-made out of aluminium. Some people love it and some hate it but it's something different."
If Fox wants any advice on running the high line at Baypark it's a short walk from the Onehunga engineering business where he works to ask sprint car feature winner Carl Wilson, who works in the building next door.
Wilson produced a strong drive to pass early leaders Brad Tyrrell (Mt Maunganui) and Auckland-based US racer Ricky Logan.
It was Wilson's first feature win on a chassis he designed and built himself during the winter.
"My aim tonight was to get better at running the high line because that's what the Yanks will do," said Wilson, looking ahead to the NZ Sprint Car Grand Prix at Baypark on December 27.
Logan was 1.1secs behind Wilson at the finish of the 25-lapper with Tyrrell, Rodney Wood (Tauranga) and Jamie McDonald (Auckland) completing the top five.
The super saloon car feature produced a win for Karl Hanlon but the action was provided early in the race when young Cambridge racer Jarred Fletcher tangled with Gavin Dyer and was launched into a series of barrel rolls. The car was heavily damaged but Fletcher was able to step out of the wreckage shaken but unscathed.
The other high-quality feature race was delivered by the saloon cars, with Brent McClymont advancing from the third row of the grid. Brett Kaye, Steve Cowling and Steve Muir all took turns in the lead but it was McClymont's well-judged passes that earned the win ahead of Gisborne's Daniel Corrin, with Muir third.
Earlier the saloon cars had contested the third and fourth races of the La Z Boy series with Corrin taking two fifth placings to retain the series lead.
The provisional points tally puts Corrin in front on 92 points from Michelle Wymer on 90, with Muir and Jeff Barron tied on 87.
The next meeting at Baypark is the New Zealand Sprint Car Grand Prix on December 27.
Baypark Speedway results
Youth Mini Stocks
Heat 1: 1 Ash Henstock 87m; 2 Troy Power 65a; 3 Bradley Marsh 67m. Heat 2: 1 Marsh; 2 Aidon Decke 88m; 3 Jason Rowe 21a. Feature: 1 Decke; 2 Jonathan Morley 24g; 3 Griffin Law 53g.
Saloon Cars
La-Z-Boy Series Race 3: 1 Tony Heuvel 51m; 2 Paul Cressy 3nz; 3 Brett Kaye 14m. Race 3: 1 Brent McClymont 2nz; 2 Neil Head 10a; 3 Steve Cowling 271m. Feature: 1 McClymont; 2 Daniel Corrin 274m; 3 Steve Muir 16m.
Stock Cars
Heat 1: 1 Stacey Keach 97m; 2 Hamish Curd 72m; 3 Stephen Smyth 84m. Heat 2: 1 Keach; 2 Smyth; 3 James Hamilton 38m. Feature: 1 Les Hepworth 22m; 2 Keach; 3 Hamilton.
Sprint Cars
Heat 1: 1 Daniel Eggleton 87a; 2 Carl Wilson 56a; 3 Rodney Wood 51m. Heat 2: 1 Ricky Logan 10usa; 2 Jamie McDonald 71a; 3 Bradley Tyrrell 14m. Feature: 1 Wilson; 2 Logan; 3 Tyrrell.
Super Saloons
Heat 1: 1 Matt Smith 46m; 2 Mark Hutchins 53m; 3 Jarred Fletcher 8m. Heat 2: 1 Smith; 2 Hutchins; 3 Karl Hanlon 76m. Feature: 1 Hanlon; 2 Hutchins; 3 Russell Donovan 71m.
Modifieds
Heat 1: 1 John Jackson 71s; 2 Jamie Fox 11a; 3 Farron Lowry 31s. Heat 2: 1 Scott Lane 19a; 2 Fox; 3 Paul Ward 55s. Feature: 1 Fox; 2 Lane; 3 Jackson.
