Speedway: Chris Cowling in emotional New Zealand Super Saloon title win

Chris Cowling has won his first New Zealand Super Saloon Car title, duplicating the 1997 success of his father Maurice (right). Photo / Supplied

Tauranga’s Chris Cowling raced to an emotional win in the New Zealand Super Saloon Car Championship at Dunedin’s Beachlands Speedway on Saturday night.

Cowling added the super saloon crown to his three titles in the saloon division, matching the success of his father Maurice and brother Steve who have previously won the super saloon championship.

And there’s added emotion in the win because Cowling gains the title held by his team-mate and close friend Peter Dickson, who died last year after a cancer battle.

“I’ve never been so emotional at a race meeting. There’s the whole thing with Pete and it’s the only title I hadn’t won. Now our whole family has won it,” Cowling says.

Cowling achieved the win the hard way. On a rough track on Friday night, he didn’t progress out of his qualifying group. But dominating the repechage early on Saturday locked him into the 20-car field.

“I struggled on the first night. The track was challenging for us, and I had a puncture in my last heat.

“Being in the repechage probably helped our car setup as I was one race up on the rest of them.”

He staked his title claim in the first 20-lap final driving from grid nine to victory on a slick track while only a handful of other drivers made forward progress.

It looked as if Cowling had the title in his grasp as he started from gid 19 in race two and climbed to sixth position. Then he spun with eight laps to run.

“I messed up. It was 100 per cent my fault. I had already passed plenty of cars and I got greedy,” he says.

A key to Cowling’s recovery was restarting from the back of the field and passing six cars to finish 13th.

He lined up on grid four in the third race, ranked fifth in points with series leader Ian Burson (Nelson) five points ahead and needing a fifth placing or better if Cowling won.

Burson had the opportunity to pass cars from grid 13 but he made no progress. Cowling started fourth and eased away to take another win.

“All I could do was get to the front and maximise my points. I had no idea where the others finished, and I didn’t know I’d won until I heard the radio calling the top five to scrutineering and they called my number first.”

Cowling’s effort totalled 48 points to secure the title with a five-point margin over Hawke’s Bay racer Grant Flynn. Aucklander Craig Cardwell was one point back in third while Benji Sneddon (Kihikihi) and Burson tied for fourth on 41 points.

Steve Cowling was sixth on 41 while former champion Sam Waddell (Tauranga) had setup issues with his car and finished 17th.

The super saloon action continues in the South Island this weekend with the NZ Grand Prix at Cromwell.

At Baypark Speedway on Saturday night, the BOP sprint car title was won by Kapiti racer Jamie Larsen with a late race pass to deny Keaton Dahm (Tokoroa) victory in the 25-lapper.

This weekend Baypark Speedway hosts the North Island Sprint Car Championship.