Second generation Tauranga speedway racer Chris Cowling controlled the feature race from the front to win his first Baypark Speedway main event last night and regain the lead in the touring DHL/Inter-islander saloon car Speedweek.
Cowling, the son of former midget car and super saloon champ Maurice Cowling, won the opening race of the series at Wellington on December 27 and followed up with a second at Palmerston North before being an early retirement at Auckland's Waikaraka Park.
On home territory at the hastily arranged Baypark round, Cowling claimed an early heat race win and started from the front row of the feature race alongside fellow Baypark racer Daniel Corrin (Gisborne).
Cowling's smooth style on a rough track kept Corrin at bay for most of the race until a broken right front suspension arm finally ended Corrin's run. After that Cowling retained control and took a win that puts him back in the series lead when he returns to Waikaraka Park tonight.
There was top-quality racing in the other saloon car feature for Baypark cars with Matamata's Paul Cressy looking set to withstand the pressure from national champ Brent McClymont (Tauranga) until the final corner when McClymont switched attacks to the low line and grabbed the lead to win by a few centimetres.
There was plenty of full contact racing in the NZ Stock Car Grand Prix qualifying heats. Provisional results saw Red Group produce a Palmerston North 1-2 with Rob Miers edging out Mitchell Hill by two points for the win while Baypark racer Ian Daniel won Blue group by one point from Rotorua's David Rumney.
Tonight's second half of the Baypark double header features a 36-car final for the Grand Prix title over three races, a quality sprint car grid including US racers and the stars of the future racing in the Youth Ministock Stampede.
Baypark Speedway - results: Saloon cars (Baypark Cars):
Heat 1: 1 Paul Cressy 45m; 2 Tony Heuvel 51m; 3 Chris Taylor 18m. Heat 2: 1 Michelle Wymer 75m; 2 Jeff Barron 69m; 3 Neil Head 10m. Feature: 1 Brent McClymont 1nz; 2 Cressy; 3 Wymer.
Saloon cars (DHL/Inter-islander Speedweek): Heat 1: 1 Steve Williams 21h; 2 Daniel Corrin 124m. Heat 2: 1 Greg Keegan 17c; 2 Chris Cowling 272m; 3 Aaron Tonks 43h. Feature: Cowling; 2 Nigel Ross 46a; 3 Keegan.
NZ Stock Car Grand Prix: Red Group: Heat 1: 1 Rob Miers 15p; 2 Mike Herbert 52r; 3 Scott Fredrickson 8r. Heat 2: 1 Fredrickson; 2 Scott Tennant 29a; 3 Eben Young 35m. Heat 3: 1 Paul Mabey 15r; 2 Mitchell Hill 73p; 3 Aaron Iremonger 17b. Overall: 1 Miers 94pts; 2 Hill 92pts; 3 equal Fredrickson and Iremonger 91pts.
Blue Group: Heat 1: 1 Brent Lloyd 92g; 2 Mark Taylor 84i; 3 Jordan Dare 581p. Heat 2: 1 David Rumney 72r; 2 Tony Palmer 74b; 3 Ian Daniel 24m. Heat 3: 1 Lloyd; 2 Kylee Symes 229s; 3 Damian Orr 81r. Overall: 1 Daniel 91pts; 2 Rumney 90pts; 3 Lloyd 88pts.
Youth Ministocks: Heat 1: 1 Marc Dunn 8m; 2 Jordan Latham 84m; 3 Jayden Steiner 18m. Heat 2: 1 Aidon Decke 88m; 2 Caitlin Hayward 4m; 3 Dunn.