All three classes of the 2011-12 GTRNZ racing series have been won by Tauranga drivers.
Taupo's Easter Weekend meeting decided the seven-round series with Nissan Skyline driver Brett Harris taking out the NZGT category while Justin Herbert (Mitsubishi Lancer Evo) won GT2 and Brian Gray in his quad-rotor Mazda RX7 clinched the GT1 title.
Gray went into the final round with a commanding points lead in GT1 but Herbert was within striking distance in the combined GT1/GT2 points chase.
Finishing third on Saturday behind the Jaguar XK8 Trans Am car of Andy Greenslade (Tauranga) and Hawera's Glenn Smith driving a Porsche RSR clinched both the GT1 title and the combined GT1/GT2 award and Gray then went out and won the Sunday morning race.
"My lead was a little bit over 200 points starting the weekend and we clinched the title after Saturday's race," said Gray.
"In the last race I saved my best tyres for the Hamilton street race and put some old ones back on the car and we were a bit slower."
While Gray has continued to develop the Mazda this season and produce quicker lap times the car has also been 100 per cent reliable; finishing every race.
It was weekend of mixed fortunes for Herbert who fell foul of the "break-out" rules during qualifying.
Herbert's best lap would have put him on the front row of the grid alongside the Greenslade and ahead of all the other GT1 cars. But it was too good and earned a 10s penalty for bettering the nominal 1m 32s cut-off time that separates GT1 and GT2 cars. That left him last on the grid.
While Greenslade took an easy win Herbert raced through the pack into fourth on the opening lap chasing Gray but then faded with a blown head gasket. He was still first GT2 car home and gained enough points to clinch the title.
Herbert missed Sunday morning's race while completing engine repairs and then broke his own GT2 lap record in race three of the weekend before retiring with gearbox troubles.
Herbert and Gray are now preparing for the GT support races for the Hamilton V8 Supercar street race.
"We have to get a gearbox input shaft made but I'm really looking to going racing without having to worry about break-out times," said Herbert.
"We only need to worry about going as fast as we can and getting among the front end of the GT1 cars."
With three wins earlier in the season Harris led the NZGT category into the final round and in spite of a scare in the Sunday morning race with a bent steering arm he stayed clear of Rick Bone (Auckland) and Tauranga's Roger Conder in the points race.
Young Formula First racer Michael Scott (Te Puke) ended his season on a winning note getting the better of Ryan Hellier (Auckland) and Rowan Shepherd (Palmerston North) in a three-way dice in the final race of the season.
Aucklander Matt Higham won the Formula First title from Hellier and Shepherd with Scott taking fourth overall to join the second place he achieved in the Formula Ford championship earlier this season.
Other Easter weekend race winners at Taupo included Tauranga drivers Todd Prujean who won both SS2000 handicap races in his Toyota Starlet and Jamie Warn (Holden EH) who won the Pre-65 handicap race. In the NZ Six racing Tauranga's David Dovey (Holden Commodore) posted a second and two third placings.
Strong contender
Pre-season testing continues to show young Tauranga racing driver Richie Stanaway should be a strong contender when the World Series by Renault begins in Spain next month.
The second official test session for the new V8-engined Formula Renault 3.5 racer was completed at Barcelona during two days last week.
On Tuesday, Stanaway ranked fifth and sixth in the morning and afternoon sessions, respectively, in spite of an off-track excursion in the afternoon.
The following day, on a wet track, Stanaway was seventh during the morning and as conditions deteriorated further he completed the test by setting fastest time in the Wednesday afternoon session with his Lotus teammate Marco Sorensen (Denmark) second quickest.
"We had a very good Wednesday after an unfortunate end to Tuesday's session," said Stanaway.
"The rain complicated things on both days, so we focused our efforts on wet weather set-up.
"All in all it was a good test, especially Wednesday afternoon. Of course I am very happy with the fastest time. Now we must focus on next test at Motorland and the first races that follow."
All 26 drivers intending to contest the championship were in action at the Barcelona test. There is one more pre-season test for all teams with the new car at Motorland Aragon on April 18-19 before the championship begins at the Spanish circuit on May 5.
Grab some TV time
The fortunes of New Zealand's top motocross racers chasing success in Australia will be screened on SkySport this year.
Coverage of the recent opening round at Conondale in Queensland, where Tauranga's Ben Townley (Honda) dominated the Open class, will screen on SkySport3 at 6pm on Monday, April 16.
The second round action from Coonabarabran, NSW, to be raced this weekend, will screen at 6pm on Monday, April 23, on SkySport3.
While Townley is only expected to contest the opening round of the Australian Nationals before heading to the USA, there is Bay of Plenty interest with Papamoa's Cody Cooper (Suzuki) and Rotorua's Michael Phillips (Honda) contesting the Open Class while Phillips' younger brother John is racing in the under-19 class.
Other Kiwis chasing Australian success are Josh Coppins (Yamaha) who is second the Open Class standings behind Townley while the Lites (250cc) sees Justin McDonald (Christchurch) and Scott Columb (Queenstown) in action.
Mangakino's Kayne Lamont riding for KTM is second in the under-19 class where newly crowned New Zealand 125cc champ Micah McGoldrick (KTM) and Atiamuri's Dion Picard (Suzuki) are also looking to establish their international careers.
Top riders gear up
The third and fourth rounds of the North Island Moto Trials Championship being staged by the Tauranga Motorcycle Club this weekend will see most of New Zealand's top riders in action.
The field is headed by five-time NZ expert grade champ Jake Whitaker (Wellington) who won the Tauranga rounds last year before heading overseas. Whitaker also won the first two rounds of the 2012 North Island series held in Taranaki back in February.
The double-header will see Saturday's competition at Wharry Rd just north of Waihi with Sunday's riding at No 4 Rd, Te Puke.
Expert, A-Grade, Intermediate, President, Clubman, Twin Shock and Junior classes will be contested.
The North Island Champs are contested over eight rounds with Wellington hosting rounds five and six on July 7-8 and the final two days of riding in Hawke's Bay on August 25-26.
Saloon car honours
Tauranga's Brent McClymont took out the Easter Weekend saloon car honours at Rotorua's Paradise Valley Raceway on Sunday night.
McClymont headed the 15-car field over the three-race format with Hawke's Bay racer Steve Martin and Aucklander Peter Church completing the podium.
The Easter Weekend stock car racing saw a strong performance from Baypark racer Ryan Hunt to finish runner-up after a run-off against Rotorua's Michael Rumney. Ivan King (Rotorua) took the stock car honours and Palmerston North racer Peter Bengston won the six-race Super Stock title that was decided over two nights.