Motorsport: Thomasen gets in zone

Former motocross racer Ben Thomasen (Tauranga) continues to find success on four wheels.
Thomasen won the tarmac portion of the annual Motorsport BOP Hillclimb Challenge on Sunday and wrapped up the overall win in the two-round contest.
The previous weekend he had driven his Subaru Impreza to victory at the MacDougall Quarry Rd gravel event and by pipping nearest rival Phil Jones (Rotorua) in a close tarmac battle on Sunday he won the Gregg Taylor Hillclimb Challenge Trophy by 1.8 seconds.
Thomasen, 28, has made an impressive transition to four wheels after sustaining life-threatening spinal and internal injuries in a late-2008 accident during the NZ Motocross Champs.
In spite of being told by doctors he would probably never walk again, he competed in his first car club events in mid-2009 in a Toyota Starlet and drove in his first rally early last year.
Since switching to a Subaru Impreza WRX, he has achieved three wins in local car-club hillclimbs and promising rally results, including second place in the recent Possum Bourne Memorial Rally.
Sunday's tarmac hillclimb at Te Puke Quarry Rd came down to the final official run, with Thomasen clocking 1m 09.44s to secure the win while Jones carved a big chunk off his previous best effort to complete the day with a 1m 09.97s.
"I was quite nervous all day because he (Jones) was catching me with each run. But apart from one moment most of my last run was good and I managed to set my fastest time."
As he completes more car-club events and rally stages in the car, Thomasen is starting to feel more at home on four wheels.
"I'm trying to gain confidence steadily and not be over-confident. As I do more events I'm starting to feel more at one with the car."
Tauranga's Mike Torr (Subaru Impreza) had been second going into the third round but didn't improve on his earlier 1m 10.84s effort.
Katikati's Ian Carroll claimed fourth place and the two-wheel-drive honours in his Mk 1 Ford Escort. Carroll hadn't contested the gravel round but outpaced the duelling Phil Campbell (Mitsubishi Mirage V6) and Shane Wright (Nissan Skyline) for the 2WD honours on Sunday.
Campbell held the advantage in the 2WD contest after the first round by almost three seconds and took the overall win, although Wright managed to claim back 0.09s of the difference on the tarmac.
Motorsport BOP Te Puke Quarry Rd Hillclimb - results:
1 Ben Thomasen (Subaru Impreza STI) 1m 09.44s; 2 Phil Jones (Mitsubishi Galant VR4) 1m 09.97s; 3 Mike Torr (Subaru Impreza WRX) 1m 10.84s; 4 Ian Carroll (Ford Escort) 1m 11.16s; 5 Shane Wright (Nissan Skyline) 1m 12.13s; 6 Phil Campbell (Mitsubishi Mirage V6) 1m 12.22s; 7 James de la Haye (Subaru Impreza WRX) 1m 12.37s; 8 Chris Hawkes (Chevrolet Pickup) 1m 12.56s; 9 Ashley Adlington (Mitsubishi Galant VR4) 1m 12.78s; 10 Will Litchfield (Subaru Legacy) 1m 13.28s.
2011 Gregg Taylor Hillclimb Trophy (combined gravel and tarmac results):
1 Ben Thomasen 2m 22.42s; 2 Phil Jones 2m 24.22s; 3 Phil Campbell 2m 31.72s; 4 Matt Hayward (Subaru Legacy) 2m 34.01s; 5 Shane Wright 2m 34.91s; 6 Shane Ward (Honda CRX) 2m 50.53s; 7 Shirley Faull (Toyota Corolla) 3m 54.28s.