Annual saloon spectacular in Whangarei

Fourteen of the top saloon cars and drivers from around the country graced the Whangarei Saloon and Stockcar Club for their annual Saloon Spectacular.
The result was always in doubt on Saturday, with so many top drivers competing but spectators watched the cream rise to the top with New Zealand No1 Brent McClymont winning the series ahead of fellow Bay of Plenty driver Michelle Wymer, with Taipa's Roy Walker finishing third.
However it wasn't exactly plain sailing for the champion driver. He was pushed hard by the other drivers but he faced his biggest hurdle when he put his car in the ditch driving into the speedway track on Port Rd.
"I had to ask the other drivers at briefing whether we should get the top driver in the country out of the ditch or not before racing, which got some quite funny answers ... in the end we pulled him out with a tractor," club organiser and competitor Anita Sloot said.
It is the second year that the club have held the Saloon Invitation Series and Sloot said it was easier to do this year. "I organised the same event last year but it seems to be building into a regular thing now - one of the reasons that so many drivers came is because myself and Dan Oliver have travelled around New Zealand to race and met all of these guys," she said.
"You begin to build up a rapport with these guys, you compete at events at their tracks so they want to return the favour, so some of it has definitely built from that ... but also I think everyone loves coming up here because it's a bit more relaxed than some other tracks,"she said.
Sloot was disappointed in her own effort - a ninth placing - after she finished fourth last year but she did better than fellow Whangarei competitor Oliver who never got started after wrecking his car at a recent meeting.
The series headlined a full round of club competition on Saturday. "To get No1 and No2 in the country competing up here - as well as three others in the top 10 and several more in the top 20 was a pretty good effort and we have to acknowledge the help of Paul Smith, who sponsored the event," she said.
"The crowd was way better than normal. I think the weather put off a few people but everyone seemed to enjoy the racing," Sloot said.
The Mini-Stocks had a a trophy dash as well as the normal club championships after the event was washed out in a previous meeting.
Brandon Symes beat Bryce Dibley to win the event with Luke Brown third, while Gary Lonergan and Scott Tenant ended up level on points, to share the club honours.
RESULTS
Saloon Invitation: 1 NZ Brent McClymont 1, 75M Michelle Wymer 2, 61A Roy Walker 3.
ATV CTRA North Island Champs: Darren Emm 1, Bruce Aked 2, Gavin Millen 3.
Mini Stock Trophy Dash: Brandon Symes 1, Bryce Dibley 2, Luke Brown 3.
Stockcars: Gary Lonergan, Scott Tenant 1=, Brian Longville 3.
Super Saloons: Shane Hick, Neal Turner, Warwick Taylor 1=
Production: Myles Greenwood 1, Robin Grieve, Rex Dahl 2=
Ladies Production: Didi Roycroft 1, Stephanie Grieve 2.
C Grade: Peter/Dave Cortesi 1, Rob Allport 2, Olivia Blacklock 3.