Aucklander Jason Richards of the BMW team took his second consecutive touring car championship in Taupo yesterday, despite the efforts of Angus Fogg in his Nissan Bluebird.
Fogg won all three races at the Taupo motor racing circuit, but was still second overall because Richards had enough points after the first
event to secure the title. It was BMW's seventh in a row.
With the championship decided, the second race saw Richards, driving a 320i, end up off the track after a furious wheel and fender-banging clash with Fogg.
In the third race, both BMW team cars were involved in incidents with Fogg. Richards needed a pit stop to change a wheel.
Kevin Bell (BMW) was third overall.
The New Zealand V8 touring car championship went right to the last race. Auckland's Mark Pedersen (Commodore) won the title by two points from Christchurch's Wade Henshaw (Commodore) with Wellington's Andrew Fawcet (Falcon) third.
The New Zealand Formula First Championship was also closely fought, three points separating the first three drivers with two races to run.
Eighteen-year-old Matamata driver David Payne just had to finish near the front of the final race to secure the championship, after a crash in the second race ended Nicholas Luxford's chances.
The North Island Holden HQ series was won by Thames driver Shayne Wenzlick, the SS2000 series by Brian Grey, the mini challenge by Paul Parry and the North Island pre-65 series by Dean Perkins.
