By BOB PEARCE
Aucklander Mark Porter came back from a disastrous weekend at Timaru with a starring performance among the smoke-belching Super Trucks at Pukekohe yesterday.
The 26-year-old in his first truck-racing season won two of the three championship races and was second in the other to the championship leader, Inky
Tulloch of Mataura.
And to top his successful weekend, he also had a win and two seconds at the wheel of his Jaguar in the Tranzam races.
Porter, whose Kenworth Eagle T401 finished only one race at Timaru, profited from some lightning starts.
When he got to the front, he drove away from the field as Tulloch battled his way through the field in his CAT Freightliner.
Porter's father, Robin, managed two third placings in the championship races and also won the final handicap race.
The other non-championship race went to local campaigner Calven Bonney.
The Tranzam races were dominated by Rotorua driver Paul Pedersen, who won two races in his Camaro, with Porter second both times.
Porter's win came after Ashley Stichbury, who crossed the line first, was excluded because the data logger on his Chev Corvette was not connected when the car was checked after the race.
Fabian Coulthard, the NZ Grand Prix winner, dominated the Formula Fords but behind him there was a titanic struggle for the minor placings.
American Bryan Sellers, who beat Coulthard last week at Timaru, twice finished third after being passed by Brady Kennett and Nick Ross in some of the best of a fine day's racing.
The 15-lap Formula Ford feature was not helped by a tyre shredding "doughnut" display by a couple of trucks which delayed the start while the track was swept.
Michael Shepherd was even further ahead of the Formula First field than usual, emphasising the loss he will be to the sport when he heads to England this year without showing his skills in a season of Formula Ford.
Championship leader Barrie Thomlinson notched up a couple more wins for the Toyota Altezza in the two-litre tourers.
Kevin Bell won one race for BMW and lost another when he was disqualified for a tyre infringement.
Angus Fogg in the Nissan Primera crashed heavily on Saturday but came back strongly with two seconds yesterday.
Ray Williams in his Porsche 911 GT2 had a field day in two support classes.
Despite big handicaps he won two of the Porsche races and two of the Super GT races, which featured more than 30 exotic cars.
The national championships take a one weekend break before resuming at Manfeild on February 2 and 3.
By BOB PEARCE
Aucklander Mark Porter came back from a disastrous weekend at Timaru with a starring performance among the smoke-belching Super Trucks at Pukekohe yesterday.
The 26-year-old in his first truck-racing season won two of the three championship races and was second in the other to the championship leader, Inky
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