ROARING MAD: If one closed their eyes, they would swear Peter Huijs' Mad Az superboat was a Formula 1 race car with its distinctive engine sound. 271214WCLGJETS6
THERE is a well known mantra in the PSP New Zealand Jet Sprint Championship - "to finish first, first you must finish".
This was never more true than at the opening round of the 2014-15 national series at Shelter View in Upokongaro on Saturday afternoon, as a series of mishaps to some of the leading contenders, most notably the dominant world champion Peter Caughey, left the Top 3 shootout in the headline Suzuki Superboats an all-Wanganui affair between Pat Dillon, Peter Huijs, and expat Leighton Minnell.
Just how much fortunes can swing was no better typified than the resulting victory by the popular veteran Dillon with navigator Steve Edmonds in their PPG Hulk - as 12 months prior at the same event Dillon had been eliminated early then suffered a horrific crash when taking a sponsor for a 'hot lap'.
Going out last of the finalists, a 46.989s time in the Top 3 eliminator was all it took to clinch the round after Huijs continued his consistency with a 49.570s lap, while Minnell was on track for a good time before just the slightest of miscalculations on Turn 7 saw him spin, before recovering for a disappointing 56.382s finish.
But those efforts had been dwarfed by Caughey all afternoon - throwing down scorching 45s times through the Top 12 and Top 8 eliminators, Shelter View had been his world and the rest were just living in it.
Hamilton newcomer Glen Head had emerged as a possible contender by breaking into the 46s mark, but pushing it in the Top 12 eliminator saw him catch an island and fly straight up and crash head first into the embankment in front of the entry bay, an area which leapt up to bite several racers during the afternoon.
The most spectacular wreck involved Napier's David Simmons during qualifying as his Blue Flame boat lived up to its name, briefly catching fire after a big crash.
Metal may fail but not a man's mettle - as Simmons borrowed the Poison Ivy boat from Rob Coley and continued racing to try and grab some overall championship points.
But all eyes were on Caughey as he looked set for another sub 46s lap during the Top 5 eliminator until the Wanganui men in the entry bay were shocked by the sound of silence.
Sure his day was over, Huijs was already leaving while Dillon suddenly heard Caughey's Enzed Trojan engine cough and then the impossible happen - the seven-time world champion had gone from an easy victory to being dead in the water.
"I heard him in that run, and it sounded as if the engine cut," Dillon said.
"For once, it's not us with the engine problem."
Acknowledging Caughey had the edge on the rest, while it is always better to beat someone on the water, Dillon was very pleased with their overall day, getting close to the Cantabrian's times with 46s laps while trying a different combination in the Hulk's 1500hp jet unit.
"I was probably driving it a bit different to normal," he said.
He estimated the engine had burned through 180 litres of fuel, like a Suzuki Swift travelling Wanganui to Auckland.
While other crews had fallen down around him, Huijs was also justifiably proud to earn the runnerup spot, finally having a tangible result for all the time and finances sunk into his turbocharged quad rotary Mad Az - which sounds more like a Formula 1 race car than a jetboat.
"It pays to be consistent," he said.
"It's been a project - it's been four years.
"It's got more to give, just a matter of slowly tinkering with it."
Minnell was also pleased given 24 hours beforehand they were not even going to get out of the starting block.
Injectors being sent from Australia had not yet arrived for their new engine in the Taranaki Hardcore boat, so once they showed up the crew frantically had to work to get everything ready by 8am that morning.
Having worked down to 48s times, Minnell knew it was all on for the final when Caughey misfired, but one slight hesitation put paid to that.
"I just ran out of talent," he laughed.
"Kelli [Minnell] called to go left, I intended going right."
All three Wanganui men will now set their eyes on the second round of the series in the Enzed Stadium Jetsprints at ASB Baypark in Mt Maunganui over the January 24-25 weekend.
The dug-up rugby and speedway stadium course inside the massive Baypark arena offered unique challenges in its debut last season, while Minnell felt having two days of racing will allow everyone more time to adjust.
Huijs said Baypark will be more suited to his craft, being less tight on the corners with more room to open up the throttle.
In the PSP Suntuf Diffused Group A division, the retirement this season of 2013 champion Richard Murray opens up the door for Waitotara's Duncan Wilson with navigator Jaimee-Lee Lupton to fly the flag for the locals.
Wilson was strong but ultimately bowed out in the Top 5 eliminator, with a 51.431s time leaving him fourth.
As with Caughey in the Superboats, Hamilton's defending national champion Sam Newdick simply could not be touched.
Like Black Caps skipper Brendon McCullum, Newdick went out to beat his own records - with his 47.514s time in the Top 3 final being streaks ahead of Papamoa's Tristan Hynds (50.360s) and Auckland's Baden Gray (50.632s).