Engine issues spoil first event

FIGHTING FIFTH: Whanganui's Rob Coley wants to crack the podium this coming weekend in Mount Maunganui.PHOTO/FILE

WHANGANUI'S leading jetsprinters are taking the week away from home to try to get their temperamental engines purring like kittens after a few problems during Round 1 of the UIM World Series at Meremere on Sunday.

Having anniversary weekend Monday free and the fact that Round 2 starts at Mt Maunganui's ASB Baypark Stadium on Friday, leading Superboat contender Rob Coley and Group A driver Ross Travers were staying up north to work out their kinks in their engines in the hope to push for a podium finish in front of the biggest audience of the year.

"It will be a huge crowd there, it will be sold out, up to 17,000 people," said Travers.

"With that track, the [finishing] times will be a lot closer."

Coley was the best performed local after he made the Top 5 eliminator of the Superboats, but his 47.378s time over the two laps at Meremere was not enough to haul in fellow Kiwis Richard Burt (44.651s), Glen Head (45.232s) and defending world champion Peter Caughey (45.384s).

In a thrilling Top 3 final, Head's 44.481s lap just kept his nose in front of Caughey by only 0.27s, while Burt was right behind them in 45.13s.

For Coley, finishing fifth in that kind of company was not a consolation.

"Bit disappointed though, we just couldn't get the motor to gel."

Coley had taken delivery of the new engine for the World Series right before the start of the nationals in December, and so didn't get a chance to test it as he had wanted.

The 'Poison Ivy' crew were working on the boat on Thursday when issues saw them fry the spark box, the plumbing and the engine data - making it a race to be ready for Saturday's qualifiers.

They got a DNF in the second qualifier and had to go back to the drawing board overnight.

"We were lucky we were even running on Sunday," said Coley.

"We've got the package to perform, just couldn't get it where we needed it to be."

The crew have stayed up north to work on the engine for the next three days.

"It was a tough meeting for a lot of teams," said Coley.

"I went into one garage, there were 3-4 boats there, and everyone was working on their jet units and motors."

Driving the 'Meaner Machine', Whanganui's Richard Murray went out of contention early in the Superboat Top 12 eliminator at Meremere.

"Richard was going well but had a navigational error in the Top 12 - bugger," said wife Julia Murray.

"Good news is he didn't crash and the boat is fine. Exciting finals, especially in the superboats."

Travers had likewise been a Group A contender until he and navigator son Shane came unstuck on one island turn in the Top 12.

"I got turned around, and shot up another bank," he said.

"We'll be trying to straighten up and get it sorted this week."

He can be encouraged with his Group A engine in the Group B "Radioactive' boat that his best time in qualifying - a 48.996s - would have been enough for third if he made the Top 3 final.

"We sort of opened a few eyes, I think."

Traver's grade has the most international flavour with four Australian, two Canadian and two American crews, although the best drivers are still found among the 14 New Zealand teams.

"The Top 8 was Kiwis the whole time."

The Travers team will have a bit of work to do if they hope to catch Gisborne's Blake Briant, who comfortably won the Top 3 final with a rapid 46.328s time, ahead of Hamilton's Sam Newdick (47.116s) and Ric Burke (49.031s).

Fellow Whanganui Group A driver Hayden Wilson had a lot of problems with his White Noize craft at Meremere, with DNF's in every qualifier except the third where his finishing time was over a minute.