Sixth became a very familiar friend to expat Wanganui driver Matt Gibson and his LightingPlus team at the penultimate round of the Toyota TR86 championship at Manfeild over the weekend.
Sitting 113 points behind Albany's Ash Blewett in third place at the start of the round, Gibson was hoping tomake up some territory to secure a top-three finish for 2014-15.
However, in qualifying on Saturday morning, Gibson's 1m 18.515s best lap left him back in sixth on the grid, with series leader Tom Alexander of Christchurch securing pole, with a time just over 0.6s faster.
In Race 1 in the afternoon, Gibson would remain in sixth spot, while three-time NZ Grand Prix champion Nick Cassidy, who joined the series as a substitute in January, pulled out the win from Alexander.
In the second 10-lap race yesterday morning, Gibson was again sixth, with another podium finish of Cassidy, Alexander and Auckland's Callum Quin.
Gibson was right on the bumper of Wellington's series defending champion Jamie McNee, but could not pass him.
For the 15-lap Race 3 yesterday afternoon, Gibson was again sixth behind McNee, while Alexander beat Cassidy to the line and Blewett was third, effectively ending Gibson's hopes of finishing third in the series.
The championship will conclude at Hampton Downs, February 28-March 1.
