Motorsport: Martin clinches series victory

HE'S NO1: Wanganui's Glenn Martin survived to win the North Island Pro-Sevens Series in his RX8 at the weekend.PHOTO/STUART MUNRO A-010415WCSMMARTIN1

Wanganui motor racer Glenn Martin has won the North Island Pro-Sevens Series in his RX8, after a shaky start to the final round in Taupo at the weekend.

Martin went into the final round 150 points ahead of his nearest rivals but, with 225 points up for grabs at Taupo, victory was far from signed and sealed.

"I managed to finish second in the first race after a bit of a spin that sent me off the track," Martin said yesterday.

The Wanganui panelbeater came out and nailed the second race in finals weekend, but then had an epic battle with fellow Wanganui racer Phil Blythe in the last race of the series.

"It was a pretty exciting battle with Phil," he said. "He had beaten me in the very first race of the series in a car leased from the club but hadn't raced at the other meetings.

"He was in his own car for the first time in Taupo and beat me again. But I managed to win five of the six round series and that was enough to secure the North Island title."

Martin said he would give the winter series a miss this year and work instead on tweaking his GM Panelbeating, Pulse Performance Racing-sponsored machine in preparation for the start of next season at Labour weekend.

"I'll probably work on my own fitness too. People don't often realise how fit you really need to be to race these cars. It's fairly gruelling stuff and gets very hot inside the car."