New NZ sidecar champs crowned at Oceanview

STEPPING UP A GEAR: New national champions Derek and Matthew Ramsay (6P) lead runners-up Jamie Moohan and Jacob Cooper (3NZ) at Oceanview on Saturday. PHOTO/Eugene Robbemond

It took two nights of gruelling racing, protests, accidents and incidents to find a new champion. But when the lights were turned off at Supercheap Auto Oceanview Family Speedway in the early hours of Sunday morning, Derek and Matthew Ramsay were leading the celebrations.

The father and son pairing from Mauriceville in Wairarapa have been one of the top combinations in the country this year, and by winning the Stevo's Distributors New Zealand Sidecar Championships they will carry the 1NZ plate for the next 12 months.

Ramsay had previously placed third in the championship on three occasions with other swingers, but this was a first title for the family pairing.

The weekend did not begin well for the 6P combination when they were eliminated from their first qualifying heat on Friday night. However they took maximum points in their next two heats, which took them into a five-bike run-off. By finishing in the top two in the run-off, they took their place in the 16-bike finals field.

Racing was delayed for some time after a freak accident where the 7N machine of Neil Hill and Jed McLennan collided with the starting gates. McLennan suffered a fractured femur, and was admitted to Whanganui Hospital where he has since undergone surgery and is recovering.

A good crowd was on hand at Oceanview to see the title decided on Saturday night. The 20-heat format was used, meaning that each bike would compete in five of the 20 four-bike heats, and that every competitor would race against everyone else at least once.

The Ramsays made an immediate statement, winning their first two heats to take maximum points. After two rounds of racing they led from the 8G combination of Rob Miller and Kerwin Arnibaldi. Amongst those tied for third was the local team of Aaron Rose and Amelia Stanley (34V), but their night was over after that round when Stanley broke her arm in a collision with another bike.

Heading into the crucial fifth heat the Ramsay combination had a one point lead over Simon and Austin Windleborn (58P), with current 3NZ Jamie Moohan and Jacob Cooper and the Auckland pairing of Russell Stuart and Andrew Parker (46A) tied in third place a further point back.

Unfortunately for the Windleborns, that was as good as it got as they failed to add to their total and finished fourth.

Moohan and Cooper took Heat 17, to momentarily take the points lead. Heat 18 passed without changing the points table, and then the drama began.

The 6P machine made contact with the wall on the opening lap, and headed to the infield, only to be allowed to re-join when a complete restart was ordered. On the first lap of the restart 6P got the jump on the field and led into turns three and four.

Coming into turn four, the front wheel of Craig Scott's 62V machine made contact with the rear wheel of Ramsay's bike. That caused the 6P to tip over, and Derek and Matthew Ramsay to be propelled across the track. The race was again red-flagged, and Scott and swinger Kristie Wackildene were excluded from the race by the Speedway New Zealand officials.

Ramsay was allowed to restart, and it was a case of third time lucky as the 6P machine powered away for the heat win and the New Zealand title.

The 20th and final heat saw Stuart and Parker take the win, tying them with the 3NZ combination for second.

A four lap run-off was held with Moohan and Cooper taking the win to move a step up the podium from last season to 2NZ. Stuart and Parker, New Zealand champions in 2010-11 finished with the 3NZ plate, after spinning out in the run-off.

It was a long but exciting night's racing on a track which a number of competitors described as the best they had ever raced on at Oceanview. That is a testament to the huge amount of work put in by members of the Wanganui Stockcar and Speedway Club to host a premium event.

In Friday night's support racing, Trazarn Ryland-Annabell won the Heiby Memorial Youth Ministocks from Callum Sturzaker. Both drivers are in their final season in the Youth class.

And on Saturday night Bradley Korff (86S) took out the West Coast Adult Ministocks title from Nathan Nolly (39S) and Jesse Black (6V). Korff has been the stand-out driver in the class this season at Wanganui

Racing continues at Supercheap Auto Oceanview Family Speedway on Sunday at 3pm with the Charlie Berntsen Trophy for Stockcars up for grabs.