With several meetings around the country worthwhile of attendance, Percy decided to venture down to Baypark Speedway for the first time this season. It was a very warm day without a cloud in the sky, yet the crowd was average. Perhaps the lack of promotion outside Tauranga had an impact.

Certainly no shortage of moisture despite the hot conditions. Infact it probably had a bit too much moisture which wasn't exactly helped by the water truck dropping water around the inside of both corners. The track also dusted up slightly in a couple of places which showed a lack of consistency in preparation. Turns 1 & 2 were yuck all night. The preferred line was around the pole line as out wide it wasn't any smoother or quicker. Ruts didn't really form as much as ridges. Turn 3 & 4 showed potential early on with a line forming much higher than I've seen previously. Unfortunately the middle and exit of the turn failed to offer the same grip as the entrance right from the start of the meeting. By the end of the night the high line was a non-factor for Super Saloons. 4/10

A big field of youth Ministocks raced surprisingly cleanly for two heats until the usual Baypark contact resumed in heat three. 24g joined the Baypark locals and looked the goods without troubling the frontrunners in any given race. Race 1 saw 35m Casey Meredith show good composure to hold off a late charge from 24m Cole Wood. Heat two saw a similarly accomplished drive from 42m Phil Pitman. The tone for the feature was set in the first corner as three cars entangled, resulting in a nasty head on wall impact for 43m Jason Gillon. The race saw several instances of deliberate contact that will no doubt have incurred the wrath of the officials. Fair Dinkum, when you line up the slowest car in the field in the middle of the straight and drive into the back of them at full speed you have to wonder.
Winners - 35m Casey Meredith, 42m Phil Pitman, 96m Josh Henstock (feature)

Just one day out from the NZ Saloon Grand Prix a field of 19 cars took to the Baypark oval. 75m Michelle Wymer was out of sorts in the opening heat, drifting backwards from a handy grid. 1nz Brent McClymont started off the back and went around the outside of most of the field. He got to roughly sixth place before retiring infield. 3nz Terry Corin was also off the back but failed to impress. McClymont made amends in heat two from a handy grid position. Further back contact in midfield saw 69m Jeff Barron cop a shot up the chocolates. The yellows were activated.

The feature race was vaguely fastest to the back with the exception of 79m Mike Griffiths. Griffiths used his good fortune to run away with the win. McClymont once again made a big run through the pack only to record his second DNF for the evening. In the late laps a good battle formed in the midfield between the top runners. Wymer coming back into form and looking the best of them.
Winners - 45m Paul Cressy, 1nz Brent McClymont, 79m Mike Griffiths (feature)

An all local field did plenty to increase the heart rate with their speed. 66m Skinny Colson drew a front grid for the opening heat and set about reeling off a series of blistering laps. 68m Colin Entwistle could only watch as Colson disappeared. 51m Rodney Wood made a run from the back of the pack. The race was declared when 46m Matthew Smith ended up on his side coming out of turn two.

Wood and Colson reversed roles in race two. 99m Steve Walling put in an impressive performance to finish second ahead of the more fancied 6m James Dahm. The feature was run fastest to the front. Colson got the jump with Wood not too far behind. They quickly established a lead. Lapped traffic became a factor quickly and Wood pounced, making the move on Colson. But Wood was to find the traffic equally as challenging as Colson went around the outside the reclaim the lead. Wood spun coming out of turn four whilst performing a wheelstand! Spectacular yes, but it earned Wood a restart from the rear of the field.

Colson was untroubled from there on it. Dahm and Entwistle enjoyed a good battle for second. They were almost joined by the unheralded 25m Matt Gillingham. Wood charged through the field to make fifth. After Colson won a Spiderman song played as Colson climbed the fence.
Winners - 66m Skinny Colson (2 incl feature), 51m Rodney Wood

A field of 26 Super Saloons came to contest the NZ Super Saloon Grand Prix. They were split into two groups for time trialling purposes with each group doing 5 laps. 8h Craig Cardwell spun to bring on the yellows in group 1. 1nz Shane McIntyre took quick time with a 16.604. Sensationally this was almost an entire second quicker than the next best who was Cardwell in 17.586. Disaster struck for 7m Brent Emerson as he pulled off after two laps and failed to re-appear for the remainder of the evening.

Group two was more competitive. 61m Mark Orchard led the way with a 16.742. Just behind him was 21n Ian Burson at 16.747. A total of 9 cars in this group trialled faster than the second place car in group one. This was more reflective of the quality in group two rather than any great change in track condition.
Quicktime - 1nz Shane McIntyre

The field was divided into two heats with the top six inverted. The top six also qualified for the dash/A-main. C'mon Willie, if the top 6 are going through then you need to invert more than just the top 6! Anyway, if anyone thought McIntyre was a lucky top qualifier they were proved wrong in heat one. McIntyre decimated the field in a commanding performance that sent a message out to the other contenders. Further back it was disaster for 34t Ray Stewart. Contact in midfield saw 24m Ben Harding spearing out to the wall. Stewart was next in line and ended up being accidentally guided into the wall by Harding. Stewart rolled. 12n Shane Carey was a fortunate qualifier after starting on pole and drifting back to sixth

Race two saw another spin from Cardwell whilst in a qualification position. 47m Maurice Cowling inherited sixth but was unable to keep the spot, or his left front on the track. Cowling was spectacular but ineffective. 61m Mark Orchard went from sixth to third.
Winners - 1nz Shane McIntyre, 38h Peter Hemi

The dash featured the top 12 qualifiers with the top 4 inverted. Burson got the jump on Waddell at the start with McIntyre settling into third. McIntyre caught Waddell and made the pass despite some contact. Orchard tried to search for a high line but ended up drifting backwards, throwing away valuable feature race grid positions. 96a Lance Jennings was looking competitive until his night ended with mechanical failure.

The B-Main saw Cardwell complete a race without spinning. He won. Behind him 34t Ray Stewart established a gap but couldn't keep up with the 8h. 46e Paddy North started to show the form that he is capable of. North started on grid eight but was able to secure second with a late pass on Stewart. Given the feature grids, Cardwell incurred a two place relegation despite having what looked to be his cleanest race of the evening.
Winners - 21n Ian Burson, 46e Paddy North

So it's 9:20pm and we are ready to go for the NZ Super Saloon Grand Prix. Well, apparently not. No, we have to sit through 20 minutes of crap as the drivers come out, park their cars and get interviewed. What a waste of time - like I really care what the bloke on grid 16 thinks of his chances. I've already worked out he isn't going to win, that's why he's qualified on grid 16! And when your commentary team features The Moff, the last thing you want to be doing is giving the commentary team more exposure. 20 minutes later we were ready to go. Not only was it boring and pointless we were also tempting fate with the 10:00pm curfew. These are Super Saloon remember, they are called Fibreglass Fireworks for a reason. Rant Over

McIntyre got the jump on Burson and set off. 46e Paddy North was looking good early on but it didn't last as an incident took him out of contention along with 88m Gavin Dyer, Stewart and Donovan. Racing resumed with McIntyre in front. Waddell looked for a line around the outside of Burson but was unsuccessful. 9w Mark Pitcher was putting pressure on Waddell and stuck his nose in going into turn one, turning Waddell around. 33m Paul Carter ploughed into the front of Waddell and both cars were lucky to continue. Pitcher was sent to the rear and then to the infield.

Waddell tried to explore the high line after the restart but it all went horribly wrong as he drifted backwards. 38h Peter Hemi made a run and looked strong through the middle of the race. Carter had inherited third but came under increasing pressure from Orchard. Orchard made the pass and set off in pursuit of Burson. Hemi couldn't maintain his pace and succumbed to 12n Shane Carey who looked better as the race went on. Another spin from Cardwell dropped him down a lap and he resumed between Burson and Orchard which may not have been the best place in hindsight. McIntyre took an undisputable win from Burson and Orchard.
Winner - 1nz Shane McIntyre

Percy's favourite commentator has been joined by an accomplice. But The Moff can't be outshone.

"Flynn passes Cowling for sixth"
Presumably that was the pass for seventh we had just witnessed

"The gap on the grid left by Jennings"
Ummm unless Jennings finished where Nik McDonald did in the dash I'd say it was McDonald

There were some other one's but I think you get the idea that The Moff hasn't changed too much. There were no pit reports despite several contenders suffering mechanical problems.

Boy they don't much around with the red lights in the Ministocks and they were well observed by the kids. The re-ordering of the fields was also exceptional. In the Super Saloon heats I think 24m was restarted off the back for the Ray Stewart incident if my memory serves me correctly. That seemed a bit harsh. The two place relegation of Cardwell in the B-Main was a mystery to me.

The grid for a A-Main featured a gap for the missing McDonald but no gap for the missing Jennings. Despite being unable to make the grid Jennings still qualified 12th and in my mind there should have been a gap. The relegation of Pitcher in the main event was far enough. Apparently he was pulled off for debris which seemed a bit harsh given some of the other cars on the track at the time. But perhaps the officials were making up for missing debris on the track in one of the heat races. Overall though a decent performance. 7/10