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Trans Tasman Challenge Ruapuna race reports

Three from three and series lead for Scott as Kiwis show the way. New Zealand Tranzam cars continued to head home the Australian Sports Sedans in the Trans Tasman Challenge. It was round four, the first on New Zealand soil and Kayne Scott ran ...

Edited: Oct 22, 2003, 2:07 AM

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Three from three and series lead for Scott as Kiwis show the way.

New Zealand Tranzam cars continued to head home the Australian Sports Sedans in the Trans Tasman Challenge. It was round four, the first on New Zealand soil and Kayne Scott ran rampant, taking all three races and now heads the series with one round remaining.

To rub salt into the Aussie wounds, the locals filled the top two podium positions in each race with and scored third on two occasions as well. The three visitors could muster two fifths (for Saab/Chev V8 driver Dean Randle) and one-third spot for Kerry Baily in his Nissan 300ZX/Chev V8.

Race One (8 laps)

Scott began with a victory in the day's first race, an eight lapper in his Tranzam-spec Chev Corvette. Craig Gilbert's Chev Camaro slipped past second qualifier Shane Drake in the PJ Knight-owned Corvette and held it off for the duration.

Bernie Gillon finished fourth in his Ford Mustang, which was hounded for much of the race by Randle. Unfortunately for the latter, the Ford proved a little too wide and impossible to pass.

Behind sixth placed Dennis Running in his Chev Camaro was Kerry Baily who was still perplexed by thee lack of performance from his championship winner.

The Holden Commodore/Chev V8 of Rodney Woods chased Baily for much of the race but miscued in the latter part by running wide, allowing Brent Early and Steve Ross to slip past.

Race One (8 laps) Top Ten
1-Kayne Scott (NZ) Chev Corvette Tranzam,
2-Craig Gilbert (NZ) Chev Camaro Tranzam,
3-Shane Drake (NZ) Chev Corvette Tranzam,
4-Bernie Gillon (NZ) Ford Mustang Tranzam,
5-Dean Randle (Aus) Saab Aero/Chev V8,
6-Dennis Running (NZ) Chev Camaro Tranzam,
7-Kerry Baily (Aus) Nissan 300ZX/Chev V8,
8-Brent Early (NZ) Chev Corvette Tranzam,
9-Steve Ross (NZ) Oldsmobile Cutlass Tranzam,
10-Rod Woods (Aus) Holden Commodore VS/Chev V8.
Fastest Lap: Kayne Scott 1:21.257

Race Two (8 laps)

Kayne Scott continued on his winning way in the second eight-lapper. Drake broke a spur gear and could not take retribution on Gilbert who was second. Baily was third but reported that the track had gone off and times were off by around one and a half seconds.

On lap three Randle went out with a broken drive shaft but was confident he would be back for race three. Just two laps later Woods was also out as his Commodore split a wheel rim after suffering lack of rear end grip and brake problems.

The Camaros of Dennis Running and Eddie Fairbairn were the next two across the line ahead of the Ford Mustang of Adam Brook and Brent Early's Corvette.

Race Two (8 laps) Top Ten
1-Kayne Scott (NZ) Chev Corvette Tranzam,
2-Craig Gilbert (NZ) Chev Camaro Tranzam,
3-Kerry Baily (Aus) Nissan 300ZX/Chev V8,
4-Dennis Running (NZ) Chev Camaro Tranzam,
5-Eddie Fairbairn (NZ) Chev Camaro Tranzam,
6-Adam Brook (NZ) Ford Mustang Tranzam,
7-Brent Early (NZ) Chev Corvette Tranzam,
8-Paul Williams (NZ) Oldsmobile Cutlass Tranzam,
9-Bernie Gillon (NZ) Ford Mustang Tranzam,
10-Steve Ross (NZ) Oldsmobile Cutlass Tranzam.
Fastest Lap: Kayne Scott 1:22.117

Race Three (12 laps)

Scott took out the longer finale where Drake was second over Gilbert. Randle was fourth in the early part but an "off" dropped him to sixth behind Running. In the race to the flag, Randle was able to edge Running out.

It was a relatively quiet race for Baily who was eight, his car lacking the pace of the front-runners and also severely tested by the circuit's demands on brakes.

Woods became embroiled in a huge scrap with Fairbairn, Williams and Brook. The encounter lasted for over ten laps where Woods came through one of the toughest dices of his racing career in tenth behind Williams.

Race Three (12 laps) Top Ten
1-Kayne Scott (NZ) Chev Corvette Tranzam,
2-Shane Drake (NZ) Chev Corvette Tranzam,
3-Craig Gilbert (NZ) Chev Camaro Tranzam,
4-Bernie Gillon (NZ) Ford Mustang Tranzam,
5-Dean Randle (NZ) Ford Mustang Tranzam,
6-Dennis Running (NZ) Chev Camaro Tranzam,
7-Brent Early (NZ) Chev Corvette Tranzam,
8-Kerry Baily (Aus) Nissan 300ZX/Chev V8,
9-Paul Williams Oldsmobile Cutlass Tranzam,
10-Rod Woods (Aus) Holden Commodore VS/Chev V8.
Fastest Lap: Kayne Scott 1:22.203

TRANS TASMAN CHALLENGE POINTS (after four rounds) Kayne Scott (NZ) 59, Darren Hossack (Aus) 57, Bernie Gillon (NZ) 42, Shane Drake (NZ) 40, Dean Randle (Aus) 39, Kerry Baily (Aus) 37, Craig Gilbert (NZ) 31, Tony Ricciardello (Aus) 31, Jonny McIntyre (NZ) 26, Dennis Running (NZ) 17, Mark Stinson (Aus) 11, Mick Monterosso (Aus) 10.

-www.sportssedans.com.au-

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