From Western Springs Speedway
Auckland, NZ — Many fans thought they’d never see the day, in fact Graham himself didn’t, but when the checkered flag dropped at the end of one of the most bizarre Midgets races at Western Springs in recent years, Graham Standring had achieved 100 Feature Race victories.
Very much a part-time racer these days, Graham’s appearances in recent years have generally consisted of just a couple of shake-down runs in the Wendy’s #3 Spoke Esslinger ahead of the arrival of American Jerry Coons Jnr. On the podium he was presented with a diamond encrusted gold ring donated by Norm Sutton, with the diamonds spelling out the figure ‘100’.
The race was bizarre in that, as the third and final round of the Koken Series, only one of the top 8 on points completed the 25 laps. And only one of the contenders, Stratford’s Duane Hickman, qualified well, and as they fell by the wayside, one by one, all the other contenders needed to do was to finish – but they couldn’t! The final outcome was the top 3 leading into the night, Brad Mosen (56 pts), Shane O’Connor and Michael Kendall (53 pts each) were still on in those positions at the completion of racing with those same points. They, therefore, are the Western Springs team to take on America and Australia over the holiday period. Shayne Alach, by virtue of his fifth place last night, is the reserve, but things were that close that had Alach made one more pass he’d have ended the series in second place.
Craig Dollansky wowed the biggest Western Springs crowd over the past couple of seasons, with a display of precision driving that took the Salter’s Cartage #7usa Maxim to victory in the 2010/11 Porter Hire/Hydraulink Western Springs Sprintcar Classic. It wasn’t all plain sailing for the American visitor however, as at different times both Jamie McDonald and New Zealand champion Rodney Wood headed him in the 30 lap Feature. Dollansky pulled a huge wheel stand at the drop of the green, allowing McDonald to grab the front running, but once tail-end traffic came into play things got exciting. These three, with Carl Wilson and Dean Brindle not far away either, traded positions with regularity as the race ebbed and flowed, in favour of each. Wilson spun about half distance, and while Wood held the lead with 5 laps to go he then fired the #1nz up the wall going down the back straight. Dollansky held on to win from McDonald, his third podium in three Features this season, and Brindle. Of the other visitors #0usa Jonathan Allard crashed heavily during his heat race and was out for the night, while Peter Murphy also put the #11usa car into the wall too, but was able to effect repairs. This trio topped the time trials, Dollansky winning this too (12.141 seconds) from Allard (12.272) and Murphy (12.375).