NMCS Round 7 Review
NMCS PR, Auckland NZ, January 4, 2009 - Dominant sporting performances often over shadow other competitors, and the unbroken run of wins this season by Michael Pickens is no exception. While admiring the performance of the Don Kay owned #54, it is easy to overlook the 6 or 8 other competitors in the midget ranks who, but for that motorsport cliché of a fraction or two of the magic “tenths” would give the 54 a run for its money. There is no doubt the quality of competitors this first season of the NMCS is the best in many seasons.
Heat 1
Pickens jumped into the lead from grid 2 followed by Insley, Gick and Cobb. By lap 4 Pickens, running on the top had already put half a lap on the second placed Insley and Mosen in third. Mosen got by Insley in the dying stages and a short way back to Standring.
Pickens Mosen Insley Standring Gick Cobb
Heat 2
Pole sitter Beale drove away at the green followed by Mullins, Oudney and Alach. The start was short lived as the 12 of Joine bought out the first yellow of the night. Re start saw Beale, Mullins, Kendall and Alach lead the charge. The track was already starting to break up which slowed the heat as Beale hung on for the win.
Beale Alach Mullins Worboys Kendall Oudney
Heat 3
Heat 3 saw an overcast to mercifully slow the drying off of the rapidly deteriorating track. Pole sitter McCutcheon led the start followed by Clarkson and Standring. By lap 5 Pickens was already up to third and working on the second placed Clarkson with fourth placed Standring trying every trick in his book to get by the 54. The pressure on Clarkson spurred him on to get by the 96 of McCutcheon to take the win followed by a rapidly closing Pickens.
Clarkson Pickens McCutcheon Standring Gick Insley
Heat 4
Fabish took the start from grid 2 followed by Buckley. Back in the pack Mosen, Alach and Beale were going forward and by lap 3 Mosen took the lead and started to drive away on the top followed by Beale and Buckley. On the penultimate lap Mosen fans were left mourning as the 13 pulled onto the infield and Beale headed Buckley and Alach home only to be relegated for barging.
Buckley Beale Alach James Fabish Mullins
Heat 5
Pole sitter Worboys jumped into the lead followed by Kendall and Clarkson and Green. Malone bought the yellow out. The restart was short lived as Bowman and Brunt bought out another yellow in pine tree. Worboys led the pack on the restart and headed Kendall and Clarkson home.
Worboys Kendall Clarkson Green McCutcheon Fox
B Main and F2 Feature
Despite being vibrapacked by roller and “conditioned” by several sprint car heats the track was rapidly going away. A larger than usual field of midgets fronted for the B main with Oudney and and James on the front row. From the start Oudney drove away followed by James and Cobb. Lap 3 saw the 79 of James in the wall on town bend letting Cobb into second ahead of Mosen. At the restart Mosen applied the pressure to Oudney who reacted with a spin in pine tree. Mosen held on to take the win from Fox, with a great drive from James to make it up to third from a back of field re start. Porter led the F2’s home from McGough and Atchison.
Mosen Fox James McCleod Oudney Cobb F2’s Porter McGough Atchison
Feature
With the now customary sight of the 54 of Pickens on the pole the feature took off on what could charitably be described as a challenging track. With Pickens and Beale on the front row and Clarkson and Worboys next back followed by Alach and Kendall, the pressure on the front three rows showed in a melee at the front of the pack as the first start was not green flagged. Beale and Alach did not make the re start. At the re start Pickens commenced to drive away followed by Worboys and Standring. Meanwhile Mosen was battling his way up through the pack from 15th and by mid race had made it to third behind Worboys and Pickens, who all saw the chequer in that order.
Pickens Worboys Mosen Kendall Standring Insley
NMCS PR, Auckland NZ, January 4, 2009 - Dominant sporting performances often over shadow other competitors, and the unbroken run of wins this season by Michael Pickens is no exception. While admiring the performance of the Don Kay owned #54, it is easy to overlook the 6 or 8 other competitors in the midget ranks who, but for that motorsport cliché of a fraction or two of the magic “tenths” would give the 54 a run for its money. There is no doubt the quality of competitors this first season of the NMCS is the best in many seasons.
Heat 1
Pickens jumped into the lead from grid 2 followed by Insley, Gick and Cobb. By lap 4 Pickens, running on the top had already put half a lap on the second placed Insley and Mosen in third. Mosen got by Insley in the dying stages and a short way back to Standring.
Pickens Mosen Insley Standring Gick Cobb
Heat 2
Pole sitter Beale drove away at the green followed by Mullins, Oudney and Alach. The start was short lived as the 12 of Joine bought out the first yellow of the night. Re start saw Beale, Mullins, Kendall and Alach lead the charge. The track was already starting to break up which slowed the heat as Beale hung on for the win.
Beale Alach Mullins Worboys Kendall Oudney
Heat 3
Heat 3 saw an overcast to mercifully slow the drying off of the rapidly deteriorating track. Pole sitter McCutcheon led the start followed by Clarkson and Standring. By lap 5 Pickens was already up to third and working on the second placed Clarkson with fourth placed Standring trying every trick in his book to get by the 54. The pressure on Clarkson spurred him on to get by the 96 of McCutcheon to take the win followed by a rapidly closing Pickens.
Clarkson Pickens McCutcheon Standring Gick Insley
Heat 4
Fabish took the start from grid 2 followed by Buckley. Back in the pack Mosen, Alach and Beale were going forward and by lap 3 Mosen took the lead and started to drive away on the top followed by Beale and Buckley. On the penultimate lap Mosen fans were left mourning as the 13 pulled onto the infield and Beale headed Buckley and Alach home only to be relegated for barging.
Buckley Beale Alach James Fabish Mullins
Heat 5
Pole sitter Worboys jumped into the lead followed by Kendall and Clarkson and Green. Malone bought the yellow out. The restart was short lived as Bowman and Brunt bought out another yellow in pine tree. Worboys led the pack on the restart and headed Kendall and Clarkson home.
Worboys Kendall Clarkson Green McCutcheon Fox
B Main and F2 Feature
Despite being vibrapacked by roller and “conditioned” by several sprint car heats the track was rapidly going away. A larger than usual field of midgets fronted for the B main with Oudney and and James on the front row. From the start Oudney drove away followed by James and Cobb. Lap 3 saw the 79 of James in the wall on town bend letting Cobb into second ahead of Mosen. At the restart Mosen applied the pressure to Oudney who reacted with a spin in pine tree. Mosen held on to take the win from Fox, with a great drive from James to make it up to third from a back of field re start. Porter led the F2’s home from McGough and Atchison.
Mosen Fox James McCleod Oudney Cobb F2’s Porter McGough Atchison
Feature
With the now customary sight of the 54 of Pickens on the pole the feature took off on what could charitably be described as a challenging track. With Pickens and Beale on the front row and Clarkson and Worboys next back followed by Alach and Kendall, the pressure on the front three rows showed in a melee at the front of the pack as the first start was not green flagged. Beale and Alach did not make the re start. At the re start Pickens commenced to drive away followed by Worboys and Standring. Meanwhile Mosen was battling his way up through the pack from 15th and by mid race had made it to third behind Worboys and Pickens, who all saw the chequer in that order.
Pickens Worboys Mosen Kendall Standring Insley
|
|
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
|
James Selwyn Photos