The methanol-guzzling monsters are in town! Round 4 of the NZ Jetsprint Association 2014 championship is taking place tomorrow at Crownthorpe, and the V8 Suzuki Superboats are not going to let a little thing like Cyclone Lusi get in the way.
Published on Mar 16, 2014
Round 4 of the New Zealand Jetsprint Championship was held at Hastings. The Suzuki Superboats provided plenty of action on a fast and flowing course. The class has become tremendously competitive with at least 12 boats and at least half of them well capable of winning on merit.
400
1st Warren Farr/Ben Thomas
2nd Hayden Wilson/Chris Hausman
3rd Brett Thompson/Stu White
GpA
1st Paul Gaston/Louise Blythe
2nd Sam Newdick/Glenn Mason
3rd Richard Murray/Kesty Manning
Supers
1st Graeme Hill/Tracey Webster
2nd Leighton Minnell/Matt Minnell
3rd Peter Caughey/Karen Marshall
The methanol-guzzling monsters are in town! Round 4 of the NZ Jetsprint Association 2014 championship is taking place tomorrow at Crownthorpe, and the V8 Suzuki Superboats are not going to let a little thing like Cyclone Lusi get in the way.
The Liquid Gold team, currently leading the Championship, will be looking forward to racing close to home although driver Graeme Hill must be hoping that there is no repeat of the dramatic barrel roll that marked his last run of the day at Meremere in Round 3. The boat is all fixed up and ready to run again, but navigator Tracey Webster has a longer memory.
Another navigator, Kesty Manning, would be forgiven for having a few pre-race nerves as it was at Hastings in 2013 that he and driver Richard Murray discovered that their boat, The Mean Machine, could also fly. When it came into land it was upside down, and Manning sustained injuries that kept him out for the rest of the season. Thankfully, he is back in the navigator’s seat this year, and will be helping Murray walk that fine line between racing flat out and crashing full on again. Murray’s been working hard on the boat since Meremere, and has replaced the grille that gave him so much trouble in Round 3. He’ll be hoping to re-take the podium position that eluded him last time.
Hastings round of the 2013 championship was a very eventful one, with Garry Stephens performing a high-speed roll that left him and his navigator shaken as well as stirred. They’ll be busy today deciding on a game plan — no doubt one that doesn’t include “finish with a barrel roll” this time.
All the classes will be hotly contended, particularly after the points adjustment following Round 2 which put Brett Thompson (TNT) back on top in the 400s. Will he be able to maintain his lead, or will rookie driver Hayden Wilson (White Noize) pip him at the post?
In the PSP Group A class Sam Newdick (2NZ PSP racing) will have his fingers crossed for some better luck this round, but will have to be on top form to fight off Murray and — of course — Paul Gaston who took out the top spot last time and has developed a taste for winning. As Gaston said this week, “Looks like 2 cyclones gonna hit!”
The venue is 35km West from Hastings City. From Hastings take the Taihape Road turn off at Fernhill and drive 10km to a left turn into MATAPIRO ROAD, drive another 12km to the track entrance which is on your left.
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