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Hermensen wins NZ Minisprint title

Jarrod MacBeth

Palmerston North Minisprint racer Christian Hermansen successfully defended his New Zealand title at Stratford Speedway on Saturday night when he contested the Independent Wrap New Zealand Minisprint Championship.  Hermansen was the stand out competitor in the twenty three car field that competed for the championship and he nailed his qualifying races, including placing seventh in his first heat from grid sixteen and winning his second heat from grid one to secure a front row start for the twenty lap, winner take all final.  He led the final race from start to finish and lapped many of his opposition during the race that ran without any stoppages.  The win means that Hermansen is now the fourth member in an elite group of drivers who have won back to back New Zealand Championships in the twenty six year history of the Minisprint class.  Second in the event was another Palmerston North competitor Dean Cooper.  Cooper also placed second in the championship the two previous seasons.  Yet another Palmerston North competitor, Shane Dewar was third, making a well-deserved first appearance on the podium for the championship.  Karl Uhlenberg was the highest finishing local competitor in sixth place while meeting sponsor Lydia Dickinson finished tenth.

Also contested on the night was the Taranaki Saloon Champs which was won by Jarrod MacBeth after he recorded a fifth, first and sixth placings over the three races to win by just won point from Craig Korff and Richard Dreaver who were tied for second.  The pair took part in a four lap run off to decide who would stand where on the podium and after Korff got the jump on Dreaver at the start he led for the four laps to claim second spot, despite being pushed incredibly hard by Dreaver.

Support classes racing on the night were Streetstocks, Adult Ministocks and Stockcars.  Steve Reed won two of the Streetstock races and John Young the other.  Kylee Symes won the first Stockcar race while Mitch Vickery, who was peddling Josh Walsh’s car won the other two.  Bradley Korff won two of the Adult Ministock races and Kyle Wilson the other.

Several Taranaki competitors raced at other events around the country on the same weekend.  Those to do well included John Jackson who won the Modified Dirt Cup in Auckland and Blair Luscombe who was third at the same event.  Will Hart placed third in the Ministocks in Paradise event in Rotorua while Matthew Picard was fifth.  One hundred and thirty nine competitors attended which makes these exceptional results for the young drivers.