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Colin Smith
MT MAUNGANUI, New Zealand (December 26) - It's a lot different but I enjoyed the experience and I loved every second of it. - US driver Josh Richards The dirt-track masters were at work at Baypark Speedway last night.
Drawcard US champions Josh Richards and Sammy Swindell each claimed convincing feature-race wins, the strong holiday crowd thrilled by the professional skills of a veteran US champion and one of the sports new generation stars.
Richards, 22, from West Virginia, lived up his billing as the World of Outlaws Late Model champion on debut in Maurice Cowling's new Rocket late model.
Richards powered through the pack to a victory that showed the speed of the US equivalent of a super saloon car. The car's speed through the middle of the corner was its most impressive asset and Richards' fastest lap was more than 0.6secs quicker than nearest challenger Ben Harding.
"It was fun," said Richards. "It's a lot different but I enjoyed the experience and I loved every second of it. The whole style of racing is different. The programme is much faster than at home and I like that.
"On a scale of one to 10 the car was probably a seven tonight. If we run it again there are a few small changes I'd like to make."
Harding's impressive heat race wins and second in the feature secured a 55-inch TV offered as a prize for the three-round super saloon car series.
Swindell raced at Baypark almost five years ago.
Now 55, the Tennessee veteran was no less impressive this time and led the feature race from start to finish. California's Tommy Tarlton was second on his Baypark debut and was chased hard by an in-form Skinny Colson, the best of the Kiwis.
Swindell lapped at 14.8ecs in the feature (the next best was Colson's 15.1sec effort) but even more impressive were Swindell's moves through the pack to finish second and fifth in the heats.
In traffic he made decisive passes and his style was a contrast of sheer speed, yet economy of effort, combined with the ability to drive any line. Swindell said he still had something in reserve.
"I don't run with these guys and I don't know how they run. We got held up in some of the traffic so I didn't know how close anybody else was. I wasn't running 100 per cent. I was maybe 90 per cent and trying to make nice clean laps so I didn't make a mistake."
The big question is whether Swindell will be back at Baypark for the NZ title on January 7-8. "We have no plans right now. Ron (car owner Ron Salter) might talk me into it," Swindell said.
Swindell remains in NZ for three more sprint car races and the 50-lap midget car event at Western Springs on January 5. By that stage he will have completed the five meetings required for an overseas driver to be eligible for the NZ title.
For second-placed Tarlton and his Dalton's team-mate Peter Murphy (a US-domiciled Australian) who ran fifth, last night was an important step second and third step respectively towards completing five meetings.
Tarlton was impressed with Baypark. "What an awesome place. This is my kind of race track."
The next meeting at Baypark is the Super Saloon Car Grand Prix on January 1 before the NZ Sprint Car champs on Jan 7-8.
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