A sizable Western Springs crowd were treated to three very entertaining features at the third meeting of the summer at the iconic Auckland Speedway venue on Saturday night (November 29). All of the classes were contesting ‘The Heritage Shield’ features, donated by the Auckland Vintage Speedway Club.

Michael Pickens in his Don Kay owned ‘Little Rippers’/’Metalman’ #54 Esslinger powered Breka, won the fourth round of the National Midget Car Series, raced over 25-laps. It was his third consecutive Midget feature win in the NCMS this season.

23 NMCS Midgets from Auckland and the Waikato were on hand for the fourth round of the $100,000 Samsung/Century Batteries National Midget Car Series.

Chris McCutcheon (Bearing Wholesale Hawk/Aggressor #96) again looked strong in the first heat, driving the leased Bryce Townsend #4 car for the night, after engine problems with his own car from the previous week. He was however, passed by Brad Mosen (Dickies Mopar/Aggressor #13) and Michael Pickens in lapped traffic on the final lap, with Mosen holding on for the win ahead of Pickens and the impressive McCutcheon.

Series contender Carl Worboys (Fumacare Mopar/Beast #21) won heat two from the pole, followed by Shayne Alach (Parker Store Esslinger/Aggressor #11) from grid six, and Scott Buckley (Iscar Mopar/Aggressor #25) from grid five. Track record holder Alach set the fastest time of the heat with a 14.163 second lap.

Pickens then managed to win the third heat unchallenged from grid two, already looking odds on to be the top qualifier for the feature. He set the fastest lap of the night with a 14.085 second lap, ahead of Graham Standring (Wendys Esslinger/Lendich #33) from grid four, Mark Oudney (Logitech Ed Pink/Aggressor #27) from grid one, and current NZ Champ Shaun Insley (United Truck Parts Mopar/Aggressor #1NZ ) all the way from grid eleven.

Heat four was won by Buckley from grid four, from Michael Kendall (Demon Esslinger/Spike #81), Worboys, and Mosen. The unfortunate Wayne Green (Robbos Demo Ed Pink/Breka #10), fresh from third in Palmerston North the previous week, crashed heavily on the pit straight after unintentional contact with eventual heat winner Buckley. The points were tight for second at this stage behind Pickens, with Alach, Worboys, and Buckley all disputing the position for the feature grid.

Insley won the fifth and final heat from grid two, beating home Alach (Grid 5), Tony Fabish (Pop ‘N’ Good Popcorn Gaerte/Breka # 95, and Michael Brunt (Beaver Built Esslinger/Aggressor #17H).

Pickens was the top qualifier from the heats with a win and a second, ahead of Alach, Buckley, Worboys, Insley, and Mosen.

21 cars lined up for the 25-lap feature, with Alvin Cobb (Firestone Performance Centre Mopar/Aggressor #5H) and Chris McCutcheon taking provisional’s to start from the rear of the grid after problems during the heats.

Pickens led away from the front from the green flag, chased by a determined Shayne Alach. Scott Buckley got tangled up at the start through Pinetree Bend, inverting his car on the opening lap, unfortunately ending his race.

The two leaders were never more than a couple of car lengths apart for the entire race from the restart, with late lapped traffic coming in to play with a couple of laps to go. Both were delayed by backmarkers, but it cost Alach the most in the end, with Pickens holding on for the win by just under two seconds at the chequered flag. Brad Mosen banked some more good points with a  third place finish at the flag from grid six, followed by another charging drive from Lance Beale (BNT Ed Pink/Aggressor #87) to fourth place, all the way from grid seventeen. Beale had to transfer from the ‘B’ Main after problems in one of his heats. Fifth was the ever consistent Worboys, followed by a good top six effort by Mark Oudney (Logitech Ed Pink/Aggressor #27). In seventh was Kendall, followed by a battle scarred Wayne Green (8^th), Tony Fabish (9^th), and another good top ten from Dave Gick (Logick Print Fontana/Breka #4).

Pickens’ win maintains his NMCS points lead on 113 points, ahead of Lance Beale and Brad Mosen now tied for second (94 points). Carl Worboys sits fourth (87 points). The top six is rounded out by Wayne Green fifth (68 points), with Shaun Insley and Shayne Alach tied for sixth (58 points).

Current NZ Sprintcar Champion Carl Wilson (Marley J&J #1NZ) won his first ever Sprintcar feature at Western Springs, scoring the win after returning American Ricky Logan (Lucas Oil J&J #10) crashed into the Town Bend fence while leading with just two laps to go. Logan had starred up until that moment, ‘charging over the cushion’ to the lead through lapped traffic.

The ever improving and consistent Raymond Griffen (Profreight J&J #11), fought hard for second ahead of a charging Dean Brindle (Traffic Management J&J #22) coming from grid seventeen after fuel line issues in one of his heats. Wilson leads the Springs Series on 84 points from Griffen (76 points) and Brindle (63 points)

Former NZ Champion and TQ stalwart Paul Le Cren (Alkeris Harris #14), won his first Western Springs TQ feature of the summer, defending his Heritage Shield win from a year ago. Defending Western Springs National Series Champ Ross Linklater (PDL Breka #56) finished second after a tough start in defence of his title this season, from current points leader Chris Gwilliam (New World Kerikeri Breka #98) in third. The fifteen lap TQ feature went all the way, green to chequer. Gwilliam leads the Springs Series for the TQ’s on 94 points, from Gina Harris second (59 points), and Jared Taylor (57 points).

The next meeting at Western Springs on December 6 features over thirty Sprintcars competing for the 08/09 North Island Sprintcar Championships, the first of the SNZ titles at The Springs for the season.

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