Racing on the Saturday ran from noon to dusk and on Sunday an extra hour of racing was had by starting at 11 am .
Roughly that's eleven hours of racing @ ten races per hour . That means if the average Saturday night track runs for three and a half hours we should regularly get to watch around thirty five races each meeting . I wonder if that has ever happened . 
No two minute bell , no wasted wheel packing laps , line them up on the back straight and let them go as they exit turn four for the Mods and higher grade saloons and for the rest the green was dropped where they were .

The pits were overflowing both days and more than a few race cars finished up pitting in the public carpark which meant by the time the large numbers of spectators had arrived the place resembled a Pak'n Save carpark on paynight .

The race track was a beauty that didn't dust up despite the mostly summer type weather that Northland provided . The whole surface of the track was available to the skilled and daring of whom there were plenty . A bit of a hole developed in turn two on the Sunday so 10 - 15 minutes was spent fixing that up .

Classes on hand were several grades of saloons . There were Supers , Ltds , B grades , C grades , Productions , Youth Escorts . 
Plus there were Modifieds , Stockcars , Streetstocks and whatever others  I've forgotten to mention . .

Every class had  mens and ladies divisions plus there were all in events that mixed the classes in a way that would have the average SNZ steward or referee seeking solace in a bottle .
I mean imagine Saloons , Modifieds and Streetstocks running in the same event at your track , imagine Streetstocks attacking saloons or even worse saloons attacking Streetstocks . Well it happened at Taipa .
The only disappointment I felt was when the clerk of the course removed the Std Stocks that were lining up on the grid for a couple of the mixed events , he must of lost his bottle somewhere .

Roy Walker was Clerk of the Course for the weekend and he did a fantastic job over the two days . He kept the meeting moving and things under control even down to picking up the rubbish in the public area on Sunday morning .

Too much happened to try and relate race by race action but I will offer some of my observations .

Streetstocks : 3 cars only fronted and that was a disappointment initially but a few Production Saloons decided they wanted to play rough and joined the class for the weekend . 
Contact involving the Production Saloons on the Saturday was fairly gentle although the black 8g managed to get rolled over . Another tinge of sadness when the 12 Streetstock was trailered away from the venue after just one event . The two remaining Streetstocks 91a and 11? put on a good show spinning each other and generally having a ball . Come Sunday and the 12a was back ,and a few more Production Saloons joined the fray .
The class from then on was the action attraction class of the weekend and really they stole the show along with the incident of the weekend when 12a rolled the 8g Production Saloon and finished up perched on top . A couple of the other production Saloons took a pounding as well and in between times the proper  Streetstocks attacked each other with gusto and showmanship.
The crowd appreciated the show greatly and now I'm figuring that every Streetstock event from here on in should include a Production type saloon or two to be used as cannon fodder  .

Stockcars
I think we started the weekend with nearly twenty cars . They were all Std Stocks with just one that could be classed as an Agrader .
76a Ritchie Wright was on a winning mission in the first couple of  events on Saturday , smashing his way through the field at full noise taking no prisoners . It was all too much though and while he won the second race the car was a smouldering sorry sight and unable to even begin it's victory lap . Exit 76a .
Whangarei's Mike Burrows in the splendid looking agrade No 12 performed well while the rest of the field traded blows and wins .
The stockcar ran a last car moving event as their last of the weekend . Rules were invoked that stopped it taking forever to finish and reduce damage . Simply put if you got spun , pushed onto the infield or put up the wall you were out . Simple really . Mind you in Taipa's case the daylight was fading fast so the last two still in the running shared the win .

Saloons
The ex 77s of Blondie Chamberlain was the centre of attention . New owner Nigel Livermore took it out for a run in the first event and struggled to keep the beast under control , not surprising considering his lack of experience . Lance Jennning had some consulation for his own car packing a sad by piloting the now 77a several times and that made everyone take notice .
Auckland ltd Saloon driver Nigel Ross who's own 46a was sidelined for most of last season with engine woes also got to have a steer of the 77a and quite simply stunned everyone watching . Full noise from the off and running wide , inches from the dirt wall , he did the best impersonation of Blondie or Skinny I have ever seen .
If new owner Nigel Livermore ever needs a stand in driver for 77a he won't have to look far .
Nigel Ross also took a limited saloon for a run and that was spectacular too as he bled every bit of pace out it lap after lap left front lifting high . God it was good to watch .
How many Saloons? , I don't know because there seemed to be a lot of mixing and matching going on . Good racing though and not a lot of damage done . Furthest traveler was 41m Neville Stewart who was on the winning pace . I saw 25h Don Gallettly pick up a good win too . 

Production Saloons seemed to number in the mid twenties and ranged in manuafacture from the Holden through to Toyota Mr2 and everything in between . Many of them were raced two up with the passengers weight probably helping to hold the left side down .
Presentation ranged from the superb to the wonderment of how 'that thing' is still managing to move . The class ran most of the weekend with around twenty four cars on the track at any one time .
I mused about how this wide mixture of cars and abilities could run such high numbers and remain relatively incident free when 10 good handling Super Saloons with well experienced drivers don't usually manage it on an average Saturday night .
Biggest incident in the Production Saloons was on Sunday when one clipped the back straight wall and did a bit of a cart wheel . Out hopped a one legged dude over to prop himself up on the bank and wave to the crowd . Lots of ribbing directed towards this local driver by the local crowd about his missing leg was a laugh and good natured . One youngster seemed a bit concerned though and will probably consider speedway to be a hell dangerous sport when a leg can be lost just like that .

Modifieds
I think there was eight that turned out initially although 31a Mike Periwiti couldn't get his running for the first two events . The class was made up of normal SNZ Modifieds plus Waiheke's  Ron Salter  in his Sprintcar , A Huntly registered Minisprint with new owner getting some track time and a Waiheke Modified called Mud dog . Racing was competitive and although the Sprintcar was dominant the wins were all worked for . The last Modified race of the weekend was particularly good with a modified coming through the field to pass the sprintcar on the last lap .

Youth Escorts
Half a dozen or so joined by a ministock which looked like the ex Shay Oliver car with new owner . Racing was pretty clean although one earned a black flag for dealing to the ministock on saturday . The irony was that the ministock carried out a payback on Sunday and never got caught by the ref . Nice one .

Commentating
Special mention here of the lady that does the calling at Taipa . She obviously has a ball doing it but she also puts a lot of effort in .
Starting on the mic well before the start of each race day she not only called the racing but handled the pit announcements too . 
By the end of the second day she was starting to sound a little hoarse  , quite understandable after something like eleven hours of calling . A job well done and appreciated . Good sound system too .

Overall
I can't believe how good the weather was for the weekend , a light 2 minute shower on Sunday was the worst it got .
Obviously the prize giving on saturday night was a good one judging by the talk of hangovers on Sunday morning . Many of the cars were left at the track over night , most under tarps and many still that way half an hour before racing was due to start . Slowly the stragglers turned up looking the worse for wear and I suspected many were regretting the night before .
First annnouncement over the P.A. on sunday was to the effect that those whose stomaches had recovered may like to know the food wagon was up and running . That turned a few faces green .
I don't know whether the dribble above has conveyed the character of the weekend's racing but believe me there was much more to it than what I have manage to type and you should be there next year to experience it for yourself .
Well done Taipa , I'll be back .
 
 

96a done went and broke a crank on the Saturday	111 Nigel Bree was a player
Sometimes these cars were Production Saloons....	... and sometimes they were Streetstocks
41m Neville Stewart with new plain Jane look that didn't slow him down none	Lance Jennings hard out in the 77s Blondie car that now sports an A after the 77
I bet it wasn't just my heart that threatened to stop a time or two though	I not 100% about who was driving the 99 macca but the performance was stunning .
This car goes well always but in the hands of Nigel Ross it was awesome	Two up and a bit of a prang to give the  passenger something to remember
saw the red car .....	.....but not the red flag .
welcome to stockcars John Carter	R=Rotorua , D=dargaville , T = Taipa
Bunny hopping RX7 style	The old E Type just keeps on winning
Owner of 77a Nigel Livermore would probably rather forget his first drive in 77a	No mud at Taipa for this winning Dog with the glorious exhaust note
Ron Drake came back stronger from this first race moment	Stockcars were raced for fun and that's what stockcar racing is meant to be , isn't it?.
Crowning incident of the weekend ..... .	....but you've got to feel for the poor wee  Production Saloon
The earth moved when the stockcars played	Fast and furious was the way Ritchie Wright  raced but the good looking 76a was knackered after just two races