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Troy Wheeler follows Tony Brand through a corner closely in the Super Trucks class at the Thunder Down Under.
Thousands of people gathered at Levels Raceway for a taste of the annual Thunder Down Under meeting that organisers are calling a record breaker. South Canterbury Car Club president Kevin Pateman estimated 8000 people turned over the two days with a record 210 entries in saloons, F1600, Pre 65, NZ6/Mazda RX7 and RX8, Mainland Muscle Cars, SS Cup, Mini 7, 2K Cup, OSCA and the popular Super Truck classes. “It was a massive turnout, fantastic, given the environment we are living in, it was reflected in our spectator attendance.
He has raced every year in Timaru since Super Truck Racing started 20 years ago. “Timaru always supported us when our numbers were low. They helped keep the sport going.” Wheeler has won the New Zealand Super Truck championship for the past five years and leads the championship this season on 62 points after the first round at Manfeild. Timaru is the second round with the last two rounds at Teretonga and Ruapuna in March. Racing Super Trucks, he says, all comes down to reliability. The monster trucks have to be operational otherwise any championship hopes go out the window. “Reliability is the big thing with trucks. You can’t afford to drop a race to let the others catch up.
Bejon Haswell/Stuff
Mitchell Hamilton, left, and Trevor Morse are ready for Sports Saloon Cup racing at the Thunder Down Under meeting at Timaru’s Levels Raceway.
Not even Covid-19 is expected to stop the roar of engines gathering for the annual Thunder Down Under at Levels Raceway. Sports Saloon Cup series section co-ordinator Mitchell Hamilton said the January 30-31 event is set to be the biggest gathering at Levels Raceway for sometime. Hamilton was rapt with the expected turnout, with 38 cars registered in the SS Cup section racing, and about 200 vehicles across the various categories which are headlined by the Super Trucks along with other support from Open Saloons, Mainland Muscle Cars, Formula Ford, pre ‘65, 2k Cup South Island, Mini 7sand Pro7/NZ6 classes for the two days of racing.