Interislander Saloon Car Series
North versus South

Only in its second year, but already seen in some eyes as traditional, this great North vs South competition sees eight top car/driver combinations from New Zealand's North Island, representing Auckland's Waikaraka Park, Waikato's Huntly venue, and both Rotorua and Baypark in the sunny Bay of Plenty, head to the Mainland for four consecutive night's intense competition. Welcome to the Interislander Saloon Series for 2008/09.

Cromwell, Dunedin, Christchurch and Blenheim in four days is a huge haul in anybody's language, but the adrenalin rush of the racing will keep the teams up to the mark, and lessons learned last year will mean things will be even tighter this time around than 12 months ago.

This is not just motorsport, but sport at its finest. The rules governing the North Island "Saloon" category are different to a South Island "A Grade Saloon", but nobody really cares. It's all about competition and having fun... well, until the crash helmets go on anyway!!! Fun it maybe, but these guys are serious about performing to their ultimate as well.

In numerical order, the North Island team is as follows;

10H - Bryce Louden; The 50 year old resident of Thames has, along with his brother Steve, been a familiar name in both Super Saloon and Saloon ranks for many a year, mostly out of Auckland. Nowadays registered to Huntly, Bryce drives a very tidy BA Falcon bodied Ford powered machine, draped over a home-built chassis, and whilst not as high-profile as some of his team mates, Bryce will be consistently racking up the points while some of his more illustrious counterparts are testing the limits of adhesion on unfamiliar track surfaces.

13R - Murray Guy; A 54 year old City Councillor in his home town of Tauranga, Murray is contracted to his neighbouring track of Paradise Valley, Rotorua. Comparatively new to the ranks of speedway drivers, Murray was already "Grandad Racing" by the time the new Baypark track opened for his debut in 2001. The red Kuriger chassied, Go Fast sponsored, Holden Monaro has quickly become a familiar sight at speedways all around New Zealand, and Murray is as quick on the microphone as he is on the dirt.

21H - Steve Williams; Of all drivers in all classes of New Zealand speedway, Steve probably needs the least introduction. Caddyshack Racing has produced two awesome looking, Valvoline sponsored, Harris chassied Ford Mustangs for some seasons now, the Super Saloon being a former NZ1 car, the Saloon the current NZ3. A resident of Auckland, but long time Huntly track member, Steve is also known for bringing Tiger Woods here for that fantastic celebrity charity meet a couple of seasons back. His work for Starship Hospital certainly has not gone unnoticed, and the man behind both the Interislander and DHL Saloon Series is having a lot of fun with his #1 passion right now, speedway, while Tiger is recovering from surgery. Both spectacular and fast, Steve is a pleasure to watch every time he hits the dirt.

45M - Paul Cressy; The lone Baypark contracted car in the North Island line up, Paul is a 44 year old former Streetstock star from Matamata who has moved up stylishly to the Saloon division in recent years. The home-built chassis is topped off by a stunning Holden Monaro body shell, featuring the colours of his long time sponsor, Daltons. Baypark is a very different racetrack to what Paul is going to strike on his first trip south, and we've heard tell that he was overheard asking where to exchange his money for the trip!!

48A/1NZ - Phil Towgood; 57 years young, driving a Corvette bodied car over a chassis about the same age, Phil made the trip south last year and achieved very mixed results by his own high standards due to the car showing signs of unreliability. That fixed, the Peninsula Tyres sponsored machine went on to take out the inaugural NZ, NI and GP titles for the Saloon class in 2007/08. Travelling from Whitianga to his home track in Auckland most weekends to race, when not travelling, Phil also achieved Saloon Competitor of the Year and overall Sportsperson of the Year at the annual Speedway Awards Dinner. The on-track rivalry between he and Steve Williams is a site to behold, although here they are team mates. Will they need reminding?

59A - Bryan Skelton; Better known as "Softy" (you'll have to ask him), Bryan also hails from Whitianga on the Coromandel Peninsula, and races out of Waikaraka Park. The baby of the team at a mere 38 years of age, he pit crewed for Phil Towgood on last year's southern sojourn but loved it so much he's brought his car with him this time. The stunning Kevin Moore built Corvette carries sponsorship from Barrier Reef Pools and his own Autobarn business, and certainly gets the business done on the racetrack as well.

63H - Nige Mouat; The 45 year old, Huntly contracted, Auckland resident has stepped things up a notch this summer, securing the famous Martin Halcrow Holden Monaro Super Saloon and converting it to Saloon specs. The car hadn't yet hit the track at the time of writing, but early photos show it's going to be another work of art from the Mouat workshop. The weather has also hindered and halted more meetings than not in the north so far this season too, so this may just be a sort-as-you-race mission for Nige.

121R - Mel Hills; The third resident of Auckland in the touring party (they must love escaping the big smoke for the clean SI air?), former Modified driver Mel races out of the Rotorua track. The 39 year old drives the second Valvoline Mustang from the Williams stable, this one however being a Kuriger chassis. Since making the change from the winged warrior brigade Mel, has steadily progressed to the point where he is now talked about in the same breath as the other members of the team named above, no mean feat.

So there you have them, eight of the North Island's very best, ready, once again, for the challenge the South Island has to offer, both on and off the track. Falcons and Monaros, Mustangs and Corvettes, something for everybody. We certainly hope you enjoy the racing, and that this is only the second in what will become a long term rivalry.

Barry Brown

all photos courtesy of Yaz Dolbel - NZ Stockcar Crazy!! www.nzstockcarcrazy.com except 45m and 112r