After reading some of the posts on the Discussion Board I thought perhaps I’ll give some clarity to what actually happened at the North Islands as I feel there is quite a bit of incorrect hearsay going around , I have tried to be unbiased, but this is my view as I saw & experienced it.

The core issue was the electronic lap scoring failed to produce accurate data ,possibly had not been tuned properly of have been told.

After the first race of the finals about 5 competitors were placed approximately 10th to 15th , when they should have been placed around 2nd to 6th as well as some other discrepancies. All those involved asked to have the lap scoring re checked as it was obviously wrong. 
The SNZ appointed officials were reluctant at the time to refer to the Manual lap scoring creating some frustration for the drivers. So most of the drivers affected worked out who placed where themselves. This was then fairly close to the
Manual lap scoring that was later revealed.

 RACE 2. Results posted once. Incorrect, so many drivers asked for it to be rechecked. Results posted twice, still incorrect but with some improvements. 
Results posted again as we were in our cars for race 3. The results posted all stated that the 58p car finished around 5th 0r 6th. I asked how this can be when I was placed around 9th to 12th on the different postings. Yet I beat him to the line. He was limping & had stopped ¼ of a lap short. On the last lap of race 2, I took a hit that damaged my front axle and was limping to the finish line with limited steering ability. As I was going down the back straight the 58p car slowed in front of me, initially I thought he was blocking & began to push him but then realized he had a problem so I slipped past him & continued to the finish line. 

He stopped on the apex of the corner and that was the last I saw of him. I did not see him cross the line under the green as I had stopped there myself. He apparently had lost his dry sump belts, hence the reason he did not make it to the line. We were told that he got pushed over the line by another palmy car. This car had already been under the checkered, placed 5th. His race was complete, had he pushed him across the line under the green, the 58 car would have been disqualified anyway. 
As it turned out they went across the line under the orange & did not finish the race. There was video evidences of this whole drama that could have resolved it all in 5 minutes, but SNZ were unwilling to look at it. So after several discussions with SNZ & the lap scoring people we were not getting anywhere on sorting it out. 

I tell you I have no powers of influence with SNZ. They were adamant at the time that it was correct & suggested if I want to take it further I should submit a protest. A protest brings in the steward, clerk of the course & the drivers rep for that night. They are like a committee to adjudicate the discrepancy. Note that this is no different to what Scotty Miers had to do on the first night to get his points correct to qualify. I have not protested a result for many years as the recent electronic lap scoring is usually great. I figured this might take 10 or 15 minutes & be all sorted. As it did appear to me to be rather straight forward. So the lap scorers & officials tried & tried for hours to hear the 58 car being called on the Manual lap scoring tapes for the last lap, but it was not there. 

So at some time after 12.30pm they made the call to delay posting official results as there was insufficient data to say that the 58 car finished race 2. Upon further investigation by that committee the facts were revealed. Although this was frustrating for all involved I have to give them credit for searching out the true facts before announcing there decision & therefore prevent a sham of a championship. 

So for people to state the poor Pete stories, Pete was not a contender for the title after race 2, this was unfortunate for him but it is the facts, he was robbed of nothing.
But spare a thought for the 3 other competitors, their crews, families & supporters who were robbed of there moment on the podium that night. This is not the most fun championship we’ve ever won. By the way, congrats to Simon Joblin & Daryl Taylor, great for Daryl on home turf.

As for the grass stuff:

I have had my Briggs & Stratton on the dyno  its going nicely thanks …seriously. Race 2.  I had no steering; I was controlling the direction of the car more from the accelerator than the steering wheel. I came from the track & collected the two cones, stopping just over the finish line. There was no problem with that.

At drivers briefing SNZ officials told us that if you do happen to get untidy & get on the grass at least attempted to be in side the cones that were placed on the grass at the start finish line so that you a picked up by the lap scoring strip & included in the results.

Race 3.Yes I did get on the grass on two occasions when giving Scotty two reverse spins. You have to under stand that when a hit like that is given there is still a huge amount of moment that takes you well on to the grass, as long as when you gain control that you return to the track as soon as possible & also that you do not gain any advantage in passing another car while on the grass. On the second hit on Scotty I gave way to Shane before re-entering the track, he was behind me prior to the hit ,so I lost a place. 
I did also make a mistake & cut the pole line going into turn 1 when I miss judged placing the car for the corner trying to get in side the slick lane ,with a car that was not handling at its best having replaced the front axle & not set up properly , I bounced over the pole got, untidy & slid out wide by the wall, this allowed the 41 car to actually pass me, so I  lost another place & no advantage gained. This is all within the context of our racing rules.

Phew!.......So there you have it. This is as accurate as I can recall. But then again I did get backed into the wall.!!!

It was a shame the lap scoring was such a disaster, because the racing was exciting right to the last lap. 

I’m off to the beach for the week, See you at the 240s.

Rodney wood.

PS. If you think Wanganui was bad, Auckland still haven’t got electronic lap scoring ,so don’t expect a winner announced until about Easter.