Final qualifying at NZJSA Round 2 in Whanganui delivered clear form lines across the classes, with several close battles emerging and late pace proving decisive. Changing conditions rewarded clean runs and punished early mistakes, with positions often decided in the final sessions.
Group A
In Group A, the front of the field separated sharply. Matt Hareb and Hayden George topped qualifying with a 46.146, improving on every run and delivering their fastest lap when it counted. Ollie Silverton and Amanda Kittow stayed within striking distance throughout, finishing second just 0.052 seconds behind. The gap to third was more pronounced, with Kris Rasmussen and Holly Sutherland ending qualifying 1.074 seconds off the lead. Behind them, recovery drives stood out, notably Sam Gray and Vanessa Gray, who rebounded from a slow opening run to cut more than 18 seconds by the final session and secure their place.
Group A – Qualifying results
- Matt Hareb / Hayden George
- Ollie Silverton / Amanda Kittow
- Kris Rasmussen / Holly Sutherland
- Ross Travers / Jackie Hawker
- Bryce Baron / Charlize
- Sam Gray / Vanessa Gray
- Dug Twist / Harry Kibblewhite
- Caleb Baron / Neo Broomhall
- Bayden Stephens / Trina Buckley
- Scott Andrews / Andrew Baike
- Michael Stephens / Jayne McDonald
MTW LS Class
The MTW LS class was tightly packed, with the top five separated by less than a second. Paddy Haden and Jay Haden led the class, finishing strongly after a measured start. Connor Nairn and James Tuckey followed 0.652 seconds behind after consistent gains across the session, while John Verry and Grace Alder completed the top three, just 0.195 seconds further back. Several crews improved late, but the class remained compact throughout qualifying, leaving little margin heading into racing.
MTW LS Class – Qualifying results
- Paddy Haden / Jay Haden
- Connor Nairn / James Tuckey
- John Verry / Grace Alder
- Tim Edhouse / Debbie Edhouse
- Sam Tweedle / Shevron Willis
- Dave Hopkins / Oliver MacFarquhar
- Jackson Hopkins / Dana Doyle
- Matt Nairn / Tayla May Sutherland
- D’Arcy Redstone / Emma Redstone
- David McDiarmid / Carolyn McDiarmid
- Pete Connor / Ben Connor
- Marc Wendelken / Sean Perrett
- David Thomas / Anna Hareb
MTW Group B
In MTW Group B, a clear front pair emerged. Hamish Clarke and Lisa Seator qualified fastest, improving steadily across all four runs. Gemma Johnson and Richard Currie closed the gap with each session but remained 0.459 seconds adrift. Andrew Craig and Scott Gorman took third after recovering from a slow opener, though early time loss left them nearly two seconds off the lead. Others struggled to regain ground after early issues, with consistency proving decisive.
MTW Group B – Qualifying results
- Hamish Clarke / Lisa Seator
- Gemma Johnson / Richard Currie
- Andrew Craig / Scott Gorman
- Andy Darling / Kane Hatchard
- Greg Wilson / Katie Wilson
Southern Jet Superboats
The Southern Jet Superboats saw Sam Newdick and Shama Putaranui control qualifying from start to finish. They set the benchmark early and remained quickest in the final session, ending with a 0.643 second margin. Reuben Hoeksema and Suzi Katavich secured second, while Rob Coley and Ange Coley placed third with steady, consistent runs. Midfield crews showed improvement, but the order at the front remained largely unchanged.
With qualifying complete, the fields are set. Several classes feature clear lead battles, while others remain tightly compressed, setting up decisive racing where execution will matter more than outright pace.
Southern Jet Superboats – Qualifying results
- Sam Newdick / Shama Putaranui
- Reuben Hoeksema / Suzi Katavich
- Rob Coley / Ange Coley
- Mike Hessell / Shaun White
- David Simmons / Pip Thompson
- Luke Walters / Andy Giles
Bring on the elimination rounds!
