Australasian Young Drivers Championships
 Annual On-Line


2005 Winner - JAMES RATTRAY (TAS)


James Rattray did what his twin brother Gareth did two years earlier, in winning the 2005 Australasian Young Drivers Championship at Auckland on Inter Dominion Grand Final night.

The exciting seven race championship for those drivers under 25 years old came down to the wire and it was Rattray who won the Count Back to defeat hot Western Australian youngster Aaron Skalecki

Rattray reined home a winner, two seconds and a third from the seven races. He amassed 64 points, as did Skalecki.

The best of the Kiwis was Jonny Cox. He looked a big chance to go close to winning the competition when his charge, Wings To Fly, mooched up in behind the leaders on the home turn. He battled after and it was a titanic struggle in the midfield that decided the championship.

There was some consolation for last year’s winner Trevor Munday. The man that controlled last year’s series throughout wound up late with an easy win on Roughie Irish Image in the final heat.

(above article used with permission from Auckland Trotting Club March 2005)

 		 
Milton James  (Pres, Fremantle Trotting Club),
Peter Bourke (IDHRC Dep. Chairman), 
Robert Marshall (IDHRC Chairman), & Rod Pollock (IDHRC CEO)
present trophy to James Rattray
 

2005 RESULTS - NEW ZEALAND

Driver

Heat 1
Cambridge
10 Mar

Heat 2
Auckland
11 Mar

Heat 3
Taranaki
14 Mar

Heat 4
Taranaki
14 Mar

Heat 5
Kumeu
16 Mar

 Heat 6
Kumeu
16 Mar		 Heat 7
Auckland
18 Mar

Total
Points
James RATTRAY (TAS) 4 12 6 9 12 17 4 64*
Aaron SKALECKI (WA) 17 7 12 12 4 7 5 64
Jonny COX (NZ) 12 6 17 1 7 12 6 61
Trevor MUNDAY (Def Champ) 1 9 5 2 9 4 17 47
James PONSONBY (NSW) 5 3 4 5 17 5 7 46
John Dunn (NZ SI) 7 4 9 17 3 3 1 44
Andrew McCARTHY (QLD) 9 17 2 6 5 2 3 44
John CLARKE (VIC) 3 5 7 7 6 6 2 36
Wayne HILL (SA) 2 2 3 3 1 9 9 29
Stephen BUTCHER (NZ NI) 6 1 1 4 2 1 12 27

* winner on count-back

Point Score for Ten Starters
1st – 17 points; 2nd – 12 points; 3rd – 9 points; 4th – 7 points; 5th – 6 points; 6th – 5 points; 7th – 4 points; 8th – 3 points; 9th – 2 points; 10th – 1 point.
Point Score for Nine Starters
1st - 16 points; 2nd - 11 points; 3rd - 8 pints; 4th - 6 points; 5th - 5 points; 6th - 4 points, 7th - 3 points; 8th - 2 points; 9th - 1 point.
Point Score for Eight Starters
 1st - 15 points; 2nd - 11 points; 3rd - 7 pints; 4th - 5 points; 5th - 4 points; 6th - 3 points; 7th - 2 points; 8th - 1 point.
Point Score for Seven Starters
1st - 14 points; 2nd - 9 points; 3rd - 6 pints; 4th - 4 points; 5th - 3 points; 6th - 2 points; 7th - 1 point.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

2005 Australasian Young Drivers (from left):

Stephen Butcher (North Island), Andrew McCarthy (Queensland),
James Ponsonby (NSW), John Clarke (Victoria),
James Rattray (Tasmania), John Dunn (South Island),
Jonny Cox (NZ), Aaron Skalecki (Western Australia),
Trevor Munday (NSW- Def Champ), Wayne Hill (SA).