SILSDEN'S Frankie Wainman Jnr had his hopes for a fourth World 240ci Championship snatched away from him in Rotorua, New Zealand on Saturday, with local Palmeston North Panther drivers stopping him from winning the title.

Driving the Phil Ogle-prepared car he raced in Down Under last year, the BriSCA F1 world champion was running second in the points going into the last race of the night.

But Wainman Jnr was taken out by a lap-down William Humphries, who competes for North Palmerston Panthers, halfway through the race.

The Silsden racing legend began the three-heat event from the back of the 26-car grid for heat one, making up 20 places to finish sixth behind Thomas Stanaway and Simon Joblin.

From 13th in heat two, Wainman Jnr was clearly the fastest man on the track, moving leader Steve Jude aside to hit the front at halfway. Despite a last-lap attack from Palmerston North Panther driver Jack Miers, Wainman Jnr took an impressive victory ahead of Humphries and Joblin.

After two heats, Wainman Jnr looked favourite to go on and win the title. Only two points behind leader Joblin, he started from pole position for the final heat.

“The track slicked right off early on, which suited my driving style,” said Wainman Jnr. “None of the New Zealand drivers seemed to react fast enough to the conditions.”

But as is often the case, the British star became a target for the local drivers – ‘team’ racing is legitimate in New Zealand – with Humphries the main culprit.

Wainman jnr lost a few places at the start and began to make his way through the field into third place. But Humphries had other ideas. Going a lap down, he took the 1GB car to the wall in turn three, blocking his path.

After Wainman Jnr extracted himself, the manoeuvre was repeated a couple of laps later, with the Silsden driver wedged into the turn two wall, and from that point his hopes of victory were over.

“I started on pole, but deliberately dropped back a few places at the start to try and keep out of the way,” Wainman Jnr said.

“It worked really well but Humphries found me and although he was on the infield, he took me to the wall, costing me a lap. He then teamed up with Jack Miers, taking me to the wall again and out of the running.”

Bryce Steiner took the win, but it was Panther driver Joblin, who finished sixth from the back of the grid, who had done enough to take the title.

Wainman Jnr, who finished sixth overall, added: “I’m still happy with my night to be top overseas driver and again be in the hunt to win the championship.

“I must give a big thank you to Phil Ogle for an awesome car.”

It was a mixed night for BriSCA F1 drivers, with former world champion Lee Fairhurst finishing a promising 11th in the first heat from 25th on the grid, but a massive pile-up on the first bend in heat two resulted in the Fairhurst car with a damaged wheel and broken brake pipe.

Bobby Griffin blew a diff, while John Dowson, on his first visit to New Zealand, managed to finish every race without being a factor.