WINTER SERIES ROUND 3 PREVIEW

With two rounds of the non-championship Manfeild winter series now in the bag, Matthew Stubbs holds a narrow 6 point lead over newly crowned Speedsport Star of Tomorrow Scholarship winner Nick Cassidy as they head into round three this weekend. Ryan Hellier sits in third, a further 46 points behind.

Ryan Hellier will be hoping to return to his round 1 speed after a difficult round 2. (Click for larger view) Photo: www.motorsportmedia.co.nz / Cliff Field As this weekend approaches, Hellier will no doubt be looking to regain his impressive round 1 form, which saw him constantly at the front of the field throughout the event.

Although not likely to play a role in the points chase, Ian Foster is returning to the fray for this meeting and is expected to provide a strong challenge to the top three contenders. Foster, who finished second in last season's championship chase, did not compete the first two rounds of the Winter Series and is looking to use the remaining rounds to shake-down his car for the coming national series.

Another returning to competition this weekend is David Ruthven. Ruthven has been unable to attend the first two rounds of the series, but will be keen to improve further on his end of championship season performances, which saw the young Aucklander consistently running in the top ten.

With New Zealand currently suffering terrible weather, this weekend is likely to provide a difficult set of conditions for drivers and teams alike. Rain is expected all weekend, although some reports do say that the weather will clear somewhat for Sunday.

Practice takes place on Saturday, with qualifying and three races taking place on Sunday.