Mike 'Buzz' Lightfoot became the latest driver to win a race in the UDC V8 Ute Championship when he drove to a debut victory in the opening race of Round 3 at Teretonga Park in Invercargill today.

Lightfoot, of Auckland, converted the pole position he gained in the marble draw for starting positions into a win but not before he briefly lost the lead to Wellington driver Dave 'The Boss' Stewart after a small indiscretion. However he quickly fought back to cross the line ahead of Stewart with championship leader, Andrew 'DJ48' Waite of Auckland, third.

Lightfoot, in only his second full season in the category, was elated. "The Stoneman boys and my own crew did a fantastic job. The BSL Buckley Systems Falcon was on fire." It was a fine drive by the relative newcomer to motorsport apart from a slight off course excursion. "I outbraked myself but fortunately I was far enough in front." After losing the lead to Stewart he quickly repassed him. "Dave opened a window and I outbraked him by a split second."

Stewart enjoyed the race too. "There was no way I thought he would pass there. We touched and it bent my steering," said the driver of the Metro Brick Holden. Waite secured more valuable championship points with third, the Valvoline/Hydraulink Falcon copping a bit of "argy bargy" on its way from seventh on the grid. "That comes with the class," said Waite. "I had a massive moment at Turn One with 'Huggi' (Urquhart). It is a narrow track. It is not bad in a single seater but quite different in these machines."

Urquhart was another standout in the race, steering his Mitre 10 Trade Holden to fourth with Chris 'Hammer Time' Hanley fifth. Hanley had set the pace in a wet qualifying session in his PB Technologies Holden and drew a good starting position for the race. However Brett 'The Scud' Rudd was slow away in front and Hanley faced a hard, "frustrating" drive to regain lost positions. Rudd, a rookie, has impressed in his Pallet Supplies Holden this weekend with some excellent lap times in his first appearance at Teretonga.

The second race of the round from a reverse marble draw grid takes place at 10.38am on Sunday with the third and final race over 12 laps timed to start at 2.15pm that afternoon.

Support for the V8 Ute category comes from UDC Finance, Armorall, Xtreme Race Clutches, Nulon Oils, Radio Hauraki, Yokohama, Woodstock, BMC Air Filters, SCT and EFILive.