Baird edges out in-form Edgell Tim Edgerll on his way to a first race victory in V8s Queensland based Kiwi racing driver Craig Baird has put one hand on the BNT V8s Championship after the penultimate round was held at Manfeild today. Baird powered his United Video Falcon to the overall round win after a great tussle with rising new star Tim Edgell (Auckland) who took out his first V8 race victory in this morning’s first race in his Chesters Falcon. Third overall for the round was former points leader John McIntyre (Nelson) whose Prime Explosives Falcon) battled with Baird and current champion Kayne Scott (Hamilton) who is enjoying a late season resurgence in his Fujitsu Heat Pumps Falcon. The other driver still technically in the championship hunt is Christchurch’s Eddie Bell (Independent Fisheries Falcon) who endured a frustrating day at Manfeild.   As the lights went out for the start of Race 1 (12 laps), the field roared into Turn 1 with cars bunched up under braking with several nose to tail contacts resulting in damage to several cars including Bell and Chris Pither. Baird ran wide on the exit after rubbing door handles with Edgell dropping him to 6th but was immediately back on the charge. Meanwhile, Angus Fogg moved up a place ahead of McIntyre before pulling off the track and out of the race on Lap 2 after a driveshaft component failure. While all this was going on, Edgell and Scott were simply gone to open a good lead by Lap 3 from where they were to dictate the race to its conclusion. Baird was soon back up to fourth where he began hounding McIntyre in what became a thrilling dice between two absolute professionals at the top of their game. Baird attacked on the final turn of Lap 5 to overtake but a brilliant return maneuver saw the Nelson driver retake the position exiting Turn 1. Lap 9 then saw Baird make a stunning move under braking to take over the 3rd place he was to defend to the finish behind the front two of Edgell and Scott with the former having opened a sizable lead. The front four were followed home by Andy Knight, Andy Booth, John Penny, Bell, Haydyn Mackenzie and Clark Proctor with Knight and Booth indulging in a race long tussle while Penny and Mackenzie were again impressive to score further top ten results. Andrew Anderson dropped to the back to finish 22nd owing to a bent front suspension ball joint following contact from another car. Race 2 (12 laps) was another endorsement on the huge crowd popularity of BNT V8s racing as some of the closest ever racing was witnessed. While Edgell again led from the pole to establish a comfortable lead, the dual between Baird, McIntyre and Scott was the stuff of legend. McIntyre made a copybook start to overhaul Baird and Scott on the exit of Turn 1. While the front four set a blistering pace, Bell also made a great start to climb up to 6th while Fogg battled his way from the rear to a remarkable 12th by Lap 5. A safety car period was required on Lap 7 when Christina Orr and David Hopper came into contact on the final turn resulting in Orr’s car making heavy contact with the tyre wall. It was then on the restart that the race was turned around as Edgell battled to head off both Baird and McIntyre into Turn 1 and open a small gap. A few laps later Edgell locked a wheel causing a flat spot on a front tyre just before Bell’s car fractured an oil line distributing oil on the outside of Turn 1. When Edgell arrived, his car slid wide into the oil allowing Baird to get alongside and muscle his way into the lead he was to hold until the finish. Edgell was then troubled by a vibration caused by his damaged front tyre making him battle hard to keep McIntyre and Scott at bay. Knight and Booth were next across the line battling to the end ahead of Penny, Anderson, Proctor and Mackenzie. Fogg’s gallant drive came to nothing as he withdrew on the final lap with a blown front tyre while lying 7th. The weekend finale is always an action packed affair with a full reverse grid fought out over 22 laps but compared with the day’s earlier two races was a comparably sedate affair although not without it’s excitement. The undoubted centre of attention was the skills shown by the top four pace setters as they wound their way up the order, especially McIntyre and Baird whose aggressive but accurate driving kept the crowd on their toes. Fogg dominated from pole position to win ahead of Bell, local hero Matt Lockwood, McIntyre, Baird, Knight, Scott, Edgell, Anderson and Simon Richards. Baird was aggressive in the opening laps to quickly move to the front while McIntyre, Edgell and Scott took a more tactical option but to the surprise of many, McIntyre kept enough in reserve to overhaul Baird by the end of the race.      “It’s not all over yet as we have seen anything can happen in this type of racing," explained Baird. "I was really happy with my car all day and felt we had the package to take the overall win but in the last race my handling seem to get away and cause me to slow slightly.” Edgell meanwhile was delighted to take a first win. “We are really pleased to take our first win and move up to third in the points because it was a bit touch and go for a while. I had the vibration to contend with in Race 2 then my car kept jumping out of second gear in the last race before I was hindered by a slow puncture.”