SPORT lllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllll lllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllll lllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllll lllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllll l l ntnews.com.au Unho off to a good start Summers here for motocross Nuggets stay alive in west DARWIN golf export Unho Park has enjoyed a bright ALICE Springs Finke professional Lachlan Summers THE Denver Nuggets routed an ailing Kobe Bryant start to the PGM ADT Masters in Malaysia. Park will use tonight’s Top End Motocross Club Mr Moto-x and the Los Angeles Lakers 113-96 to stay alive in carded a three-under par 69 in the opening round of race at Catalina Road in Palmerston as preparation their NBA Western Conference first-round playoff the US$60,000 Asian Development Tour event to be for the NT Tiles in July. After placing third this year in series. Denver led by as many as 28 points as they in a tie for fifth place, two shots off the pace. The the Deep Well Enduro, Summers received a ride with tied the series at three games apiece with the Territory No. 1 has found form in recent appearances, MLC Motorsports and will aim for a podium finish decisive game seven set for tomorrow (NT time) in posting consecutive top-40 placings on the main tonight. With local champion Daniel McInnes away Los Angeles. The Philadelphia 76ers edged Chicago Asian Tour and is striving to end his tournament training, it opens up the door for several riders to 79-78, ousting the top-seeded Bulls from the first drought in this rare outing on the secondary tour. take the win. Gates open 6pm with racing from 7pm. round of the NBA playoffs. Webber out to Speedway gears up down MOTORSPORT By GREY MORRIS rivals THE 360 sprintcars head a big list of drivers and machines MARK Webber has made in tonight’s opening of the clear he intends to fight his 2012 speedway season. Red Bull teammate and The 360s replace their more defending champion Sebas- powerful cousins the 410s as tian Vettel for victory in the biggest show in town. this weekend’s Spanish PUB: The muscle cars are in Grand Prix. dispute with speedway The 35-year-old Austral- officials on ownership and ian, who is 11 years senior to the minimum number of cars German Vettel, knows that NT NEWS (six) in a sanctioned event. consistency is not enough But the 360s promise plenty for him to launch a serious of excitement in a packed challenge in what looks like race program that includes being a wide-open title fight. wingless sprintcars, ‘‘I’ve been consistent and I AMCA’S, street stocks, junior realise I need to keep doing sedans and go-karts. that, but I also need to win DATE: Veteran sprintcar driver as well,’’ Webber said. Peter McIver steps into ‘‘When the opportunity isn’t unknown territory when he there to do that, you need to pilots his blue Ford powered finish, but 25 points makes a 12-MAY-2012 No. 99 car around Northline big difference — although if Speedway. you are in the fence that ma- The imported American kes a big difference as well.’’ Roush-Yates motor will Webber has finished break new ground against fourth in all four races this the traditional Chevrolet year in Australia, Malaysia, engines. China and Bahrain — a con- ‘‘There’s only five in Aust- sistent run that has him ralia and I’ve got one of third in the drivers cham- PAGE: them,’’ McIver boasted. pionship behind Vettel and ‘‘I’ve been extremely im- Briton Lewis Hamilton, the pressed by its power and how 2008 champion, of McLaren. fast it is. He is also one of only 58 ‘‘As a result I don’t think three men to have scored I’ve got any worries with the points in all four races this COLOR: rest of the field. I’m sure it year, but he believes he has will annihilate the chevs. to take all his chances in his ‘‘I think they’ve had their bid to land a the crown. day in this sport. ‘‘It was frustrating to fin- ‘‘Motorsport people are ish in Lewis’ gearbox in starting to see that Ford Melbourne, in Malaysia and C motors offer a lot better deal in China as well,’’ he said. than in the past. ‘‘It is always nice to get M ‘‘Darwin Ford fans should points at each race and you bring their flags and hats to could not have thought that Y Northline because they’ll be would have been the case K cheering my car home.’’ because it has been so up McIver’s son Jason and down. disagrees, saying the Fords ‘‘But I think it is a new ‘‘seem to have a bit more Peter McIver believes his Ford will rule the speedway tonight, but son Jason is not so sure Picture: DANIEL HARTLEY-ALLEN situation right now. Who is spark’’ but the Chevrolets going to be on pole this definitely have more torque No. 99 car will finish.’’ Nicholas Dennis joining Thomsen will test the North- Opening night will of- weekend? It could be and reliability. Troy King, Steven Ling and older brothers Daniel and line circuit for the first time ficially farewell the late Pop McLaren or Red Bull, ‘‘Basically you’ve got to do Mark Perry will debut in James and Patrick Griffin in a street stock as the Top Kendle, who was a long time Mercedes, Renault (Lotus). things backwards to adapt a a sprintcar. making his debut. End gears up for the volunteer at speedway events ‘‘It could be Ferrari — Ford motor to a sprintcar and A family feud is developing West Australian Russell Australian titles at the end of and the wider motorsports so it is very unusual in that that’s where I reckon the in the junior sedans with Gunn and Katherine’s Brett this month. community. sense.’’ Notice of Bulls get better of Waratahs in last-gasp win ANNUAL RUGBY UNION throwing the ball in straight Barnes was outstanding for the from a line-out. SCORES home side, engineering their GENERAL WARATAHS looked as though However from the ensuing BULLS 27 (Francois Hougaard, Werner two tries with superb passing. they’d done enough to keep scrum, Waratahs forward Lo- Kruger, Akona Ndungane tries; Morne In Auckland. the Blues lifted their Super Rugby season alive, peti Timani, who was playing Steyn 3 con 2 pen) d NSW WARATAHS themselves off the bottom of the MEETING 24 (Rob Horne, Atieli Pakalani tries; only for the Bulls to steal a 27-24 No. 8, picked the ball up off the Berrick Barnes con 3 pen, Brendan table when they beat the Lions victory in the dying minutes in back of the scrum and was McKibbin pen) at Allianz Stadium. 25-3 in the battle of the cellar MINDIL ACES FOOTBALL CLUB AGM Sydney last night. forced back into his own in-goal Referee: Chris Pollock. Crowd: 17,368. dwellers at Eden Park. Will be held at 5pm, on Wednesday, The Waratahs, who are thir- by the surging Bulls. BLUES 25 (Luke Braid, Michael Hobbs, In a week when the Blues 30th May 2012 at Bagot Park. teen points off top spot in the It gave the competition lead- Alby Mathewson tries; Gareth Anscombe franchise advertised coach Australian Conference, led ers a last-ditch chance to clinch 2 con 2 pen) d LIONS 3 (Elton Jantjies Pat Lam’s job, the side chalked For the purpose of electing the 2012-2013 24-20 with two minutes remain- the result which they took to pen) at Eden Park. Referee: Angus up their second win of the Gardner. committee. All senior ing before self-destructing at a virtually extinguish NSW’s season to end a run of seven players and junior vital scrum five metres out finals ambitions. straight defeats. parents are from their own line. Lock Juandre Kruger forced Wycliff Palu left the field hob- The victory moved them two encouraged to attend. It seemed NSW had already his way over off the back of the bling and although Benn Robin- points clear of the Lions who gained a reprieve from the dire scrum win and the Waratahs son did eventually return to the have now suffered nine losses Call Karen Buckley on situation on their own line were left to lament where it all action, the prop too was forced since they won their opening 8945 1969 for more information when, at the previous set-piece, went wrong. off with injury. round match against fellow 1038360 the Bulls were pinged for not To add insult to the result, NSW five-eighth Berrick South Africans, the Cheetahs. 58 NT NEWS. Saturday, May 12, 2012. www.ntnews.com.au.