Can Wayne Melling become the first Hawke's Bay Streestock driver to win two North Island titles at Meeanee?
This question will be answered when the 37-car North Island Championship will be staged at Hauraki Meeanee Speedway on Friday and Saturday nights. With two brothers, Darren and Wayne as well as nine other Bay clubmates to help him out the chances are reasonably good.
There could have been a fourth Melling in the championship but their brother Shayne is unavailable because he has to be a driver at a mate's wedding on Saturday night. Daniel will drive Shayne's car because his new one is still being built.
Wayne, 38, who has also finished second in two North Island champs, as well as a New Zealand Grand Prix, agreed it would be fitting to win a second North Island title on his home track but pointed out it would be foolish to look beyond Friday night's qualifying heats.
"Fellow competitors have been texting me telling me my group is one of the easy ones. But if you look at all three groups each one has at least eight drivers who are good enough to qualify," Wayne said referring to the championship format which will see the top six drivers from each of the three groups qualify plus the next two best drivers.