Baypark Speedway set for Bays of Thunder with strong stock car field

A capacity field of stock cars will make their first appearance of the season at Baypark Speedway this Saturday night. Photo / Stuart Whitaker / The Write Angle

Baypark Speedway’s third race meeting of the season will continue the trend of a rotation of classes and a variety of action at the high-speed clay oval in Mount Maunganui.

Saturday night’s Bays of Thunder event will involve stock cars and Formula 2 (F2) midgets making their first race appearance of the season, with strong fields in both classes.

The stock car field is a capacity 32 entries for the first hit-out of the season, with drivers travelling from Gisborne, Auckland, Rotorua, Kihikihi, Hawke’s Bay and Wanganui tracks to challenge the Baypark regulars.

There are 20 F2 midgets entered, including James Earl and Dion Kendall, the winner and runner-up at last season’s unofficial Aotearoa NZ F2 title event raced at Baypark.

Formula 2 midget cars are back in action at Baypark Speedway this weekend with a field that includes regular pace-setter James Earl (front).

With no midget car racing on the programme, Tauranga’s Luke McClymont is taking the chance to sample the F2 category in a BSL Racing entry.

Baypark’s refreshed track surface has produced fast lap times in the first two meetings and received praise from drivers while delivering top-quality, sprint car competition.

The winged warrior action continues Saturday and a new feature winner is assured because early-season pacesetter Daniel Thomas, from Hamilton, will be absent while he prepares for a South Island campaign in early December.

The early season podium finishers have been HLR Racing teammates Ryan O’Connor and Hayden Williams, along with Rodney Wood and Keaton Dahm, in a closely-matched sprint car line-up.

California racer Jonathan Allard will be hoping for better fortunes to convert the pace he’s shown at both meetings into feature race success.

Another full grid of youth mini stocks will make their second outing of the season, with visiting drivers from Hawke’s Bay, Gisborne, Auckland, Rotorua, Huntly and Kihikihi.

Racing starts at 6.30pm.

– Supplied content