Speedway: Harding Baypark king again

In four visits to Baypark Speedway this summer, Corvette racer Ben Harding (Auckland) has raced away with the track's three biggest prizes for Super Saloon cars.

Earlier in the season, Harding won the South Pacific and North Island title events and on Saturday was crowned Bay of Plenty champ after an exciting duel with Craig Cardwell (Auckland).

A strong 18-car field contested the Bay of Plenty title, with national champ Steve Flynn (Napier) winning the first heat race, while a hard-charging drive from Tauranga's Karl Hanlon was rewarded with a second heat win.

Harding posted a fifth and a second in the heat races and was number two qualifier for the 18-lap final to start alongside Cardwell on the front row. It was Cardwell who led initially and was in front at a caution with half the race completed, with Harding close behind chased by Tauranga's former national champs Shane McIntyre and Dean Waddell.

The battle intensified in the second half of the race and the leading pair were side-by-side with three laps to go when they encountered backmarker Mike Peglar, who blew a rear tyre as the leaders approached.

Cardwell and Harding dived either side of the slowing Peglar and, when the caution lights came on, there was a shuffle of positions before officials deemed Harding had been fractionally in front at the time the race was interrupted.

Harding stayed in front to the flag with the margin of victory just 0.18s, while Waddell made the move into third in the closing laps. "It was a hard race. It was fast racing against the top guys in the country," said Harding.

"The track had some holes but it was fast on the outside and when Craig moved to the top I could be fast on the bottom as well.

"Even if I'd been behind Craig on the last restart, we would have had a good chance."

Hawke's Bay racer Shane Penn won the Super Stock Invitation event and said he was keen to return to Baypark.

"It's a great facility and the track was super drivey," said Penn, the current New Zealand No3.

National champ Dayne Maxwell (Hamilton) was the class of the guest Minisprint class and raced clear to win the Andrew Edwards Memorial race and establish a 15.87s lap record for the class.

Rotorua racer Douglas Stanaway won Baypark's version of the BOP Stock Car Championship (there is also a BOP title raced at Rotorua) and Jayden Steiner edged out Sam Waddell to win the BOP Youth Minisprint title.

Bay titles for Sprint Cars and Saloon Cars will be raced on April 28.