Strong Gisborne crew named for NZ stockcar teams’ champs

Bryce Simpson will be one of two Gisborne-based drivers going hard for the Gladiators at the NZ stockcar teams' champs but their teammates from Hawke's Bay and Palmerston North will be flying the Gisborne Speedway Club flag high as well.

The Gisborne Gladiators team for the NZ Stockcar Teams Champs in Rotorua have been announced and team manager Jamie Simpson says they are a strong unit.

The team are 13G Lucas Hey, 48G Josh Mulcahy, 96G Brad McGee, 98G Bryce Simpson, 164G Will Kaa and 185G Willy Stevenson.

The titles are on February 21 and 22 at the Paradise Valley Speedway.

Hey, Mulcahy and McGee are from Palmerston North but contracted to Gisborne, Simpson and Kaa are from Gisborne, and Stevenson is a Hawke’s Bay driver also contracted to Gisborne.

“It’s a really strong team,” Simpson said. “While they haven’t raced together as a team much, they are all really good racers in their own right, and there’s a first time for everything.”

Stevenson is new to the team for the champs.

“It will be good to have him on board. The team raced in Palmerston North two months ago and we will look to build on that performance.”

Simpson said they had good gear and backup crews, which was mostly what good teams were about.

“It’s not just about what happens on the track but in the pits as well.”

Meanwhile, entries close on Sunday night for the BF Goodrich Tyre General North Island Superstock Championships on February 28 and March 1 at the MTF Awapuni Speedway.

At last report the lineup was — 1NZM Todd Hemingway, 2NZW Ethan Levien, 5G Josh Prentice, 5W Keegan Levien, 6R Liam Marsh, 7G Sean Gooch, 10G Peter Rees, 15V Ryan Marshall, 16M Kyle Benton, 20UK Liam Gilbank, 25B Kai O’Brien, 29G James Clarke, 38M Ross Ashby, 38V Zane Dykstra, 45R Jessie Henderson, 49M Regan McKenzie, 57V Dylan Marshall, 76B Ben Milne, 77G Sam Hughes, 77M Luke Alderdice, 81G Jason Jones, 82G Dave Anderson, 82S Hamish Booker, 85S Brad Uhlenberg, 87G Brodie James, 89G Tyler James, 94V Matt Buckley, 96G Brad McGee, 96M Dylan Towler, 99S William Hughes, 118R Bryce Steiner, 126G Asher Rees, 127G Ethan Rees, 144G Tim Ross, 156P Trent James, 198R Mark Costello, 235G Regan Penn, 422B Dylan Ashton.

Hughes said they were hoping for a few more entries over the weekend.

The club has seven members competing at the Ministocks in Paradise two-day meeting at Rotorua (starting Friday).

Conrad Gooch (G), Josh Coates (7G), Brodie Gooch (10G) and Campbell Hulme-Moir (71G) are in the juniors, and Jorja Rogers (16G), Koby Goch (59G) and Jayden James (189G) are in the seniors.

Earlier this week, Gisborne Speedway Club announced on its Facebook page that it was cancelling its Saturday meeting “due to low competitor numbers”.

A working bee is being held at the track from 8am on Sunday.