Clash of the cuzzies

EYES ON THE PRIZE: Gisborne's Dylan MacGregor (5G) will head out on to the Eastland Group Raceway track tonight as the leader in the $10,000 Eastland TQ Masters Series. Herald file picture

THE open-wheelers will be flying again in the third round of the Eastland TQ Masters at Eastland Group Raceway tonight.

Gisborne cousins Dylan and Ryan MacGregor are out to hang on to their leading positions in the $10,000 series.

The TQs feature as part of a huge Stubbs Contractors-sponsored, two-night New Zealand sidecar championships, with 30 bikes vying for the national crown.

The Eastland TQ Masters series runs over four meetings, with the AutoTech third round tonight and the WG Geuze Contracting Ltd final round tomorrow.

Drivers from Auckland, Napier and Gisborne are competing.

Dylan MacGregor (in his 5G machine) leads on 100 points, followed by Ryan MacGregor (74G), who goes into tonight second-equal with Hawke's Bay driver Duane Todd (6B).

Both men have 85 points, just ahead of Auckland's Aaron Humble (46A) on 82 and Hawke's Bay's Kris Gillies (32B) on 73.

Dylan MacGregor is looking forward to it.

“Any time you get a chance to race on your home track is really awesome.

“I will be going in there with the same mentality and treating it like any other meeting.

“The aim is to do the best I can on the night.”

MacGregor said his car had been going really well up until last weekend's meeting at Meeanee in Hawke's Bay.

“I got caught up in a tangle and the car sustained some damage.

“It's been in pieces this week but I'm confident of having it back together, and racing well by tonight.”

The series had been great so far, he said.

“It's been good for Gisborne.”

There will be four further races for the TQs each night, with a front, middle and back draw.

The first round on November 9 produced hard and fast races, and Dylan MacGregor finished with 50 points.

He repeated that performance and collected another 50 points in round 2.

“We can look forward to some more very good racing over the next two nights to find the overall winner of the Masters series,” said series organiser Grant MacGregor.

“I'm thrilled with how it's gone to date. Racing has been great.

“Tomorrow night we will also have the Eastland Eliminator race. The highest points-scorer will be able to opt to start from the front of the grid for a winner-takes-all, or be given the opportunity to start off the back of the grid.

“If he wins the race from the back, there will be an extra pay-out.

“It's going to be an exciting couple of nights.”