Gisborne Speedway Club meet small in crowd, big in action

BUMPER TO BUMPER: Drivers got heaps of speed out of a fast track at Awapuni on Saturday. It made for some exciting duels, as shown in this photo of racing in the saloon class. Dean Cook (77G) and Sean Robertson (16G) were part of the action. Spectators were relieved when Cook emerged unhurt from the car he was driving after he crashed badly in the third race. Picture by Liam Clayton

The crowd was small but the action was huge at Gisborne Speedway Club's meeting on Saturday as drivers in all classes made the most of a lightning-fast track.

The meeting was marred to a degree by a spectacular crash involving saloon racer Dean Cook whose car (77G) was clipped by another vehicle, hit the wall and rolled on the back straight heading towards turn 3.

Cook was kept in the car while it was lifted back on to its wheels and towed into the pits where he emerged OK and smiling.

“I really got into that race and thought I had it under control,” the 61-year-old said as he stood next to his son Daniel's badly damaged car.

“It was quite interesting watching the rollover happen from the driver's seat under the roll cage.

“When I was upside down I remember thinking to myself that the bonnet scoop was right up against the mesh of the windscreen and that wasn't good,” Cook said.

“My biggest worry was that I knew my wife Theresa was in the crowd and would have seen what happened.

“What a way to finish the season.”

Club president Clyde McGrory said everyone was relieved that Dean walked away without injury.

“It was a really unfortunate racing incident but that's the name of the game. Crashes like that can happen.

“We're all just really pleased that Dean's OK.”

That mishap aside, it was a very good meeting at Eastland Group Raceway, and club members were happy with how it went.

“We had only a small crowd but that suited the Covid safety situation,” McGrory said.

“Everyone stayed in their bubbles, which was great, and they had plenty of space to social distance from each other and keep themselves safe.

“We were so pleased with it that we aim to have another meeting like it.”

McGrory said the saloon and stockcar racing was outstanding.

“The saloons were fantastic.

“The track was really ‘grippy', which enabled them to get more ‘drive' and therefore more speed,” he said.

“I know the drivers really enjoyed it.

“The 27 stockcars we had out there put on a great show too, and the local drivers were right up there with everyone else.

“We've got some really good local drivers coming through in that class.”

McGrory was also impressed with the performance of the TQs and the youth ministock classes.

“Robert Gomm raced really well in the TQs. He improves every time you see him race.”

The production saloon class numbers were down on what was expected.

“There were 14 cars registered on Thursday but by Saturday we had lost seven of them due to Covid.”

McGrory said overall it was a good meeting.

‘We were certainly impressed with the behaviour of everyone, the fans and drivers alike, when it came to sticking to the Covid requirements.

“Our thanks to the fans who came to support us.

“Thanks also to the life members and ex-members who turned out to help us run the meeting after we had quite a number of our volunteers come down with the virus.

“At this stage we hope to run the same sort of meeting on April 9.”