Gisborne Speedway Club's season opening postponed

ON HOLD: Gisborne Speedway Club has postponed its opening meeting, which was to have been held this Saturday. Club members now plan to open with their Guy Fawkes Meeting on November 6, when speedway fans should see action similar to this . . . Jason Lovell (67G) putting pressure on Dana Kingsbeer (83G). File picture by Liam Clayton

Gisborne Speedway Club had hoped to open their season with a big meeting this Saturday night, but the Covid-19 Alert Level 2 restrictions have thwarted those plans.

Under the Level 2 gathering restrictions the club could not run a meeting with spectators.

They had hoped that Monday’s Cabinet decision might have meant an easing in restrictions on outdoor gatherings under Level 2 but it was not to be.

“We originally had fields of 60 stockcars, 40 superstocks, and at least a dozen saloons coming for our October 9 opening meeting,” re-elected club president Clyde McGrory said.

“That would have been a monumental start to the 2021-22 season for us.

“But we had to rearrange things once Level 4 came along and aim for a more modest start to our season.

“We had hoped to stage a big meeting just the same this Saturday night, but the Cabinet decision has ended that, which — while totally understandable —is unfortunate and disappointing.”

McGrory said the club would run a practice night for club members only on Saturday night at the Eastland Group Raceway.

“Under Level 2 we cannot admit fans to the speedway and we will have to limit the number of club members as well.”

“At this stage we are planning to hold our annual Guy Fawkes Meeting on November 6. We’re hoping that by then we will be at Level 1.”

That meeting will include the MTF Points Dash for superstocks and the Phil Walsh Saloon Champion of Champions.

“We have done an enormous amount of work at the complex over winter,” McGrory said.

“We have resurfaced and reshaped the track, with an extra five truck-and-trailer-loads of new metal put down, thanks to McCafferty Metal Cartage.

“We’ve also put metal down in the carpark adjacent to the pits to give us more parking for our fans . . . it virtually doubles our public carparking.”

The public toilet block in the pits has been replaced.

“We’ve done some work on the clubhouse as well, and there have been other improvements.

“The club is looking forward to a busy season, providing Covid lets us.

“We as a club are totally behind double vaccinations, because that will enable us to run speedway,” McGrory said.

“The vaccination certificate process announced yesterday is welcome news because that will help us too.

“Providing the community here gets vaccinated, we’ll have a full and enjoyable season.”