PACKED PITS: The Gisborne Speedway Club pits were packed on Monday night for the racing, with cars from all over the North Island. Picture by Murray Robertson
A BIG crowd was treated to an outstanding race programme of hard-charging action across all classes at Gisborne Speedway Club's track on Monday night.
It was a great start to the 2022 speedway year at the Eastland Group Raceway.
Visiting drivers snared the podium spots in the ToolShed Ministock 100 but local drivers scored heavily across the rest of the meeting.
The 40-plus cars in the stockcar best-pairs events went hell for leather and put on a great show.
Gisborne's Dylan Pickering (56G) was teamed up with Rotorua's Chris Shingleton (87R) and they took top spot on the podium.
Trevor McArthur (128G) and his teammate were the runners-up and Bryce Simpson( 98G) with his teammate completed the Gisborne trifecta on the podium.
Gisborne's Ethan Cook (76G) just about drove the wheels off his car in the saloon best pairs and with a win and a second in the three-race series it was no surprise to see him on top of that podium. He was teamed up with Auckland's David Ingram (116A). Clubmate Sean Robertson drove well, too, and with Ted Ingram from Auckland (16A) took third place.
The youth ministock fields put on a fantastic display of driving that augurs well for the future of the sport.
A highlight in the support classes was the driving once again of Seth McKay (48G), who was ever-present.
He picked up two firsts in the three-race main points series, and also won the feature race.
Darren Melling from Hawke's Bay (72B) was the standout in the streetstock races with three wins from three starts.
Club president Clyde McGrory said the big crowd was exactly what the club needed.
“The meeting went on a bit longer than we anticipated, but we wanted to give all the drivers a good run because many have missed out on racing due to Covid,” he said.
“I thought Ethan Cook in the saloons was absolutely outstanding.
“In the stockcars, Trevor McArthur just keeps getting better and better, and so does his son Ben. Bryce Simpson was another to put in an outstanding performance in the stocks.”
Results —
Ministocks — Blue Group (juniors) Race 1: Cohen Wright (88R) 1, Jack Wilson (21R) 2, Ryan Dittmer (14B) 3. Race 2: George Crawford (971R) 1, Cohen Wright (88R) 2, Levi Jones (717H) 3. Race 3: Campbell Hayes (51M) 1, Memphis Trengrove (88B) 2, Cohen Wright (88R) 3.
Ministocks — Red Group (seniors) Race 1: Bailey Smith (72B) 1, Asha Penn (55B) 2, Deegan Butcher (98B) 3. Race 2: Hunter deRidder (88P) 1, Tasman Bryson (42R) 2, Flynn Fraser (93R) 3. Race 3: Caleb Hutchins (53M) 1, Jack Cunningham (11R) 2, Tasman Bryson (42R) 3.
ToolShed Ministock 100 — junior group: Cohen Wright (88R) 1, George Crawford (971R) 2, Ryan Dittmer (14B) 3.
ToolShed Ministock 100: Bailey Smith (72B) 1, Asha Penn (55B) 2, Caleb Hutchins (53M) 3.
Stockcars — Group 1, Race 1: Brett Loveridge (16B) 1, Trevor McArthur (128G) 2, Dylan Pickering (56G) 3. Race 2: Chris Shingleton (87R) 1, Jason Jones (11G) 2, Brett Loveridge (16B) 3. Race 3: James Marshall (16H) 1, Mike Herbert (52R) 2, Chris Shingleton (87R) 3.
Stockcars — Group 2, Race 1: Ben McArthur (228G) 1, Nigel Hazelton (54G) 2, Samuel Murray (94R) 3. Race 2: Bryce Simpson (98G) 1, David Downs (9G) 2, Mike Mac (979H) 3. Race 3: Regan Penn (5B) 1, Hamish Whyte (7H) 2, Jessie Henderson (454K) 3.
Stockcars — Best pairs: Dylan Pickering (56G) and Chris Shingleton (87R) 1, Trevor McArthur (128G) and Mike Herbert (52R) 2, Bryce Simpson (98G) and Regan Penn (5B) 3.
Saloons — Race 1: Ethan Cook (76G) 1, Josh Smith (27P) 2, Sean Robertson (16G) 3. Race 2: Trent Amrein (42M) 1, David Ingram (116A) 2, Josh Smith (27P) 3. Race 3: Josh Smith (27P) 1, Ethan Cook (76G) 2, Trent Amrein (42M) 3.
Transdiesel Saloon Best Pairs: Ethan Cook (76G) and David Ingram (116A) 1, Josh Smith (27P) and Clayton More (7W) 2, Sean Robertson (16G) and Ted Ingram (16A) 3.
Streetstocks — Race 1: Darren Melling (72B) 1, Brent Durston (77G) 2, Sammy Durston (177G) 3. Race 2: Darren Melling (72B) 1, Brent Durston (77G) 2, Sammy Durston (177G) 3. Race 3: Darren Melling (72B) 1, Brent Durston (77G) 2, Sammy Durston (177G) 3.
Winner of the Rangatira Motors Feature Race: Darren Melling (72B).
Production saloons — Race 1: David Cartwright (797B) 1, Blake Dear (37G) 2, Tanga Walsh (96B) 3. Race 2: Seth McKay (48G) 1, Lewi Claypole (716B) 2, Rodney McIndoe (11G) 3. Race 3: Seth McKay (48G) 1, Rodney McIndoe (11G) 2, Damian Stokes (727B) 3.
Winner of the Dions Dogs Feature Race: Seth McKay (48G).
TQs — Race 1: Jordan Russ (10B) 1, Karl Carpendale (77B) 2, John Taylor (7G) 3. Race 2: Jordan Russ (10B) 1, Rob Gomm (24G) 2, Karl Carpendale (77B) 3. Race 3: Jordan Russ (10B) 1, John Taylor (7G) 2, Rob Gomm (24G) 3.
Carpendale Remembrance Trophy: Jordan Russ (10B) 1, John Taylor (7G) 2, Rob Gomm (24G) 3.