“It will be special to be out there in front of our family, our fans and our sponsors,” he said.
“My brother Daniel is the biggest competition for me, but it’s really anyone’s on the night.”
Another feature of the meeting will be the return of a teams demolition derby.
The MTF Finance Teams Demolition Derby has drawn four teams of five cars each.
“It has been some years since the Gisborne track ran a derby based on a teams format,” Gooch said.
“There will be three teams from Gisborne and another team from Whanganui.”
They will race in a series of heats over 10 laps.
“It’s a bit like stock and superstock teams racing. First car over the line wins and points will decide the make-up of the semifinals,” Gooch said.
“I’m excited about it, especially as I will be in it. The Gooch family will be there as one of the teams.”
No prizes for guessing the colour of their cars — green!
“There will be some pretty experienced drivers out there, so it’s not going to be easy,” Gooch said.
“With the likes of Toby and Dylan Pickering, and Jason and Nick Hutton there, it will be tough racing.”
The Simpson Automotive youth ministock best pairs should generate plenty of interest.
“We expect about 14 cars, including some from out of town,” Gooch said.
“They will race over three heats, and they won’t know who their partners are until afterwards. Everyone will have to drive to the best of their best ability to win it.”
The support programme involves stockcars, production saloons and sidecars, all vying for club points. In all, it will be a 24-race programme.
Gates to the speedway will open at 6pm and the first race will start at 7pm.
