Let’s go racing

HOT ACTION: The superstocks will provide hard-charging and fast action as Gisborne Speedway Club gets its season under way tomorrow night. It will be the first speedway meeting in the country this season. File picture

Speedway fans will have plenty to get excited about tomorrow night when the 2022-2023 season opens at Gisborne Speedway Club in a meeting highlighted by superstock and stockcar action.

The season opening was delayed a week after rain stopped last week's planned meeting but tomorrow night it will be all go.

“The club's really excited about getting our season under way at long last,” club president Clyde McGrory said.

“We've pulled a big programme together and the weather's on our side, along with good support in most classes.”

The MTF Finance Gisborne Superstock Points Dash headlines the programme. A dozen cars are expected, all from Gisborne.

“We had been expecting cars from the Bay of Plenty but with the State Highway 2 Waioeka Gorge closure on Sunday they have had to pull out,” McGrory said.

“The Rees family won't be here, unfortunately, as they continue to work to prepare their cars for the season.

“But the Gisborne cars will provide plenty of hard-charging entertainment, led by Regan Penn (235G), formerly of Hawke's Bay but now registered with the Gisborne track.”

The Autozone Stock Car best pairs has drawn a field of 32 cars from all over the North Island.

“We've got cars coming from Rotorua, Hawke's Bay and Huntly to battle it out with the locals, and among the Gisborne cars we've got the likes of Sam Hughes (77G), who will also drive his superstock tomorrow night, and Ethan Bruce (71G).

The Ministock Best Pairs has attracted a field of close to 30 cars.

“The Gisborne cars will be paired off with one of the visitors and they won't know who they've been teamed with until the end of the night,” McGrory said. “That will produce really fair and even racing in that class.”

The Production Saloon Car Championship title goes on the line tomorrow night and Seth McKay (48G) would be the top contender.

“We will have a field of about nine or 10 cars in that class.

“Numbers are down a little bit at the moment as drivers work on their cars and it is only early days in the season.”

The saloon class will be a feature tomorrow as well.

“The drivers will be wanting to dial into the track ahead of the North Island Saloon Car championships to be staged at the Eastland Group Raceway in January.”

The line-up includes Sean Robertson (16G), Glen Paris (14G), and Hamish Moore (85G).

The sidecars will be out on the track tomorrow night.

“We'll have a good heat of racing for those guys.”

McGrory said this was the club's earliest start to the season for years.

“We are the first track in the country to get the season under way, which feels pretty special.

“We've done a lot of work on the track in the off-season so we reckon it will be faster, and tomorrow night our new tap scoring system will get used for the first time in full competition.”

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