“The weather put off three or four drivers from out of town, but 10 cars still put on a good show,” Peter Rees said. “Tonight was certainly encouraging when it comes to how the Gisborne Giants might go in national superstock team events this season.
“I thought James (Kirk) went really well in his first night in a superstock. That car’s brand new. He had never driven it before tonight so I’m excited for him and for the Giants. We’re on the right track,” Rees said.
Kirk was rapt with his performance.
“Driving that car feels unreal; just so good,” he said. “The power and acceleration were fantastic.”
He also raced well in the stockcars and backed up his three wins from three races in the season-opening meeting with a first and a second.
Ethan Rees (1NZ) headlined the stockcars with two firsts and a second.
Ryan MacGregor (74G) was the standout in the TQ midgets’ first outing on the Gisborne track this season. He had three wins from three starts and clocked lap times of just over 14 seconds.
“The car was on rails tonight and I’m rapt with how it’s going,” he said.
Shaun Kingi (75G) was the standout in the streetstocks with two wins and a second. “The car felt awesome tonight, certainly a lot better than last season,” he said “It was great to get performance out of it after a shocker for me last season,” Kingi said.
The saloons put on a great show. To see several cars towed back to the pits after nudges with the wall and each other was testament to the intensity of driving in the nine-car field.
Daniel Cook flew in his 77G machine, with clear wins in the first two heats, but brother Ethan (76G) got up in the third and final heat in his new car.
He was still running-in the engine and gradually put his foot down as the night wore on.
“It’s awesome to drive this one — much easier to drive than my last car,” Ethan said.
He and his team were still working to get it ready just before the first heat.
“We put 100 hours into the new chassis and another 100 hours into putting the car together.
“As soon as I felt confident tonight I was happy to give it more gas.”
The production saloons put on a good show, too, in their Rod Dear-sponsored best pairs, from which father and son Anton (17G) and Kaleb McKay (36G) emerged victorious.
Results — Saloons, Race 1: Daniel Cook (77G) 1, Kenny Dibben (21G) 2, Daniel Wallace (15G) 3. Race 2: D Cook 1, Ethan Cook (76G) 2, Wallace 3. Race 3: E Cook 1, D Cook 2, Dibben 3.
Streetstocks, Race 1: Sean Gooch (9G) 1, Shaun Kingi (75G) 2, Brenden Gooch (1NZ) 3. Race 2: Kingi 1, Brenden Gooch (1NZ) 2, David Hampton (88G) 3. Race 3: Kingi 1, S Gooch 2, Hampton 3.
Production saloons, Race 1: Crystal Peach (10G) 1, Fraser Wright (44G) 2, Anton McKay (17G) 3. Race 2: Wright 1, Sean Robertson (16G) 2, McKay 3. Race 3: Dave Gooch (7G) 1, Wright 2, McKay 3.
Production saloon best pairs: Anton McKay (17G)/Kaleb McKay (36G) 1, Dave Gooch (7G)/Cole Le Compte (13G) 2, Fraser Wright (44G)/Matt Schultz (46G) 3.
Stockcars, Race 1: Ethan Rees (1NZ) 1, James Kirk (31G) 2, Mason O’Dwyer (99G) 3. Race 2: Kirk 1, Rees 2, Bryce Harding (79G) 3. Race 3: Rees 1, Harding 2, Jamie Harding (71G) 3.
TQ midgets, Race 1: Ryan MacGregor (74G) 1, Chris Mahoney (26B) 2, Paul Mabey (15G) 3. Race 2: MacGregor 1, Mahoney 2, Rob Gomm (24G) 3. Race 3: MacGregor 1, Mahoney 2, Chris Wiffin (14B) 3.
Ministocks, Race 1: Max Lowe (55P) 1, Kurtis Teneti (77P) 2, Trent McCann (9B) 3. Race 2: Lowe 1, McCann 2, Jordan Adie (57P) 3. Race 3: Jyneika Peach-Hollis (321G) 1, Seth McKay (48G) 2, Adie 3.
Superstocks, Race 1: Peter Rees (10G) 1, James Kirk (331G) 2, Gary Davis (31G) 3. Race 2: E Rees (127G) 1, P Rees 2, Elias Dykstra (5M) 3. Race 3: P Rees 1, E Rees 2, Ricky Dykstra (28P) 3.
Superstock Challenge: Peter Rees (10G) 1, Ethan Rees (127G) 2, Elias Dykstra (5M) 3.
