Santa, sidecars, saloons and a demolition ramp race to end year

CONTENDER: Dave Gooch is a contender for Gisborne Speedway Club’s champion of champions title in the production saloons at Awapuni tomorrow night. Picture by Liam Clayton

SPEEDWAY

A DEMOLITION ramp race, best pairs sidecars, production saloon car championship and a visit from Santa will finish off the year at the Eastland Group Raceway tomorrow night.

Gisborne Speedway Club president Neil Gooch said the Jukes Carriers Demolition Ramp Race would provide a real “hit”.

“We expect about 30 cars for it, so that’s going to be spectacular, with lots of smashing and bashing.

“The prize money we have put up — $1000 for the winner, $300 for second and two prizes of $200 for stirrers — has encouraged a lot more drivers and cars to get into it.

“We are thrilled with the size of the line-up.”

Gooch said a few more entries could be received before race time tomorrow night.

“It will be the last event on the programme because it always takes quite a while to clean up the mess.”

A dozen combinations can be expected for the Business Applications Sidecar Best Pairs.

“We have bikes coming from Hawke’s Bay, Palmerston North and Auckland,” Gooch said.

“They will race over four heats and the top pair will have scored the most points.

“All the combinations will get to race each other.”

The Gisborne contingent will be led by Clive Ireland and his swinger Chris Symon (56G), and Rob Miller and his partner Red George (8G).

“I hope we’re finally going to have a bike under us that works,” Miller said.

He and George have had a lot of bad luck, primarily engine trouble, since the season started.

Miller has now put four motors into his bike since October.

“This one I have rebuilt myself as a standby motor until parts for my new one arrive,” he said.

This will be the first time the Gisborne track has staged a best pairs competition for sidecars.

“Who we pair off with will be drawn out of a hat on the night, so it’s very exciting,” Miller said.

Twelve to 15 cars will be in the Professional Fleet Maintenance Production Saloon Car champion of champions event.

“I think it’s pretty wide open in terms of a winner,” Gooch said.

“There would be half a dozen drivers capable of winning on the night, notably Dave Gooch (7G), Crystal Peach (10G), Fraser Wright (44G), Anton McKay (17G) and Lloyd Stuart (34G).”

A blanket could be thrown over those drivers, such has been the close nature of their racing so far this season, and that augurs well for the New Zealand championships here in the New Year.

The programme also includes youth ministocks.

“We have about 20 cars expected, including entries from Hawke’s Bay and Rotorua,” Gooch said.

The saloons will be out there again, too.

“Daniel Cook (77G), the newly crowned North Island champion, will go head to head again with his brother Ethan (76G),” Gooch said.

The club expects a field of about 22 in the stock cars with a few extras from Hawke’s Bay.

“That class has been electric so far this season, with really hard racing, and we expect to see that continue tomorrow night,” Gooch said.

It will be a 24-race programme, so the gates to the speedway will open at 6pm, and the first race will go at 7pm.

Gooch said Santa would make an appearance at the track around Race 8.”