Gisborne’s best chance of a podium place would lie with Clive Ireland and his swinger Chris Symon (56G), and also with Gisborne swinger Callum Innes and his driver Justin Lincoln (26B).
Innes and Lincoln won the Gisborne sidecar champion of champions title last month.
Ireland said he had been ill this week but hoped to be well enough to compete.
“All things being equal, I will be out there tomorrow night and Chris and I will be raring to go.”
Rob Miller and “Red” George (8G) should also be racing.
The championship will be raced over four qualifying heats to decide a final.
It had been hoped the Oval Superstars minisprint car series would come to the Gisborne speedway this weekend but news came through during the week that it was off.
The series organisers could only muster five cars and decided to scrub the Gisborne visit.
“It was very disappointing news for us,” Gooch said.
“They had promised more than 20 cars and we were looking forward to it.”
The support programme tomorrow night features stockcar best pairs.
“They’ll know who they are paired with and will race over three heats to decide it,” Gooch said.
“We are expecting around 20 cars in the stockcar class tomorrow night, which will make it a real spectacle.
“A bonus will be that visiting drivers will be paired with Gisborne drivers across the board.”
The Gisborne Gladiators’ third place in the New Zealand teams championships last weekend will be celebrated.
“The boys who are here will do a parade before the meeting starts, to show off their cars and their third place sashes.”
Gooch said the club was proud of the Gladiators’ efforts last weekend.
The rest of the 18-race programme includes saloons and streetstocks.
“They’ll have four races each to give the bike guys more time between their heats.”
Gates to the speedway open at 6pm tomorrow night and the first race will start at 7pm.
• The Gisborne production saloon fraternity will be well represented in the North Island championships at Meeanee in Hawke’s Bay this weekend.
New 1NZ Dave Gooch, 3NZ Crystal Peach, Fraser Wright (44G), Sean Robertson (16G) and Anton McKay (17G) will be racing.
• The Gisborne Giants superstock team will set out tonight and tomorrow to defend the national title they won at the Waikaraka Park Speedway in Auckland last March.
James Kirk (331G) will join Peter Rees (2NZ) and son Ethan Rees (127G), Gary Davies (31G) and Jamie Hamilton (9G) in the battle.
“I’m pretty excited, particularly after last weekend’s effort in the stockcar teams,” Kirk said.
“I’m going to step it up a little for the superstocks.
“The whole team’s really looking forward to this weekend.”
It will be Kirk’s first time out on the Waikaraka Park track.
The Giants finished fifth in the Palmerston North national superstock teams event early last month.
