Speedway action as drivers from the length of NZ race for the national open-wheeler title

Shoot-out: Six-shooters will come out of their holsters in the “Gunfight at the OK Speedway” on Friday and Saturday nights. An action-packed Roseland Tavern New Zealand Six-shooter Championship has attracted 20 cars from around the country, including those driven by Paul Ludeman (5G) and Chris Mackie (21G), of Gisborne. Picture by Liam Clayton

SPEEDWAY

UP to 20 cars can be expected for the Roseland Tavern New Zealand Six-shooter Open-wheeler Championships at the Eastland Group Raceway tomorrow and Saturday nights.

The title race seems wide open. Cars and drivers are coming from as far away as Invercargill in the south and Auckland in the north.

Gisborne Speedway Club president Grant MacGregor says it will be a quality field.

“It’s wide open because there was no official Speedway New Zealand six-shooter championship contest last season,” he said.

The drivers will race five 12-lap heats over the two nights.

“Points will accumulate over those five heats to decide the grid line-up for a 20-lap final for all cars,” MacGregor said.

Gisborne will be represented by Reece Lister (8G), Paul Ludeman (5G) and Chris Mackie (21G).

“All three have a very, very good chance of taking out the title, providing they can stay out of trouble,” MacGregor said.

“With 20 cars on the track at once, it’s going to be helter-skelter out there, and everyone will need to be on their toes.”

MacGregor feels Lister would be the most favoured of the three Gisborne drivers.

Lister said he loved racing on the Gisborne track.

“I’m looking forward to racing on my home track,” he said.

“Everybody’s got a chance in these national championships, I reckon, but we’ll have to keep our noses clean.”

MacGregor said Lister would be the most experienced campaigner, but Ludeman could be a dark horse because of his open-wheeler experience in three-quarter midgets.

“No doubt it will be fast and exciting racing to watch.”

A line-up of 10 vintage stockcars will race both nights.

“Lily the Pink will be out there, and we’re hoping Ashley Scott’s old car will be there as well, along with other classic and famous old stockcars from around the North Island,” MacGregor said.

The rest of the programme includes a streetstock best-pairs event.

“They will not know who they are partnered with until it’s all over,” MacGregor said.

“Their races should be no-holds-barred.”

The saloon cars will be out there, eight or nine of them, including the newly crowned North Island champion, Gisborne’s own Daniel Cook (77G).

“His brother Ethan (76G) races in Blenheim this weekend in the North-South inter-island competition,” MacGregor said.

The saloons will race for club points.

The stockcars will be racing, and MacGregor said a field of 16 was expected.

“Again, they race for club points. And so do the youth ministocks, with a field of 20-plus cars expected.

“Weather-wise, I think we’ll be lucky, and we’ll get through this meeting.

“It’s important for the club, given we have only two meetings left in our season.

“So we’re hoping the weather gods treat us kindly.”

The gates to the raceway open at 5pm on both nights, with the first race set to go at 6pm.