Speedway spectacular in store

GRUNT AND MUSCLE: Among the features of the first round of the Pit Stop V8 saloon series tomorrow night at the Eastland Group Raceway will be the season debut of Daniel and Ethan Cook, 77G and 76G respectively (pictured last season). File pictures by Liam Clayton

Round 1 of the 20-car V8 saloon series, up to 30 stockcars, a good field of sidecars and a $10,000 fireworks display will feature at Gisborne Speedway Club’s big meeting tomorrow night.

The Eastland Group Raceway will host a 28-race programme that includes the Jukes Carriers Fireworks Show.

“It’s always one of our biggest and best-attended meetings of the season,” club president Clyde McGrory said.

“Trevor Jukes has been an unbelievably great supporter of our club since Day 1.”

His coming on board with the fireworks show again this year was much appreciated, McGrory said.

“Public Dreams, from Hawke’s Bay, will start the fireworks as soon as it’s properly dark — probably around 9pm.”

McGrory said the race programme would be spectacular.

“There will be 20 cars in the first round of the Pit Stop V8 Saloon Series, with cars coming from all over the North Island.”

That includes the Cook brothers from Gisborne, 77G and 76G, who will race for the first time this season.

“Daniel and I have redesigned and rebuilt the suspensions on our cars over winter,” Ethan Cook said.

“We hope that will give us extra grip and extra speed.

“We’ve been burning the midnight oil this week to get the cars fully ready for tomorrow night and now we cannot wait to get out there.”

Cook said both cars looked really good with their new paint jobs.

“We hope to go well tomorrow night. We will make a few adjustments through the night because it’s our first time out this season, but we’re confident we’ll be pushing the frontrunners.”

McGrory said the stockcar racing would also be exceptional.

“We expect up to 30 cars at this stage. So many want to come here to get used to the track ahead of the New Zealand stockcar Grand Prix here in December.

“The Novus Auto Glass/Ireland Motors sidecar champion of champions will be another feature and several Gisborne combinations are involved.

“Callum Innes and Jason Rees raced very well last weekend in Whanganui and Stu Priest and Kerwin Arnaboldi raced well here three weeks ago.”

Clive Ireland and his swinger Chris Symon will be in action again on Ireland’s brand new bike.

“The bike’s super-light and very drivey, so we’ve made some changes to the set-up to stabilise it more, and hopefully we will be back racing like we were last season,” Ireland said.

McGrory said the Mahana Stone Transport- and Hiabs-sponsored streetstock champion of champions would have about 13 cars on the track.

“That class is building up again nicely.”

The rest of the support programme included production saloons and youth ministocks.

“It would be a good idea for race fans to get out there early to get the best spots,” he said.

“We are expecting a very big crowd.”

•