Stunning power in store as speedway season ends

DASH LEADER: Gisborne’s James Clarke in 29G leads the pack into the final races of the MTF Finance-sponsored Superstock Points Dash at the Eastland Group Raceway tonight. The first night of the speedway club’s finale meeting for the season promises plenty of action. Picture supplied

It's a finale worthy of the name.

Speedway season ends with more stunning power driving in the superstocks, masses of youth ministock action, a battle for a coveted trophy, a demolition derby and fireworks.

Best-pairs action tonight in the McCafferty Metal Cartage-sponsored superstocks kicks off the two nights of action, and what a field!

It includes 2NZ Josh Prentice, 3NZ Ethan Rees, 10G Peter Rees, 9G Jamie Hamilton, 29G James Clarke, 77G Sam Hughes, 144G Tim Ross, 235G Regan Penn and 328G Ben McArthur.

Rees senior goes in as the points winner in the Superstocks Challenge, Prentice as the runner-up, and Ethan Rees as the third placegetter.

Who they will be paired with remains to be seen, but the class of the field will ensure dramatic racing.

The MTF Finance Superstock Points Dash will also be decided tonight, so the pit crews for the drivers will have their work cut out keeping the cars up to speed.

After two rounds, the points race going into tonight’s event has James Clarke leading on 163, then Sam Hughes on 159, Scott Penn 125, Ben McArthur 115, Regan Penn 104, 99M Todd Hemingway 89, Ethan Rees 88, 1NZ Asher Rees 86, Jamie Hamilton 78, and  Peter Rees 74.

Clarke and Hughes will be the drivers to beat when it comes to the final podium.

As for the superstock champion of champions event tomorrow night, it will be all on again, and the three drivers who stood on the podium after the Challenge two weeks ago will need to be at their best.

The likes of Clarke, Hughes, Ross, Penn and McArthur will press them hard.

Many of the visiting superstockers left their cars in storage in Gisborne ahead of this double-header weekend finale, such was their commitment to this meeting.

The champ of champs event has also been sponsored by Steve McCafferty.

Tonight’s other action includes the streetstock best pairs and that’s got a useful field too, comprising 6G Cody Gooch, 77G Brent Durston, 9B Phillip McNamara, 14G Daniel O’Neill, 18G Jared Ingoe, 31G Bob Fraider, 46B Brent Redington and 177G Sammy Durston.

Whoever pairs with Gooch and Durston senior should be in the driver’s seat for the title.

The Wicked Tints 1200cc Youth Ministock championships will run on both nights.

A dozen juniors and 28 seniors will race, and the likes of Gisborne’s Corbyn Wilson (44G) and Koby Gooch (59G) will be in the thick of it.

Saturday night’s programme promises a fitting crescendo for the season with the Novus Glass Gisborne-sponsored Terry Hunt Memorial up for grabs in the stockcars. Everyone in the class wants their name on this trophy.

Golden Oldies stockcars — sponsored by the Tyre General — will race on both nights to decide the Graham Peddle Memorial Trophy winner.

The Metalco Demolition Derby will provide a fitting metal-crunching, do-or-die finish to the race programme, ahead of a Jukes Carriers-sponsored fireworks show to finish.

Two great nights of entertainment are in store.

Club secretary Aaron Lum said the club was looking forward to two great nights of racing.

“With such an action-packed meeting, it’ll be hard to know when to duck out to the burger bar for a snack.

“Here’s hoping the continually improving weather holds out for us.”

On both nights, gates to the Eastland Group Raceway open at 5pm and the first race is at 6pm.