Superstocks, ministock 100, $10k fireworks display to end season with a bang

Hard and fast superstock action features tonight and tomorrow at Gisborne Speedway in what will be a fitting finale to the club’s 2023-2024 season. Fireworks on the track and in the sky above will bring down the curtain.Pictures by Liam Clayton

The Gisborne speedway season ends with two big nights of superstock racing and if the fireworks on the track are not enough action for fans, a $10,000 Saturday fireworks show above it should be.

It starts tonight with the McCafferty Metal Cartage Superstock Champion of Champions and continues tomorrow with the final round of the MTF Finance Superstock Point Dash which 127G Ethan Rees leads.

The Champion of Champions field looks special. As of yesterday, the line-up included 1NZG Asher Rees, 5G Josh Prentice, 10G Peter Rees, 77G Sam Hughes, 89G Tyler James, 127G Ethan Rees, 144G Tim Ross and 235G Regan Penn. They will be joined by other Gisborne cars and drivers from  Mount Manganui’s Baypark, Whanganui, Rotorua and Blenheim.

The Points Dash will see all the Rees  trio, Prentice, Hughes, James and Penn in action again, along with two or three others.

“The racing in that class should be as good as it gets,” Gisborne Speedway Club president Sam Hughes said.

“You’ve got the best of the best racing here tonight and tomorrow night. It’s going to be awesome.”

Another feature event over the weekend will be the Wicked Tints Youth Ministock 100 which has attracted a field of 60 young drivers.

They will compete in two groups of seniors and one of juniors.

“It’s a great line-up,” Hughes said. “They’re coming from all over the North Island.”

The ministockers will race on both nights.

Tonight’s support programme features streetstocks, production saloons and TQs.

“If it rains today we’ll shift everything into Saturday,” Hughes said. “We’ll make a decision about racing tonight at around 5pm this afternoon.”

The first race is set to go at 6pm.

Tomorrow’s programme will involve saloons and stockcars, along with the superstocks, ministocks, streetstocks and TQs.

A planned demolition derby has been cancelled due to insufficient numbers.

Hughes said tomorrow night’s fireworks show, sponsored by Jukes Carriers, will start “once it’s dark enough”.

Racing tomorrow night kicks off at 5pm. Gates open at 4pm.