Weather casts shadow over Speedway Club meeting

HARD CHARGERS: Callum Innes and teammate Russell Stuart on bike 22G slide the corner during a race. Hopefully, the duo will be competing in the New Zealand Grand Prix tomorrow night at the Speedway if the weather gives them a chance. Kenneth Fox Digital Imagery picture

A decision is expected this afternoon on whether Gisborne Speedway Club will go ahead with tomorrow night's meeting, which has the New Zealand Sidecar Grand Prix on the programme.

Poor weather this weekend looks set to intervene.

“We are watching the weather and still hope we may get a race meeting this weekend,” club secretary Aaron Lum said.

“But the forecast does not look good, with more rain tomorrow on top of what we have already had.

“We will announce this afternoon's decision on social media and in The Gisborne Herald tomorrow.

“It will be disappointing if we have to postpone the meeting, but the weather is the weather, not something we can do anything about,” he said.

“We have to make an early decision because of the distances people are travelling to get here.”

If the meeting goes ahead, the New Zealand Sidecar Grand Prix will bring a classy field to the Eastland Group Raceway.

The 10 entries received up to yesterday included Gisborne's Russell Stuart and Callum Innes (22G), and Stuart Priest and Kerwin Arnaboldi (52G). Both teams have raced well so far this season.

Former Gisborne rider Rob Miller and Jaxon Hannam (8P), from Palmerston North, will be there, and Miller must be rated a serious contender on a track he knows well.

Aucklanders Peter Adams and Jason Hira (6A) would be another team to watch out for. Other combinations from Hawke's Bay, Palmerston North and Kihikihi would also be expected.

“We might have another two bikes join tomorrow night's line-up,” Lum said.

Another major feature of the meeting would be the “flat-track” bikes, coming to the raceway for the first time.

“They're a cross between a solo speedway bike and a dirt bike,” Lum said.

“They'd race over three heats and it should be exciting to watch.”

Thirteen bikes, most of them from Auckland, would be racing.

The Professional Fleet Maintenance Production Saloon Car Best Pairs would be the other major feature tomorrow night. Eighteen entries had been received up to yesterday.

The likes of Gisborne's Seth McKay (48G), Blake Dear (37G) and Anton McKay (17G) would be partners worth having for the event, given the way they have raced this season.

Cars from Hawke's Bay, Whanganui, Rotorua and Huntly were expected.

The Youth Ministockers would be out in force, with 24 entries in that class.

The field includes Gisborne's Corbyn Wilson (44G) and Koby Gooch (59G), both of whom raced exceptionally well in the Youth Ministock 100 before Christmas.

Dylan MacGregor (17G) could be expected to spearhead the charge in the TQ Midgets — just half a dozen cars that generate quality racing.

Streetstocks racing is also on the programme.

If the meeting goes ahead, a grand parade of bikes and production saloons will precede it, from around 5.30pm.The gates would open at 5pm as usual, with the first race to start at 6pm.