Meeanee Speedway: Quiet achiever eyes top-two finish

Ben Milne has been a quiet star of the Meeanee season. Photo / John Faulkner

- This article is provided courtesy of Meeanee Speedway

Call Ben Milne the quiet achiever in the Hawke’s Bay Superstock driver ranks and you get his nod of approval.

“I don’t have the big budgets some of the other drivers have, so I do what I can with the budget I have,” Milne explained.

Despite his limited budget Milne, who is in his fourth year in the class, was one of two Bay drivers to qualify for the Top 26 in last year’s New Zealand Superstock Championship at Meeanee Speedway.

He has also finished third in the last two editions of the Autumn Nationals at his home track.

The 30-year-old maintenance engineer with Waste Management hopes to improve on that placing when the latest edition of the Warner Engineering-sponsored Autumn Nationals is staged at Meeanee on Saturday night.

Last year Milne finished behind winner, Wellingtonian Dale Robertson, who isn’t in this weekend’s 34-strong field, and clubmate Brett Loveridge. Many spectators were surprised none of the Hawke’s Bay drivers attempted to take Robertson out so Loveridge or Milne could have a crack at the title which was accompanied by $1600.

“It was pretty tough. I was thinking ‘where is the support?’ as I completed the final few laps. But to be fair there wasn’t enough grip on the track for anyone to have a decent hit on Dale,” Milne recalled.

“Hopefully a local takes it out this weekend.”

He ranked Canterbury-contracted Jayden Ward as the hot favourite closely followed by Hawke’s Bay’s Quinn Ryan and Gisborne-contracted Regan Penn.

After the East Coast Championship at Meeanee over Easter, Milne is looking forward to completing an off-season rebuild with his car.

“The whole car needs a birthday,” Milne added.

He will be one of 17 host track drivers in the event.

A 17-car East Coast Production Saloon Championship will be the other feature event. Regular winner Brent Hackett from Whanganui is back again.

Hawke’s Bay streetstock driver Brent Redington, who will race a Wellington-contracted Production Saloon, and his Gisborne-contracted brother Gregg Redington are both capable of podium finishes.

Stockcars and ministocks will provide the support class action.