Speedway: American star to race at Meeanee

WORLD CLASS: American Super Late Model racer Bobby Pierce will strut his stuff at Meeanee next week. PHOTO/SUPPLIED

AMERICAN Super Late Model racer Bobby Pierce will race at Meeanee next week.

A son of racer and chassis builder Bob Pierce, 19-year-old Pierce is in New Zealand to be a guest driver in three rounds of the Burger King-Pro Dirt Super Saloon Series. Round three in the series will be at Auckland's Waikaraka Park on Saturday night, round four at Meeanee next Friday night and round five at Palmerston North on December 3.

Pierce, from Oakwood, Illinois, will take the seat of Aucklander Ben Harding's car which has been re-liveried with Pierce's colours and number - 32USA.

Series promoter Grant Flynn, of Hawke's Bay, said having one of the best Late Model drivers in the US as part of the series will add to what is already a great spectacle.

"It's going to lift the intensity of everything we are doing. We have a professional driver, who wants to win. Every time he puts his helmet on, he's there trying to earn a dollar.
"I had a list of drivers who were keen and I thought I'd start at the top. To me, he's the best driver out there. The fact that he's won the 2016 World 100, which is pretty much the biggest meeting in the USA, speaks for itself."

Flynn praised the support of Waikaraka, Meeanee and Palmerston North promoters Bruce Robertson and Bryan Puklowski in securing the deal.

"They have been a real driving force and it's great to have promoters who are backing our class. They can see the benefit of including an international competitor, and they are blown away we have secured such calibre in Bobby."

If Pierce's star wasn't already on the rise, he made fans take note when he became the youngest ever winner of Eldora Speedway's World 100 in September. This is regarded as Dirt Late Model Racing's biggest event.

Pierce came from 22nd spot in the feature to take the win, and said it would take a long time for the magnitude of the win to sink in.

"I kind of dreamed of this day, and when I cross the finish line, am I going to have tears coming out of my eyes or what. But I didn't ... I didn't, because I think it's going to take a while to sink in. To win it for [his family] is awesome," he said at the time.

Pierce is excited about his New Zealand trip.

"I have been watching some videos of the Super Saloons and the team I will be racing for. It looks extremely different to the Super Late Model that I'm accustomed to, but looks like a lot of fun.

"I'm very competitive and like to win. I am looking forward to getting some seat time in the car ahead of my first foray on to New Zealand dirt so I am comfortable with the car in the hope that my team and I run up front," Pierce said.

Last weekend's second round in the series, which was to be in Christchurch, was cancelled in the wake of the Kaikoura earthquake. The first round was staged at Tauranga's Bay Park track on November 5 and the Rotorua-contracted New Zealand champion Mark Osborne, of Canterbury, is on top of the points table.

Flynn, who is fifth equal, is the best of the four Hawke's Bay drivers in the 23-strong field. His brother and two-time national champion Steve Flynn, Mick Quin and Johnny Browne will also be racing at Waikaraka Park this weekend and Meeanee next week.

Saturday night's meeting at Meeanee will feature a superstock team race between the Hawke's Bay Hawkeyes and Wellington Wildcats.