Speedway: Bay crew make podium

EARLY STATEMENT: Hawke's Bay's Justin Lincoln and Adrian Orchard (obscured) enjoy the early lead during heat four of the North Island sidecar championship on Saturday night. PHOTO/PAUL TAYLOR

Andrew McNamara and George Olsen became the first Hawke's Bay sidecar crew to podium in a North Island championship in seven seasons at Meeanee on Saturday night.

"We're stoked to be on the podium and to be the first Bay bike," rider McNamara told the crowd at prizegiving as he reflected on their third placing in the 18-crew David Jones Motors-sponsored championship.

"We knew we had a tough gate draw in our fifth heat and we knew we would struggle in that one."

McNamara was referring to their final heat in which they finished third after winning their previous four. They had to start off the outside grid where the track was hard and slick.

This result put them into a run-off for second against the Manawatu champions, father-and-son duo Derek and Mathew Ramsay, which the Ramsays won. Gisborne crew Rob Miller and Kervin Arnaboldi, who are in their first season racing together won the title by one point after recording four wins and a second placing. For Miller it was his third North Island title after he won it with his father Deane during the 2010-11 and 2012-13 seasons.

All crews praised the track staff for the efficient job they did in turning the track around so the sidecars could race on Saturday night after their qualifying heats on Friday night were cancelled because of the track condition in the wake of last week's heavy rain.

The 26-car Valvoline-sponsored North Island Saloon Car Championship was also raced at the weekend. Current and two-time national champion Chris Cowling won the title for the first time to emulate the New Zealand Grand Prix, New Zealand national title and North Island title treble feat in a season which Gisborne driver Dan Corrin managed last season.

"I've got the monkey off the back," Cowling said afterwards.

"The first time I did the North Island champs I got third and then I was second three times after that."

Cowling, 31, has raced in the class for eight years.

"I've ticked everything off now and as much as I love this class because I've gorwn up in it my super saloon is more of a priority for me now ... I'm running second in the Burger King Series and the next round is next week.

Cowling won the title by three points from Mount Maunganui's Bodie Abrahamson. Huntly's Steve Williams, the former caddy for former world No 1 golfer Tiger Woods, finished third nine points behind Cowling. Finishing seventh from grid 18 in his third 15-lap heat was the key to Cowling's success.

Two Bay drivers, Steven Martin and Shane Laking, qualified for the top 20. Martin qualified by winning a run off for the final berth from his section on Friday night and his win in the final heat on Saturday night was a classy effort considering the calibre of his opponents.

Laking did well to finish fifth in the repechage from which the top five finishers earnt berths in the top 20. He had a slow roll on Friday night.

The Meeanee Maulers produced some impressive hits in their stockcar teams race against the Palmerston North Pumas but were still beaten when Todd O'Donnell secured the chequered flag in the first across the line event. Mauler Michael Smith did well to pin Justin Cunningham to the wall on the first corner while the manner in which Randal Tarrant put Rob Mason up the wall will be remembered for a while.

A new production saloon class track lap record of 17.74s was set by Hawke's Bay's Ethan Cross as he won his third heat on Friday night.