Speedway: Bay crew ready to deliver

BAY HOPES: Troy Devery, left, and Pete Steigenberger have the potential to podium at this weekend's Meeanee-hosted North Island Sidecar Championship. PHOTO/WARREN BUCKLAND

For a bloke who "retired" two years ago Hawke's Bay sidecar swinger Pete Steigenberger is doing pretty well.

"A season after I retired I told Troy if he got a bike I would swing for him," Steigenberger said with a laugh.

The oldest swinger in the country, Steigenberger, 58, was referring to Troy Devery who he has raced with for five seasons and, as a crew, they must considered among the Bay's best hopes for the North Island championship at Meeanee this weekend.

Steigenberger won the championship with Gisborne rider Dean Millar last season.

With Devery, 46, he has won the East Coast championship twice, the Hawke's Bay championship twice and recorded a top five finish in the national champs.

"The national champs are scheduled for Meeanee next season. Winning that title would be the ultimate way to retire for good ... I'll be 60 then," Steigenberger said.

"I'm a strong believer if you can still do something you do it. I keep reasonably fit by throwing tyres around all day," the Bridgestone Fleet Service driver explained.

Owner/driver Devery is in his 10th year in the sidecar class and has also raced saloons and stockcars.

"This bike has got some grunt. We're going out there to win the title this weekend," Devery said while tapping his 2006 1000cc Suzuki.

"We've had six meetings out at Meeanee this season to iron out issues and we're happy," he added.

"Yes it's got so much grunt you make one wrong move and it's all over. It's not like the old girl I used to swing on," Steigenberger said.

The cohesion between the pair has been top notch at recent meetings. They get on well off the track and this is replicated on it.

"Wherever Troy puts the bike I have to follow. It's pretty simple really," Steigenberger added.

Devery and Steigenberger will be among six Bay combos in the 20-crew championship.

The other Bay teams are Daniel Satherley and Craig Hale, Justin Lincoln and Adrian Orchard, the hubby and wife combo of Kim and Kerry Johnston, Andrew McNamara and George Olsen and Jeremy and Steve Pruckmuller.

Each crew will have two heats tonight and points accumulated in these will determine the top 16 teams for tomorrow night, when points accumulated over three heats will decide the overall placings.

Auckland-contracted former Hawke's Bay crew Russell Stuart and Andrew Parker and the Palmerston North combo of Glen Murray and Ann Plummer have made regular visits to Meeanee this season and should perform well along with Auckland's 3NZ Jamie Moohan and Jacob Cooper who Devery considered their toughest rivals for the title.

A 30-car North Island Saloon championship will also be staged this weekend.

The 30 starters have been divided into three groups of 10 for tonight and each will have three heats to determine the top 20 for Saturday night, who will have another three heats in which accumulated points will determine the overall placings.

Fancied starters include Mount Maunganui's 1NZ Chris Cowling, Huntly's Steve Williams, Palmerston North's Calvin Honore and Stratford's Thomas and Craig Korff. Sam Croy, Josh Smith, Chris Tout, Kevin and Steven Martin, Shane Laking and Steve Goodwin will carry the Bay's hopes.

Tonight's support classes will be production saloons and solos. Tomorrow night's support classes will be stockcars and streetstocks.