Speedway: Bay driver delivers for mum

Bay's Best: Bay driver Brendon Zachan on his way to finishing third overall in the Hawke's Bay Production Saloon Championship. PHOTO/Wayne Stuart Kiwi Motorsport Media

It was always going to be tough for a host track driver to crack the podium in the inaugural Hawke's Bay Production Saloon Championship at Meeanee on Saturday night.

But Brendon Zachan did and immediately after the meeting which saw him finish third in the 14-strong class he was quick to reveal his extra incentive.

"I did it for mum," Zachan said pointing to his mother Gail.

"Mum hasn't been out to watch me race for at least four years. She needs a knee replacement and the seats are too hard for her. When mum used to come out she ended up sitting on her own most of the time because dad and I were always busy working on our cars ... I saw her just before I went out for the second heat which I won from grid eight."

"After the first heat which I got relegated to the back of the field in after an incident which I didn't think was my fault I didn't think I was in for a good night. I was pretty happy to be the only Hawke's Bay driver on the podium. I'm at the the top of the game locally with my $1600 2 litre Toyota-powered car but you can't expect to be winning when you are up against out of town cars which blokes have spent a couple of thousand dollars on," Zachan explained.

With two wins and a second Wanganui's Grant Loveridge won the title by eight points. Former stockcar driver Zachan, 32, and Gisborne's Dave Gooch had to have a four-lap run off for second.

Gooch won after Zachan collected a puncture on the second lap.

"I was pushing it too hard and that's why I punctured. I normally start in second gear but for the run off I started in first and that's where I lost it. Dave started in second and by the time I changed gear he was gone."

Considering the amount of promotional work Zachan does for the class, he donated more than $100 worth of give aways for youngsters in the crowd on Saturday night, he deserved better luck in the run off.

National champion Christian Hermansen of Palmerston North extended his lead in the Oval Superstars Tour to 81 points when he won the seventh of nine rounds and the Hawke's Bay championship for minisprints in the process. Hermansen, 24, started the 18-car round with a 66 point lead over Kihi Kihi's Jade Barnett, finished third in the first heat from grid 16, won the second from grid seven and finished second from grid five in the third before winning the 20-lap finale.

"Meeanee has always been a happy hunting ground for me. I would come here every week if I could," Hermansen said afterwards.

As a youngster in the ministock class Hermansen won his first title, the East Coast championship, at Meeanee in 2008. In 2011 he won the East Coast Minisprint Championship.

Barnett finished second in the Hawke's Bay championship and is still second on the tour leaderboard. Palmerston North's 2NZ Dean Cooper finished third in the Bay championship and is 35 points behind Barnett on the leaderboard.

Palmerston North's 3NZ Jamie Larsen produced a 15.12s lap time on lap 10 of the 20 lapper before finishing third behind Hermansen and Cooper. Palmerston North's Carol Golding had the best roll in the minisprint class while Wanganui's Bailey Goldsack had this honour in the production saloon class.

The Hawke's Bay Hawkeyes Superstock team finished fourth at the Auckland-hosted New Zealand Teams Championship at the weekend. The Hawkeyes were beaten by the Manawatu Mustangs in the battle for third and the Gisborne Giants beat the Palmerston North Panthers in the final.