Speedway: Brothers ready to battle at Meeanee

Steve (left) and Grant Flynn complete final adjustments on their cars before this weekend's Hawke's Bay and East Coast championships at Meeanee. Photo / Warren Buckland

If the flak flying between Hawke's Bay's Flynn brothers is an indication expect some spectacular speedway racing from the super saloon stalwarts at Meeanee this weekend.

Grant Flynn has replaced his older brother Steve as captain of the North team for the third annual inter-island clash at the Wellington-hosted SuperNats meeting on April 17 and 18. They are the only Bay drivers in the 10-strong North team.

"I've been reminding Steve I've never been in a losing team all week," Grant quipped, referring to the fact two-time and current national champion Steve was captain when North lost to South in Christchurch last year, as the hosts were ahead on points when wet weather forced the second night of the meeting to be cancelled.

"I never went to Christchurch but I was in the North team which won the inaugural fixture in Wellington the previous season," Grant explained.

The pair were selected for the North team after Grant finished third and Steve fourth in the 25 driver-eight-round Burger King-Pro Dirt national series, which finished at Auckland's Waikaraka Park last month. Former national champion Mark Osborne of Canterbury, who didn't have a DNF in any of the rounds, won the series and Aucklander Ben Harding, who had one DNF - one more than both of the Flynns, was second.

The fact three of the top four finishers in the series are from the North Island has Grant full of confidence in the countdown to the SuperNats meet.

Four other Hawke's Bay drivers competed in the series. Former 3NZ Grahame Strong was 13th, his brother-in-law Johnny Browne 14th, Mick Quin 19th and Peter Black 22nd.

All of the Bay contingent will be in action at Hauraki Meeanee Speedway this weekend. They will be among 14 drivers chasing the Hawke's Bay championship title tomorrow night and the East Coast title on Saturday night.

Steve, who has been racing for 21 seasons, is eyeing back-to-back East Coast titles and Grant, who has raced for two seasons less, is hoping to improve on last year's second placing. Grant, 39, and Steve, 41, finished second and third respectively to Osborne in last year's Hawke's Bay champs.

With Osborne opting to race in the South Island this weekend, the Flynns will be hard to beat in both championships. They will compete their buildup to the inter-island battle by competing in the Bay Park-hosted Bay of Plenty championships on April 17.

Hawke's Bay and East Coast championship titles will be up for grabs in most classes this weekend. Hawke's Bay's Quinn Ryan will start tomorrow night's third and final round in the Hawke's Bay Superstock Championship with a five point lead over clubmate and former 3NZ Thomas Stanaway.

Eighteen TQ drivers will be in action both nights, along with 50 ministock drivers. The prestigious Gold Cup will also be contested in the saloon class.

Final tickets in a fundraising raffle for injured Hawke's Bay stockcar driver Brett Loveridge and several of his supporters, which attracted buyers from throughout the country, will be sold at the track before it is drawn on Saturday night. Loveridge broke bones in both feet, a hip, his nose and fractured every finger and de-gloved a hand in an accident near Te Pohue on SH 5 when travelling to February's national teams champions in Rotorua.