Speedway: Derby queen aims for king hit

Rebecca Armstrong with No 1 supporter and 6-year-old son Devon. PHOTO/Warren Buckland

Rebecca Armstrong's father, Nigel, claims she is the son he never had.

Should Armstrong achieve her goal and complete two laps in the demolition derby, the feature attraction at the grand opening of Hauraki Meeanee Speedway tonight, more fuel will be added to her father's belief.

One of 25 starters, Napier's Armstrong, will be tackling a derby for the first time and will race a Mazda Familia.

"A friend of mine [Derby Dave Haycock] is a long-time derby driver and has been encouraging me to derby it for a while. He lasted quarter of a lap in his first derby so a minimum of two laps is my goal. A guy at work only lasted one lap in a derby he did ... if that happens to me I will cry," Armstrong, a service person at Nimon & Sons, said with a laugh.

When quizzed on her tactics Armstrong replied: "The aim is to hit tactfully but if the adrenalin takes over I will probably end up wanting to smash everything within range."

Originally from Hawke's Bay, Derby Dave is now Palmerston North based and will race a Toyota Corona tonight. Asked if there was a possibility the pair might work as a team Armstrong replied: "We've made a pact we won't hit each other early in the race. But if we both get down to the last two or three then we will definitely hit each other."

Armstrong has an extra incentive to feature among the major placegetters or produce some big hits. Her No1 supporter, 6-year-old son Devon, will be with her father in the crowd.

Racing four wheels around a dirt track is a sharp contrast to Armstrong's regular form of motorsport. A member of Napier's Pacific Motorcycle Club, Armstrong often takes on clerk-of-the-course and steward roles during motorbike racing events at Taupo and Manfeild.

Both roles give her a fair bit of authority. It will be interesting to see her reaction if one of tonight's stewards tell her to do something she doesn't want to.

With $1000 up for grabs for the winner as well as prizemoney for the most spectacular hits it's not surprising tonight's field includes the Bay's most successful and experienced derby driver, Beatle Tarrant of Takapau, one of the most entertaining drivers to race for the Meeanee Maulers stockcar team, as well as Hawke's Bay Hawkeyes superstock team, Mike "Mr Speedway" McLachlan, and stockcar class stalwart Tony Darroch. Depending on his mood Tarrant can be brutal.

Like McLachlan, Tarrant, can take as much punishment as he dishes out and if these two tango it will be worth the price of admission alone.

Providing this pair don't smash each other out of contention early it will be a surprise if one of them isn't doing a victory lap with the chequered flag at the end of the derby.

It will be a busy night for Darroch. He will race a new stockcar after a season's rest from the class as well as chief the ministock crew of his son Ben.

"The derby will be my main priority ... some of that prizemoney could come in handy for Ben and I," Darroch said.

Superstocks, stockcars, super saloons, saloons, streetstocks, sidecars and ministocks will also be in action tonight.