Speedway: Loveridge back for Maulers

Meeanee Maulers kingpin Brett Loveridge (left), with pit crew member Aussie Holloway, prepares his stockcar for Saturday night's meeting at Meeanee. Photo / Duncan Brown

Perfect timing for Brett Loveridge ... equally as good as some of his memorable hits produced while racing for the Meeanee Maulers stockcar team.

Loveridge, Hawke's Bay's top stockcar driver and one of the country's best last summer, has recovered from his broken foot and will race for the Maulers as they defend their Peter Barry Memorial Teams title at Hauraki Meeanee Speedway on Saturday night.

Loveridge, 23, collected the injury while representing the Maulers at the Huntly Teams Champs in November during a tussle with Rotorua's Damian Orr.

"I probably should be taking it easy for another couple of weeks but there was no way I was going to miss this meeting," Loveridge said of the prestige the fourth annual event has on the national teams racing calendar. It is raced in memory of Central Hawke's Bay businessman Peter Barry, who died in 2009 following a speedway accident in Palmerston North.

Loveridge has predicted he is likely to be targeted this season after winning the East Coast, Hawke's Bay, Gisborne Classic, Huntly Speedfest, Kuru Cup and Peter Barry titles in the last. He is expecting similar treatment on Saturday night to that he received in Huntly.

"I'll have four other teammates on track to look after me," Loveridge, who has raced in all three previous Peter Barry meetings, said.

"I would like to think we are up to it and can give it a good nudge," Loveridge said when quizzed on the chances of the Maulers becoming the first team to win two Peter Barry Memorial titles.

"As long as we continue to work together like we have done at our last couple of meetings and show similar cohesion, we should be fine."

Like his teammates and opponents, Loveridge won't know the draw until Saturday night. But he said the Maulers are keen to face the Orange Roughies, the other Hawke's Bay team in the event.

"We've got a few mates in there so it would be good to come across them."

The Roughies lineup includes retired Maulers Mike McLachlan and Beatle Tarrant. There is considerable interest in how Tarrant and his son, in-form Mauler Randal Tarrant, would treat each other should the two Bay teams draw each other and confrontation is required.

An auto electrician with Ansin and Monteith, Loveridge ranked the Stratford Stormers and the Palmerston North Pumas as the pick of the visiting teams.

"All of the teams are pretty good. I treat every other driver the same and never underestimate anyone."

While he is happy with how the rehabilitation of his foot has gone, Loveridge admitted he is in a race against time to ready his car after it collected some damage when raced by Rotorua-based driver Scott McEwen at the Nelson-hosted nationals last weekend.

"I'm confident it will be ready," he said.

The eight teams will be divided into two groups and each team will have two races against opponents from their groups to accumulate points.

The top-scoring team in each section will meet in the final after the second-placed teams in each section battle for third.

Event organiser Greg Zachan described the eight teams as the most even they have been in the four-year history of the meeting.

"Obviously the Stratford Stormers will be among the favourites after winning the Huntly teams title.

"The Wellington Young Guns and Palmy Pumas also look good on paper," Zachan said.

Ministocks and streetstocks will be the support classes.