Speedway: Mac Kwok facing back surgery after hit mishap

ENTERTAINING ROLL: Joshua Melrose (right) rolls after tangling with fellow Aucklander Lawrence Baker (left) during Sunday night's third TQ heat. PHOTO/JOHN FAULKNER

Hawke's Bay superstock driver Mac Kwok's season is over after collecting a lower back injury at Sunday night's season opener at Meeanee.

Kwok, 28, who broke his back during his motocross racing days nine years ago, was in Hawke's Bay Hospital on Monday resting up and awaiting word on whether or not surgery would be required on two of his vertebrae. His father Ricky said he didn't get much rest on Sunday night as he was in too much pain.

Kwok hit the concrete safety wall square after attempting to take Hawke's Bay-based Palmerston North-contracted Shane Mellsop to the wall on lap two of the feature for their 20-strong class.

"Shane braked and Mac slid passed him. It was nothing malicious ... Shane had recorded first and second placings in the earlier heats so as a Hawke's Bay driver Mac didn't want the Palmy boy to have another top placing. He was just entertaining the crowd," Kwok snr said.

Mellsop recorded a 17.8s lap time on the way to victory in the first heat. Hawke's Bay's Thomas Stanaway matched this effort during his win in the feature.

There was no shortage of entertainment for the 5355 spectators on what was labelled the most action-packed opening night for at least a decade by some Hawke's Bay Speedway Club stalwarts. Two Auckland TQ drivers, David Wilson and Joshua Melrose, were uninjured after rolling in two separate incidents.

Melrose rolled after a tangle with fellow Aucklander Lawrence Baker on lap two of their 10-car class feature. Wilson had the distinction of being the first driver to roll at Meeanee this season after he and another starter from Auckland, Cieran Rose, collided during the second lap of their second heat.

Hawke's Bay's two-time national TQ champion Duane Todd had two wins and Aucklander Mike Harrison won the other heat.

The best hit in the 20-strong stockcar class saw 1NZ Jason Penn put his Hawke's Bay clubmate Josh Swannell up the wall in their feature. Many spectators had every right to be surprised when the host track contingent allowed Rotorua stockcar driver Josh Fraser to win the first heat and the feature.

Experienced Meeanee Mauler Randal Tarrant led home a Hawke's Bay trifecta which also included Ethan Anderson and veteran Tony Palmer in the second heat.

Hawke's Bay super saloon driver Johnny Browne won the driver of the night award for Bay competitors across all classes after posting two wins from three starts in the 16-strong combined class for saloon and super saloon drivers. Clubmate Mick Quin had the other win.

Hawke's Bay ministock driver Courtney Hatton celebrated her 15th birthday with third and fourth placings in her class which attracted 19 starters from the host club. Ethan Dorward won the first and third heats and Thomas Rumble-Faram the second.

The Melling brothers have ruled the street stock class in recent seasons and at one stage during heat two for their 10-strong class on Sunday night former Hawke's Bay champion Brent Redington, who won the first heat, was the only non-Melling in the top five. This race finished in a Melling trifecta with 3NZ Darren first, Wayne second and Shayne third.
Darren also took out the feature from Redington and brother Shayne.