Speedway: Redington benefits from change of pace

Brent Redington (46B) wins the HB Streetstocks Championship at the Meeanee Speedway in Napier on Saturday. Photo/Duncan Brown

The late decision of Brent Redington to reduce his workload was a key factor in his third and second consecutive Hawke's Bay streetstock title at Meeanee on Saturday night.

Redington, the winner of the George Wyndham Memorial Trophy for the most points across all classes at the Hawke's Bay Speedway Clubs 2016-17 season prizegiving in June, had planned to race in the 13-car production saloon class as well as his regular streetstock class which attracted 15 starters from throughout the North Island for the Hawke's Bay championship.

"After doing the first race for the production saloons [which he won] I decided to concentrate on the streetstocks. After coming from 14th on the grid to fourth place in the first race I thought I would have a good chance of retaining the title although I had a bit of damage to deal with," Redington said.

He was referring to a broken ball joint which he repaired before winning his second heat.

With a second placing to clubmate Wayne Melling in his third heat Redington won the championship by three points from Gisborne-contracted former Hawke's Bay-based national champion Dave Hampton and Rotorua veteran Allan King was a further point behind in third place.

"I drove well and the track was mint. I've raced in the class for four years and won the championship during three of those four years ... I couldn't be happier," former rally driver Redington added.

The Pam Gibson Memorial Trophy was also up for grabs in the streetstock class and Hawke's Bay's Tim Towler took it home after a convincing win in the first heat.

Gisborne visitor Anton McKay won the other two heats in the production saloon class which produced the best roll of the night.

Hawke's Bay's Denton Hodgkinson, who had recorded second and third placings in his first two heats, rolled in the third heat.

Track commentator Mike Wilson predicted Hodgkinson will have a fortnight's work at least on his car before he is able to race again.

Hawke's Bay's Regan Penn won the Dave Foxall Memorial and John Coker Memorial trophies in the 17-strong stockcar class. Points accumulated in the first and second heats determined the winner of the Foxall and points scored in the second and third heats decided the winner of the Coker.

Penn, a second-season racer in the class, finished second to clubmate Ben Milne in the first heat and won the next two.

Hawke's Bay's 3NZ Duane Todd and Aucklands 2NZ Kaleb Currie were level on points, one point behind Gisbornes Ryan MacGregor, going into the final race for the 13 TQ starters in the tussle for the Dusty Rhodes Memorial Trophy.

With MacGregor failing to finish in the top three and Currie pipping Todd for the victory, the Aucklander travelled home with the trophy.

Two firsts and a second placing in the 10-strong superstock class saw in-form Hawkes Bay superstock driver Quinn Ryan capture the Tony MacIntosh Memorial Trophy.

His clubmate and former national champion Joe Faram was a long-time leader of the second heat until he was blocked by clubmate Randal Tarrant.

Hawkes Bays Zach Lawrence won the superstock feature after Tarrant and fellow Bay driver Quintin Butcher ruined Farams hopes.

With wins in all three of their heats in the 18-crew sidecar class Kihi Kihi visitors David Gannon and Daryl Pearce travelled home with the Tony Bailey Memorial and Noel Kippax Memorial Trophies.

Three Hawke's Bay crews, hubby and wife Kim and Kerry Johnston, Dave Black and Cole Petterson and Justin Lincoln and Adrian Orchard had wins in this class which produced close and exciting racing on a superb track.

Crews from throughout the North Island are expected to tackle the Hawke's Bay champs this weekend and gain valuable track time in the countdown to the national champs at Meeanee on January 5 and 6.