Speedway: Stanaway hopes title is luck changer

Hawkeye Thomas Stanaway on his way to victory in the Hawke's Bay superstock championship. Photo / John Faulkner

Experienced Hawkeye Thomas Stanaway hopes his second Hawke's Bay superstock championship in five years will signal a fortune change.

"It's been a tough season, with a bit of bad luck for me in individual events. Hopefully I've turned that around," Stanaway said after he won the 16-car championship at Meeanee on Saturday night.

The 29-year-old who first won the title in 2016 was a member of the Hawkeyes team that won their third title in five years at the Palmerston North Teams Champs last month after beating Great Britain the previous weekend. He agreed those victories and the depth of talent on display in the weekend's championships augur well for the future of the club.

Seven visitors were in the field and Stanaway was thrilled the title remained in the Bay and the podium was filled by host-track drivers.

"We can't have the title heading out of town," he added.

With a fifth from grid 10 in the first heat, a win from grid three in the second and a third from grid nine in the third heat Stanaway won the title by three points from clubmate Zach Glenny who displayed the benefits of some recent travel to meetings out of the Bay.

Former 1NZ and the 2018 Hawke's Bay champion Jason Long beat Palmerston North visitor Elias Dykstra in a run off for third. Current 1NZ and fellow Hawkeye Randal Tarrant had his title hopes dashed when a blown diff forced him out of the championship three laps into the second heat.

A visitor was always going to win the inaugural Masters (Over 40s) superstock title as there wasn't a Hawke's Bay driver in the 21-strong field. Palmerston North's Peter Bengston won the title by two points from Rotorua's Paul Vazey and Palmerston North's Simon Joblin was a further point back in third place.

Bengston finished fourth in his first heat from grid 15, was third in his second from grid five and fourth in his third from grid 13.

Hawke's Bay's Ben Yeoman won the East Coast streetstock championship for the first time. With first, second and third placings in the 21-strong field , Yeoman, won the title by three points from Gisborne's Shaun Kingi.

Hawke's Bay's former 3NZ Brent Redington beat Gisborne's current 3NZ Brendon Gooch in a run off for third place. A highlight of the third heat saw Hawke's Bay's Al Howatson rolled by his clubmate David Adams.

While Adams was unable to continue the race, Howatson went on to finish 10th.

Hawke's Bay's Steven Martin and Josh Smith along with Palmerston North's Ash O'Dowd had victory laps in the 10-strong saloon class. Hawke's Bay's former North Island champion Denton Hodgkinson joined Whanganui's Antonio McKay and Brent Hackett as the heat winners in the 10-strong production saloon class.

With a first and two third placings from his three heats in a 25-strong ministock class, Hawke's Bay's Liam Danielsen deserved his driver of the night award. Clubmate and former winner of the award, which can only be won once in a season, Henry Steel, had two wins and a second and another host club driver Tyla Flynn, a son of 2NZ super saloon driver Grant Flynn, had the other victory.

Hawke's Bay's Daniel Dittmer won a 25-minute 32-car demolition derby which ended the meeting.