Speedway: Team tactics key to Quinn Ryan's win

Close Stuff: Michael Patey attempts to pass fellow Hawke's Bay rider Darrin Wilson during the East Coast solobike championship at Meeanee on Saturday night. Photo/Warren Buckland

It could be interpreted as a slight exaggeration but it was still an appropriate compliment from Hawke's Bay Speedway Club president James Buckrell on Saturday night.

"You could swear Shane was still driving the car Quinn was that good. And when you consider Quinn has had no where near as much track time as his rivals it was an outstanding achievement," Buckrell said after watching former Hawkeye Quinn Ryan win the 22-car Motorworks HB Autumn Nationals Superstock event at Meeanee.

Ryan, 22, was racing the car Buckrell owns and the same one Hawke's Bay's Shane Penn drove when he won the national title twice and finished third at the nationals before his retirement. Ryan was racing in his fourth meeting of the season because he spent the past year doing engineering work in Australia.

"While I had work in Australia I also used the trip as a bit of an OE with my girlfriend and we visited Thailand and Fiji," Ryan explained.

"I came back home for three meetings in January and those were my only ones before this one."

Ryan finished third in his first heat and fifth in his second to qualify third for the top 10 pole shuffle where he secured grid four for the winner takes all 15-lap final. He took the lead on lap 13 after clubmate and rookie Hawkeye Kairyn O'Brien put a huge hit on the leader and top qualifier William Humphries of Palmerston North to halt his progress.

"I've got to thank Kairyn for this title. He did a top job," Ryan said.

Ryan beat Palmerston North's 3NZ Adam Joblin by .06s on the finish line and fellow Bay drivers Maddison Wise and Jason Long finished third and fourth respectively with Humphries completing the top five.

When quizzed if he could repeat Saturday night's effort at the final meeting of the season the Under-25 Nationals at Meeanee on May 13, Ryan replied: "We will just play that one by ear. But I definitely want to stay in James' car. I'll continue to do all the work on it as well as James' son Jacob's ministock so James can keep funding most of it."

Palmerston North's Luke Miers became the first non Hawke's Bay-contracted driver in the 11-year history of the Kuru Cup stockcar event to win the cup. Two runoffs were required to decide the top three in the 36-car class.

Miers beat Hawke's Bay's Josh Swannell in the runoff for the title after taking him to the wall and speeding off. Hawke's Bay's former national champion Jason Penn used similar tactics to beat Palmerston North's Brendon Tye in the runoff for third.

Palmerston North's Jason McKay retained his East Coast solobike title with a one-point win over clubmate Brady Mudgway in the 10-strong class. Mudgway pipped McKay by one point for the Hawke's Bay title and Hawke's Bay veteran Darrin Wilson finished third in both events.

Mudgway was back racing again after an 18-month spell.

"I'm stoked to be on the podium and back racing again," Mudgway said.
Eight sidecar crews chased the Hawke's Bay and East Coast titles for their class. The Auckland-contracted former Hawke's Bay-contracted pair of Russell Stuart and Andrew Parker proved why they hold the 3NZ number when they won both.

The Hawke's Bay crew of Troy Devery and Pete Steigenberger were second in both.