Speedway: Wise delivers despite blowing gearbox

Hawke's Bay's Maddie Wise on his way to winning the under-25 superstock grand nationals title at Meeanee on Saturday night. Photo / Kiwi Motorsport Media

Maddie Wise became the second Hawke's Bay driver to win the under-25 superstock grand nationals title in dramatic fashion at Meeanee on Saturday night.

"I had to be pushed over the line by a couple of Bay clubmates because my gearbox blew up 30 metres from the finish line in the last race, so a big thanks to them," Wise said, referring to Randal Tarrant and Quinn Ryan.

Wise, 20, started the final heat of the 17-car Napier City Council-sponsored event tied on points with Rotorua's Lance Elsworth, a brother of two-time title winner David Elsworth. Despite rolling twice after a spectacular hit from Stratford's Hamish Booker and collecting major mechanical issues in the process, Elsworth finished 13th in the race and third overall. With his second placing to Palmerston North's Ricky Dykstra in the final heat, Wise won the title by 10 points from Aucklander Scott Tennant, who finished a point ahead of Elsworth.

"Hamish's roll of Lance wasn't arranged by me. He just did it and I breathed a sigh of relief. I think the track helped him do that," Wise said in reference to the rough track - a result of the torrential rain which pounded Hawke's Bay earlier in the week.

Wise recorded first, second and third placings in the three heats. He agreed it was a night when everything went to plan for him.

"Tom Stanaway is the only other Bay driver to win this title so it's pretty special. Hopefully it enhances my chances of scoring some major sponsors as this game isn't cheap and I'm aiming for a big season next summer," Wise, a five-time national karting champion in his younger days, said.

"I'll get another four cracks at this title in the future and I'm aiming to do as well as I can in the East Coast champs and Autumn Nationals before the end of the summer too," Wise added.

Wise finished second to Elsworth in the first heat but Elsworth was relegated one spot for passing on the pole line.

Six Hawke's Bay combinations chased the best pairs title in the streetstocks class. Tim Towler and Jesse Pollock-Houston were rewarded for their consistency with the title.
Second place went to Brent Redington and Phil Glyn and third to 2NZ Wayne Melling and David Adams.

Twenty-eight Bay drivers produced some entertaining racing in the stockcar class where Andre Stenson, Ben Milne and Craig McBeth all enjoyed victory laps.

Whanganui's Hawke's Bay champion Jason Pointon had two wins and Hawke's Bay's Gregg Redington claimed the other in the seven-strong production saloon class.

Hawke's Bay's Marshall Zachan won two heats and his clubmate Harry Prince the other in a 20-strong ministock class. Another Bay driver, Savana Peach, rolled in the first heat.

The rough track meant just one race could be staged for the five sidecar crews and it was taken out by the Gisborne pair of Jason Rees and swinger Callum Innes.