Gisborne speedway "local legend" Steve "Caff" McCafferty got out on the track in a car of his own for the first time in well over 20 years behind the wheel of his recently purchased classic stockcar. And the 63-year-old marked his return by winning the feature race. Classic stockcar are all about "old pensioners having fun", says McCafferty. Most of the drivers are in their 50s, 60s and 70s, and they race to the same rules as youth ministocks, which includes "no hitting". Meanwhile, McCafferty's wife Jaye was also in winning form on a track of a much different sort on Sunday - winning the women's stableford at the Gisborne Thistle AFC annual golf tournament at the Electrinet Park course.
Gisborne speedway "local legend" Steve "Caff" McCafferty got out on the track in a car of his own for the first time in well over 20 years behind the wheel of his recently purchased classic stockcar. And the 63-year-old marked his return by winning the feature race. Classic stockcar are all about "old pensioners having fun", says McCafferty. Most of the drivers are in their 50s, 60s and 70s, and they race to the same rules as youth ministocks, which includes "no hitting". Meanwhile, McCafferty's wife Jaye was also in winning form on a track of a much different sort on Sunday - winning the women's stableford at the Gisborne Thistle AFC annual golf tournament at the Electrinet Park course.
Gisborne Speedway Club’s Shaun Kingi finished 10th out of more than 200 cars at the New Zealand Stockcar Championship in Upper Hutt at the weekend.
Kingi was the best of the Gisborne cars for what was a massive event held at the Wellington Family Speedway over Friday and Saturday nights.
The champs attracted a huge field from across the country.
Kingi (707G), and Lucas Hey (13G) advanced from their groups to be among the 24 direct qualifiers on Friday night.
Brittany Carpenter (85G) missed the 24 but finished second in one of two repechages to grab one of the six spots that made up Saturday night’s 30-car, three-race points finals.
Kingi, who finished second in his qualifying group, described the champs on social media as a “weekend to remember”.
He was 14th in heat one of the finals and seventh in the second.
“With all the DNFs, we were sitting in sixth or eighth on points and could potentially have been in for a shot for a New Zealand number (1, 2 or 3NZ), as long as we kept our nose clean,” he said.
“I copped a few punts from the pack into the wall and one drove into my left front wheel, snapping the bottom bolt on my outer ball joint. I managed to limp the old girl home to finish in 18th.”
That put him 10th overall.
Gisborne Speedway Club president Sam Hughes said it was a big achievement for Kingi “especially as Shaun’s only in his second season in stockcars”.
Kingi said he was “absolutely rapt” with the weekend.
“The amount of messages and support I had received was out of this world. Super humbling and proud of myself for even qualifying.”
Hey was 16th overall and Carpenter was 19th.
Hawke’s Bay 22-year-old Caleb Ireland won the finals to claim the 1NZ from Stratford’s Josh Walsh, who beat reigning champion Kyle Rowe of Palmerston North in a run-off for second.
Meanwhile, Gisborne Speedway Club beat the weather to hold its club night at the MTF Awapuni Speedway track on Saturday.
“It was a pretty good night for the club,” said Hughes, who had a first and a second in the stockcars in his 77G machine.
Trevor McArthur (128G) also had a win in the stockcars while Cody Gooch (6G) and Jared Ingoe (96G) were victorious in the streetstocks.
Rodney Mcindoe (7G) and Ethan Cook (77G) were winners in the saloons.
Koby Gooch (59G) had a win and a second in the youth ministocks, and Vinzent MacGregor (5G) picked up two wins and a second in that class.
The production saloons featured wins to Jack Miller (64G) and Greg Redington (27G).
Other highlights included two wins from three starts for superstock driver Kerry Remnant from Bay Park.
“The classic stockcars were good to watch, and we had Steve McCafferty out racing for the first time in a car of his own for the first time in 20 years,” Hughes said.
