Last year's North Island Streetstock champion Steve Dryden, of Invercargill, will be in Rotorua this weekend to defend his title. Photo / Sportsweb Photography
Last year's North Island Streetstock champion Steve Dryden, of Invercargill, will be in Rotorua this weekend to defend his title. Photo / Sportsweb Photography
Speedway enthusiasts looking to fill the void between Christmas and New Year will be thrilled by the North Island Streetstocks being held in Rotorua on Saturday night.
It is the fourth time Paradise Valley Speedway has hosted the event. In the 1990/91 season Jeff Barron took the title, in 2000/01it was Gary Marshall and in 2004/05 Nevano Cowan was the victor.
The reigning champion Steve Dryden (33R) has entered to defend his title and is making the long trip north from his home in Invercargill. He has the form to go back-to-back having won the Southland championships on December 14.
In terms of local challengers, the Rotorua streetstock drivers have had a few runs at home this season and the wins have been shared around. Steve de Malmanche (11R), Mike King (58R) and Shane Bracken (858R) have been turning in some consistently quick laps.
Current 1NZ Chris Shingleton has been busy building his new race car, it will be quick straight out of the box. Alan King (59R) and Richard Bracken (848R) won't be letting their boys have all the fun either.
Paradise Valley Speedway secretary Sonja Hickey said it was sure to be a night filled with competitive racing.
"A lot of the guys were here last year for the New Zealand Streetstock Championship so they know the track and everything. We have a full field of 26 so I'm expecting there will be some really good racing.
"For spectators, it's a good Christmas holiday thing to do in Rotorua and we'll have all the classes racing. There will be a good line up of superstocks looking to get the track sorted before the World 240s later in the year, I'm sure."
There will be plenty of high-speed action on display when the drivers battle for the North Island Streetstock title. Photo / Sportsweb Photography
At the end of last season, the club's efforts were recognised at the New Zealand Speedway Awards as they took home the Supreme Award for Best Private or Professionally Promoted Track, Best Event for the TWS World 240s and Hickey herself won the Jake Pulman Award of Excellence for all her work behind the scenes.
Not willing to rest on that success, they worked hard during the off season to improve the stands at the track and increase the number of seats. Hickey said the club's opening night which included a Guy Fawkes fireworks display, attracted about 7000 people.
"The opening night was amazing, we've had a really good start to the year and the seating is all finished so the track's looking amazing. It was the biggest crowd we've had for our fireworks night by a long way. The feedback has been really good, everybody seems really pleased with the upgrades."
Paradise Valley Speedway is hosting the North Island Streetstocks for the fourth time. Photo / Sportsweb Photography
The Rotorua Stockcar Club has a full schedule of racing planned for Saturday night, including superstocks, stockcars, six shooters, production saloons and youth ministocks. The six shooters and production saloons will be running for club points.
The superstock and stockcar drivers will be making the most of the track time before their national titles are up for grabs in early January.
Transflow Ltd North Island Streetstock Championship - Driver List 1NZ Chris Shingleton 2NZ Brenden Gooch 3NZ Brent Redington 6G Cody Gooch 7S Darron Jeffery 9G Sean Gooch 11R Steve de Malmanche 12K Daniel Curran 14G Daniel O'Neill 16B Ben Yeoman 23B Nigel Potter 25W Neale Smith 33R Steve Dryden 44B Phillip Glynn 51A Craig Anderson 58R Mike King 59R Alan King 65A Jonathan Lauder 72B Darren Melling 75A Todd Neal 77W Daniel Bouzaid 88G David Hampton 92W Kaila Nickson 95B Tim Towler 848R Richard Bracken 858R Shane Bracken
