Speedway: Plenty of thrills at Boxing Day race meet

Tyler Walker (#2) won the Taranaki Stockcar Champs at Stratford Speedway on Boxing Night. Kyle Wilson (#91) was second. Photo/ Matt Julian

New Zealand number two Stockcar driver Tyler Walker won the Michielsens Transport Taranaki Stockcar champs for the second consecutive year at Stratford Speedway on Boxing Night in front of a very large crowd.

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The large crowd were on hand to not only witness the Taranaki Stockcar Champs, but also the Taranaki Minisprint Champs, Taranaki Streetstock Champs, Superstock Best Pairs and the first Demolition Derby of the season.

Nic Smith (#18) won the Taranaki Streetstock Champs at Stratford Speedway on Boxing Night. Photo/ Matt Julian

With 40 Stockcars on hand to contest the champs, drivers were divided into four groups with three groups racing in each of the four races, meaning that each driver raced three times.

Tyler won his first race after making up a lot of ground from a grid 16 start, won race two from a grid one start and then came home in sixth place from grid 28 in race three to win the Taranaki title by three points from Kyle Wilson who had recorded a second, eighth and first placings.

Sheldon Arapere and Kylee Symes were tied on points for the last step of the podium and Arapere beat Symes in a four lap run off to decide third place.

Sixteen Minisprints were on and to race for their Zodiac Signs Taranaki Champs and it was girl racer Lydia Dickinson who came out on top after three races.

Minisprints raced for their Taranaki Championship at Stratford Speedway on Boxing Night. Lydia Dickinson (#75) won the event. Photo/ Matt Julian

Lydia drove a great first race to pass several cars and finish fourth from a grid 12 start, she came home second in race two from grid five and then third in race three from grid seven to earn a total of 42 points, enough to beat New Zealand champion Shane Dewer to the top step of the podium by two points. Shaun Dickie was third. Dickinson has now won both the Taranaki Midget and Minisprint champs twice each.

A decent field of 14 Streetstocks raced for their Kettle Handyman Service Taranaki Champs with drivers using their bumpers all night long and putting on a good show for the crowd.

New driver to the class Nic Smith had a great night, finishing fourth in race one before winning the next two races to win the Taranaki title by two points from seasoned campaigner John Young. Paul Blinkhorne was third.

William Humphries (#04) and Blair Uhlenberg won the Superstock Best Pairs at Stratford Speedway on Boxing Night. Photo/ Matt Julian

Blair Uhlenberg and William Humphries, who won the Superstock Best Pairs last season, once again paired up and won the event this time around too.

With William winning the first two races and Blair the third, the other drivers didn't really have a chance of catching them on points. Kihikihi racers Cam and Stefan Roigard were second and Zane Riddick who was paired with Hamish Booker were third.

A 40 car demolition derby ended the night's racing and provided plenty of car crunching carnage. Keith Mapp managed to keep his car going until the end to be the last car running. Hannah Barron won the prize for Best Presented, Shaun Takamori and Henry Tongariro were the best stirrers and Tessa Hurley won the Hard Luck award.