Stratford Speedway: Plenty of thrills at race meeting

Sheldon Arapere (#9), seen here racing with Alana Buckthought, won the 2019/20 Stockcar Heritage Shield on Saturday night. Photo/ Matt Julian

The race meeting at Stratford Speedway on Saturday night was a catch-up meeting in more ways than one.

On the race card were two of last season's events that were unable to be run due to Covid shutting speedway down but it was also the second scheduled attempt to run these events this season after the meeting on November 7 where they were to run was rained out.

Stockcar competitor Sheldon Arapere, who recently placed third in the New Zealand Grand Prix in Gisborne, continued his good form, and won the Heritage Shield.

Sheldon finished sixth and first in his first two races before producing a great drive in his third race where he moved through the field from grid 22 to third place, to win the event by a two point margin from Karlin Painter-Dudley and Thomas Meyer who were both tied on points for second place.

Painter-Dudley and Meyer raced a four lap run off to determine the minor placings which Painter-Dudley won after pushing Meyer to the infield at the race start.

Haydin Barker somehow managed to park his Superstock on top of the pit gate during racing at Stratford Speedway on Saturday night. Photo/ Matt Julian

A small field of Saloons raced for the 2019/2020 King of the Mountain champs and it was New Zealand Champion Thomas Korff that came out on top.

Thomas won both races one and two and placed third in race three to win by one pint from his father Craig Korff who was the most consistent driver all night and recorded three, second placings. Jarrod MacBeth nabbed the last step on the podium after finishing third, fourth and first in his three races.

Supporting classes on the program were Superstocks, Modifieds, Streetstocks and Golden Oldie Stockcars, which gave an insight into how Stockcar racing was many years ago.

Palmerston North racer Peter Bengston won the first race for Superstocks and Kihikihi driver Stephan Roigard the second while local Zane Riddick carried the chequered flag in the third.

Modified races were won by Blair Luscombe (2) and Tony Zehnder while victories in the Streetstock class were shared amongst Ben Davis, Paul Blinkhorne and Adam Young.

■ The next race meeting at MG Taranaki Stratford Speedway is on December 26 and will feature the Taranaki Stockcar Champs, Taranaki Minisprint Champs, Taranaki Streetstock Champs, Superstock Best Pairs and a Demolition Derby. Racing starts at the earlier time of 6.30pm.