After the disappointment of last week’s rainout the crowds were keen to see the action here at Max Motors Family Speedway, with a Caravan Derby on the programme the seats were packed with enthusiastic spectators.
The evening’s programme started with Streetstocks brought to the track by their long-term, loyal sponsor CDC Concrete.
Race 1 ran in the normal anti-clockwise direction with 12 cars on track. 66W Barry Parsons led the field from the off while behind him the usual mayhem that Wellington Streetstocks are becoming renown for ensued. 13W Paul Sammons, 26W Hayden Bonner and 27W Gordon Bonner were the main protagonists hitting and spinning anyone they could get their bumpers on. Parsons took the race win from 69W Ryan Kilburn and 81W Brian Hughes.
Race 2 saw the cars line up in reverse direction. 66W Barry Parsons raced up the outside into the lead only to come to grief spinning out on the first corner. 69W Ryan Kilburn had his Jaguar humming along but still kept up his run of second places with 18W Clive Rogers taking the win. Barry Parsons managed to recover from his spin and work his way back up the field to take 3rd.
Race 3 saw a slightly depleted field which is to be expected when the drivers turn on the entertainment in this class. Another reverse direction start saw plenty of spins and attacks with 88W Steve Gardiner and 13W Paul Sammons both regularly involved. But this did not deter 81W Brian Hughes from his target on winning the race which he duly did from 66W Barry Parsons and 13W Paul Sammons.
Another long-term sponsor of Max Motors Family Speedway is the Moving Company who have bought us the Saloon class for many years. This year is no exception.
Of the 8 cars in the pits only 6 made it out to the grid for the first race. It was good to see 10W Todd Moffat out on track for the first time this season, looking good with a flash new paint job, unfortunately his night ended after only 8 laps as his new engine refused to play ball. 18W Gary Bean is starting to come into his own taking a fine race win leaving the rest of the field in his wake. 12W Nigel Greenside followed home for 2nd with 24W Gary Marshall hot on his tail.
Race 2 saw 7W John McGrath make it out on track and electing to run off the back of the field. There were 2 separate battles within this race, at the front of the field the 2 Gary’s, Bean and Marshall jostled for first place and behind them some great racing drew the spectators eyes as 16W Taylor Mahey, 12W Nigel Greenside and 7W John McGrath had a great race for the minors. Marshall took the win from Bean with McGrath snatching 3rd.
In Race 3 newcomer 16W Taylor Mahey showed increased confidence as he pushed the more experienced drivers right to the finish line. Gary Bean again managed to edge out Gary Marshall with Mahey a very close third.
Hirepool are a newer but welcome sponsor who is into their second season sponsoring the Stockcar class.
The Stockcars first race saw 15 cars hit the track, some sporting attractive new paint jobs, namely 35W Jason Kinsey, 11W Michael Gray (out of the trademark green) 86W Kent Hawkins, and newcomer 9W Dale Green in, surprisingly, bright green. This race was notable for the battle between the talented Gaskin twins as they vied for the chequered flag. 22W Richard Gaskin managed to hold out brother Paul in the 6W to take the win with 4W Josh Kahui following up for 3rd.
Race 2 saw a close battle between the maestro, former 1, 2 and 3NZ, Grand Prix, North Island and Wellington Champs winner Richard Gaskin and the young former Ministock Ace, fresh to the Stockcar class, 98W Blake Ellett. On the penultimate lap Ellett looked like he was going to pull off a dramatic win but Gaskin was having none of it and on the last lap, with his usual finesse, pushed Ellett aside to take the win. 6W Paul Gaskin worked his way up the field to take 3rd place.
Race 3 saw another close battle for the lead with Blake Ellett again involved but this time with another of the old masters of the Stockcar class, 46W Alan Levien.
Levien appeared to be getting the better of the duel until they hit traffic in lap 8. Ellett’s Ministock training came to the fore as he wove his way through to take the lead and by the chequered flag the inevitable first win was under his belt. Levien held on for 2nd with 22W Richard Gaskin completing his good night with 3rd. Two drivers that gave us the impression when we met them in the pits that they would be characters on the track 69W Raahiri Connor and 61W Ricky Rose proved all night that first impressions count, joining Josh Kahui 4W and 17W Jonas England as stirrers of the night.
C & M Transport have been around Te Marua Speedway longer than most of us can remember and are the current sponsors of the Modified class.
Race 1 saw a field of 8 with 2 Sprintcars, 4w Paul Osborne and 14W Mark Bullock having their first run of the season off the back. It was good to 114E Craig Pottinger making the long trip from the mainland, back to our track. 9W Blair McPhee raced off to the lead from the start chased by 4W Paul Hodson. 91W Jordan Arapere drove in his inimitable fashion with gutsy outside passing, unfortunately showing too much courage on one corner to find the wall quite unforgiving and ended up retired to the infield. 15W Peter Holmes also ended his race on the infield in clouds of steam. Race placings were 9w Blair McPhee, 4W Paul Hodson and 5W Brian McPhee.
Their 2nd race was led out by 57W Ben Cawthra, who was showing good pace as he grows in confidence with his new car. Brian McPhee 5W eventually found a way round Cawthra followed by 9W Blair McPhee. Cawthra managed to keep pace with the flying McPhee’s and held on for 3rd place with Brian and Blair 1st and 2nd respectively.
Race 3 saw 91W Jordan Arapere remain in the pits after another close encounter with the wall in the previous race. Southern visitor 114E Craig Pottinger led the field out building up a good lead but after a restart 9W Blair McPhee found a way past to take the lead which he held onto till the flag. Pottinger followed him home chased by 57W Ben Cawthra.
Resene Paints are a welcome sponsor to the Production Saloon class who this week sported a smaller field than usual but produced some great and continuing battles. Race wins went to 73W Michael Wood (with 2 wins and a 2nd) and 33W Elric Sharp, with 34W Scott Hilder producing two 2nd’s and a 3rd.
Century Distributors have, this year, taken over the sponsorship of the Youth Ministock Class. The youngsters had a good night’s racing with 36W Jacob Free, 34W Matt Eckersley and 55W Todd McLachlan having some great battles. Race wins went to 34W Matt Eckersley, 13W Todd Jenkins and 174W Jayden Musgrove.
The evening was rounded out with the ever popular Caravan Derby. 8 colour-coded combinations hit the track and wowed the large crowd. To many little girls delight the pink combination driven by Jeffry Hubbard was the ultimate winner.
