There was no way I was going to miss the second night of the Stockcar Teams Invasion at Huntly on Saturday night. Unfortunately due to work, I didn’t make night one. Night two was a real stockcar lovers dream with an impressive field of supporting stockcars along with some vintage stockcars (that still turn heads) included in the nights programme. The visit by some southern and eastern drivers, to try some setups prior to the NZ Champs, added an extra level of interest for this Superstock fan. Of course everyone was making a b-line to the much discussed 7N creation of Craig Boote, however there were some other cars that equally took my attention, namely Joe Faram 4B, Scott Hewsons new rocket ship 135R, Thomas Stanaway 87N and of course the return of Stan Hickey in 515R.
It was a real treat to be able to watch a near full field of Superstocks so early in the season in the north. On a smaller track like Huntly there is always something happening as drivers try and work their way through traffic. This wasn’t something that Scott Hewson had to worry about in heat one as he blasted away from the green and was untroubled from flag to flag, the new car has some impressive pace to go with the looks. Stan hickey showed that he hasn’t lost anything, during the brief retirement, with a second. Smokin Joe Faram took the win in heats two and three. It was however Bryce Steiner who took the overall points win with some consistent placings in Hewson’s old chassis. Of mention in heat two was the impressive sixth place of Ashton Fleming 68R.
Special mention must be made of a couple of drivers that had a rough ride during the night. Firstly Ross Ashby who sustained a nasty leg injury in heat one which may spell and end to his season. I wish him a speedy recovery and truly hope that he can recover and make an appearance later in the season. He has had the outstanding 38R tank right on pace so far this season and I was looking forward to seeing some good results for Horse in 11/12. The second driver was Laurence Christini who took a wild ride in heat two coming out of turn two and end on top of 73H Karl Ross, who was also out for the rest of the night.
A tingle went down the spine when the golden oldies took the track and the sight of 432V (Big Bad Charlies old chariot) lapping at impressive pace along with the throaty roar of the likes of Dutchies 24H and 99R, certainly brought back some great memories of years gone by. The support field of Stockcars also put on some great racing with Mark Costello 98R taking heat one in impressive form. Heat two and three both went to ever improving Scott Tenant 29A. Super Saloons were a bit thin on the ground and the track didn’t appear to really suit them all night, especially heat one which started the programme. It was a real slip fest and resulted in everyone virtually idling around the turns. Just a lack of cars to really set up the track. There was some close racing in patches through heats two and three. Greg Powell took the first two heats. In the third, Dave Roigard held his line and nobody could work out how to get round him.
The teams racing was dynamite with some bone jarring hits going in left right and centre. A couple of races were a little disappointing but you always get a couple that don’t go as expected for what ever reason. A great report of the teams racing from both nights can be seen here.
On the whole a thoroughly enjoyable night and well run programme. Thanks to all involved.
Western Springs opens with a ……….bang
As the weekend loomed large, I was faced with the choice of 5 speedway venues for my Saturday night entertainment. Deciding to stay local, I opted for the opening night at Western Springs. While I tend to favour tracks running Superstocks, I also enjoy the hustle, speed and spectacle of the open wheel classes at the Springs. As expected the place looked a million bucks, as did a lot of the machinery being prepped in the pits.
After a quick look through the pits, it was time to head to a good vantage point to watch the racing. Due to the low number of competitors, the heats seemed a bit watered down and void of much excitement. However the feature races went a fair way to making up for it with fuller grids and some outstanding driving. For a more detailed report on the racing, I suggest reading Percy’s review - Percy's NZ Speedway
While I don’t agree with how the fields are split into two to create extra heats, which resulted in 9 or 10 car fields, the programme flowed well and led into the features and fireworks with plenty of time to spare. For an opening meeting it was an a good platform to build off. There will be some big shows at ‘The Springs’ this season and I look forward to my next visit.
After a quick look through the pits, it was time to head to a good vantage point to watch the racing. Due to the low number of competitors, the heats seemed a bit watered down and void of much excitement. However the feature races went a fair way to making up for it with fuller grids and some outstanding driving. For a more detailed report on the racing, I suggest reading Percy’s review - Percy's NZ Speedway
While I don’t agree with how the fields are split into two to create extra heats, which resulted in 9 or 10 car fields, the programme flowed well and led into the features and fireworks with plenty of time to spare. For an opening meeting it was an a good platform to build off. There will be some big shows at ‘The Springs’ this season and I look forward to my next visit.
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