Speedway: Hamish Booker takes Taranaki title

Jarrod MacBeth

Photo: Hamish Booker won the Repco Taranaki Superstock Champs at Stratford Speedway on Saturday night. Photo by: Matt Julian - Contact High Photography.

Since moving to a new Ree’s Race Car this season, Hamish Booker has consistently been one of the fastest drivers in the Superstock class at Stratford Speedway. Despite some tough competition from a strong 21-car field he won the Repco Taranaki Champs on Saturday night by a solid six point margin and now joins his father John Booker (who last won the title in the 1992/93 season) in having his name etched on the trophy. Hamish was in superb form from the very start of the first race, moving through the field and coming home in third place from a grid twelve start. He then won race two from grid three before making another big move through the field in race to finish sixth from grid fifteen and cement his position on the top step of the podium. Paul Johnson, who has won the title four times previously, finished second after he beat third place getter Shane Denham in a run off.

Modifieds raced for the Rusty Kay Memorial with Jason Kalin and New Zealand ranked number two Carl Hinton proving to be the quickest drivers in the class and finishing up first equal after three heats. A four lap run off was held to determine the podium order with Kalin beating Hinton to the line while Huntly racer Cody Hata was third overall.

The Streetstock class provided entertaining racing while they competed for their 60th Anniversary Cup. Jared Pryce won two of the three races and finished fourth in the other to win the cup by just one point from Dylan Smith.

Three visiting drivers from Palmerston North bolstered the Saloon numbers to twelve to make a good field. After suffering reliability issues at the last few meetings, Jarrod MacBeth appeared to have his car sorted and won the first race from grid two before placing second in race two from grid eight and then finishing fifth in race three to win the Sam Korff Memorial by five points from Bradley Korff who beat Palmerston North driver Paul Hosking in a run off. The class also raced for their King of the Mountain champs over a single fourth ace with the highest points scoring drivers at the front. MacBeth led this race from start to finish to win ahead of Blake Hooper while Palmerston North driver Ashleigh King was third.

Possibly the largest field of Adult Ministocks to grace the track this season raced for their best pairs trophy with eighteen cars. The duo of Loyd Clarke and Rhyan Dobson were unstoppable and won the trophy by a huge twenty two points form their nearest rivals Kurtis Gardner and Luca Ward. Ashton Dobson and Mark Pattison were third.

Minisprints were the final class to compete on the weekend and the only one not racing for a trophy. Races were won by Camron Hurley, Karl Uhlenberg and Duane Hickman.

The next event at Stratford Speedway is on Saturday April 13th and will be the final race meeting of the season.