Speedway: Spectacular superstock racing at final event

Jarrod MacBeth

Photo: Trent James slams Scott Williams into the wall during the Superstock Pairs Shootout. Photo by Cookies Photography

The La Nuova sponsored final event of the 2024/2025 racing season was held at Five Star Liquor Stratford Speedway on Saturday night and featured some excellent Superstock and Stockcar racing.

A good field of Superstocks were already planned but when Palmerston North Speedway postponed their event early Saturday afternoon, the class gained a few more competitors at Stratford, boosting the field for the Best Pairs event to twenty five cars. After three races, that saw wins going the way of Blair Uhlenberg, Scott Williams and New Zealand Champion Todd Hemingway, the points were tallied to find the podium order for the Best Pairs. William Hughes and Asher Rees were the winners, Todd Hemingway and Blair Uhlenberg were second and Wayne Moss and Ethan Rees third. The pairs then raced in a Pairs Shootout that saw the lowest ranked pairs face off over three laps, then the next highest ranked pair race the winners and so on until we ended up with a winner. This concept created some great action and was one that the crowd enjoyed. Uhlenberg and Hemingway were the winner while the pairing of Josh Prentice and Trent James won the prize for being the biggest movers.

Thirty four Stockcars took to the track to race for their season finale with a heap of sponsored money and prizes up for grabs. The format saw drivers divided into groups and racing two heat races each before a twenty lap highest points from the rear final. Heat races were won by Shane Denham, Ryan Nolly and Tyler Walker. Walker then made his way from a rear grid in the final to win that also ahead of Denham and Ryan Houghton. It was a great night all round for Walker who picked up the prizes for top points overall, final winner and the fastest lap.

Saloons were a late addition to the program and raced two heats, a pole shuffle and then a final. The Korff family shared the wins in the heat races with Thomas winning the first and Craig the second but the star of the pole shuffle was Palmerston North racer Paul Hosking who started in the first run and beat every opponent one by one to end up on top and secure a front row start for final which he then also won.

Adult Ministocks and Youth Ministocks completed the racing before a Demolition Derby ended the night and the season. Adult races were won by Kurt Gardner (2) and Lukah Phillips. Youth races were won by Liam Croning-Prouse and Quinn Turner who both picked up two wins each. The Demolition derby was won by Matt Lavelle. The two stirrers prizes were awarded to Matt Hill and Glenn Gordan while the Best Presented was Dave Smith.