Speedway: Superstocks take to the oval for the first time

Jarrod MacBeth

Photo: Blake Hooper crosses the finish like, upside down to win the first race on Saturday night in Stratford. Photo by Cookies Photography. 

A field of 16 Superstocks thundered around the Five Star Liquor Stratford Speedway oval on Saturday night for the first time this season.

Racing for the Taranaki round of the Lucas Oils Superstock Series, it was supported by M.C Fale Transport, Gibbons Contracting and The Farmers Grill.

Whanganui driver Kaelin Mooney was a late addition to the starting line up, registering his intention to race late Friday night but that didn’t stop him from being the dominant driver in the event.

Mooney had a great start to the nights racing when he won the first race from grid fifteen - almost the very back to the front. He went on to finish second in race two from grid seven and took an early commanding lead in race three from grid four on lap four to again carry the chequered flag, his points total just one point shy of the possible maximum.

Stratford competitor Hamish Booker was second overall while Rotorua driver Dion Henderson claimed the last step on the podium.

The Minisprint class raced for the Merv Julian Challenge and with a field of fourteen competitors produced close racing all night long. Their format was a little different to usual with two heat races, a pole shuffle to set the grid order for the final and then the final itself.

Heat races were won by Regan Ogle and Karl Uhlenberg while Donald Kuriger was the driver to come out on top from the pole shuffle, beating current New Zealand Champion Karl Uhlenberg in the process. Uhlenberg however, regained his composure to make a pass for the lead in the final on lap two which he held to the end of the race.

Ogle was second and Duane Hickman third.

Stockcars raced a couple of heat races with both being won by Haydin Barker before racing a twenty lap feature.

Matthew Wilson grabbed an early lead in the reverse grid (highest points starting from the rear) feature and led for eight laps before Codey Wilton made a pass for the front and stayed there until race end.

Barker worked his way through the field from his rear start to finish second while Ricky Paul was third. Wilson eventually retired from the race with a flat right rear tyre.

Blake Hooper had a rough night in the Saloon/Super Saloon racing, leading the first race for nine of the ten laps before riding the wall and tipping his car over in front of the grandstand whilst coming up to the start/finish line under the ‘last lap’ flag.

The race was declared a lap short, giving Hooper the win. Even though his car was upside down, it had still crossed the line, just! The other two races for the class were won by Joe Ingram and Richard Dreaver.

Youth Ministocks also raced on the night with wins in the mentor division going to Taylor Dettling and Zach Coxhead while races in the senior division were won by Quinn Turner, Boston Joblin and Blake Luscombe.

The next event at Stratford Speedway is on Saturday November 8th and will feature a full night of speedway action as well as the Hinton Contracting Fireworks Spectacular.