Speedway: Christmas at the speedway

Jarrod MacBeth

Photo: Aiden Crawford slides his car through the turn while racing for the Taranaki Modified Champs.  He Finished second overall. Photo by Cookies Motorsport Photography.

There was more than just racing on offer at Five Star Liquor Stratford Speedway on Saturday night.

With the event being the last race meeting before Christmas and the good team at Pick A Part New Plymouth coming on board as a sponsor, the Taranaki Stockcar club was able to run competitions in the form of a Christmas themed dress up comp, and a colouring competition before Santa took to the track for the Speedway Santa Parade.

After these formalities were sorted, racing was able to get underway with a number of trophies up for grabs.

A near full field of Stockcars graced the track for the Heritage Shield.

Shane Denham was the man to beat, producing fast lap times and always finding his way to the front or near the front of the field.

Denham placed second in race one from a grid seventeen start, won race two and then placed fourth in race three to win the event overall by a huge ten point margin.

Codey Wilton was second and Ben Wilson third while Palmerston North contracted driver Caleb Coxhead was in the hunt for a podium finish but a decisive hit by Nathan Alexander at the start of race three saw him rolled out of contention.

A small but quality field of Modifieds raced for the Plant & Fabrication Services Taranaki Champs.

Newton Gordge was in hot form all night and won the first race before coming home third in race two and second in race three to win the title by one point from Aiden Crawford while Jason Kalin was third.

The class also raced for the Ginge Hayward Memorial which was a one race deal, the starting order the reverse of the finishing order of the Taranaki Champs.

Ricky Paul won this race ahead of Kalin and Gordge.

Saloons raced for their City of New Plymouth Classic.

Races were won by Bradley Korff, Craig Korff and Thomas Korff but it was Bradley who was once again too fast for the other competitors and won the event after winning race one and placing second in races two and three. Craig Korff was second and Thomas Korff third.

A large field of fifty four Youth Ministocks were on hand to race for their City of New Plymouth Classic with most tracks in the North Island being represented.

Drivers were divided into two qualifying groups with the top thirteen on points moving through to the finals.

Local driver Blake Luscombe successfully defended his title that he had won last season after winning the first final heat and placing second in the other.

Hawkes Bay driver Vincent MacGregor was second and Wellington driver Jesse McPhee third.

Minsiprints and Adult Ministocks also raced on the night with Minsiprint races being won by Bronson Pierce, Cameron Hurley and Erin Uhlenberg while Adult Ministock victories were taken by Jack Beynon (Palmerston North), Miller Andrews (Whanganui) and Jono Mouldey (Palmerston North).

The next event at speedway is the Sharpe Engineering Solutions sponsored Boxing Night event on December 26th and will feature the Repco Taranaki Superstock Champs, The Zodiac Signs Taranaki Minisprint Champs and a Ramp Demolition Derby.