Speedway: Booker wins superstock grand prix

Jarrod MacBeth

Photo: Hamish Booker nudges William Humphries into the wall at the start of the run-off to decide the winner of the NZ Superstock Grand Prix at the Stratford Speedway. Photo by The Racers Edge. 

Local Superstock driver Hamish Booker won the Mountain Motors New Zealand Superstock Grand Prix after two evenings of tough racing at the Five Star Liquor Stratford Speedway on the weekend.

With entries hovering around the 64 car mark in the days leading up to the event, it was an eventual field of 60 of New Zealand’s best Superstocks that rolled through the Speedway gates on Friday to attempt to make one of the 24 qualifying spots for Saturday’s finals.

After three tough qualifying races for each of the three groups that saw two cars rolled in the very first heat, 24 of the 26 finalists were found, some notable top names such Carl Shearer, Matt Picard, Trent James and Regan Penn along with former New Zealand Champion Asher Rees, who had only finished building his new car the night before the event, all missing out due to the high standard of competition and racing.

Rees made short work of the competition to win the repêchage from a front row start and cement his spot in the final field. The other driver to come through was Scott Joblin who was having a great qualifying run the previous night until he retired to the infield with car issues in heat three.

Hamish Booker had qualified with ease, taking second spot in his group on the Friday evening, cruising the track and staying out of trouble.

After the first two final races on Saturday night, Booker was looking good on points, sitting in third place, five points behind Ethan Rees and three points behind William Humphries but he would start with the better grid of fifteen compared to Rees on 20 and Humphries on 26.

Booker kept his nose clean while his club mates went to work hassling the opposition, Brodie James especially being instrumental in the final result, holding up the current New Zealand Champion Todd Hemingway and Brad Uhlenberg who were both podium threats.

Booker finished fifth in race three to give him a total points haul of 63.

Initially, it looked as though Humphries had won the title but officials discovered that a couple of cars had missed the lap scoring loop early in the race and once reinstated to where they should have been, both Booker and Humphries were tied on points at the top of the table, necessitating a run-off to decide the winner.

The run off was very tactical with Booker showing Humphries the wall at the start before the pair battled over three laps with Booker making a run for the flag and taking overall victory on the last lap.

Final Results. Hamish Booker first, William Humphires second, Brad Uhlenbergthird.

The second tier event (Technical Welding Services King of the Mountain Champs) for the non-qualifiers also produced exceptional Superstock racing with Wellington driver

Keegan Levien taking the win from Stratford’s Carl Shearer and Palmerston North’s Kyle Rowe.

Female racers had their opportunity to shine in the Buckthought Engineering Queen of the Mountain Stockcar Champs which had an individual title, best pairs and pairs shootout all to be decided on Saturday evening.

A solid field of 25 of the countries fastest and toughest women racers fronted and produced close and exciting racing all night.

Whanganui racer Hailey James won the individual title from Brittany Carpenter and Asha Penn while the best pairs was won by Penn and Azaria Simpwon. Carpenter and Rebecca Barr won the pairs shootout.

Saloons raced for their Heritage Shield on Saturday with Thomas Korff taking the overall win ahead of Bradley Korff and Craig Korff while on Friday the Stratford Stormers development team took on the Palmerston North Colts with the Colts winning both teams races.

Speedway will now have a week off with the next event being on January 24th.