Speedway: Baker takes Taranaki title

Jarrod MacBeth

Photo: Haydin Barker (#84) won the Taranaki Stockcar Champs at Stratford Speedway on Saturday night. Photo by Cookies Motorsport Photography.

Haydin Barker proved why is considered to be one of New Zealand’s top Stockcar drivers when he won the Michielsens Transport Taranaki Champs on Saturday night.

Working his way through the field in each race, Barker dispatched his option with his front bumper and gave himself a clear run to the top step of the podium.

Barker made a big push for the championship in the first race, seemingly effortlessly making his way though the field from a grid six start and passing initial leader Ryan Nolly on lap four before storming away for the win.

He then went on to place third in race two after an impressive drive from a grid seventeen start before again placing third in race three from grid ten, clearing enough total points to win the Taranaki title by a three point margin from Nathan Alexander who had recorded a fifth, first and fourth place finishes over the three races.

Ricky Paul rounded out the top three and was third overall.

Newcomer to the class, Ben Richarfson was eliminated from the event by Huntly driver Dave Moore who rolled him in turn two in race three with Moore then turning his attention to Ryan Nolly and knocking him out of the championship by poking him up the wall on the grandstand straight.

Nolly had a better run in the twenty lap feature though which he led for laps three through twenty to take the win.

Streetstocks raced for their Best Pairs with the pairing of Matt Hill and Ron Washer coming out on top after they won a race apiece with Washer also utilising his back bumper to slow the opposition in race two and helping their points gathering cause.

Chris Deveraux and Jason Dunn were second while Freesia Jeffery and Shaun Hall, who rolled himself over in race three in front of the appreciative grandstand spectators, picked up third place.

Saloons/Super Saloons, Youth Ministocks and Adult Ministocks all also raced on the night. Bradley Korff won all three Saloon races.

Youth Ministock races were won by Zach Coxhead, Lucas Hurley, Taylor Dettling, Blake Luscombe, Lochlan Bound Walsh and Riley Symes while Adult Ministock races were won by Kurt Gardner (2) and Brayden Shaw.

Speedway now takes a break for three weeks with the next event being the Taranaki Modified Championship on December 13th.