Speedway: Late Nelson team unbeaten in Stratford

Jarrod MacBeth

Photo: The Nelson Knights won the West Coast Streetstock Teams Champs at the Stratford Speedway. Photo by: Christina Wells, Loaded Glass Photography. 

After arriving in Stratford one and a half hours after the event start time due to ferry issues that meant the Nelson drivers did not get themselves and their cars on the ferry until 8am.

Six hours after their scheduled sailing time, the Nelson Knights Streetstock Team overcame those issues to be unbeaten all day and win the Pick A Part West Coast Streetstock Teams Champs at Five Star Liquor Stratford Speedway on Saturday.

Event organisers were able to juggle the race program to accommodate the Nelson team who convincingly won their first race against the Rotorua Ratbags with Nelson drivers taking both first and second places.

They then went on to win their second race against the Rotorua Mafia to make them the top qualifier.

In the semi-finals, they disposed of the Taranaki Sharks before again taking on and beating the Rotorua Ratbags in the Final.

The Rotorua Mafia team were third overall all while the Taranaki Sharks, who last season won this event, were fourth.

Demolition Derby teams raced for their Teams Champs at this event also with four teams racing throughout the day and evening.

Like the Nelson Knights, the Naki Bits team were in great form and were unbeaten all day on their way to the top step of the podium. Karmageddon were second overall and Unforgivn third.

Close to sixty Youth Ministock competitors were on hand to race for the Repco Spectacular.

The event saw competitors organised into three categories - Girls, Junior Boys and Senior Boys.

After qualifying races in the afternoon where drivers were racing to be able to pick their finals grids and then two finals races in the evening, Whanganui driver Paige Smith won the girls division ahead of Wellington driver Vayda Pou and Stratford competitor Lainey Hancock.

In the Junior Boys division it was all local drivers on the podium with Jake Read first, Braxton Kalin second and Phenox Cunnife third while the Senior Boys were won by Hawkes Bay driver Jimmy Crawford. Wellington driver Jesse McPhee was second and local racer Blake Luscombe third.

Girl racers cleaned up in the Stockcar division with Isabella Perrett winning the twenty lap feature for the class ahead of Lukah Phillips.

Streetstocks raced the last race of the day - A dash for cash which was won by Rotorua racer Mike King.

The next event at Stratford Speedway is on Saturday March 21st and will feature the Superstock and Stockcar Best Pairs & Pairs Shootout, Saloon Best pairs and Shootout, Merv Julian Modified Challenge and the Taranaki Youth Ministock Champs.