Burger King Pro Dirt powers up Eastland Group Raceway

IN LIKE FLYNN: Hawke’s Bay brothers Grant (6B) and Steve (5B) Flynn in action at the BK Pro Dirt super salooon series in Gisborne over the weekend. Grant Flynn’s consistent performances over the two rounds lifted him to the top of the overall points. Invercargill’s Campbell McManaway won the round 3 final on Friday and Rotorua’s Mark Osborne won round 4. The series now heads to Auckland’s Waikaraka Family Speedway. Pictures by Liam Clayton

THE Burger King Pro Dirt super saloon car series lit up Eastland Group Raceway at the weekend, with the big V8s putting on a fantastic show.

Friday’s night’s round drew an average-sized crowd but Saturday night attracted more than 2500 fans.

“It has been three seasons since the series came here and what an absolutely awesome two nights of racing those 27 drivers put on,” said Gisborne Speedway Club president Grant MacGregor.

“As a club we were rapt with how the Heavy Equipment Services series went.”

Invercargill’s Campbell McManaway(492I) won round 3 of the series on Friday.

Rotorua’s Mark Osborne(16R) took top spot in round 4 on Saturday night.

Osborne claimed pole position for the final and it was a case of follow the leader as he produced a brilliant drive to lead from start to finish.

“It was pretty quick out there tonight and it was good to get the win,” Osborne said afterwards.

Mount Maunganui’s Sam Waddell (18M) and father Dean (81M), raced hard to take second and third respectively.

The speedway club presented trophies of its own for the Eastland super saloon championship, taken from results over the two nights.

Hawke’s Bay’s Grant Flynn (6B) won it, ahead of the Waddells, and all three received a surfboard trophy.

“We were concerned about the track holding up with that amount of horsepower,” MacGregor said.

“The 800 horses under the bonnets of those cars take the moisture out of the track quickly. It blackens it up and makes it slick to drive on.

“Fortunately the track held up pretty well.”

The three Gisborne-connected drivers — Dan Corrin (124M), Brent Emerson (7M) and Asher Rees (126P) — all had problems over the two nights.

“But while their cars were running, all three were on the pace and I thought they drove really well in a fantastic field,” MacGregor said.

The drive shaft blew in Corrin’s car in the second race on Saturday night

“It was a big disappointment,” said Corrin.

“I had so many family and friends here to watch me race again on my old home track. It was gutting.”

MacGregor said the support programme on both nights was exceptional.

“The youth ministocks 100 field, more than 50 cars, were all very well behaved and produced some excellent racing.”

Angus Briant (81G) was the pick of the Gisborne drivers.

“The stockcar classic on Saturday night was outstanding,” MacGregor said. “Peter and Ethan Rees (11G) and (127G) showed their class and the other Gisborne drivers in that class all raced hard, too.

“The most pleasing part was to see the standard of our cars and the on-track performance all come up, which augers very well when it comes time to pick the Gisborne Gladiators team for this season.”

“Jason Lovell (67G), Ben Holt (4G), Willie McClune (61G) and James Clark (29G) all made major contributions to a top class both nights. Well done to them,” he said.

“The dedication award has to go to young Mason O’Dwyer (99G), who had a hard rollover on Friday night. He and his crew rebuilt the whole front of his car and the wing, and he was out there again on Saturday mixing it up.”

MacGregor said the productions saloons on Friday, where Dave Gooch(7G) had two wins and Fraser Wright (44G) one, also raced well.

“The streetstock guys did a great job, too. Brenden Gooch (10G) drove the chequered flag round twice, and Reece Lister (8G) had a good night in the six-shooters.

The club’s next meeting on December 9 features the superstocks teams event.

Speedway results in tomorrow’s Herald