A field of 30-plus converge on the MTF Awapuni Speedway track on Friday to decide the North Island Superstock title. Finals night is Saturday. Photo / Liam Clayton
A field of 30-plus converge on the MTF Awapuni Speedway track on Friday to decide the North Island Superstock title. Finals night is Saturday. Photo / Liam Clayton
The climactic meeting of Gisborne Speedway Club’s 2024-2025 season starts on Friday night when more than 30 cars go into battle for the North Island Superstock crown.
The “G” cars of Gisborne are ready to rumble in the BF Goodrich Tires & The Tyre General-sponsored champs, which will feature qualifying in two groups at the MTF Gisborne Speedway.
The field for the two-night meeting is a who’s who of North Island superstocks drivers, including recently crowned New Zealand champion Todd Hemingway of Baypark Speedway.
A dozen cars from each group will qualify for Saturday’s finals.
A repechage for the non-qualifiers will be held on Saturday - the first two cars earning a place in the big show.
The remaining cars will contest the Metalco Tier Two Championship.
“It’s our big one of the season meeting-wise,” Gisborne Speedway Club president Sam Hughes said. “We had hoped for a few more cars but it’s still a great line-up.”
The 13 “G” cars in the field will be spearheaded by the Rees family - patriarch Peter and his sons Asher and Ethan.
Peter won the 2010-2011 North Island title in Palmerston North and was third last year in Rotorua. Asher led a Rees trifecta - with Ethan second and Peter third - in Whanganui in the 2020-2021 season.
Gisborne club drivers Josh Prentice, Regan Penn and Tim Ross are also likely to among the action at the front of the field.
Baypark superstock driver Todd Hemingway (99M) won the New Zealand Superstock title in a runoff with Wellington's Ethan Levien in Nelson last month.
One of the key support events at the meeting is the Sam’s Upholstery and Gisborne Fluid and Machinery Ashley Scott Memorial on Friday.
“We have around 24 stockcars expected for that highly contestable trophy,” Hughes said. “So it should be exciting.”
The Simpson Automotive and Gisborne Agricultural Services Stockcar $1000 Dash for Cash will be staged Saturday night.
The rest of the support programme features classic stockcars, streetstocks, ministocks, production saloons (Friday) and saloon cars (Saturday).
The team at Novus Glass have pre-sale tickets available or these can be bought from the track gates from lunchtime Friday.
Scrutineering of the superstocks starts at 1.30pm on Friday at the track.
“The public are welcome to come along and check the cars out,” Hughes said
A grand parade of the cars will be held from 5.30pm Friday.
BLUE GROUP: Sean Gooch 7G, Dave Elsworth 87R, Peter Rees 10G, Tyler James 89G, Ryan Marshall 15V, Brad McGee 96G, Zane Dykstra 38V, Dylan Towler 96M, Ryan McKenzie 49M, Asher Rees 126G, Paul Mabey 71R, Tim Ross 144G, Ben Milne 76B, Trent James 156P, Luke Alderdice 77M, Mark Costello 198R, Jason Jones 81G, Dylan Ashton 422B and Brad Uhlenberg 85S.
YELLOW GROUP: Todd Hemingway 1NZ, Sam Hughes 77G, Josh Prentice 5G, Dave Anderson 82G, Liam Marsh 6R, Brodie James 87G, Liam Gilbank 20UK, Matt Buckley 94V, Kai O’Brien 25B, William Hughes 99S, Ross Ashby 38M, Bryce Steiner 118R, Jessie Henderson 45R, Ethan Rees 127G, Dylan Marshall 57V, Regan Penn 235G, Cody McKee 72A, and Paul Vazey 351R.
