Speedway: Ryan expects payback after hit

Hawke's Bay's Regan O'Brien was targeted on Saturday night because he is contracted to the Bay Park track for the season. Photo / Geoff Bicknell

Hawke's Bay superstock driver Regan O'Brien's anger was hard to miss as he stormed from the infield on foot at Meeanee on Saturday night.

"I don't mind being hit but at least give me a chance to get my car sorted. That was my first meeting of the season and I only got my car out of the shed a fortnight ago," O'Brien said as he reflected on an entertaining incident in the feature for his class at the Hawke's Bay Speedway Club's Christmas Special meeting.

Fellow Bay driver Quinn Ryan rolled himself after attempting a hit on O'Brien.

"I know I've got an M on my car this season because I'll be teams racing for the Bay Park boys but plenty of out-of-towners come to Meeanee and don't get hit. Is it just because it's me?," O'Brien asked.

The Hawke's Bay club committee member pointed out he opted to teams race for Bay Park this season because he couldn't commit to the Hawke's Bay Hawkeyes selection criteria of racing at every Meeanee meeting.

"Dominique [O'Brien's daughter] is my main focus this season. It's her final year in ministocks and I want to take her around the country as often as possible and I only need to race at four Bay Park meetings to be eligible for them.

"Because of damage I received, I won't be able to race for Bay Park against the Hawkeyes up in Mount Maunganui next weekend," O'Brien added.

Ryan said it wasn't his intention to take O'Brien out of the equation for the Bay Park team's outing against the Hawkeyes.

"Basically it was to get the crowd going and because Regan has an M on his car. I'll be expecting some payback from Regan next time we come up against each other," he added.

Ryan won the first heat for the 13-strong class in convincing fashion. Experienced Hawkeye Steve Jude pipped the promising Maddison Wise on the finish line in the second heat and another Bay driver, Dave Hatton, in his first outing of the season, pipped Jude for the feature victory.

Hatton and Jude both race cars which used to be raced by the Bay's retired two-time national champion Shane Penn.

Minisprints made their first appearance at Meeanee in four seasons and the eight drivers regularly produced lap times around the 15.6s mark. Huntly's Ben Vaughan won the East Coast Clash by one point from Palmerston North's Dean Cooper and Wellington's Shane Simpson who was a further three points back in third place.

Hawke's Bay saloon driver Kevin Martin won the driver of the night award across all classes. He won the feature for his eight-strong combined class after recording second and third placings in his earlier heats.

A new-look Meeanee Maulers stockcar team was beaten by a Palmerston North Pumas team in an entertaining 10-lap stockcar teams race. The Pumas always had the upperhand with three of the first four positions after lap one and four of the first five after eight laps.

Brendon Tye secured the win for the Pumas and Rob Mason was second. The experienced Tony "Shiny" Palmer did the best of the Maulers with a third placing. Tye and Palmer had wins during the three heats for a 27-strong stockcar class and Hawke's Bay's Jason Penn took out the feature. Penn's nephew, Regan Penn, won two of the three heats in a 26-strong ministock class and Gisborne visitor Hamish Moore took out the other. Hawke's Bay ministock driver Sophie Johnston rolled during the second heat for her class.