Motorsport: Rookies star turns at speedway champs

Thomas McLean was third in the North Island TQ Title. Photo/File

Two rookies showed more experienced drivers a thing or two at the Whangarei Speedway Club Championships.

Production saloon driver Josh New and C grade's Josh Bellette performed above their ability as New won one round and Bellette did his lap of honour in two rounds, thereby taking out this season's C Grade Championship.

Didi and Rex Roycroft won the women's and men's production grades respectively. They also won club championships for the Taipa and Kaikohe clubs.

Didi couldn't afford to put a foot wrong in three rounds as she had Melissa Aukett and Livvy Blacklock right behind.

While leading convincingly in the second round, Blacklock's battery gave up the ghost - her replacement battery had been shanghaied for the tractor.

Apart from the usual grades, there was a huge turnout for the North Island TQ Title. The points were close, with Lawrence Baker winning the first race and Ryan Barry the second.

Local lad Dylan Hornell, driving his dad Don's historic stockcar, took overall points.

Plenty of action was seen with the Vintage TQs. These machines look unsteady at high speed and if things turn pear-shaped they bounce numerous times. Bryan Coleman won the first two rounds, then came second in the next.

The day's racing culminated in the favourite, the Demolition Derby. Ace Towing and the Tin Man companies sponsored numerous cars and it was spectacular racing. No single car stood out as the likely winner and it went down to the wire.

The eventual winner was Nicole Mulholland in her Lexus.

This coming weekend is the North Island Limited Saloons and other grades.

Championship Results:

Men's Production Saloon: 1st Rex Roycroft, 2nd Josh New, 3rd Colin Aukett.

Women's Production: 1 Didi Roycroft, 2 Melissa Aukett, 3 Livvy Blacklock.

C Grade: 1 Josh Bellette, 2 Anthony Scott.

B Grade: 1 Fraser Blacklock.

Limiteds: 1 Phill Mainland.

ATVs: 1 Arin Riwhi, 2 Logan Pole.

North Island TQ Title: 1 Ryan Barry, 2 Lawrence Baker, 3 Thomas McLean.

Vintage TQs: 1 Bryan Coleman, 2 Julie Bowden, 3 Lindsay Johnston.

Historics: 1= Dylan Hornell and Simon Huntington, 3 Dean Faithfull.