Motorsport: Spirited speedway provides tight racing

Gavin "Spiderman" Millen racing in the ATV class. Photo / Debbie Beadle

A good number of visiting racers tried their luck at the latest Kaikohe Speedway race day meet, which featured the Ladies Production and C Grade 20 Lap Trophy, as well as the Men's C Grade 10 Lap Trophy.

Whangarei's Sharon Campbell led the opening lap of the Ladies 20 Lap Trophy race after pole sitter Didi Roycroft got a little sideways at the start.

A restart at lap two saw defending champion, Kaikohe's Amanda Cortesi, gain the lead from Campbell, which Cortesi held right through to the chequered flag.

Kaikohe's Myles Greenwood affected an outside pass on pole sitter Peter Cortesi on turn two of the opening lap of the Men's C Grade 10 Lap Trophy race, but Cortesi then retaliated with an inside pass on turn four of the same lap.

Greenwood chased hard but went wide halfway through the race while chasing the outside line, allowing Dargaville's Craig Jones through to second position. Cortesi then powered away for the win.

The Super Saloons of Keith Wilson and Darren Emm showed true pace in round two of the spirited saloon racing, and although Wilson led out to an early lead Emm performed a superb inside pass on turn four of the third lap to gain the lead and the chequered flag.

Round three went the way of Wilson, with Emm gaining second place from Terry Grigg when the latter went wide into the wall coming out of turn four.

Emm showed a clean pair of heels to win three out of three in the ATV class with NZ1, Gavin Millen, chasing hard.

Rex Roycroft held out Whangarei's Ross Campbell in the first round of Men's Production Saloons, and then chased down Myles Greenwood and Peter Cortesi in round two.

But Roycroft's Championship winning Nissan Skyline of many years threw a conrod out through the block in the third round while chasing hard after the race leader, Campbell.

-Kaikohe Speedway's next race meet will be held on January 16, 2016.