Winter blast cuts two dayer short

NAG 06Jun19 - NAG 06Jun19 - Mere Poharama manning the flag station.

MOTORSPORT

The squally spell of winter weather which inconveniently arrived right on time for the long weekend meant only one day of the two set aside for the Percy Poharama Memorial speedway races was able to be completed.

Spokeswoman Lizzy Perry said everyone did the best they could in the face of such inclement conditions which allowed only seven of the 33 races scheduled for day one of the annual event to be run on Saturday before it "just pelted down" forcing organisers to shut up shop.

Thanks to good organisation and volunteer assistance alongside plenty of patience shown by both the local and visiting drivers, the club was able to "hammer through" all of the second day's programme on Sunday even though the odd passing shower kept the track extremely muddy and slippery.

"Everybody had a great time," Perry said of Sunday's racing.

Highlights, for wont of a better term, from Sunday included the entire field of stockcars getting stuck in the mud in the day's opening race, Kaikohe's Darren Emm coming unstuck and running up a bank at the south end of the track after failing to pull off a dramatic, late passing manoeuvre in the men's saloon grade race, and still managing to finish first equal after the re-start; while the bash-em-up antics of the teams demolition derby racing between Taipa (Dusty Demons) vs the Rest (Dirty Rottens) kept punters amused. Perry said the major event of the club season again attracted drivers came from all over the upper half of the North Weather affected card

Mere Poharama manning the flag station.

Island, including one from as far south as Wellington.

Notable winners at the after-event prizegiving on Sunday night were Pam Fisher (Taipa) and Dylan Epiha Wrathall (Whangarei) who picked up the Percy Poharama Memorial trophies in the C-Saloon women's and men's grades respectively, Wally Scott (Dargaville) presented with the Production Men's Trophy, while Rob Anderson (Taipa) took out the stockcar trophy and the infamous Stockcar Stirrer award was shared by James Payne (Taipa) and Chris White (Dargaville).

That event concluded the 2018/19 season of racing for the hosting Taipa Stock and Saloon Car Club which now prepares to celebrate its 30th anniversary of the opening day of the coming season this October.