Gisborne’s Gooch third in Ministocks in Paradise speedway champs

Koby Gooch, of Gisborne, is ready for next month's transtasman challenge in Perth after placing third in the senior division of the prestigious Ministocks in Paradise meeting last weekend. Photo / May Gooch

Gisborne teenager Koby Gooch warmed up for transtasman battle next month with a podium placing at the premier New Zealand event for ministock speedway drivers - the Tubby Norris Memorial Ministocks in Paradise meeting in Rotorua last weekend.

Gooch, in his 59G car, led the Gisborne Speedway Club challenge with third overall in the senior division top 26 on finals night Saturday at the Paradise Valley speedway.

Gooch produced a massive drive in heat 1 of the three-heat, 10-lap finals. Starting from grid 21, he made his way through the field to place sixth.

He was second from grid 8 in heat 2, which placed him second-equal overall, two points behind the overall leader, going into the third and deciding heat.

Starting from grid 11, Gooch ended third in the heat won by Hawke’s Bay’s Lachlin Timmins from Palmerston North’s Harrison Cheetham.

The win gave Timmins the title on 74 points from Cheetham 71 and Gooch 70.

Gisborne youth ministock racer Koby Gooch (right) raced hard for third place overall in the Ministocks in Paradise meeting in Rotorua last weekend. Lachlan Timmins (Hawke's Bay, middle) won by three points from Harrison Cheetham (Palmerston North) with Gooch another point back.

Gooch top qualified from his group on Friday night with first, third and second placings. This included the fastest laps of his group in heats 2 and 3.

Ministocks in Paradise was Gooch’s last meeting before heading to Australia with the New Zealand ministock team for a transtasman series at the Perth Motorplex next month.

Several other Gisborne drivers were in action at Ministocks in Paradise.

Jayden James (189G) also made the senior top 26 finals after placing fourth in his group with 10th, sixth and fourth placings.

He placed eighth in the finals on 38 points from two 12th placings and a ninth.

Jorja Rogers (16G) qualified in tier 3 of the senior division where she finished 17th from a DNF (did not finish), 10th and 15th placings.

Brodie Gooch (10G) qualified for the junior top 26 finals after finishing second in his group with fourth, seventh and third placings.

He did brilliantly in heat 1 of the finals to place seventh from a grid 20 start but failed to finish heat 2 and was eighth in heat 3 for an overall 11th placing.

A DNF in heat 2 cost Campbell Hulme-Moir (71G) a place in the junior top 26 but he was among the heat winners in the junior consolation on Saturday.

Josh Coates (7G) and Conrad Gooch (6G) also missed out on qualifying in the junior division.

Ministocks in Paradise featured around 180 cars.