Emilio Hatcher (#7) and Tyler Walker (#33) work together to send Asher Rees to the wall and ensure the Taranaki Stockcar Championship trophy stayed in local hands. Photo / Matt Julian, Contact High Photography.
Emilio Hatcher (#7) and Tyler Walker (#33) work together to send Asher Rees to the wall and ensure the Taranaki Stockcar Championship trophy stayed in local hands. Photo / Matt Julian, Contact High Photography.
There was plenty of action at Stratford Speedway’s race meeting on Saturday evening.
After winning the first two Stockcar races on Saturday night, one from grid 12 and the other, impressively from grid 26 in a full 30 field, Gisborne-contracted driver and three-time New Zealand Superstock Champion Asher Rees looked set to snatch the Taranaki Championship trophy from the locals at the R&R Mechanical sponsored event.
However, with local pride on the line, Tyler Walker and Emilio Hatcher set about turning things back in favour of the locals.
The pair worked together at the start of the final race to push Rees up the wall in the first corner of the first lap to nicely eliminate him from the running of the event.
With Rees out of the running, the locals had a clear run to the flag, with Ricky Paul winning the race and taking second overall.
But Haydin Barker, who recorded two-thirds and a fifth over the three races, won the event and is the new Taranaki Stockcar Champion. Bevan Phillips was third.
Superstock 25s Wayne Moss won the United Steel sponsored 1k feature. Bard Uhlenberg (#85) finished in the joker position of fourth place and took home $700. Photo / Matt Julian, Contact High Photography
Streetstocks raced for the first time this season and attracted a field of 13 cars.
Dylan Smith was in good form and placed third in the first race before winning the next two to win the City of New Plymouth Classic.
Veteran racer Steve Reed was second and Jared Pryce third after winning a run-off with Whanganui racer Blair Ladd.
After racing in a mixed field with Super Saloons at the opening night event a few weeks ago, Saloons raced on their own.
They contested their City of New Plymouth Classic with a field of 13 cars, including visiting drivers from Gisborne and Palmerston North.
Mike Adamson drove well to win the first race of the night for the class, his maiden victory.
Race two was won by Palmerston North driver Paul Hosking and race three by Blake Hooper but it was a consistent Bradley Korff who sat at the top of the points table to win the classic ahead of Hosking and Hooper.
Superstocks raced three heats to set their grids for the United Steel 1k feature which saw $300 on the line for the race winner and $700 for a joker position which was drawn as fourth place.
Wayne Moss had an excellent start to hit the front of the field in the first lap from a grid seven start and stayed there until the race end to collect $300.
After tangling with William Hughes, Brad Uhlenberg, who late in the week purchased the former 1nz car of Asher Rees, used his head, read the race and made his way back to fourth place and sat there to collect $700.
Minisprints and Youth Ministocks also raced on the night with Minisprint races being won by Regan Ogle, Erin Uhlenberg and Cameron Hurley.
Minsitocks were split between the learner mentor drivers and those with more experience.
