Post-christmas smash’n’crash fest
The travelling Saloon and Minisprint roadshows hit Plamerston North on Wednesday, but you’d be excused for thinking the demolition derby had started early.
Crashes throughout the evening whittled the fields down, leaving competitors with expensive and time-consuming repairs before they headed to Hawke’s Bay for more racing.
Mount Maunganui’s Bodie Abrahamson kept a cool head to triumph in the Saloon series feature, hardly putting a foot wrong all night.
Series organiser Steve Williams wasn’t quite as fortunate, caught up in accidents and failing to reach the finish-line.
A fine drive in the second heat earned Aucklander Scott Landsdowne a grid near the front of the feature and he duly finished runner-up ahead of Thomas Korff from Stratford.
Gisborne duo Daniel and Ethan Cooke were spectacular for different reasons. The former had a great run in the pole shuffle until barrel rolling his car to destruction and the latter took the high road out by the wall and finished fourth in an eye-catching display.
Current 2NZ Dean Cooper showed the field a clean pair of heels in the Minisprint feature to win by a big margin, while series leader Lydia Dickinson was spun near the front of the field on the first lap.
The ensuing bedlam also claimed third-placed Shane Dewar as he heavily clouted the concrete wall.
A surprise package in second was Stratford’s Daniel Nickel who looked quick all night, with local hotshot Karl Mcgill pipped at the finish line by Shaun Dickie, who had carved his way through the field from the back of the starting grid.
Luke Miers was the pick of the stockcar talent on display, rolling Nathan Black and winning the feature in style.
Whanganui veteran Dion Mooney carried the chequered flag in the opening race, with Matt Webb victorious in the second outing. Chevron Taniwha took a canny victory from Kerry Podjursky on the final corner in the only superstock race, with the majority of the field away at championships.
Youth Ministock racing was robust with the opening race won by impressive Aucklander Tyler Ingram. Stratford’s Liam Whelan won the second, with the out-of-town whitewash completed by Keegan Cotter from Wellington in the feature race.