Superstock racers show off sidecar skills
Five of New Zealand’s top superstock drivers proved they were more than capable sidecar swingers at the Robertson Holden Speedway on Saturday night.
A dare between sidecar organiser Tony Hislop and Palmerston North Panthers as well as former New Zealand champion William Humphries at last year’s speedway prizegiving put the pressure on for the superstock drivers to front up.
‘‘William had us sidecar guys on last year about swinging on a sidecar and I said to him let’s see you have a go,’’ sidecar organiser Hislop said.
Before the meeting the five top superstock drivers, Humphries, Randal Tarrant, Jack Miers, Asher Rees and Darrel Wallace, were given only a 30- minute rundown on the art of hanging off the side of the bike, their body close to the track surface in the corners. After the tutoring, Tarrant said he was less nervous about the prospect of learning something new.
‘‘I was pretty excited about giving it a go but quite nervous,’’ Tarrant, another former national superstock champion, said.
‘‘I’ve got some pretty good teachers here and am now really looking forward to giving it ago.
‘‘I doubt we will taking it easy as we’re all pretty competitive sort of people.’’
Rider Mark Whye and Tarrant showed the training worked as they easily won the opening heat after a quick start. The Hislop-Humphries combination tried to chase them down but had to settle for second ahead of Kieran Payne and Rees.
Payne, who has been the standout sidecar racer this season with regular swinger Mikey O’neill, then showed the field a clean pair of heels in the second race, before doing the same in the feature.
Rees, who has had an incredible season in his superstock culminating in the national title, displayed his speedway class as he clearly picked up the art of sidecar swinging quickly.
Other placegetters were Tarrant, who picked up a second in the second race and third in the feature, while Humphries added a second in the feature.
Matt Stewart and Wallace took a third place in the second race and although the Sam Carter-Miers duo were at the back they were close enough to the others to make for tight racing.
In some brutal Peter Barry Memorial Derby Teams’ Champs it was the Quackers who came through to take their first title.
But it only came after Jon Morrison was held up less than 20 metres from the chequered flag, allowing the Quackers Graeme Munn to take the title. The Takapau Terrors finished third.