Good Knights looking to build on third placing
State on state, mate on mate. Rugby league did it first and does it best, but the State of Origin concept works well for streetstocks, too.
The rough and ready race cars will square off in four teams of six at Woodford Glen Speedway near Christchurch on Saturday with Nelson’s Knights looking to build on last year’s third placing.
Knights driver Ryan Musgrove said it was every man for himself at a normal Nelson club meeting but, once the Knights got together, old rivalries were set aside.
‘‘At the end of the day, we all get on pretty good,’’ he said. ‘‘Those other teams are strong so we’ll need to work together this weekend.’’
Streetstocks are usually built around stripped out Holden and Ford saloons. Contact is permitted but over-aggressive hitting discouraged. That seems to go out the window at State of Origin.
‘‘It’s hard work getting six cars out for three teams races,’’ Musgrove said. ‘‘You use up a lot of parts and she’s full-on in the pits.
‘‘The cars aren’t really built to give or take the kinds of hits that we saw at this meeting last year, but they happen anyway.’’
The Knights were rapt with their third placing last season as stockcars and superstocks tend to be the dominant contact classes at the ProKarts Top of the South Speedway. Further south, the streeties are king.
‘‘We went down with no experience last year so we were stoked to get third. I think we will try to use some tactics this time, instead of just going out there and racing.
‘‘Our cars are good enough. Mine’s been going alright since I put some decent tyres on it and stopped trying to hit everyone.’’
The Knights have selected veteran Gordon Ingham as their captain with the experienced Musgrove and Cody McCarrison as his lieutenants. Kyle Mooney took out the Nelson club championship, Ken Nolan always puts his car on the line and Steve Soper made a strong return to racing with two wins at the last club night, filling in for his father, Neville, who has a broken thumb.
Also in action in Christchurch are Nelson’s three entrants in the ELF Super Cup super saloon series; Mark Carey, Shane Carey and Ian Burson, with Burson scheduled to drive Shane McIntyre’s 26T Hypermac car.
Closer to home, the popular Hits 89.6FM demolition derby leads the programme as the Nelson season winds down.
The derby, with raffle winner Dylan Bensemann drawn to drive a car donated by stockcar competitor Andre Evans, will be the last race of the night in a schedule that also includes the hotly-contested closed club champs for stockcars, best pairs in superstocks, with Kerry Hill driving Shane Harwood’s 18N machine, the midget club championships and the final round of the three-quarter midget club championships.
Racing at the ProKarts Top of the South Speedway starts at 7pm.