Rain puts dampener on opening night

The weather was the ultimate winner at Stratford Speedway’s opening meeting of the season on Saturday night, with just five of the 18 scheduled racing being run before the night was called off.

With the weather looking like it could go either way, organisers made the decision to forge ahead with the meeting as planned, and it almost paid off before a heavy shower during race six put an end to the night.

Stockcar driver Russell Gorrie won the only race for the class that was completed after running away to a sizeable lead in the opening laps. Usual frontrunner Bevan Phillips was chasing him but unable to make any forward progress and Gorrie lead from start to finish to carry the first chequered flag of the season.

Steve Reed was the initial leader in the streetstock race but his race came to an abrupt end halfway through when he nosed into the concrete wall. Wellington driver Caleb Madgwick made the most of the situation and claimed the lead which he held to the end of the race.

It was a similar situation for current New Zealand No.2 Farron Lowry in the modified class, who hit a wet spot on the track and ran wide through turns three and four. Blair Luscombe snuck underneath and stormed away for the win.

In the superstocks, Carl Shearer won the only race of the night, while Ella Sharpe drove well to pick up the win in the adult ministock race.

The City of New Plymouth Classics for superstocks, midgets, streetstocks and adult ministocks will now be rescheduled for later in the season.