Speedway celebrates ‘resurrection’ milestone
Sideways action will come to the fore as the Oreti Park Speedway hosts a plethora of championship titles this weekend.
Spectators will be treated to two days of racing as riders across all divisions strive to etch their name on an array of silverware up for grabs.
contest Eight the riders Newfield will Autos South Island Solo Championship on Saturday, including the talented Christchurch trio of Andy Aldridge, George Congreve and Sean Cox, who will be determined to dominate their Oreti counterparts.
After clinching the Burt Munro Challenge silverware in epic fashion, Oreti hopeful Sam Taylor will be aiming to add this one to his trophy cabinet.
In the sidecar ranks, 10 combinations will contest the Ronnie Tree Memorial trophy, including his son Erwin Tree who has teamed up with former NZ1 swinger Ricky Pubben.
Competition will be fierce as several experienced duos line up to claim the chequered flag. These include: Bradley Sharp and Lance Jefcoate; Luke Thwaites and
Neville Chalmers; Aiden Thwaites and Shane Twiss; Paul Humphrey and Chris Chatfield; and Southland champions Jason Harpur and James Dawson.
The young guns will also be in action, battling it out for the Permacoat Roofing Southland junior and peewee titles.
Dubbed ‘‘The Resurrection’’ meeting as the club celebrates a 20th anniversary milestone, Sunday’s programme will feature the coveted Brian Reed Memorial for solos and the Peter Blick Memorial for sidecars.
On March 4, 2000, the club was officially resurrected after an 11-year hiatus thanks to a tenacious effort from six speedway enthusiasts – Joe Hughes, Jason Brown, Aiden Thwaites, Jason Clark, Lex Shepard and Paul Hayes.
The group transformed the dilapidated oval circuit and Oreti Park has gone from strength to strength over the past two decades, including being named New Zealand Speedway Club of the Year in 2010.
Current president Alex Cunningham said it was a fantastic chance to reflect. ‘‘The vision and determination those guys had not only resurrected our club, it ultimately saved our sport.
There’s no doubt our local riders have had a tremendous impact on the national and international speedway scene over the years as a result,’’ he said.
‘‘This weekend we will pay tribute to those which made it all happen 20 years ago.’’
Racing starts at 2pm on Saturday and 12pm on Sunday.