Stewart has series in the bag
One of the world’s top sprintcar drivers Shane Stewart wrapped up the International Series at the Robertson Holden speedway on Thursday night.
After wins in the opening two rounds of the Porter Hire Series at Western Springs on Sunday and Baypark, Mount Maunganui on Wednesday night, Stewart had built up and impressive 31 point lead over Palmerston North’s Jamie Larsen.
The 37 points for winning the Palmerston North round not only gave the flying Stewart a hat-trick of wins but an unassailable lead with just the final round at Western Springs on Saturday left.
It meant Stewart has retained the title he won last year, when he also won the Palmerston North round, especially when second placed Larsen was the innocent recipient of hitting a car that smashed into the wall.
After the first two meetings had to use their extra night due to rain, it was a relief for Palmerston North Speedway track manager Bryan Puklowski when the weather did as expected. Thursday morning’s rain cleared for a perfect evening of the big-winged sprintcars to strut their stuff.
In among the qualifying there was test match between New Zealand, represented by Jamie Mcdonald and Larsen, the United States, by Stewart and Kyle Hirst, and Australia, by Jamie Veal and Troy Little.
With the international drivers, other than Stewart, still learning the tricks of the tight Palmerston North track, it was Larsen who gave New Zealand the win followed by Hirst and Stewart. Veal and Little were well behind.
Stewart described the Palmerston North track as, ‘‘a very tricky beast’’.
‘‘Very narrow and flat corners, but fun to drive on.’’
When he was asked about not needing to win with the points lead he had, he answered quickly: ‘‘We’re all racers and we want to win every race.’’
After qualifying left Kiwi flyer Michael Pickens and Stewart on pole it appeared they would battle the 30-lap race out, but Stewart cleared away, despite two restarts, until the final four laps.
Back-markers being lapped were always going to be a problem to the leaders and might affect final placings.
In a brilliant three laps as Stewart was held up, Pickens made a huge run around the outside and almost got past Stewart who managed to squeeze past back marker Zac Harris and hold onto his lead. There wasn’t the same luck for Pickens who dropped to third place when the flying Veal got past him right on the line and took second by 3/100th’s of a second. Plenty of pace late in the race lifted Hirst to fourth place ahead of Mcdonald, who appeared to have worn his tyre out early on.
Palmerston North rookie Dean Cooper, who has been a revelation in his first few meetings driving in the fastest speedway class, had a high when he won his first sprintcar race, beating Stewart and Veal. He then had the low of causing a restart in the feature.
In the teams’ race between the Palmerston North Panthers and Hawke’s Bay Hawkeyes, veteran Ron Tye, debuting for the Panthers, won the race in a prelude to the ENZED Teams’ Champs on February 2 and 3. Even after Shane Mellsop rolled Hawkeye Randal Tarrant, the Hawkeyes still appeared set for the win.
Thomas Stanaway was into a big lead while the four Panthers drivers seemingly were happy to follow Tye, that was until national champion William Humphries decided to stop and block Stanaway from passing.
Charging up the front straight, Jordan Dare then punted Stanaway into the wall putting Tye back in front.
Stanaway, Humphries and Phil Ogle won the other superstock races, while Hamish Mcleod, Luke Healey and Rob Mason won the stockcar events.
National sidecar champions Russell Stuart and swinger Andrew Parker showed the field a clean pair of heels with three impressive wins.