A thousand reasons to demolish
The notorious demolition derby once again wound up the Easter Stampede at Kaikohe Speedway on Sunday evening in appropriate fashion by delivering a smashfest of the highest order.
A strong field of 13 was whittled down to a final battle between Carl Adams and George Price before the former claimed the prize purse of $1,000 cash as the driver of the last car still running.
Event spokesperson Debbie Beadle Taylor said this year’s Easter Stampede proved it still clearly resonated with the wider community with good numbers coming through the gates over all three days, including a record crowd on the Sunday, as well as attracting a strong field of approximately 75 drivers of both the local and visiting variety.
The annual three-day motorsport extravaganza again got underway at high noon on Good Friday and racing was generally conspicuous for its display of good sportsmanship this year, while the weather also came to the party with only two races left to be completed after Sunday afternoon was rained off.
Beadle Taylor noted the visiting drivers were unanimous in their praise of the organisation of the event and the hospitality they encountered in the Mid North over the long weekend.
Major highlights over the three days included having two CTRANZ (Circle Track Racing Association New Zealand) North Island titles up for grabs in limiteds and super saloons, while Mid North trophies were awarded in B, C and production grades — in both men’s and women’s divisions — as well as limited, supers, quarter midgets, stockcars and ministocks classes.
The introduction of two new grades — go-karts and drone — added a novel edge to this year’s programme while an estimated 75 drivers and their cars posing for a group shot before Saturday’s racing began made for a spectacular sight.
There were several rollovers each day to satisfy the more bloodthirsty spectator albeit with all only resulting in light injuries, mostly bruises and bumps, to the drivers involved. While the majority of rollovers came in the quarter midget class, the most spectacular of all was provided by local Ray Jordan in the limited saloon grade after he clipped a sidewall and rode up on to it and along it for a short distance before rolling three times, finally coming to rest beside the pit gate.
“The safety gear in the car did its job leaving Ray a little shaken but not stirred and he managed to get his vehicle back out on the track later in the day,” Beadle Taylor said, adding it was Jordan’s first and only rollover in over five decades of hard-out racing.
■ A round up and results will feature next week.