ROOKIE REPLACEMENT SHINES FOR ROUGHIES

Eighteen-year-old third generation racer Rynan Emery-Dittmer had tongues wagging after Saturday night's meeting at Meeanee Speedway.

Emery-Dittmer was a late replacement for the Orange Roughies who took on the Meeanee Maulers in two Stockcar Teams races at the David Jones Motors-sponsored meeting. Maulers manager Travis Dorward said Emery-Dittmer impressed with his blocking for the Roughies in the second race which the Maulers won after the Roughies took out the first race.

Despite losing a tyre and racing on the rim of that wheel Emery-Dittmer continued to block. His blocking skills were again evident in the final stockcar race of the night.

"Rynan will definitely be on our radar for the future," Dorward said.

"The Roughies came out with a good game plan in the first race and deserved their win. We got them back in the second but all of the drivers from both teams have given me good selection headaches as we prepare for the February National Teams Championship in Rotorua," Dorward said.

Roughies driver Michael Smith blew an axle in the warm up before the first race and this forced Mauler Willy Stevenson to swap teams. Royden Hynd secured the win for the Roughies in the first race and Leroy O'Riley secured the chequered flag for the Maulers in the second race.

Stevenson, clubmate Zayne Pullan and Rotorua's Alex Maule had wins in the other Stockcar races.

Clive's Andre Baldock won the entertaining 15-car Ramp Derby. Sixteen-year-old Hayley Gauttrey, who was making her debut in a Ramp Derby, won the prize for the Best Presented car.

"Hayley was driving a manual car for the first time and she certainly went a lot better than her Dad Matt who is well known for wins in derbies," derby organiser Tony Darroch explained.

Tom Averall won the prize for the Best Stirrer in the Derby.

Hawke's Bay's Auckland-contracted former 1NZ Superstock driver Randal Tarrant was clinical as he won all three races in his 13-strong class. Hawkeye Quinn Ryan was second in all three races.

Hawke's Bay's Brent Redington displayed the benefits of his vast experience as he won two of the races in a nine-strong Streetstock class. Fellow host-track driver Kurt Bentley tasted chequered flag glory for the first time in this class with his victory in the other heat.

Experienced Hawke's Bay rider Craig Boaler had two wins in the six-strong Sidecar class while clubmates Bill Napier and Willy Jensen had a win each.

Father Christmas made his annual visit to the track midway through the programme much to the delight of the hundreds of youngsters in the crowd.

- Shane Hurndell

Article added: Saturday 28 December 2024