WARNER BROTHERS TASTE CONTRASTING FORTUNES

By Shane Hurndell

TALK about contrasting fortunes for Hawke's Bay's Warner brothers at Meeanee Speedway on Saturday night.

While 21-year-old Bailey Warner was tasting Tony McIntosh Memorial Trophy glory for the first time in a 19-strong Superstock class 26-year-old brother, Sam Warner, was recovering after seven rolls in his TQ at the NEXT Windows & Doors-sponsored Memorial Night Meeting.

The Warner brothers are third generation racers and Bailey was thrilled to collect the trophy and $500 cash prize donated by Scott Freighters Ltd.

"I was lucky people decided to do some work," Bailey said afterwards.

He was referring to clubmate and meeting sponsor, Regan O'Brien, halting defending champion and fellow host track driver Quinn Ryan's progress in the final heat.

"Regan told me afterwards he didn't want Quinn going back to back," Bailey explained.

Bailey went into the final heat, which he won, two points behind Ryan and six behind Hawke's Bay-based Auckland-contracted Randal Tarrant. Ryan finished sixth and Tarrant collected a puncture and was unable to finish the race.

Sam Warner was one of 25 starters in his class who were racing for the Dusty Rhodes Memorial Trophy. He was fortunate to only be nursing a sore shoulder after his seven rolls five laps into the 15-lap final.

"I felt my axle snapping as I approached the third corner," Sam recalled afterwards.

"I've watched video footage of the incident. I would have been going close to 100 km/h. The car is going to need a whole new rear end," Sam explained.

Gisborne's Dylan MacGregor won the 15-lap winner takes all final to capture the trophy. It was an action-packed race and Kihi Kihi's defending champion Regan Tyler blew his chances of going back to back when he lost a chain with three laps remaining.

His clubmate and 2NZ Aaron Humble was second and Scott McIntosh did the best of the host track starters with a third placing. Hawke's Bay's Chrstine Bargh rolled out of contention on the 11th lap and Aucklander Jack Barker's car caught fire on the same lap.

Nineteen drivers chased the Pam Gibson Memorial Trophy in their class. With two seconds and a fourth placing Hawke's Bay's Brent Redington won the trophy by three points.

He started the final heat two points behind clubmate Darren Melling. Redington was lucky Rotorua-contracted former Hawke's Bay driver Thomas McEwan spun Melling around in the final heat and Melling had to settle for 10th place in this race.

Kevin Milne Memorial Trophies were up for grabs in the 34-strong Ministock class and 18-strong Production Saloon class.

Hawke's Bay's Harry Jurgens prevailed in the Ministock class. His clubmate Tom Blair had to finish in the top four in the final heat to capture the trophy and was on target for a top three finish until the final lap which he didn't finish.

A countback of best lap times was required to decide the trophy winner in the Production Saloon class after Wanganui's defending champion Brent Hackett and Hawke's Bay's Dave Cartwright finished equal on points. Hackett won by .2 of a second.

However Cartwright deserves heaps of kudos as Hackett has been a dominant trophy collector on numerous previous visits to Meeanee.

A 10-strong Saloon class and nine-strong Super Saloon class provided some entertaining support class action. Kihi Kihi's Trent Amrein won all three Saloon races.

Hawke's Bay's Manawatu champion Thomas Stanaway had the ideal rehearsal for the upcoming Palmerston North-hosted North Island Super Saloon Championship with two wins. His clubmate Kevin Martin did well to win the other heat.

Article added: Sunday 29 December 2024