Speedway a 'parade of the past'

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Update 3:30PM: Despite there being more spills than thrills for some drivers on ASB Baypark's speedway track, with one driver rolling his car and another attended to by ambulance – manager Roger bailey says both drivers are fine.

A SunLive reader, who watched Saturday night's speedway action, says a Super Stock car did an 'epic roll” and another driver was attended to by ambulance during the night. But Roger says both drivers are fine and the ambulance was there simply as a precaution.

'There's not a problem with them [the drivers] at all…we're just being very precautious so that's all the crowd saw.”

Earlier report:

The night started with a parade of the past, with modified and super modified stock cars as well as ‘Golden Oldies' leading out the stock cars with the super stocks at rear guard on Saturday.

Des Drabble in the 14M Super Stock taps 38M David Elsworth in the Industrial Site Services 'Hit To Pass' race. Photos: Stuart Whitaker.

The BOPSA and ASB Baypark took the opportunity to publically acknowledge the efforts of the Baypark Busters Super Stock team who had won the Palmerston North Super Stocks teams champs earlier this year.

The super saloons turned on some close racing from heat one with 53M Mark Hutchings taking a heat win from 33M Paul Carter.

In the second heat, it was one for the girls with young Kristin Vermeulen (12M) taking a win from a hard charging 71M Russell Donovan.

A pole shuffle was used to set the top six starting positions on the grid for the feature. 7M Brent Emerson was the sixth challenger after visiting Auckland Driver Ben Harding (63A) could not make the pole shuffle shoot out due to mechanical issues that his crew were frantically fix in order to have the car ready for the feature.

Frank (Dutchy) van Verhoven in the 24H Golden Oldie Stock car.

Emerson won the first shuffle from a hard charging Paul Carter (33M) and went on to win a couple more until being eliminated by 76M Karl Hanlon. Hanlon went on to win the shuffle and start from P1 in the feature.

71M Russell Donavan led the field from the start with a hard charging 81M Dean Waddell making his way through the pack from a midfield starting position. Waddell had made his way through to third place when the car in front made contact with the race leader causing the race to be slowed.

Donavan was able to re-join in number one position with Waddell in second. With three laps to go Waddell made his move but a fast approach into turn three saw him run wide and 53M Mark Hutchings slipped by on the inside.

The finishing order in the Super Saloon Baychamps was 71M Russell Donovan from 53M Mark Hutchings with 81M Dean Waddell in third.

Two young brothers dominated the Industrial Site Services super stock hit to pass. As the name suggests, if competitors pass another car they are obliged to hit or tap that competitor as they execute the manoeuvre often resulting in the passed car spinning out of contention. After three action packed heats 77R Lance Elsworth won the event from older brother David (38M) with 62H Dayne Conder in third.

Bayparks Stock Car Teams tactics came into play in the Harry Fredrickson Stock Car Gold Cup keeping the visitors at bay with a local drivers' dominate on the Podium. 23M Karl Daniel won from 46M Nathan Smith with 38M James Hamilton in third.

The next speedway meeting at ASB Baypark is the Warehouse Cars Saloon Bay Champs on April 12.

Baypark Busters team mates Ross Ashby and Kerry Remnant with the trophy they won at the Palmerston North Super Stocks Teams Championship in February this year.

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