By Daniel Neville

The second meeting for the 2022/23 season at TWS Paradise Valley Speedway took place on Saturday November 26^th and it was the increasingly popular triples event which has added classes every year since it’s inception. Beginning in 2020 with just Superstocks the Stockcars were welcomed last year with another contact class, Streetstocks, joining the party in 2022 which made for a great night of on track action.

The Superstocks had 18 teams of three with the Stockcars registering 16, each class was split into two groups for 2 races and the top 4 triples qualifying for a one race, winner takes it for their team, final. The Streetstocks were all in and run the 4 race format with each driver participating in 3 of those races with the team accumulating the most points becoming the overall winner.

The Vintage Stockcars were the additional classon the programme and had the honour of opening the meeting with a 10 lap race and the 9w car driven by Brian England the winner. Race two was won by 76h Lindsay Swale with 3r Ken Simes taking out the third and final race.

Stockcars were next out in an attempt to qualify for the final race. Group 1 was full on from the start with 52p Alex Maule clobbering the wall big time which ended his race then 98g Bryce Simpson copped the puncture while leading. At the end 99v Cody Lockett cleared out for the win. Heat 2 was action packed too with 63p Zeon McNabb avoiding the carnage to take the win from 544k Dion Henderson.

Stockcar Group One Points

Group 2 was won by 733r Riley McDonald with 26k Mitch Vickery impressive coming from near the back to third. Vickery was on pole for heat 2 and cruised through the 12 laps to take the win from the equally impressive 27r Douglas Stanaway in second place.

Stockcar Group Two Points

So to the final and it was 91r Tony Coxhead who brought on the first red light after he was piled into the wall. Vickery also found the concrete and was towed off to be checked by the medical staff. Doug Stanaway led the restart but that didn’t last long as 68r Keith Spanhake took over. 56k Cameron Taylor smacked 53r Aaron Powell then 26r Bryce Carter hammered 544k Henderson into the wall with Henderson retaliating soon after. At the end of 15 laps though it was 735r Keegan Orr who got the race win and first place overall along with teammates 91r Coxhead and 733r McDonald. Runners up were the trio of 27r Stanaway, 53r Powell and 46r Richard Willis with the all girl triple of 189r Milla Theobald, 14b Jemma Holloway and 454k Jessie Henderson.
 

Streetstocks were on track next for race 1 of their 3 and it was Hawkes Bay visitor 72b Darren Melling who drove well to get the win amongst the panel punching. Heat 2 was just as damaging which was great to watch meanwhile out front 858r Shane Bracken led home a Rotorua 1-2-3 finish with 59r Alan King second and 848r Richard Bracken third. Heat 3 went the way of 12r Daniel Curran after a bit of lead swapping with Melling who eventually finished third with 46b Brent Redington second. The fourth and final heat was a little less frantic with 858r Bracken taking the win. Overall it was the Auckland trio of 24a Jonathan Lauder, 37a Luke Roberts and 6a Logan Carl who accumulated enough points to secure the triples crown.

Streetstock Points

The Superstocks rumbled out the gate next with group one up first. A big pile up on lap 1 turn 1 saw 77h Wayne Slater jammed up the wall with 66m Mark Decke and 42r Brad Coxhead in attendance. From then on it was all 10g Peter Rees who took the win ahead of 19m Kerry Remnant. Heat 2 was another great race won by 717h Tyson Wootton from 272m Seth McConchie who had the lead for much of the race with 5g Josh Prentice home third.

Superstock Group One Points

Group 2 was an all out drag race with 3nz Mitch Vickery leading the pack home. Heat 2 didn’t last long for 81g Jason Jones who was on his side within the first quarter of a lap courtesy of a shove from 335r Russell Hunter. 93r Gary Hunter got the job done from the restart taking the win from 87b Thomas Stanaway while 23r Caleb Ashton finished the race resembling a tricycle after shedding his right front wheel during the closing laps.

Superstock Group Two Points
 

The final was on from the start with 19m Remnant launched by 1nz Asher Rees and Remnant out with damage after landing heavily. 10g Peter Rees had the lead but was blocked and 9r Brent Stewart took over. At the other end of the track 81r Damian Orr tipped 89g Tyler James over bringing on the red lights once again. 5g Prentice blocked Stewart with brother Dale in 94r assuming the lead. Another red light was on when 10r Alan McRobbie flipped over after contact with 87b Stanaway. The 10r caught fire upon being righted but thankfully McRobbie was okay. With a lap to go Stewart held on to take the championship with his teammates McRobbie and 95n Alex Hill. Runners up were 10g Peter Rees, 1nz Asher Rees and 5g Prentice with third going to 7r Rumney, 638r Robbie Morris and 307k Mathew Picard.

The Stockcars and Superstocks each had consolation races for those who didn’t make the cut for the final. The Stockcar consolation win went to 15r Kendall Reid with 81v Max Holloway leading them home in the Superstock consolation.

The next meeting at TWS Paradise Valley Speedway is on December the 2nd, Alpha Waterproofing & Roofing Club Night - Saloons Salute to Jumbothen it's the big one, December 16^th & 17^th the Valvoline Superstock Charity Invitational featuring guest drivers from other forms of motorsport with proceeds going to Ronald McDonald House and Starship Hospital.
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