Header Image: Troy Adamson (The Racers Edge)
Legendary American baseball player and manager Yogi Berra famously coined the phrase, “It ain’t over ‘til it’s over,” and the saying was as relevant as ever at the Superstock Grand Prix at Stratford Speedway over the weekend.
Stratford’s Hamish Booker won the Grand Prix after an unexpected runoff against provisional winner William Humphries, with Whanganui-contracted Brad Uhlenberg finishing in third place.
Humphries was so confident that he had won the championship that he had to unload his car from his trailer when he was informed of the runoff.
The confusion arose as a result of Tyler James’ spectacular roll over as the pack of Superstocks came around to complete their first lap of the final heat.
Cars sprawled all over the track and, crucially, into the infield. Several cars that moved to avoid the incident and then returned to the track did not trigger the track loop, and the electronic lap scoring recorded them as a lap down in the provisional results.
The most relevant car that was correctly awarded a lap back was Ryan Marshall, who officially finished after Hamish Booker but before William Humphries. Before the adjustment, Humphries had provisionally won the event by a point ahead of Booker. Marshall’s reinstatement reduced Humphries’ points by one, leaving him officially tied for first place.
Unfortunately, given the time that had passed between the final race being held, and the possibility of a runoff being announced, a scarce crowd remained. Those still in attendance witnessed a fantastic runoff with high skill on display from both drivers.
Humphries edged ahead early before Booker chased him down, and only when the Humphries Steel and Performance (HSP) machine suffered outside tyre damage did Booker race away for the victory.
With the New Zealand Superstock Championship in Wellington this coming weekend, a tame weekend of racing could have been anticipated. Instead, few drivers held back, igniting battles that are likely to recommence on the biggest stage in just a few days’ time.
In particular, the animosity in the third heat was clear between ex-Stratford stalwart Tyler Walker, now contracted to Palmerston North, and Stratford local Blair Uhlenberg. William Hughes also gave Walker a heavy punt midway through the heat, with Walker ending up sliding through the infield and back onto the track, with points leader Ethan Rees, who was already caught near the back of the field, tangled up in the resulting collision.
Todd Hemingway also caught the attention of Brodie James. The reigning New Zealand Superstock champion was placed strongly in the championship before the Stratford driver ended his chances with some well executed blocking maneuverers.
Having entered the event less than 24 hours before the start of racing, Asher Rees largely had a weekend to forget. He failed to qualify and only made the top 26 with victory in the last chance repechage race at the start of the finals night. He then finished in 23rd and 19th in the first two final races, before finally finding his rhythm with second place in the final heat.
Jayden Ward blitzed the first race of the finals, making full use of his grid four start to beat polesitter William Humphries, who finished in second place. Brad Uhlenberg and Brodie James made up 14 positions, and Hamish Booker and Tim Parker also progressed 13 places from poorer grid starts in the race.
Unfortunately, Ward was then an early casualty in the second race.
A victory in the second heat for Ethan Rees, combined with seventh place in the first heat, saw the Gisborne contracted driver lead the points standings after two heats, but he had to start from grid 25 in the final heat.
Scott Tennant made up for a disappointing first heat with a second place in heat two, followed by Mount Maunganui’s Luke Alderdice.
In the overall standings after two heats, Rees (46 points) was followed by Humphries (44 points), Booker (41 points), and Uhlenberg (39 points).
Cody McKee took the chequered flag in the action packed third heat, ahead of Asher Rees and Kerry Remant, with Booker’s fifth place finish and Humphries’ official eighth place proving of most importance to the overall championship outcome.
There had been plenty of action on the qualifying night, including in the first qualifying race of the night, which saw both Brendon Ashton and Thomas Davis end upside down in separate spectacular incidents. The racing was fierce, and with groups full of competitive drivers, it meant that even a single DNF was catastrophic to qualifying hopes.
The Palmerston North Colts won both Stockcar teams races staged on the first night of the event against the Stratford Stormers, including the first encounter when the Rees Shield was on the line. It marks the first time that the Colts have held the Shield in its 15 year history.
On night two, the Queen of the Mountain Stockcar championship produced further thrills and officiating talking points. Brittany Carpenter won the first two races and was provisionally announced as the overall winner after the third race, before other relegations elevated Hailey James to first equal. Carpenter then won the runoff with James before being disqualified for jumping the start.
In another peculiar scenario, Rebecca Barr was disqualified after finishing in second place in the first Queen of the Mountain Stockcar race, for not proceeding to the weighbridge after the race, primarily because she had to promptly return to her Superstock to make the dummy grid for the first finals heat of the Superstock Grand Prix.
With the Grand Prix and both Island titles for the season completed, for the Superstock drivers, all attention now turns to Wellington on 16 and 17 January when the most celebrated and competitive New Zealand Championship title of the season takes place. With the appetite whet from the weekend’s action, it promises to be an epic championship.