- Shane Hurndell

Meeanee's two-time national champion Steve Flynn won his 11th Hawke's Bay Super Saloon Championship title at Meeanee Speedway on Saturday night.

Flynn was one of 21 starters in the feature event of the Onekawa Metal Recyclers-sponsored Christmas Special Meeting. In previous years Flynn and his brother, current 2NZ Grant Flynn, always went into this championship ranked among the favourites for the title.

While this was still the case on Saturday night this was arguably the best field ever assembled for the championship. Current 1NZ Chris Cowling and former 1NZ Sam Waddell both made the trip south from Bay of Plenty. Add the likes of Palmerston North-contracted Peter Bengston, Joe Ingram and Martin Halcrow, Auckland-contracted Ben Harding and Wellingtonian Mark Pitcher and it didn't take a genius to work out the high quality opponents the Flynn brothers faced.

However the Flynn brothers were comfortable first and second placegetters respectively in the winner takes all 25-lap final. They earnt pole and grid two respectively and these positions didn't change. Their composure at the front of the field was top shelf. There was plenty of drama behind them with seven drivers finishing the race and nine failing to finish.

Waddell did well to finish third with a flat front tyre. Hawke's Bay's Jason Long and Kevin Martin can be proud of their respective fifth and seventh placings.

Cowling, Harding, Halcrow and Bengston were among the non-finishers.

Twelve crews chased the Hawke's Bay Sidecar Championship title. While crews felt there was a lack of cohesion between the referees working the lights and the starters at the line which contributed to a delay in the lights coming on entertaining and incident-free racing was produced.

The Palmerston North-contracted crew of Mike Zachan and Ben Franklin won the title. Hawke's Bay's Craig Boaler and Ann Plummer were second and another host track crew, Justin Lincoln and Tim Beaver, third.

Sixteen Streetstock drivers from throughout the North Island fronted.

Race one saw the Meeanee pair of Darren Melling, who started near the rear of the field, and Brent Redington finish first and second respectively and Auckland's Corry Te Rito third.

In Race Two Hawke's Bay's Phillip McNamara established an early lead and secured the victory. Melling was second and Rotorua's Steve de Malmanche third.

A wet track resulted in plenty of entertainment in the final race with several cars taking the corners too fast and collecting damage. Melling and Redington impressed with their track reads and finished first and second respectively. McNamara completed the host track trifecta.

Ten visitors including Nelson's Alex Hill were among the 22 drivers in the Superstock class. Five Hawke's Bay drivers were competing at the Rotorua Invitation event.

The classy visitors travelled home with the bulk of the prize money. Gisborne's Jamie Hamilton won Races One and Three and finished third in Race Two.

Best of the locals were Regan O'Brien who won Race Two and Sam Bartholomew who was second in Race One.

Palmerston North's Jordan Dare collected two third placings and Stratford's Blair Uhlemberg second and fourth placings.

The pace in all three races was hot and fast with the track surface turning slick and dusty. The hot day proved too much for the water truck and track surface with the water evaporating quickly throughout the night - a prelude to what to expect at the January 4-6 New Zealand Superstock Championship.

Hamilton's 17.810s was the fastest lap time on the night in this class.

With the Gizzy 100 Ministock event on and Cullen Smith and Lachlan Timmins away at the Rotorua Invitation smaller fields than normal were run for this class.

This allowed for plenty of confidence building and the girls took advantage. Neeve Smith posted second and third placings before finishing third in the Feature.

Monique Houston drove well to finish second in Race Two before being awarded the win after a relegation. Katlin Holland had two confident fifth placings and Marlee Duncan did well to finish sixth in the Feature.

Big improver Aiden Dudding deserved his Driver of the Night award after posting two seconds and a fourth from the rear of the field.

Korbyn Morris celebrated his first victory at Meeanee after winning the feature.

A full field of 30 Stockcar drivers fronted. It included visitors from Wellington Rotorua and Auckland.

Race One saw the fast 19b of Caleb Ireland extend his winning streak to four in a row followed home by the forever improving 55b Asha Penn with Cameron Swift 41b home third.

Race One also provided quite a spectacular rollover with the 75b Leroy O'Reilly clipping the 83b of Quintin Sewell and rolling a couple of times. Ireland's winning streak ended with his ninth placing in Race Two.

Rookie Ethan Dorward secured the win in this race. Lauren Swift was second and Ben Darroch third.

Race three was action-packed from start to finish. Ireland attempted to roll Rotorua's Ryan Aiken but went in too hot and ended up on his side up the wall.

This race finished with a Meeanee trifecta. Katie Prescott secured the chequered flag and was followed home by Darroch and Penn.

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