Racing success2 min read
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It was success on and off the track for the Auckland Stock and Saloon Car Club (ASSCC) between Christmas and the New Year, when the club hosted the New Zealand Stockcar Championship at the Waikaraka Family Speedway.
The three-day event started with a practice day, then preliminary rounds, with the finalists fighting it out on the last day in a series of races. In between, the supporting events took place, with the most popular (at least with the children) being a lolly cannon on the back of a ute. The vehicle did circuits of the rack between races, firing lollies into the crowd for the children to pursue.
The racing was the usual fast and furious battles typical of stockcars, with up to two dozen cars on the track at the same time. The first lap of almost every race resulted in mayhem down the back straight, with one or two cars invariably being forced out of the contest before even reaching the second turn.
The championships came to Waikaraka Park as part of an annual rotation, which sees every club in the country host the event in turn. The last time it was at Waikaraka Park was during the 2006-7 season, and as they were unable to host it in 2021, the club was both delighted and somewhat relieved to get through the competition without a hitch this time round.
ASSCC president, Frank Irvine, says the races were a great spectacle, with 150 cars competing in various classes. The Auckland club also gained success on the track, with local drivers, Scott Tennant and Gary Lonergan, placing second and third in the main event.
The Championships are also just one part of a big season for the club, to make up for the disruptions of the last few seasons. They started with a massive turnout for the Guy Fawkes meeting, hundreds turning up just to watch the fireworks display. March 4th will see the return of the Monster Trucks, and the Easter meeting will cap the season with another massive fireworks display.
