Action packed at Oceanview Speedway

The Sharp As! Group North Island Superstock Championship had already been postponed from its March date due to Covid-19.

Qualifying was completed on Friday night, then a weather delay on Saturday saw the finals postponed until Sunday afternoon.

But it was well worth the wait, especially if your name was Rees.

History was created when sons Asher and Ethan joined their father Peter on the podium for the first one-family podium in the 56 years of stockcar and superstock championships run under the auspices of Speedway New Zealand.

With a few defections, qualifying on Friday night was a mix of straightforward for some and more challenging for others.

Peter and Ethan Rees and Jamie Hamilton were among the big names to have a relatively smooth run through their respective three heats.

At the other end of the spectrum, there were several drivers who battled to make the show.

Asher Rees punctured while leading his first heat, pushing him down the field, but the 1NZ driver recovered to win his other two heats and qualify comfortably.

West Coast Superstocks winner Carl Shearer was dominant in his first race, but had a few mishaps in the later races, still making it through to the finals.

Quinn Ryan was in trouble early when his bonnet was dislodged in contact with another car, sending him to the infield, but he came good with a second place and a win to get through.

Wanganui drivers Kaelin Mooney and Max Holloway both qualified, to be joined later by Hayden Green who got a second chance when Stefan Roigard from Kihikihi was unable to return for Sunday's racing.

Anticipation was high as the 26-car finals field gridded up for their first heat, with Hayden Hart and Blair Uhlenberg on the front row of the grid.

The field charged into Oceanview's notorious southern bend and all hell broke loose.

Green, who started from Grid 6, was squeezed up the wall and into the catch-fence, whilst behind him Stratford driver Scott Williams was rolled by Todd Hemingway, who almost rolled as well, and Shearer did a neat pirouette, landing on top of Green's car, which came down on its side.

It was one of the biggest incidents seen at Oceanview in many years, though fortunately none of the drivers was injured.

From the restart Uhlenberg took a lead he would not relinquish, as he took out the heat ahead of Ethan Rees, Ryan, Asher Rees, Peter Rees and Hamilton.

Hamilton was the big mover, picking up 18 places after starting the race on Grid 24.

Peter Rees took out a less-eventful heat 2, beating Hamilton home by less than a second, followed by Simon Joblin, Paul Johnston, Holloway and Ryan.

After two heats Peter Rees led the standings on 48 points, with Hamilton on 46, Ryan and Ethan Rees on 45, Asher Rees on 42 and Uhlenberg on 41.

Hamilton looked on track for a maiden superstock championship win, given he was starting the final heat from Grid 5, 14 places ahead of Peter Rees.

Of the other contenders, Asher Rees had the best grid, starting from position eight.

Hamilton was quickly into his work in heat 3 until disaster struck and he hit the wall in turn three, looking to have suffered steering damage.

Asher Rees then got to the lead and he powered away for a victory by almost four seconds ahead of Simon Joblin, with Dale Robertson third.

Ethan Rees got up to fifth, finishing a point shy of his brother, but there was still late drama to come.

As the white flag fell to signify the final lap, Peter and Asher Rees were effectively tied on points, but Peter was momentarily held up by Uhlenberg, allowing Scott Joblin through and dropping Peter down to eighth place in the race.

When the result was confirmed, Asher had taken the title by a solitary point, with his father and brother tied for second, and Simon Joblin and Uhlenberg tied for fifth.

A four-lap run-off was held with Ethan getting the early jump as he forced his father over the pole line, then surviving a late bid by Peter to hold him up.

At the presentation, an emotional Peter Rees paid tribute to the Wanganui Stockcar and Speedway Club for its running of the event and especially the track conditions, and his pride in his sons was obvious as they received their trophies from Sharp As! Group boss Daryl James.

Wanganui drivers fared better in the other racing on Finals Night, with Zane Dykstra and Scott Duncan finishing second and third respectively in the superstock second tier.

Dion Mooney and his partner Hayden Thomas won the Tier One Best Pairs in the stockcars, with Trazarn Ryland-Annabell and his Hawke's Bay partner Regan Penn winning the most accumulated points.

Jack Purcell and partner Lucas Hey (Palmerston North) won the second tier of the Best Pairs.

Returning to racing after a long break, brothers Aaron and Bryce Rose won both the West Coast Sidecars and the Karl Barritt Memorial, the trophy Bryce Rose said they "really wanted".

And 1NZ Dylan Smith won the West Coast Minisprints, whilst midget driver Brent Huijs, driving Brad McDonald's minisprint, took out the Oval Superstars Tour 15-lapper.

With that, the curtain came down on a season at Fast Lane Spares Oceanview Family Speedway that has seen three Speedway New Zealand titles and numerous local championships decided, big fields, competitive racing and excellent crowds.

Now it's time for everyone to recharge their batteries and, for many, rebuild their cars during the winter off-season before a new season begins in October.

And it was somehow fitting that Oceanview Family Speedway would be the venue for the Rees family to shut out their competition in a display of dominance we might not see the like of again.

15/4/21