Teens triumph at ministock event - February 2016

NIGHT RIDERS: The Whanganui contingent who competed in Rotorua last weekend. WHS students, from left, Dylan Smith, Trazarn Ryland-Annabell, Callum Sturzaker, Jemma Barnes, Brody Casey, Kaelin Mooney and Max Holloway.

WHANGANUI youth ministock driver Dylan Smith earned the first top 10 for a local in four years at the Tubby Norris Memorial Ministocks In Paradise event in Rotorua last weekend.

Smith would come sixth at the massive speedway event at the Paradise Valley Raceway, with more than 170 drivers aged 12 to 17 years from around the country taking part. It was the best result since Aimee Barnes finished ninth overall four years ago, also driving the same 53v car.

Barnes said a strong local contingent attended the two days of racing, with Smith joined by Trazarn Ryland-Annabell (5v), Callum Sturzaker (15v), Jemma Barnes (92v), Brody Casey (61v) and Max Holloway (81v), in driving the senior (14-17) section

Kaelin Mooney (12v), the son of noted Whanganui stockcar racer Dion, entered the junior (12-13) section.

The senior section was split into six groups of 24 cars, with the top four from each group being found after three qualifying races.

Barnes said by the time all the vehicles were thoroughly inspected in the hot sun, the racing started two hours late at 8pm.

"Trazarn was able to pick up seventh, second and seventh, while Dylan snatched second, fifth, and 10th - both of these drivers managing to make it through their qualifying heats relatively unscathed and with enough points to place them into the main championship for the second night's racing."

Sturzaker began well with a third placing, but then 11th and 13th was not enough to make it through.

Casey drove consistently, collecting 19th, 21st and 12th finishers, while Jemma Barnes was in the top 10 until a last lap flat tyre dropped her back to 18th in the first race, which was followed by a 12th and 10th.

After finishing just after midnight, Smith and Ryland-Annabell returned to the track the next evening for the three championship races, where a double rollover incident took the latter out of contention while hindering the former.

"As cars were removed from the pile up the 5v car appeared from the middle of the wreckage stuck on its side," said Aimee Barnes.

"Unfortunately Trazarn was towed to the infield and Dylan was now half a lap behind the rest of the field after being caught behind the pile up."

Smith caught up to the lead group but finished 13th, while roll-cage damage meant Ryland-Annabell was done for the night.

"Dylan continued to show why he deserved to be in the top group, securing a third place in the second race and a fourth place in the last race," said Aimee Barnes.

"A stroke of bad luck, however, saw him receive a relegation from the officials in both races - changing his placings to fifth and sixth."

His points total was still enough to finish sixth overall.

In the Junior event, Mooney had placings of 15th, seventh, eighth and 11th, and his last race for fifth, which saw him finish 13th in the championship.

(Wanganui Chronicle 19/2/16)