Reliable Rowe nabs speedway season’s first major stock-car title

When it comes to speedway championship meetings, driver Kyle Rowe is never far away from the front of the pack.

And his consistency paid off as he took out the first major stock-car title of the season, winning the Robin Pratt​ Memorial Trophy in Palmerston North on Saturday night.

In a big field of 36 starters for the three-heat final, Rowe headed home his fellow Palmerston North Pumas team-mate Kyle Lampp​ by a single point, with 102 to Lampp’s 101.

Rebecca Barr, who does a double shift racing the superstocks as well, finished third, three points behind Rowe.

On a cold night at the Central Energy Trust Arena’s Robertson Prestige International Speedway​, there was little action as usually occurs in the Robin Pratt. Only Jaden Hall came out to assist his fellow Pumas team-mates in the third heat, blocking Whanganui’s Dion Mooney.

Barr had won the first heat followed by Rowe, with Daniel Burmeister​ third. Lampp then won the second heat but it was a brilliant drive by Rowe, who finished second after starting at the back of the field with Barr back in fifth place.

Lampp backed up his second heat win by taking out the third heat. However, a smart drive by Rowe meant his fifth-place finish was enough for the title.

There is no doubt that Ashleigh Halcrow​ is now among the top echelon of saloon drivers. She came from third with two slick passes out wide against the wall, sending her on the way to a convincing win in the feature.

Hawke’s Bay’s Jeremy Brown won the first heat and finished second in the second heat with Wellington visitor Scott Hadley. Halcrow had earlier picked up two third-place finishes in the heats.

It was a Hawke’s Bay benefit in the super saloons: Steve Flynn won two races including the feature, while former superstock star Jason Long showed that he will be a frontrunner in the class by winning the second heat from pole. Halcrow picked up a second placing in the class as well.

Whanganui’s Kaelin Mooney​ is fast becoming one of the best superstock drivers, with a strong win in the feature over Josh Kahui, with Bruce Williams third. Earlier, Wellington’s Keegan Levien​ won the first race ahead of Tim Parker and Zane Dykstra. The second race was narrowly taken out by Wayne Hemi ahead of Williams, with Brett Hyslop right behind.

Former top minisprint driver Quin Clark dominated the adult ministock feature, winning by over half a lap from Caleb Keane and Hamish Eagle. Clark had earlier finished second to Keane in the first heat, then took out the second race ahead of veteran Allan Burton and Eagle.

A small midget-car field was quickly decimated after Brent Huijs had won a first heat from Shane Dewar and Auckland’s Jordan McDonnell. McDonnell won the second race and was even more convincing, taking out the feature by a massive margin from Dewar.