Plenty riding on repechage

Tonight's repechage at the New Zealand Grand Prix will have a bite to it after many of the favoured drivers failed to finish at least one heat last night.

With 12 of the 24 in each group making tonight's large 30-car final at the Robertson Holden Speedway just six drivers from the repechage will make up the field.

With Peter Bengston, Kev Smith, Simon Joblin (all Palmerston North), John Hynd and Shane Mellsop (both Hawke's Bay), Neil Frew (Christchurch), Brett Nicholls (Nelson) and Kyle Fraser (Rotorua) all missing out there will be plenty riding on the repechage.

No doubt the same drivers who have featured in most of the big superstock events around the country will again be at the forefront of the Palmerston North PartsWorld Grand Prix.

With Palmerston North drivers making up more than half the field any visitor will need to stay clear of any car with a "P" on it in the third of the 15-lap heats where points determine the eventual winner.

After Andy McCabe's brilliant attacking display in the third heat at Kihikihi last weekend, when he took out any car not from Palmerston North, he would be a popular winner.

But Scott Joblin, Wayne Hemi and Peter Rees – if it rains in Hawke's Bay and he can't run in the stockcar teams' meeting – are sure to be tough to beat.

Shane Penn has had a miserable season in his new car, but with his big win in the third heat he only needs a little bit of luck to win the grand prix for the third time.

Scott Miers got better as the night went on, finishing with a strong third placing in the last heat.

There are plenty of visiting hopes though, with national champion Brendan Higgins (Nelson), Murray Long (NZ3 Hawke's Bay), Malcolm Ngatai (Christchurch) and Dale Ewers (Nelson) all running strongly.

Former dual national stockcar champion Dale Robertson (Wellington) is proving a strong contender in his first season in superstocks, while Steve Jude (Hawke's Bay) was probably the best visiting driver in the "silver bullet" formerly owned by Penn.

Hawke's Bay's Shane Mellsop will not remember last night fondly after an enormous roll in the second heat when team-mate John Hynd came off the grass and squeezed Mellsop into and up the wall, rolling onto his roof and back onto the track only to be hit by flying Christchurch driver Malcolm Ngatai.

It will be a big battle for anyone to take the Roskilda North Island Minisprint title away from the Huntly drivers with Dayne Maxwell, NZ2 Daniel Thomas and NZ3 Shaun Cooke all impressive in last night's qualifying.

During the night Cooke smashed the lap record.

It was not a great night for another Huntly driver. James Cossey had a huge roll in front of the grandstand and now has an enormous task to be ready for tonight.

Disappointingly, just 24 cars turned up for one of Speedway New Zealand's premier titles, meaning every one of the starters will be in tonight's three-heat final.

The young-gun Palmerston North charge does not look too flash after last night with both Quin Clark and Chad Ace coming to a halt early in the first race.

Last night though, Sean Rice, Neil Cowley and Trevor Stephenson showed they will be a threat to the expected Huntly and Kihikihi stranglehold. Gavin Lucas and Dean Fitness are two other drivers who are difficult to head off if they start up front.

- © Fairfax NZ News