Photo: Terry McBrideThe inaugural Rumble by the River stockcar championship is set to deliver some hard and fast action to AmPro Tools Woodford Glen Speedway tomorrow and Saturday nights.
One of the most anticipated events on this summer’s calendar, all 34 drivers will take to the track in one group for the pair’s championship which is sure to create carnage and mayhem as the driver’s battle for position.
Visiting drivers from Palmerston North, Nelson, Blenheim, Greymouth and Invercargill will travel to Canterbury to contest the championship, which is modelled on the highly successful and prestigious Battle of the Stocks. The format was scheduled for each of the locals to each be paired with an out of town driver but unfortunitly due to some late withdrawals there will be three all Canterbury pairings. The Rumble features 17 pairs, the pair with the highest combined points after Saturday’s final heat will hold the honour of being crowned the first ever Rumble by the River Champions.
Canterbury’s Terry McBride is thrilled to be one of the locals that made it through to the Rumble, saying it was an obviously a meeting that Canterbury drivers were keen to be a part of.
“We’re really excited about this. We were targeting this meeting knowing that there was only going to be 17 local cars make it and it’s fantastic to have reached that goal,” McBride says.
In a brand new Holden powered, Tiny-Rod chassis, McBride made an immediate impact in the S and K Mansfield Contracting entry, consistently finishing in the top three placings before Christmas but has struggled recently. His form drop was finally found to be a complex electrical problem.
“It took a while to find the problem but I’m really happy we have got to the bottom of it before this meeting, it would have been devastating to be still struggling with it this weekend,” he said.
Another local excited about the meeting is Canterbury Champion Chris Hall and despite not knowing who is partner is until the draw is done on Friday, Hall is hopeful of being competitive.
“We are going to give it a good crack, it would be an awesome meeting to win, especially being the first pair to ever win it,” he said.
Notable entries include last season's New Zealand under 23 Stockcar Championship runner up Mitchell Hill of Palmerston North, club mate and regular Woodford Glen supporter Brad Powell, Nelson's Shane Harwood, better known as a Superstock driver both individually and as a member of the Nelson Tigers, another Superstock ace in Invercargill’s Campbell McManaway, young Nelson sensation Adam Hall, hard hitting Blenheim driver Daryl “Dagwood” MacDonald and prominent locals Ivan McPhail, fresh from winning the Remembrance Championships at Woodford Glen’s last show on January 11, current Canterbury Champion Chris Hall, and Canterbury Crushers representatives Ben Jacobs and Nathan Taylor.
Racing starts at 7.00pm both nights and more information can be found at www.woodfordglen.co.nz
5 C Matt Cockburn
10 C Paul Anderson
6 C Mark O'Brien
17 C Vaughan Fairburn
9 N Levi Collier
21 C Stewart Bell
11 N Andrew Murphy
24 C Ivan McPhail
18 N Shane Harwood
34 C Jacob O'Connor
19 N Adam Hall
38 C Terry McBride
33 P Brad Powell
41 C Ben Jacobs
38 GM Tony Oliver
45 C Murray Tapp
52 C Owen McFall
47 C Chris Hall
69 C Keri Wilson
51 C Jamie Hamilton
69 E Daryl MacDonald
59 C Michael Arras
72 I Marc Whaley
61 C Cory Abernethy
73 P Mitchell Hill
62 C John Gray
88 GM Chris Baxter
66 C Troy Wilson
99 N Trevor Lineham
73 C Nathan Taylor
492 I C McManaway
95 C Matt Priest
687 GM Hadleigh Smith
107 C Colin Cameron
