A record 50 riders took part in racing on Tuesday night providing further evidence of the growth of cycling in the region. With the number of riders the number of races and the available daylight it was a challenge to complete the programme without the aid of artificial light.
The race of the night also had the largest field made up of under 17 girls and up plus masters men. The handicapper was tested with 17 riders covering a wide range of ages and gearing, the field was disbursed around the track for the 8 lap handicap race. The race had a talented hard working scratch bunch made up of Megan Blatchford, Marcel Hollenstein and Brent Zimmerman. The limit markers had a lap and 60 metre start, so it was always going to be a true test. The scratchies made short work of the 60 metres but the next 400 metres was to take a little longer. While the spectators were enthralled watching the scratchies eat into the limit markers lead they could be forgiven for not noticing Kelsi Eccles and John Clarke working well together to keep an even and competitive pace. With two laps to go the scratch bunch had collected some heplers and caught the limit riders but they had not caught Kelsi and John. At the last turn Kelsi rolled John and beat the chasing bunch by the length of the home straight. The chasing bunch sprint was taken out by Marcel over Kate Stewart and Megan then Garry Buys came in for 6th to cap off a good night which included a win it the Masters 3 lap handicap.
The under 17 rider of the night was awarded to Emily Shearman for a gutsy effort to win both evenly contested under 15 girl handicap races. The over 17 rider of the night was awarded to Kelsi Eccles for determined effort to not waste her handicap and hold off a classy scratch bunch.
Results:
U19 Men and Senior Men 7 lap points race
1st Mark Finlay 10 points
2nd Matiu Kaihau 8 points
3rd Josh Chard 6 points
4th Steve Stannard 3 points
Under 17, under 19, Senior Women 5 laps race on whistle
1st Kate Stewart
2nd Kelsi Eccles
3rd Catherine Young
4th Tegan Roffe
Under 17 Boys 6 laps race on whistle
1st Cameron Howell
2nd George Roberts
3rd Jordan Castle
4th Matt Elliot
Under 15 Boys 5 laps race on the whistle
1st Josh Kendall
2nd Chris Denholm
3rd Robert Stannard
4th Cody Simpson
Under 15 girls 4 lap race on the whistle
1st Michaela Drummond
2nd Britteny Baker
3rd Emily Shearman
4th Grace Castle
Masters 5 lap race on whistle
1st Megan Blatchford
2nd Shaun Matena
3rd Ross Castle
4th Brent Zimmerman
Under 19 and Senior men 3 lap handicap race
1st Cameron Gibbons
2nd Steve Stannard
3rd Mark Finlay
4th Josh Chard
Under 17 and 19 women 3 lap handicap race
1st Kate Stewart
2nd Kelsi Eccles
3rd Renee Wadsworth
4th Catherine Young
Under 17 boys 3 lap handicap race
1st Takumi Clarke
2nd Jordan Castle
3rd Campbell Stewart
Under 15 boys 3 lap handicap race
1st James Cuff
2nd Michaela Drummond
3rd Cody Simpson
4th Hayden Washington-Smith
Under 15 girls 2 lap handicap race
1st Emily Shearman
2nd Brittany Ingram
3rd Libby Arbuckle
4th Corrie Keedle
Masters men 3 lap handicap race
1st Garry Buys
2nd John Clarke
3rd Shaun Matena
4th Peter Wenborn
Under 17 boys 7 lap handicap race
1st Jordan Castles
2nd Campbell Stewart
3rd Cameron Howell
4th George Roberts
Under 15 boys 5 lap handicap
1st Cody Simpson
2nd Robert Stannard
3rd Owen Ratcliffe
4th Hayden Washington-Smith
Under 15 girls 5 lap handicap race
1st Emily Shearman
2nd Grace Castle
3rd Britteny Baker
4th Brittany Ingram
Under19 and Men 10 lap handicap race
1st Matiu Kaihau
2nd Luuk van Wantendonk
3rd Josh Chard
Under 15 1 lap scratch race
1st Campbell Stewart
2nd Alex West
3rd Owen Ratcliffe
Under 17 and 19 women and masters men and women 8 lap handicap race
1st Kelsi Eccles
2nd John Clarke
3rd Marcel Hollenstein
4th Kate Stewart
Under 19 men and Senior men
1st Damien Lardner
2nd Mark Finlay
3rd Josh Chard
4th Steve Stannard