New Zealand Speedway
New Zealand Speedway: NZ Solo Championships preview.
By Admin
Feb 19, 2008, 21:13

New Zealand’s top speedway riders are set to do battle on Saturday 23rd February at 5.00pm for the 2007-08 NZ Solo Speedway Championship.

The 16 rider 20 heat format will see some interesting race offs as some key riders struggle to obtain the upper hand in their quest for maximum
points to win the NZ title.

Defending champion Andrew Bargh from the Meeanee track will defend his title. The former Oxford Conference league rider will have to contend with a challenge from his Isle Of Wight team mate and captain Jason
Bunyan. Bunyan, a former three time NZ champion will be looking for a
better run this year in his attempt to regain the title.

The three Bagshaw brothers, Karl, Ryan and Hayden make the trip down from Rosebank in Auckland along with Jamie Moohan. All of them are capable of spoiling some of the chances of the more favoured riders.

The under 21 champion Grant Tregoning on his home track will be looking for a good effort before the Christchurch rider heads off to join Midenhall in the English league. The Christchurch contingent will be led by Andrew Aldridge who has had a stranglehold on the local events recently and this will be his last major ride before he also goes to England to the Rye House club to ride in both the Conference and Premier Leagues.

He will need to be at his best as nine times NZ Solo Champion Larry Ross has entered and could do some real damage to the main contenders. 53 year old Ross can still and has led home all the entrants for this years title over the past season in individual races.

Add to this the more senior riders Sean Cox from Nelson and Oreti’s own John Tuffley and the field really starts to take shape. Young Cory Lang in his “learning year” has entered and will be joined by Christchurch’s Kody Tocher. All these boys will have to contend with the large Oreti contingent or riders who know the Oreti surface well.

Andrew Tree and Alex Cunningham along with Tregoning and Tuffley have done many laps of the Invercargill circuit. We are yet to see the best from Tree and Cunningham and they will be pushing for
higher honours.

Pete Stenning is another local stepping up and along with Steve Gunn, Paul Hayes and Barry O’Brien will ensure the qualifying to get down to the final sixteen riders wont be a walk in the park.

Supporting races for Juniors and Classic/Masters will also be run while
the Side Car class will contest the Malcolm Officer Memorial Trophy.