Booker in gear for superb victory

• Published date: 10 April 2024
• Author: SPEEDWAY Jarrod MacBeth, Stratford Speedway
• Publication title: Stratford Press

Despite some tough competition from a strong 21-car field he won the Repco Taranaki Champs on Saturday night by a solid six-point margin and now joins his father John Booker (who last won the title in the 1992/93 season) in having his name etched on the trophy

Hamish was in superb form from the start of the first race, moving through the field and coming home in third place from a grid 12 start.

He then won race two from grid three before making another big move through the field to finish sixth from grid fifteen and cement his position on the top step of the podium.

Paul Johnson, who has won the title four times previously, finished second after he beat third place getter Shane Denham in a run-off.

Modifieds raced for the Rusty Kay Memorial with Jason Kalin and New Zealand ranked number two Carl Hinton proving to be the quickest drivers in the class and finishing up first equal after three heats. A four-lap run-off was held to determine the podium order with Kalin beating Hinton to the line while Huntly racer Cody Hata was third overall.

The Streetstock class provided entertaining racing while they competed for their 60th Anniversary Cup.

Jared Pryce won two of three races and finished fourth in the other to win the cup by one point from Dylan Smith.

Three visiting drivers from Palmerston North bolstered the Saloon numbers to 12 to make a good field.

After suffering reliability issues at the last few...