Track: Wanganui
Date: 30 January 2010
Event: Youth Ministock Invitation
Reporting by Roger Morrison and pictures by Mike Pollard

Wanganui
Youth Ministock Invitation
30 January 2010
Reporting by Roger Morrison and pictures by Mike Pollard

Wellington's Graeme Peter hung on by a solitary point to claim the Youth Ministock Invitation title at Eastside Auto Recyclers Oceanview Speedway on Saturday night. The hectic last heat saw the title hang in the balance as the challengers came thick and fast but it was the consistently rapid Peter that claimed the top podium.

Youth Ministock Invitation Finals

The finals field had a touch of quality about it and the battle between the likes of 28W Graeme Peter, 9W Sam Cook, 59W Jayden Musgrove, 76P Caleb Moleta, 93P Karl McGill, 18M Jayden Steiner and 15V Kyle Heibner was reason enough to sit forward in your seat. Speedway is about good competitive racing, no matter what the class, and this line-up suggested we were in for a treat.

Heat One
With Wellington's Graeme Peter on pole, there was an ominous air about the result of this first heat. And so it proved to be as Peter jumped away and was never headed although the Mount's Jayden Steiner put some real pressure on late in the race. Further back in the field 9W Sam Cook caught the eye as he turned in some rapid lap times to make up spades of ground. There were the usual hard luck stories with 13W Todd Jenkins dragged infield with the bumper wrapped around his front right wheel, while 92V Aimee Barnes was taken out when running well in the top 6.

Heat Two
Wanganui's Kyle Heibner showed the form that saw him win the Taranaki Youth Ministock Champs recently when he cleared away for a comfortable win. Peter again showed his class as he made up a ton of ground to snare second ahead of the hugely improved 39V Tyler Gibbons, who was driving the race of his life.

Heat Three
Peter with 47 points had a 6 point margin over Heibner with Cook and Steiner a further point adrift. Palmerston North's Caleb Moleta was one further point back and it was obvious that the battle would be between these 5 drivers. With Peter off grid 26 & Steiner off 24 there was however going to be few twists in this tale.
Cook lost his chance when he spun in the 1st lap to drop him well down the field. 59W Jayden Musgrove hit the lead at the end of the first lap with Moleta on his tail. Peter started his long haul up the field to reduce the points difference between himself and Moleta and Heibner. The red lights were thrown in the 7th lap to again remove the unlucky Jenkins. With 3 laps to go, Peter was on 63 points, Moleta in 2nd place in the race was on 62 points, a total he shared with Heibner who was up to 4th but some distance behind 3rd placed 93P Karl McGill. While the status quo remained over the next few laps, Peter was having trouble maintaining position and a tangle with clubmate 12W Taylor Mahy saw him swerve infield on to the grass. But he retained his composure and more importantly track position. Moleta in the meantime was all over the back of Musgrove but as much as he tried he was a car length short of victory and forcing a run-off - a fantastic race.

While Peter had claimed the title, a run-off was required for 2nd between Moleta and Heibner. It was tame affair as Moleta got better drive off the green flag and was never touched as he maintained a 20m gap back to his rival.