Bargee Racing - Three Quarter Midget 28B and Ministock 4B

Sophie had ministock prizegiving today which started off at 007 Paintball which was so much fun for the kids. Thanks to James who not only sponsored Soph & I this season but is a huge support for Meeanee Speedway in general.

We then had an awesome lunch before prizegiving.

Claire McLachlan and the club put an awesome day. Thanks for all your dedication, time and passion.

Sophie won a merit trophy, which was pretty cool and I'm feeling super proud of her.

Congratulations to all the other winners also.

Photos of prizegiving taken by Legaspeed Multimedia

Hawkes Bay Ministock prizegiving starting off with a bang - Georgia got lucky (or unlucky as the case may be) and was asked if she'd like to join in too.

Huge thank you to 007 Paintball for putting this on for the kids.

So I've just created an Instagram page. Come and follow us over there too!

https://www.instagram.com/bargeeracing?igsh=dmFncXBxOGVpbnFt

We've been a bit slow off the mark in the off season but Sophie has been busy de-stickering and the ministock had a wee trip away to get new side rails & new front and back bumpers as well as a few other bits and pieces fixed up.

The T.Q is still in the shed fully assembled.

The girls and I are moving houses in a month so we've been a bit loath to strip the cars down as it's going to be easier to move them in one piece.

Could be a busy few months leading up to opening night!

Meeanee Speedway prizegiving tonight.
Congratulations to all the winners.
Thanks to the club for an awesome season.
Sophie and I will definitely be back next season.

* Awapuni Speedway Ministock 1200cc *

Aprox. 80 Ministocks, first out of town meeting, two nights of racing, banked track meant one very nervous Sophie.

With lots of well meaning advice coming Soph's way - be careful of the pole line, its slippery; don't go too high, you'll hit the wall; don't go too low as you'll get stuck on the pole line it all contributed to the nerves. However she shook them off (mostly) and got stuck in.

Her first two races on Friday night weren't her best but certainly not her worst. By the third race she had the hang of the track, had settled into herself and she was away. She had a great last race of the night and we could all see her confidence had grown and she was ready for night two.

Saturday started off with a cooked breakfast at the track and a clean up of the car. We had camped in the car park so was just a quick stroll between "home" and the pits.

Saturday nights racing went really well. We missed the set up slightly for the first race which gave Sophie a car that was a bit tricky for her, but we could already tell tonight was going to be a better night. Race two and three Soph drove really well. Making a few passes, trying different lines and just driving nice and smooth in general.

We think Sophie finished about 5th or 6th overall in the consolation group (third tier).

We were so proud of her this weekend. This was a big meeting for Sophie, as her first out of town meeting & the biggest meeting she has raced at.

I was also really proud of how Georgia & Izzy managed the weekend. As much as they enjoy speedway too, its not always easy spending hours just waiting around for something to happen. Luckily there were mud puddles and even a frog to pass the time time.

A big thank you to Mum & Dad (Granny & Grandad). Granny makes sure we have plenty to eat and drink and helps to calm the frayed nerves and tempers. Meanwhile Grandad keeps the car going and gives plenty of advice.

It was awesome to have Mahanga from Air Ruatoria along on Friday where we even taught him a thing or two about speedway and he jumped in to help change a wheel.

Thanks to Awapuni Speedway for an awesome meeting.

Last but certainly not least a HUGE thank you to all of our sponsors who make this all possible.

007 Paintball & 007 Rentals
Airborne Aviation
Air Ruatoria
Whyte Plastering Haden Whyte
M2 Manufacture
Flushed Drainage Ltd
Steelworx

Last night was dedicated to Dad/Grandad.

It was his birthday and with it being the last meeting of the season it seemed fitting we did it for the old boy!

Dad is the one who keeps us both on the track. The majority of the maintenance and repairs are done by him or organized by him. He is one of our biggest and most dedicated supporters.

Without Dad/Grandad we really would struggle to be out there racing. He teaches both Sophie and I alot about our cars and is always encouraging and supporting us to learn more and to be able to work on our cars as independently as possible.

Its even the little things like teaching me how to back a trailer and holding the expectation that I can do hard things - mine and Sophie's gender does not define what we can and can't do, and this has come from Dad/Grandad.

I didn't make this post last night as Dad hates being the centre of attention but we really wanted to take his birthday as our opportunity to thank and honour him for all he does for us.....even if he is a grumpy old bu**er sometimes.

Happy birthday Dad/Grandad. We hope the heating camp chair and Ryobi radio keep you warm and informed for future meetings.

We love you.

Thanks so much to Wayne Otten for these wicked photos! Sophie loves them ❤️.

Tomorrow we head out to Meeanee Speedway for the last one of the season for me & Sophie's second to last meeting. This is Meeanee's last meeting for this season, but Sophie is entered in Awapuni Speedway's Ministock 1200cc meeting in May.

Its been an awesome season and we've already got eyes ahead for the next one.

Lets make tomorrow a goodie!