Fireworks planned for speedway meeting | Canterbury Sport | Surfing, Rugby, Soccer, Football, Cricket in Canterbury

Ruapuna Speedway's meeting will go with a bang tomorrow night ? and bring a belated touch of Christmas.

The speedway is running its annual Christmas fireworks show which was rained off a month ago.

And Christchurch Speedway Association president Gary Jemmett reckons Ruapuna deserves a break with the weather --both for racing and the fireworks.

Rain has disrupted meeting after meeting this season, and the track now has scheduling problems.

Top American driver Brint Hockenberry will race in one of tomorrow's features, the South Pacific modified sprint championship.

The meeting also features the South Island solo championship and a round of the Butterworth Memorial midget series. The solo event could provide a touch of history ?- apart from Englishman John Davis' victory in 1973, this title has not gone outside Christchurch since 1951.

However, visitors John Tuffley and Daniel McKinlay (Invercargill) and Sean Cox (Nelson) have it in their sights.

Former national under-21 champion Andrew Aldridge, who is in good form, and dark horse Wayne Nuttridge, better known as a sidecar racer, have the best chances of keeping the trophy in its usual home.