Words: Jody Scott
Images: BM Photography
The speedway season began with a hiss and a roar at Nelson’s Top of the South Speedway, with the forecasted heavy rain that had threatened all week ending up as a few random showers.
A long queue of trailers lined up early to get into the newly expanded pits, and there were plenty of eyes watching as the cars rolled out of their trailers. A few hungry people lined up for their long-awaited speedway feed, and the kids quickly got busy hunting for posters and stickers among the drivers.
Ministocks
The Youth Ministocks were sporting a multitude of new drivers. The grade will once again run a four-race format to accommodate all competitors. It was a positive start to the season, good pace from the new drivers and only one incident throughout the night made for some top-level racing. The new pecking order began to establish itself, with Eli Gare and Locky Martin battling out the opening heat, Gare getting enough of an advantage to get past the back markers to take the opening race of the season.
Darcy Rasmussen has joined the Youth Ministock ranks as well as racing his Quarter Midget and showed that he will be one to watch, with a clean getaway in Heat 2, taking the race win with ease. However, that was the last race in the Ministock after rolling the Quarter Midget in that second heat. Kade Taylor held off Cort Higgins to claim Heat 3, Cort going one better in the final race, picking up his first checkered flag. The competition amongst the drivers will only intensify as they get more laps under their belts, with the top three separated by only two points on the night.
1st Eli Gare 60 points
2nd Locky Martin 59 points
3rd Kody Hogarth 58 points
Production Saloons
Production Saloons welcomed a couple of new drivers, and along with a few regular visitors, it was a healthy field for the first meeting. The visiting team of David and Brett Allen made the most of their night, the former winning Heat 1 and the latter winning Heat 2. Local Shaun Heath held on for the final heat win ahead of David Allen.
Eddie Frans’ night finished early after clipping the wall in heat one, new drivers Alesha Smith, Morgan Wells, Matt Chapman and ex Youth driver Easton Salter getting in some good laps in, the youngsters mixing it up with the golden oldies of Dave Leitch and Geoff Watson. David Allen taking the Trophy with Brett Allen pipping Shaun Heath for 2nd with a faster lap time.
1st David Allen 37 points
2nd Brett Allen 33 points
3rd Shaun Heath 33 points
Quarter Midgets
The Quarter Midgets started with an epic three-car battle. There was little between Bailey Bensemann, Darcy Rasmussen and Lakyn Thompson in the opening race, Bensemann taking Heat 1.
The three mixed positions the next outing, with Rasmussen taking Heat 2, but a roll after the flag ended his meeting. Lakyn Thompson took the feature win after Bensemann struck trouble, Leila Harper nabbed second, and Braye Thompson finished third. Mack Rawson and Niko Harper made their debuts, while Jack Ryan and Blake Stilwell were big improvers in each outing.
Feature
1st Lakyn Thompson
2nd Leila Harper
3rd Braye Thompson
Stockcars
The Stockcars didn’t muck around with the hitting, with cars going everywhere over the opening laps. The infield was left littered with broken cars, and flat tyres ruined a few drivers’ points. Matt Rollo found his car taking an instant attraction to the wall.
Jack Rarity continued last year’s form, taking out Heat 1. Roydon Winstanley held out Adam Hall for the Heat 2 win, with Hall rueing the flat tyre in the opening race as he took out Heat 3. The final heat had Winstanley watching his mirrors as much as watching ahead to avoid any blockers. It was a three-way battle for the Trophy with others dropping points, Winstanley doing enough to take the title, Toby Walker grabbing second and Rarity third.
1st Roydon Winstanley 51 points
2nd Toby Walker 49 points
3rd Jack Rarity 48 points
T.Q.s
The T.Q.’s developed battles within battles, Greymouth’s Kohen Thompson’s youthful talent tested in the feature after a loose wire left him parked on the grass in Heat 2. Starting off grid 5, he was able to catch Jayden Corkill in the final few laps to claim the Trackman Trophy. Kynan Bezett found good form throughout the night to finish second in both heats before finishing third in the feature. Dave McSherry, Jonti Austin, Maia Nicholson and Dylan Bensemann enjoyed some mid-pack battles, the feature, testing the skill of the drivers as the track became a challenge on the final race of the night.
Feature
1st Kohen Thompson
2nd Jayden Corkill
3rd Kynan Bezett
Streetstocks
It’s the year of the Streetstocks in Nelson, where the New Zealand title will be held in January. A new face with a familiar name has joined his father, Andre Musgrove, making a solid fist of his debut, finishing all three races with sixth overall, getting the edge on his father, Ryan.
The newly lined panels on the cars looked a little more secondhand after three busy races, half the field not able to finish Heat 2. Perry Soper had the points lead going into the final heat, but he was struggling to make up positions in the final. Former South Island champion Shane Chapman (who hasn’t raced for a few years) was tied on points briefly before a spin in the dying laps gave Soper breathing space. Soper winning the first two races before a third in the finale was enough for him to claim the title. Chapman got home to end in second, with Harry Moffart-Schwass third.
1st Perry Soper 58 points
2nd Shane Chapman 52 points
3rd Harry Moffart-Schwass 46 points
Superstocks
All eyes were on the Superstocks; the brand-new Higgins chassis of Shane Harwood, Alex Hill and Blake Hearne, with Callum Russ in the newly acquired Higgins “Blondie” and Alex’s wife, Alicia Hill, debuting in his older Higgins car.
Last year’s pace setter, Brett Nicholls, in his ‘Rees Rocket’, was keen to keep his advantage, his new graphics making the car look like something out of an army supply store. It was Shane Harwood who easily took out Heat 1, the car dialled in nicely. Nicholls struggled with track conditions but was able to finish in second.
The positions were reversed in Heat 2, with Nicholls taking advantage of some minor handling errors from Harwood in the final few laps. It set up the usual tied-on points format that the two seasoned competitors find themselves in, both cars starting off the back in the final heat.
Alex Hill took the lead in the final. Nicholls had made the better start but was tentative going through the field, keeping an eye on his mirrors, but a push past Hill in the final laps secured the win. Harwood, battling to make up places, did enough to pip Hill for second overall.
There were a few sighs from the Alicia Hill supporters when her husband, Alex, accidentally gave her a wall tap, along with a few other scrapes, making for a successful debut.
Blake Hearne and Callum Russ are both learning their new cars, while veteran Jason Moir got more track time in the ‘Pigeon Valley Taxi’, battling with Michael Oakley.
1st Brett Nicholls 23 points
2nd Shane Harwood 20 points
3rd Alex Hill 19 points.
John Pomeroy Trophy
The John Pomeroy Trophy is given out to the most outstanding club driver on the night. Youth Ministock driver Eli Gare was clearly emotional as he was awarded the Trophy that is named in honour of his Great-Grandfather, and on his 14th birthday as well, a fitting end to a fantastic opening meeting.