Header Image: Jo Broadhead Photography
A blockbuster weekend awaits at Powderworx Central Motor Speedway as the Mark Cromie Racing 2025/26 New Zealand Sprintcar Championship roars into Cromwell.
Thirty drivers are locked in for the two-night showdown at the southern venue, with no fewer than five former New Zealand champions set to battle for the coveted 1NZ crown.
Reigning champion Max Guilford (1NZ) will be a notable absentee, with Australian commitments and a date change making the trip south logistically unfeasible. Ten-time Midget New Zealand champion and former Sprintcar titleholder Michael Pickens will also miss the meeting, instead turning his focus toward preparations for his upcoming Chili Bowl campaign.
Despite those absences, the field has been significantly strengthened by a powerful American contingent.
American Invasion standout Kaleb Montgomery headlines the overseas charge, joined by New Zealand regulars Jonathan Allard and Joel Myers Jnr, creating serious international intrigue.
Montgomery arrives in Cromwell as the form driver after a dominant American Invasion campaign for Team Baughan Racing. That momentum has seen him installed as the TAB’s early favourite, with his opening odds slashed from $6 to a short $2.70. Allard and Myers Jnr sit close behind as joint second favourites at $5.50 at the time of writing.
Former champion Daniel Thomas (1NZ 2022/23) looms as the strongest local hope and leads a small North Island contingent, with just four cars making the long haul south for the championship decider.
An all-American podium is a genuine possibility, and history suggests it wouldn’t be unprecedented. In 2010/11, Allard claimed the title ahead of Tommy Tarlton and Peter Murphy, before Sammy Swindell topped Allard and Austen Wheatley the following season.
Cromwell itself has proven fertile ground for international stars. The last time the championship was held at the venue in 2018/19, it was won by American ace Michael ‘Buddy’ Kofoid.
Before that, in 2013/14, Rodney Wood secured his second New Zealand Sprintcar title, adding to his first crown, also won at Cromwell in 2009/10.
Wood returns this weekend as part of the North Island group and remains a unique figure in the field, being the only driver to have claimed a New Zealand title in another class, having won the 1991/92 New Zealand Streetstock Championship.
Joining Wood and Thomas from the North Island are Paul Donovan of Palmerston North and Wellington’s Stephen Taylor.
The five former champions lining up are Daniel Thomas (22/23), Rodney Wood (09/10 & 13/14), Joel Myers Jnr (23/24), Jonathan Allard (10/11 & 15/16), and Jamie Duff (14/15).
Strong performances are also expected from Connor Rangi (Nelson), Matthew Leversedge (Christchurch), Jacob McIntyre (Christchurch), Taylor, and local favourite Zak Sokol.
McIntyre, in particular, enters the weekend full of confidence after a commanding victory at the Ron Spriggs Memorial at the same venue just two weeks ago.
On-track action fires up at 5.00pm on both nights, with every lap streamed live on RJPTV, setting the stage for a high-speed, high-stakes weekend in Cromwell.