Header Image: Nelson Speedway Association Inc
Paul Leslie has etched his name into the record books, becoming just the fifth driver to claim a second 1NZ in the Streetstock class with victory at this weekend’s New Zealand Championship at Milestone Homes Top of the South Speedway in Nelson.
Results of second, eighth and second across the three heats earned Leslie 69 points, five clear of 433C Matt Petersen and 35C Jono Garthley.
Petersen and Garthley were required to run off for the 2NZ, with Petersen prevailing in a tense cat-and-mouse duel to secure the silver plate, leaving Garthley to carry 3NZ for the coming season.
It marked the first clean sweep of the podium by a single club since the 2014/15 season, when Dave McSherry, Steve Petersen and Toby McClenaghan achieved the feat for Christchurch at their home venue.
That Canterbury lockout also extended a remarkable statistic, making it five consecutive New Zealand Streetstock Championships without a North Island car on the podium.
In Nelson, ninth place was as good as it got for the Northern contingent, with Whanganui’s 31V Simon Bland leading the charge; a Heat 2 DNF ended his hopes.
Ultimately, however, the night belonged to Leslie, who emerged relatively unscathed from a brutal final heat in which only 13 cars reached the chequered flag, sealing his second national title.
The 2022/23 champion entered the finale in third, four points behind Garthley and three adrift of 555D Mitch Lavender.
A favourable grid position proved decisive, allowing the Cantabrian to escape cleanly from the front row as chaos unfolded behind. In a stop-start race, he battled amongst Petersen and Auckland’s Corry Te Rito to finish second, the 25 points enough to secure the championship.
“That’s cool ae, that’s flippin’ cool,” Leslie told The Pits TV after the race.
“I’ve only done about six meetings in this car, but I’ve had dramas with it right from the word go, but it just seems to love this track. It’s awesome man.
“There’s way too many people to thank. My wife, my kids, all my friends and family, and everyone that supports, helps and keeps it on the track. All my sponsors, it’s just out of control.”
Leslie now joins an elite group of two-time New Zealand Streetstock champions: Rotorua’s Graham Keatinge (96/97 & 98/99), Gisborne’s Nigel Patterson (01/02 & 06/07), Christchurch’s Blair Lee (03/04 & 10/11) and Dunedin’s Paul Simon (07/08 & 13/14).
Petersen has previously worn the 2NZ, finishing runner-up at the 2016/17 championship in Stratford. He entered the final race sitting fifth overall after ninth and seventh-place finishes in the opening heats. Needing a big result, Petersen delivered, winning the finale for maximum points to surge up the standings.
For Garthley, a four-point advantage heading into the finale proved problematic. The 35C machine came under sustained attack,including, at one point, contact from his own clubmates. While damaged, Garthley managed to continue circulating, finishing two laps down.
The attrition-heavy heat still saw him classified 11th, scoring 16 points and tying Petersen for second overall.
“It was an unreal race,” he told The Pits TV afterwards, before the runoff. “You’ve seen what the old girl went through. I’m surprised it even drove in the pits.
“I’m just proud to be here. It’s the first-ever New Zealand title I’ve qualified for. I can’t thank everyone enough, I’m over the moon.
“I loved it. It was a hell of a lot of fun. To be fair, about two of three times I thought I was getting kicked off, but the car just kept on going. We have a lot of damage now, but we’ll get her back out there.”
Also aiding Garthley’s podium finish were DNFs to the Dunedin trio of Lavender, Jacob Campbell and Bailey Gillam, all of whom were in contention entering the finale.
Mike Jones (29C) climbed to fourth overall and deserves recognition for a strong championship campaign after missing automatic qualification by the way of a runoff.
He also topped a fiercely contested repechage to open the evening, earning a finals berth alongside 9N Ryan Musgrove.
Ben Jenkins (345D) was the first non-Canterbury car home in fifth, one position ahead of Musgrove, the leading Nelson entry.
Musgrove finished fifth in the final heat after surviving a massive late hit from 315D Scott Palmer. The resulting contact sent Palmer’s car rolling and coming to rest nose-down against the catch fencing, much to the crowd’s delight.
Local favourite Perry Soper finished seventh, ahead of Lavender, Bland and Campbell, who completed the top ten.
Veteran Steven Dryden, the reigning 3NZ, was caught up in a chaotic opening sequence in Heat 2 and was forced out, preventing him from starting the finale. He had finished sixth in the opening heat.
The same early chaos also ended the hopes of McCarrison, Bland and Thomas McLeod.
Auckland’s sole representative, Corry Te Rito, was taken out late in Heat 2, while 777C Kahu Epiha’s night ended upside down. After DNFing in Heat 1, the Cantabrian attempted to make an impact by turning the 39D of Gillam but ran out of room, climbing the wall and flipping.
The 2026/27 New Zealand Streetstock Championship will be held in Gisborne.