Images: Clare View Photography
Two of Southland’s most coveted Saloon Car trophies were on the line at Aotea Electric Riverside Speedway over the weekend, and the stakes couldn’t have been higher.
The Southland Saloon Car Championship was decided across three high-intensity heats, with consistency and speed across the night determining who would claim regional bragging rights.
But the drama didn’t stop there.
The prestigious Rod McLaren Memorial Trophy was settled in a single, all-or-nothing 15-lap showdown, with the grid reversed based on the championship results. The twist flipped the script entirely, throwing the front-runners to the back and setting the stage for a thrilling charge through the pack.
The meeting was under threat with the 3pm start time being pushed out well over an hour as consistent rain pelted the track from early morning.
Organisers resisted the temptation to pull the pin, placing their trust in the weather forecasts and the track crew to manage the conditions.
Their decision was rewarded.
Despite earlier concerns, the surface was turned around into a bumpy but highly raceable track that produced competitive, hard-fought racing throughout the meeting. Grip levels varied across the lanes, keeping drivers on their toes and rewarding those prepared to adapt.
In a welcome change for spectators, it was also the first meeting this season where hotdogs weren’t served with a side of Riverside dust.
Twelve cars ultimately took the green flag, a respectable turnout, though down from the 18 originally entered online. Late withdrawals were disappointing and may have been weather-related, but they remain a recurring frustration for clubs when drivers enter and then don’t appear, making promotion and event planning increasingly difficult.
Despite the reduced numbers, the quality of the field remained strong. Former Southland champions Graham Williamson and Mark Dobson were in attendance, alongside Cromwell’s Phil Burgess, all tipped to feature at the front of the field. For Dobson, it marked his first appearance of the season after engine delays kept him sidelined longer than anticipated.
The heat races were contested over ten laps, and in the opening outing the surface remained heavy and greasy.
Those conditions suited the torsion bar cars, which were able to make the most of the grip on offer. Williamson capitalised to open his campaign in ideal fashion, taking the race win ahead of Dobson in second. Burgess was the leading four-bar car across the line in third, limiting the early points damage in the championship battle.
The track had changed somewhat for the second outing, and a number of the four-bar machines were starting to get up on their bars and look fast, but the odd bump on the track kept the competition fairly even. This time Dobson drove a faultless race to claim first place and go into the third race top on points but with a rear of the grid start.
Calvin Todd of Dunedin had a great battle with Jeff Richardson of Riverside, prevailing for second and leaving Richardson, who is starting to come to grips with his new Stealth-built machine, in third.
Despite having a slight points lead going into the last heat Dobson would have his work cut out for him, with Burgess, Williamson, Todd and Richardson well up the grid. Dobson couldn’t afford to try and protect his buffer, he really needed points.
It took him several laps to find his groove; he could see his nearest competitors making passes while he was stuck down the back of the pack, watching the championship disappear.
Up front, Travis Smith of Dunedin, in his new four-bar Hypermac, was putting together a masterclass of his own, smashing the rest of the field, his car looking unstoppable in clear air. He would eventually race on to win this heat race by over ten seconds.
Richardson again showed his ability in his new car, this time getting up to second place, with clubmate Williamson behind him in third.
Dobson’s championship came down to the last handful of laps, where he came from ninth mid-race to claim fifth and secure his second-ever Southland Saloon Championship. Williamson had done enough to secure second while Burgess held off Smith and Richardson to claim third place overall. Just two points separated the top three cars on the podium.
Those results set the scene for the Rod McLaren Memorial, where Dunedin’s Leo Bennett and Riversides Joshua Richardson would start up from, while the likes of Dobson and Williamson started at the very back.
Richardson got off to a flying start, swapping cars with his father, Jeff, for this race. Joshua looked good out front, but had his hands full as soon as he started to hit some bumps.
This is where Todd made his move, working his way to the front of the field just before the yellow flag was brought out for a nasty coming together between Williamson and clubmate Darren McLeod, both cars suffering considerable damage, Williamson showing his frustrations with McLeod when park up alongside each other in the infield.
Todd led off from the restart, but Jeff Richardson, in his older torsion bar car, slotted into second and pressured for the lead. Richardson, however, had Smith starting to reel him in, which gave Todd enough breathing space to race on and take the win in the Rod McLaren Memorial Trophy, leaving Richardson second, with a fast-finishing Smith third.
Youth Saloons raced Best Pairs for this event, and it certainly wasn’t short of drama. Race 1 saw Riverside’s Lachie Robertson take the race win over clubmate Myah Lapsley, while Hunter Kergozou, also of Riverside, would claim third after a wild wall ride and slide across the line on his roof.
The second race got called early due to the amount of yellow flag incidents, an all too common sight in the Youth grade this season. Beachlands’ Jake Johnston was awarded the win ahead of Riverside driver Quinn Sargent, with Jasmine Todd of Beachlands in third. This race took twenty minutes, registered only two racing laps, but had five yellow flag incidents.
The final race was far cleaner, with just the one yellow flag due to Sargent having a flat tyre.
Todd led early in this race, but Dylan Rawcliffe of Riverside made a move that secured him the lead and the race win, getting across the stripe ahead of Todd in second and Robertson third.
These results meant the Best Pairs Youth Saloon Champions for this season were Myah Lapsley and Jasmine Todd, second was Natarleya Lapsley of Riverside and Jake Johnston and in third was Dylan Rawcliffe and clubmate Amelia Hodge Thomas.