The Southland Streetstock Championship is often a bruising contest, but typically the fireworks are saved for the final heat.
Drivers usually feel each other out across the opening races before going all-out in the decider.
That wasn’t the case at Aotea Electric Riverside Speedway, where the Southland title delivered drama from the outset, sidelining several big names and rewarding rain-soaked fans who waited out a delayed start with a night of relentless, edge-of-your-seat action.
One of the key talking points heading into the event was Riverside’s Joel Kergozou, who recently took ownership of Benji Smaill’s former 2NZ BA Falcon, now rebranded as the 861i machine. Already quick in his XR Falcon, Kergozou loomed as an even greater threat aboard the proven package.
Heat One proved disastrous for Kergozou. On a heavy, greasy surface he looped the car exiting turn two, sliding backwards into Riverside clubmates Zach Hughes and Stuart Reid, along with Dunedin’s Kaleb Marshall.
The contact left the 861i machine with significant front suspension damage, sidelining Kergozou for the race and all but ending his Southland title hopes before they had truly begun.
There was a second stoppage in the opener when Riverside driver Michael Thompson failed to get moving again directly after the early incident
The race eventually settled back into rhythm, with Riverside favourite Steve Dryden asserting control at the front of the field.
Behind him, Zach Hughes was again in the thick of it, involved in a main straight incident that brought out the red flags, the Riverside driver seemingly at the centre of much of the early drama in this championship.
Once racing resumed, Dryden was never seriously challenged, cruising to a commanding Heat 1 victory. Dillon MacHattie impressed with a strong drive through the pack to claim second, while fellow Riverside competitor Jonothan Delaney rounded out the top three.
The second race for the Southland Streetstock Champs was also a brutal affair.
Riverside’s Jesse Hamilton was in an uncompromising mood, taking aim at anyone within reach and rarely missing. Early in the heat he drove Graham Murdoch hard into the wall, a move that ended Hamilton’s race on the spot. Murdoch managed to continue but lasted only a lap or two before retiring to the infield with damage of his own.
Joel Kergozou’s wretched run continued when contact with Dryden resulted in a punctured tyre, forcing him out once again and capping a punishing afternoon for one of the pre-meeting favourites.
Up front, Dillon MacHattie kept his nose clean and controlled proceedings to secure the win ahead of Dryden, while Riverside’s Ethan Kergozou carved his way through the field to claim an impressive third.
The final race shaped as a straight fight between MacHattie and Dryden for the championship honours. Joel Kergozou and Hamilton were also back in action and looked capable of influencing the outcome, but Hamilton’s charge ended early, making for one less big hitter.
The decisive moment came under a red light for debris. As the field slowed, Dryden attempted to gain valuable track position, but Marshall checked up abruptly. Dryden ploughed into the back of him, crumpling the front end of his car and ending his championship bid on the spot.
That left MacHattie in control out front, focused on keeping his nose clean, while Ethan Kergozou applied steady pressure in second. Joel Kergozou looked increasingly comfortable in his new car and showed genuine pace as the laps wound down.
MacHattie duly brought it home to win Heat Three, Ethan Kergozou again impressive in second, and Joel Kergozou taking confidence from a solid third.
But the drama was far from over.
On his warm-down lap, MacHattie made heavy contact with Hughes down the back straight, tearing out his own suspension. From the tower, it looked suspicious, almost as if the race winner had deliberately driven into Hughes, an uncharacteristic move and an extraordinary risk after securing victory.
Officials initially excluded MacHattie from the results. However, following a protest and Hughes admitting he had moved across in front of him, the decision was overturned.
MacHattie was reinstated and crowned Southland Streetstock Champion, with Ethan Kergozou second and Dryden third.
And even then, the story had one final twist.
For the second meeting in succession, the club’s abacus wasn’t working, and the tally went awry.
After Dryden had collected the third-place trophy and delivered his speech, a recount revealed an error and revealed that Jonothan Delaney was in fact third overall.
Dryden was left to hand back the silverware, bringing an extraordinary championship night to a fittingly chaotic close.
Six Shooters and Stockcars ran in support of this meeting.
In Six Shooters, race wins went the way of Danny Livingstone, Eli Bartley and Kadin Cracknell, all of Riverside, while Dunedin’s Nico Tuhura was all class in Stockcars, winning three of the four Stockcar races, Riverside’s Gary Mowat taking the other.