Images: Graham Hughes (Sportsweb Photography)
Thirteen of the country’s best Stockcar Teams are nearly ready for battle at The Toolshed Paradise Valley Speedway in Rotorua.
The New Zealand Stockcar Teams Championship sees the winner of the previous year’s event awarded hosting rights for the following season.
With the Rotorua Rascals successfully defending their title on home turf last year, Rotorua is again the scene of this unique event.
Unlike the Superstock Teams Championship, which is a privately run event, the Stockcar Teams Championship is an official Speedway New Zealand sanctioned event.
A notable omission in this year’s lineup is the Stratford Stormers. Last year’s runners-up, and former two-time winners of the event, the Stormers were unable to form a team for the weekend.
The Stormers’ absence was arguably foreshadowed by non-attendances at the other major North Island Stockcar Teams events this season, including the Stockcar Teams Invitational in Huntly and the Stockcar Teams Invasion in Palmerston North.
Three teams from the South Island have made the journey up to the Bay of Plenty, with the Otago Outlaws returning after a hiatus at the championship. The Canterbury Crushers and Central Coyotes are also making the big trip north again.
No South Island team has ever won the event, resulting in the championship only ever being contested in the North Island. However, the Southerners will enter the event with high expectations.
The line up for the Canterbury Crushers includes Harley Robb, the newly crowned 2NZ Stockcar from his impressive performance at Woodford Glen.
Robb is a four-time winner of the Superstock Teams Championship, and he is also joined by current Canterbury Glen Eagles teammate, Jay “Huggies” Holtham, a Superstock Teams Championship winner last season. Wade Sweeting also stands out as a key driver for the Cantabrians.
The Otago Outlaws have the potential to upset the more favoured teams and have already beaten the Crushers during the Mainland Stockcar Teams event at Woodford Glen earlier in the season. Their lineup includes a pair of Tuhura’s, Nico and Zane, alongside Steven Thompson.
Meanwhile, Nelsonian Riley Eathorne has been named in the Central Coyotes and the 3NZ Stockcar is a strong acquisition for the Cromwell team. The Coyotes also possess this season’s South Island Stockcar Championship winner, Casey McEwan.
Having won the Mainland Stockcar Teams event, the Coyotes will be optimistic of a stronger finish at the Stockcar Teams Championship than last season. Disqualifications decimated their points haul in their opening race last year before they lost 10-185 to a rampant Rotorua Rascals team in their second race.
A highly anticipated return to the New Zealand Stockcar Teams Championship for Asher and Ethan Rees has given the Gisborne Gladiators a huge boost.
Alongside father Peter, the family was instrumental in the back-to-back success of the Gladiators in their victories in the 2015-16 and 2016-17 seasons. Asher also won the Teams Championship with the Palmerston North Pumas in the 2012-13 season.
Alongside Asher and Ethan Rees, Brad McGee, who was a standout stirrer during the New Zealand Stockcar Championship finals at Woodford Glen, and Tim Ross, were all part of the Gisborne Giants who won the Superstock Teams Championship in Palmerston North.
Their team also includes former two-time Stockcar Teams Championship winner with the Stratford Stormers, Haydin Barker.
The menacing Gladiator lineup has already been in imperious form this season. They easily won the Stockcar Teams Invasion earlier in the season, and with five Stockcars permitted on track, recorded the rare scoreline of 195-0 in a total rout of the Palmerston North Colts in the final.
With the Rees returning to the Gladiators, Gisborne contracted driver Will Kaa has been named in the Baypark Bulldogs lineup this season. He is a strong addition to a settled team. The other five drivers were all part of the Bulldogs that were unfortunate not to make the knockout races last year.
The Bulldogs will take confidence from a third place finish at this season’s Stockcar Teams Invitational event at Huntly, when they beat the Meeanee Maulers in the third and fourth place playoff.
The most dominant team in the event’s history, the Wellington Young Guns, have won the championship an incredible eight times. However, they have had modest success more recently, with a victory in the 2019-20 season their only championship since a five-peat between the 2004-05 and 2009-10 seasons.
Whilst the Young Guns are without last year’s star, former New Zealand champion Benjamin Ellis, they possess the entertaining Harrison and Anthony Hocking. Daniel Pye, who was the subtotal leader at this season’s New Zealand Stockcar Championship, is also a key driver in their lineup.
The Palmerston North Pumas have been elevated to a seeded team because of the Stormers’ withdrawal. They were unlucky last season, winning both of their qualifying races before Benjamin Ellis singlehandedly defeated them in the quarterfinals. They then won their fifth place playoff race and won the Peter Barry Stockcar Teams event later that season.
Tyler Walker’s contractual switch to Palmerston North has further enhanced their lineup this season. He has won the Stockcar Teams Championship twice before, with the Stratford Stormers.
An experienced mix including the likes of Jared Davis, Hamish McLeod and Brendon Tye are likely to see the Pumas enter the championship with high hopes. Whilst they have won the championship on six previous occasions, their last victory was in the 2012-13 season.
The Auckland Alleycats will be heavily reliant on the experienced Gary Lonergan. The two-time former 3NZ Stockcar is also a two-time Stockcar Teams Championship winner during the Alleycats’ most recent victories in the 2022-23 and 2016-17 seasons. He won the final race at the Stockcar Teams Invitational in Huntly in January that saw the Alleycats win the event.
Teams racing star Corey Baker is also a two-time former Teams Championship winner and will be crucial to the Alleycats’ chances. Blake Brooks has progressed in recent seasons, and the Aucklander is one to watch over the weekend.
The Alleycats beat the Kihikihi Kings in the final of the Stockcar Teams Invitational event, and having made the quarterfinals of the Stockcar Teams Championship last season, they will feel confident entering this year’s championship.
Both Hamish and William Whyte made the finals of the New Zealand Stockcar Championship this season, and the hard hitting Caleb Hayes also returns amongst a competitive Kings lineup.
Brad Philpott and Clinton Cheetham, winners of the Stockcar Teams Championship in 2020-21, are key drivers in the Waikato Raiders. They also possess Jayden Dreadon-Manning who has shown immense pace this season, including at the North Island Stockcar Championship in Rotorua.
The Meeanee Maulers and Wanganui Vulcans remain in search of their maiden Stockcar Teams Championship victories, although both teams possess strong lineups.
Ethan Dorward, Royden Hynd, Leroy O’Riley, and Gibson Tout all return to the Maulers from last year’s team that disappointingly did not make the quarterfinals.
On the other hand, the Vulcans topped the qualifying points in last year’s championship before an unexpected loss to the Waikato Raiders in the first teams race on finals night.
Their lineup includes former two-time 2NZ Stockcar Dion Mooney, former 3NZ Stockcar Cody Lockett, and the exciting Lucas Hey, who previously contracted to Gisborne and raced for the Gladiators.
Finally, the Rotorua Rascals will enter the event targeting a rare threepeat. Having won the championship at Waikaraka Park in the 2023-24 season, they successfully defended the title on home turf last season.
The Young Guns (with five consecutive wins between 2005-06 and 2009-10) and Pumas (with three consecutive wins between 2010-11 and 2012-13) are the only teams to previously record a better winning streak.
Returning from last year’s successful lineup are Dion Henderson, Callum Flavell, Keegan Orr, Chris Shingleton, and Courtney Young. They are also all two-time defending champions, with Orr’s other victory racing for the Alleycats.
With the impressive Josh Fraser the only new addition to the 2026 Rascals team, the home crowd will be expectant of another strong performance from their local heroes.