Words by Daryl Shuttleworth- Presented by Evolution Motorsport
As fast as the Speedway season races past, so does the off season. Sipping cocktails poolside in Vietnam now feels like a distant memory as I prepare myself for what will be another action packed season of racing ahead.
Riverside Speedway in Invercargill will celebrate a milestone year, being fifty years since they opened their gates to the public, and Decembers celebrations will be a chance for members old and new to share some memories and look forward to the years ahead also.
The club returns with Aotea Electric as their naming rights sponsor.
The club calendar features 11 race days, with the classic double points, Southland Championships and Memorial meetings scattered across those dates.
Things kick into gear on October 10th at Riverside, with double points on offer to get driver’s accounts for overall season points off to a solid start.
One of the most popular events is the ILT Foundation Fireworks Extravaganza, taking place November 7th, with the following meeting, on the 22nd, the day most grades will be racing for a Memorial Trophy as well as the final round of the Brian FM Saloon Series.
December 4th and 5th will mark the club’s 50th Anniversary Celebrations, with two full days of racing across separate classes before the celebrations continue off the track with an evening of dinner and entertainment at Bill Richardson’s Transport World, bringing a huge weekend to a fitting close.
December 28th has become a popular date on Riversides calendar. It was only a few years ago Riverside essentially shut up shop over Christmas, but they’ve now put themselves right between Beachlands’ Christmas meeting and Central Motor Speedway’s meetings to give drivers and fans a weeks worth of action across the three southern tracks.
The December 28 meeting is also the New Zealand Streetstock Grand Prix, which will be nothing short of entertaining.
January 29th and 30th will also be huge at Riverside, as the club will host the New Zealand Stockcar Grand Prix.
While the club are openly a little frustrated that both the Stockcar and Streetstock Grand Prix are not running off the back of a New Zealand title somewhere close by, both being held in the North Island, they still believe the meetings will attract some of the best drivers in the grades.
Three meetings featuring local championships will bring the season to a close at Riverside, culminating in the Demolition Ramp Derby on April 17th.
Beachlands Speedway in Dunedin will have a different feel about it this season, with last years action being cut short following the tragic passing of Paul Simon. It is great to see that Simon will be celebrated throughout the season.
The club welcomes some new faces onto their committee as well as South City Panel Beaters as their naming rights partner.
The season kicks off in spectacular fashion on October 31st, with Southern Pride put on the line as the Otago Outlaws and Southland Spartans face off in Stockcar Teams racing.
That meeting is the first of 12 events at Beachlands, and will kick off a calendar full of Memorials, local championships, and two Grand Prix events.
Two November meetings on the 14th and 28th will feature a selection of local titles, before the Saloons take centre stage on December 12th to battle it out for the Don McLean Memorial.
December 27th will be an emotional day for the club, with the running of the Paul Simon Memorial across all grades providing the first opportunity to celebrate the life of a fantastic man who gave so much to the club and the sport of speedway.
The programme will also feature Six Shooters battling for the Otago Championship, adding another major title to what promises to be a special day at Beachlands.
January is Grand Prix time at Beachlands, with the Saloons taking centre stage on January 16th before the Super Saloons follow a week later on January 23rd. Back-to-back weekends of high-speed action will make for a huge month at the venue.
It is also exciting to see a resurgence of Super Saloons racing at Beachlands Speedway this season. The class has a great history at the venue, and seeing numbers build again will be a welcome sight for fans and competitors alike.
Rolling out of a massive January and February 13th will be Sprintcar action, followed by the Fireworks Meeting on February 27th.
March is when Beachlands really starts to buzz, with plenty of bash and crash action on the calendar, including the Eastcoast Streatstock Teams Champs on March 20th.
Streetstock action in the South is next level brutal, and these teams will do anything they have to do to upstage their competition. This event will also have a round of the War Of The Wings Sprintcars to make it one not to miss.
The final two nights of action at Beachlands Speedway come on April 9th and 10th, and if there is one meeting on the calendar that I would personally recommend fans make the effort to attend, this is it.
The Battle of the Streetstocks delivers two nights of hard-fought action, with local Streetstock drivers paired with an out-of-town competitor and seemingly little regard for the machinery. It is fast, aggressive and unpredictable, making for an action-packed two nights and the perfect way to bring the season to a close while leaving fans wanting more when the gates open again the following season.
Powderworx Central Motor Speedway in Cromwell will also host 12 events, the biggest being the CK Catering Dirt Track Cafe New Zealand Saloon Championship.
The season gets underway on October 24th with the Central Otago Championships across all grades, alongside the Pink Ribbon Classic, which will help raise awareness and support for those affected by breast cancer.
From there, Central Motor Speedway returns to action on November 20th, with just $10 admission giving fans a fantastic opportunity to enjoy a quality night of racing. At what I consider to be the best track in the country, it is an opportunity that should be hard for any speedway fan to pass up, with the action continuing on November 21st for the second night of the double-header.
The Central Motor Speedway public calendar is a little bit lacking in what is unfolding on certain nights as there is still a few events being finalised at this point in time.
Racing will also take place on December 19th before the Christmas period gets underway in Cromwell, always a popular time of year for families. Central Motor Speedway will then round out the festive period with racing on December 30th and January 1st, providing plenty of action over the holiday break.
This all leads to the big dance, the CK Catering Dirt Track Cafe New Zealand Saloon Car Championship, this year’s Jewel in the Crown in Cromwell.
The championship will attract the best Saloon drivers from right across New Zealand for two huge nights of racing on January 8th and 9th. If you’re planning on making the trip, book your accommodation now. This promises to be a brilliant show and one you won’t want to miss.
Youth drivers will take centre stage on February 20th, with the meeting also providing an opportunity to showcase Central Motor Speedway’s newest class, Quarter Midgets, alongside Youth Ministocks and Youth Saloons.
Daryl Ainsley will be celebrated on March 6th before the club heads into its Easter meetings on March 25th and 27th, bringing a busy season to a close before April has even arrived.
With all of this on offer, along with the two-wheeled action at Oreti Park Speedway, there will be plenty to keep Southland speedway fans entertained throughout the summer.
It promises to be a fantastic season of local racing, and it will be great to see fans turning out in their droves to support speedway in the south.