Words: Daryl Shuttleworth – Presented by Evolution Motorsport
Images: Caleb’s Speedway Photography (Supplied)
After heavy rain and hail threatened to derail proceedings just 24 hours earlier, Dunedin turned on the sunshine for the opening meeting of the 2026/27 season at South City Panel Beaters Beachlands Speedway last weekend.
The track was in superb condition, the venue looked a picture, and a bumper crowd poured through the gates, eager for their first taste of speedway action for the new season.
Headlining the action was the Fastlane Spares Trophy between the local Otago Outlaws Stockcar team, and a visiting Southland Spartans from Riverside.
Before racing got underway, all cars assembled on the track for a minute’s silence in memory of Paul Simon, who tragically lost his life in an incident at Beachlands last season. It was a fitting and moving tribute to a man who gave so much to the club he loved.
With the poignant tribute complete, attention turned to the racing ahead, with the opening meeting also offering an early glimpse of the preparations being made for a big season of Stockcar teams racing.
Both the Outlaws and Spartans deserve credit for the presentation of their cars, with both teams looking superb on track. With the New Zealand Stockcar Teams Championship heading to the South Island for the first time, courtesy of the Canterbury Crushers, it’s clear teams are stepping up their preparations and eager to establish themselves as genuine contenders.
For Otago, season campaigner Mark Taylor managed a team consisting of Nico and Zane Tuhura, Bailey Mitchell, Peter Young and Steven Thompson. Zane Tuhura was named as the Outlaws’ reserve.
Renowned teams racer Adam Naber oversaw the Southland Outlaws lineup of Jesse Hamilton, Baylee Mowat, Phil Johnston, Cayden Race and Shaun Hughes. Unfortunately, Hughes spun in turn three before the race had began, ruling him out of the contest.
Race lined up on the front row for the Spartans and immediately went on the defensive, holding his brakes on the inside line. His race was over within the opening lap, however, as Thompson and Mitchell began to pull clear for the Outlaws.
Nico Tuhura and Young were outstanding in their blocking roles, allowing Thompson to establish a handy advantage at the front. Mitchell remained close behind, perfectly positioned to take over should the Spartans manage to get to the race leader.
That was exactly how things unfolded, with Mitchell sweeping into the lead as Thompson inevitably came under attack. Behind them, Young and Nico Tuhura continued to cause havoc for the Spartans, whose challenge was quickly unravelling. Hamilton was out of contention, Johnston was left limping along the back straight, and suddenly Mowat was the last man standing, facing an uphill battle to pull off what would have been a remarkable upset.
It proved a hill too steep to climb for Mowat, who was left fighting a losing battle without support. Johnston eventually managed to get rolling again, but it was too little, too late for the Spartans. Mitchell crossed the line ahead of Thompson to complete a commanding one-two finish for the Otago Outlaws, securing the Fastlane Spares Trophy in emphatic fashion.
The Outlaws have been a team on the improve for the last couple of season, and have impressed at several the major teams meetings. The line up has remained consistent, and that showed against a fairly new Spartans team who are on the rebuild, but showing signs of promise also.
Thompson was unstoppable in the other Stockcar action of the event, winning all three races to claim the Opening Night Trophy ahead of Nico Tuhura in second, and Young in third.
It was a baptism of fire for Isla Fox-Millar in the Youth Saloons, with the youngster among a handful of newcomers making their racing debuts. All acquitted themselves tremendously well across the three races, but for Fox-Millar, her first meeting would prove particularly memorable for all the wrong reasons.
In race two, Fox-Millar found herself caught in the middle of a fierce battle for the lead, with three of the faster youngsters bearing down on her, including her brother Blake, Kaian Greene and Isiah Stretton. Unfortunately, contact with the leading cars resulted in a violent rollover, bringing her race to a premature end in frightening fashion.
Thankfully, Fox-Millar walked away from the incident with little more than a few aches and pains, and despite the setback, is already eager to get back behind the wheel.
Greene was the class of the Youth Saloon field, producing a flawless performance with three wins from as many starts to claim the Opening Night Trophy. Stretton secured second overall, while a consistently strong showing from Lycan Cuff saw him round out the podium in third.
Jake Barr was another driver to see Beachlands Speedway from a different perspective, courtesy of a spectacular rollover in the second Streetstock heat. A well-timed nudge from Kerry Campbell in turn four sent the local driver tumbling, although thankfully Barr emerged unscathed.
Campbell showed plenty of pace throughout the evening, going on to claim victory in the third heat, while his brother Kelly took the honours in race two. Former National Champion Allan Finch had earlier drawn first blood with victory in the opening encounter.
When the points were tallied, it was Kelly Campbell who emerged on top to claim the Opening Meeting Trophy, with Jayden Armishaw finishing runner-up and Ben Jenkins completing the podium in third.
Production Saloons delivered plenty of entertainment across all three heats, with a little biff and barge thrown in for good measure.
Cam Bower was once again the man to beat, continuing a red-hot start to the season that had already seen him claim Opening Night Championship honours at both Riverside and Central Motor Speedway in recent weeks. A third consecutive triumph was firmly on the cards after Bower took victory in the opening heat.
Riverside’s Hayden Skilling struck back to win race two, while Noah Kitto claimed the final heat. However, Bower’s consistency across the three races was enough to complete his impressive opening-night trifecta, taking overall honours ahead of Kitto in second and Skilling in third.
Ricky Boulton continued his winning ways in the Super Saloons, completing a clean sweep of all three races, although his final victory was anything but straightforward.
Newcomer Luke Fallow, who is quickly finding his feet in the grade, pushed Boulton hard in the third heat and looked capable of causing an upset. Boulton had other ideas, however, snatching the lead late in the contest to secure his third win of the evening and overall honours.
Fallow’s impressive showing earned him second overall, while Jasmine Boulton rounded out the podium in third, producing a much-improved performance as she continues to get to grips with Super Saloon racing.
The Saloons produced some of the closest racing of the evening, with three fiercely contested heats ultimately unable to separate the top two drivers on points, forcing a runoff to decide the overall winner.
Cromwell’s Blayr Findlay was the class of the field in the opening heat, taking a convincing victory before local driver Aaron Andrews showed his pace to claim race two. Fellow Cromwell competitor Travis Smith then made the most of a front-row start in the final heat, proving untouchable on his way to victory.
Those results were enough to secure Smith third overall, but the battle for top honours was far from settled, with Andrews and Blenheim’s Sam Martin left to fight it out in a winner-takes-all runoff.
Martin made the better start and quickly established himself at the front, although Andrews wasn’t prepared to let him have it all his own way. The local driver mounted several challenges in the early stages, but Martin held his nerve and kept his rival at bay to claim overall victory.
Andrews was nevertheless delighted to secure second overall, bringing an entertaining night of Saloon racing to a close.
Beachlands Speedway returns to action on November 14, when the East Coast Stockcar Teams Championship takes centre stage.