The Streetstocks gave us a taste of what might happen at the NZ title when we return to racing in the New Year, a full fielmade for some chaotic racing in the open club championship, with Cody McCarrison and Jason Fox ending up on their lids almost in the same spot just laps apart in the opening heat, 11 cars unable to complete the first race with a range of issues from flat tyres to bent steel. The final wash-up had had former NZ champion Paul Leslie snaking home by a single point over Ryan Musgrove and Benji Smaill who were tied for 2nd=, no time for a run-off, Musgrove getting nod into second with a quicker lap time. 

The title will not be an easy pick with multiple former NZ champions on the pace, Allan Finch will be trying to reclaim the title from two years ago, a “D” on the car giving him an edge with the Otago club winning 3 out of the last 4 championships. The Nelson track providing few spaces to hide and the concertina effect can prove fatal for anyone’s chances. The full field of Stock cars dished up some menacing racing, a couple of cars and drivers feeling the effects of some tough hitting, but through it all, the “on-Loan Coyote” Riley Eathorne cruised to the club title with 2 race wins and a 3rd to end a successful night on home turf, Jack Rarity returning with 2nd at the South Island’s last week, being the bridesmaid again this week, the “Cheesecutter” Kohu Whalon in 3rd. 

There might be a rush on steel as several cars were sporting some huge damage, not sure what was in the water, but many had had a sip or 2. The Super Stock were running for their club title, they were happy to play non-contact with their NZ title just a few weeks away, joined by Harley Robb, it was a test of horsepower on a different surface most had run on all season, it is similar to what they will find in Wellington mid-January. 

Alex Hill using wife Alicia to do the block work according to Brett Nicholls, Alicia thinking it was more like hanging on for dare-life on a slick surface. Tigers Captain Blake Hearne was bullied by his team manager Shane Harwood on a couple of occasions, while Callum Russ was just happy to get laps in battling with Luke Higgins, newbie Josh Lovell impressed on his first outing, staying on the pace while learning how to drive a car with double the cylinders and fifty times the horsepower of his Ministock days. 

Alex Hill getting his car running on rails just before the NZ’s winning from Brett Nicholls and Harley Robb for 2nd and 3rd respectively.  The Youth Ministocks were cut short by time to get their fourth race in for their pairs event, race wins to Dylan Johnston, Aiden McKendrick and Locky Martin, some deft driving around the back markers by the race leaders showing a high skill level on an easier handling track, less issues when the youngsters don’t have to fight ruts and bumps in a big field of drivers who have a wide range of experience. 

Ministocks having the most diverse range of speeds in a grade at the club, the future drivers of speedway challenged by low horse powered, bouncy, small tyred car that feels every rut, racing against the range of speed and talent in an often full field just adds to the pressures of a young driver, understanding just how hard that is and what can be learnt can be shown when they step into more responsive and easier handling vehicle as many of our former youth drivers have shown. The best pairs in the Production Saloons was a diversity of ages amongst the winners, 3rd place getters giving away 200+ years on the winners in age, the 2 teenagers of Easton Salter and Morgan Wells impressive in their early days in the grade, David Allan and Richard Ross coming home in second with Dave Leitch in his last race as a 79-year old before returning as an octogenarian in the new year was joined by fellow retiree  Eddie Frans as his partner to take out the top prize. Quarter Midgets had a healthy field of cars, Darcy Rasmussen picking up the feature win, sadly opening heat winner Bailey Bensemann had a water leakage issue (the car, not the driver, lol) and was forced to retire for the night, Blake Stilwell and Lakyn Thompson filling the podium as the visiting Christchurch cars were happy to get time in on the Nelson track, everyone keeping wheels(just) on the track this time around. A handful of Midgets turned up for the Leigh Marquet Memorial night, the 5 cars getting in some laps, now knowing the NZ title will be in Nelson next season, the local registered cars of Jamie Brown and Nathan Wilkie keeping the club on the Midget car map. Both heat wins to Nathan Wilkie, but it was Craig Cox that took feature honours from Ben Smith and Wilkie to fill the podium, the Nelson track should provide another epic Midget title next year if the surface is the same as last night. The final round of the club TQ title could’ve been straight out of a Stephen King novel, it had early suspense, then to what liked like the predicted outcome, only to turn into a horror at the final moment to change the ending that you only feared might happen. A summery would-be Morgan Frost headed into the final 3 races with a 4-point buffer over Kohen Thompson, with Lachy Brett another 3 behind Thompson. 

The rest would need all 3 to tip over to have a realistic chance of becoming club champ. After heat one the lead was closed to 3 points then expanded to 5 points after heat 2 going into the feature race, with Frost starting off the back as top points getting after the heats, he had to stay within a few cars of Thompson to claim the title, Brett needing both cars to break to have any chance of winning. Morgan made his way up through the field, sitting behind Thompson it was where he needed to be and the title was his, Dylan Bensemann had the race sown up, out to a handy lead it was Graeme Porter finding pre-Xmas speed to sit in second, but a three-way battle ensued. Frost and Thompson trying to get past Porter but on the final lap, Frost rode the rear wheel of Porter sending himself careering into the wall and up and over he went. 

The flag had dropped for Bensemann to take the win as the caution came on, the race called, it was deemed by the referee that the caution was by Frost and was given a DNF but still given last points that tied him for 2nd overall with Lachy Brett. Kohen Thompson in his victory speech mentioning the 2 points he lost last year in the final heat depriving of the title last year, happy to get his hands on the trophy. 

Morgan Frost is perhaps one of the unluckiest drivers I have watched in my speedway career, when hot he is unbeatable, but when it goes wrong, it’s usually to the extreme at the worst possible time, the talent is there, but the luck leaves at the most inconvenient of times. The track staff have been flat out trying to make sense of a misbehaving track, a high water table and late week rain not helping in getting a platform to work off, but the efforts were rewarded with a flat track that allowed drivers to battle each other without battling the track as well, the roll overs caused by riding the wall rather than catching the ruts, it was a cool night, jackets on instead of sunscreen, but plenty of action as the club sees out 2025 and will begin 2026 with the NZ Streetstock Championship. 

See you all next year, can’t wait to see drivers ranging from 8 to 80 doing their stuff on the track, isn’t that right Dave Leitch..         

Jody Scott📸 BM Photography

Article added: Monday 22 December 2025