A change of format for the PTS Stampede only enhanced its reputation as a headliner meeting, its build-up to the NZ Super Stocks 2 years ago was talked about all winter, this year’s event ran into some major hurdles.

A compressed race calendar leaving the window almost closed, major issues with ferry crossings and rainouts only compounded the situation, but the club continued in its efforts to produce a riveting meeting.

Some frantic work at the 11th hour getting Zac Glenny across the Strait proving how determined the team behind the event are.

The format switching from a one-off final race to a pairs event with teams ranked on points to 3-lap knock-out races to decide the champions, it’s the same format the Stock cars have been running for the past few years.

Adam Groome joined Glenny as our 2 visiting drivers after many of the regular drivers were sadly refused clearances from their home track.

The club were luckily enough to expand their racing stocks with Ian Burson making his return to the grade with the ex-Malcolm Ngatai Higgins built car, Ben Taylor has the ex Baypark buster Pollock Rees Superstock, Matt Inwood jumped into Ben’s old car, while Chris Baxter was out with the ex7r Rumney machine, the numbers continuing to grow.

A photoshoot of the Higgins race cars taken on Saturday, Groome’s car making its annual trip home to see Daddy.

A series of 5 heats before going into the shoot-out format had Alex Hill and Zac Gleeny pipping Shane Harwood and Brett Nicholls by a point to go directly into the final.

Ben Taylor top was on individual points, Callum Russ warmed up his bumper with a solid hit on Nicholls in the final heat, his partner Tiger captain Blake Hearne just lightly testing the bumper relishing the shoot-out format to get more teams practice in.

The shoot-out format was something new to several drivers, Josh Lovell and Alicia Hill new to the grade this year, having to quickly adjust to teams racing on a refined level.

Luke Higgins was running solo, but his knowledge would be needed when he was joined by Lovell after Baxter’s car struck issues.

They were first on the track against Jason Moir and Adam Groome, the former teams racers too good for the first-year pair, next up was Ian Burson who needed to check the memory banks while Alicia Hill was getting tips from husband Alex, the F45 pairing were eventually outfoxed by Groome and Moir.

Callum Russ and Blake Hearne revved onto the track, keen to get amongst it, they were quick to up the tempo, Groome and Hearne traded blows as Russ took the lead, Hearne then trying to block Moir as he broke away from Groome, a last shot on Russ by Moir left sparks along the pit gate and Russ with a flat tyre as they snuck through to face tiger team mates Taylor and Inwood.

The intensity went up another level as they all clashed going into the first turn, Taylor taking the lead, but it was a late effort by Hearne as Taylor spun up to claim the victory.

The next clash was a lesson on youthfulness and experience, it was a tough lesson learnt as Tiger Manager Shane Harwood left the Tigers captain high and dry up the back straight wall, the impending red light put on as Harwood slid quietly forward to allow the Hearne car to be towed off, Nicholl’s sitting behind the limping Russ car, the left front tyre looking ragged, the green had Nicholls power pass Russ, putting them into the final.

Hill and Glenny came out for the finale, Hill ended up finding it tough going after Glenny parked up after the opening lap, Hill kept busy as Harwood lead before Nicholl’s took over for the Stampede win, the old dogs have a new cup.

The Stock cars were a one horse race, Adam Hall and Jack Rarity almost able to skip the final heat such was their points lead, 3 big weeks of racing taking a toll on some of the cars, Andre Evans left on his side after a clean ride up the wall from Troy Cleveland, Cruiz McCreath looking for some river gold upon his return home to Reefton, the bill for the weekend not light, his rollover courtesy of James Mahuika, who slid him up the wall along the back straight Cruiz landing heavily on his front.

The shoot-out stage was new to many of the drivers, the advantage of higher points meant being able to watch the first few races to gain an idea of what is needed, the 3-lap race leaving little time to think and react.

Kynan Robinson and Elsie Vlaanderen slowly gaining confidence as they took care of Chris McKendrick and Chris Alty, Elsie used all her speed to sneak past the Charlie Boon and Kerry Walker combination, but that was their run done as Deegan Broker and Brenton Coleman took a liking to teams racing, they went on to defeat the Melissa Gifford and Troy Cleveland duo, Cleveland running into to trouble leaving Gifford to battle alone.

Kahn Wheeler was left with an impossible task with partner Laura Weir unable to make the start with gearbox issues, Kahn fought bravely against Broker and Coleman, but numbers were always against her.

The finale had a fresh duo of Rarity and Hall ready and waiting, they all found themselves piled up into the turn 2 wall, Rarity getting the break as the other 3 got caught up, Hall then went into block mode, shielding Rarity from attack, experience getting the job done.

The format gives a taste of teams racing while under normal rules, and its only 3 laps thus it’s more on tactics that muscle, execution needs to be precise, or it can be your downfall, short sharp races keep it interesting, and it builds nicely to what have been some epic finishes.

The Youth Ministocks were bursting at the seams, the entry list filled almost as soon it was released, 60 cars entered in the biggest Youth meeting in the South Island, a whole new level of racing which bodes well with growth of the grade in the South Island.

Rotorua, Wellington, Meeanee, Wanganui, Palmy all represented along with Cromwell, Christchurch, Blenheim to mix it with the local drivers, the competition intense with so many drivers in title contention. The rain out of M.I.P. gave the meeting a bit more impetus, it is quickly rising to be one of the big youth meetings around the country, the cold shoulder given to the youth lower in the Island is Nelson’s benefit.

The 18 heats of racing produced plenty of action, a few racing incidents extending some heats, while some were short and sharp, the referee’s maintaining a good standard of driver expectations, many of the drivers racing against each other for the first time, it was a chance to test themselves on a national level, the future of speedway has some talented drivers coming through.

The top ten drivers were only separated by the same number of points in the senior ranks, it wasn’t until the last race that the title was decided, while a final points list was shown there was a change before prize giving, there was an unintentional mistake on an entry form, (a tick of a box), that didn’t place a driver in the correct age group, it had no effect on thier racing results, just which group they were placed in, the end result had Christchurch driver Aiden Rae win the Novice section from Palmy’s Baxter Reid and local legend Talyor Martin.

The senior group was won by local driver Eli Gare from Christchurch’s Jack Anderton 2nd and Jaxon Dacombe 3rd. The competition was intense, many of the drivers will be champions of the future, the skill level required to race a low powered, small-tyred car only ups their skill level when they move to bigger more responsive cars, Mania is a key part of Stampede weekend.

The Production saloons ran on Friday night, nothing at stake other than pride, Easton Salter, Eddie Frans and Shaun Heath sharing wins, missing was birthday boy Geoff Watson (69) who was home looking after the wife, the average age of the grade rising yet again.

TQ’s had another round of their Tri-series, the fresh 2nz on the side of Lachy Brett, while an unfamiliar 8 was on the side of Jeremy Webbs car, Kohen Thompson was so close to having a low number after all 3 returned from a lengthy campaign up north that saw rainout after rainout. This was also a prequal to the South Island title to be held here in 2 weeks, the returning Jayden Corkill, a refreshed Cameron McKenzie coming up from Greymouth, 2 podium places in his return to racing, it’s a pretty tight knit group within the grade, the local drivers well supported with numbers.

The opening heat had the 2nz take the lead after lap 2 with Logan Scammell in for the fight with the returning drivers, Webb made his way up from 7th to 2nd with Thompson eking his way into 3rd just in front of Scammell. The first few laps had the drivers on a grippy track, it was a race incident that saw Jesse Morris take a tumble while Dave McSherry’s night was done with a broken front end.

The reverse grid saw a couple of drivers misread the track and struggled early in race 2 a huge battle between Cameron and Corkill developed, Webb joining in the latter stages, Corkill getting a 2-position relegation to give McKenzie the win.

The shootout was all Webbs until the final lap, the pressure from behind causing him to make an uncharacteristic mistake, spinning the car, a tough chase to catch a flying 2nz in the feature off grid 6. The feature was increased to 20 laps, it almost worked in Webb’s favour, Graeme Porter’s spin bringing out the caution with a couple of laps to go.

It was all on, a couple of slide jobs and a shut the door in the corner had Lachy Brett take the win by .13 of a second, Corkill coming home in 3rd ahead of Thompson who had plenty of work to do after a DNF in heat 2.

Local drivers Kynan Bezett and Dylan Bensemann having some great battles, Dylan keeping the car in one piece, a tropical island holiday still in the budget rather than a rabbit one.

The Historic’s are a regular part of the Stampede, a couple of extra bottles of oxygen bought out by St Johns for their 2 days of racing, the drivers paired by island numbers on their cars, they are handicapped by age of their cars (not the drivers)

Jeff Brooks car not finishing the 3rd heat after running out of (west coast) coal to stoke the engine, a few spins and plenty of banter after the races kept things ticking along, after the points were added up, divided by GST and times by heart rate of the driver, Ken Squire and Greg Ham were declared the winners, Peter Angelsey and Darrin Thomason 2nd , with the Rob Anglesey and Wayne Russ/ Dean Robinson combo claiming 3rd overall.

The Nelson club are onto a winner with the format, an entertaining weekend well worth attending, the ferry issues and finding a window that isn’t getting shut by weather and calendar movements vital to making it even better.

The hard work in trying times by the people behind the event is heroic, every grade played a part in its success, the flagship event on the Nelson calendar sure to be around for a long time.

Individual results can be found via Speedhive.co.nz