Modified Sprints

Jayden Fraser was the man to beat in Modified Sprints, the Riverside driver having been the class of the grade this season. He would smash the opposition in Heat 1 to secure victory over Glen Johnston of Beachlands and Shae McKenzie of Dunedin.

Johnston would turn the tables in Heat 2, despite Fraser having multiple attempts at making a pass. He couldn’t make it stick, giving Johnston the race win with Fraser second with McKenzie third.

Fraser’s redemption came in Race 3, racing off to a fast start and easily taking the win. McKenzie pressured Johnston but would get home in second, McKenzie consistent with his third 3rd placing of the night.

Heat 1 of night two produced a shock winner, with former 2NZ Streetstock driver McKenzie upstaging Friday’s winners to claim his maiden Modified Sprint win. Fraser settled for second, with Johnston third.

Johnston held out a fierce challenge from Fraser in Heat 2, with McKenzie not far off the pace. Those three drivers would remain in those placings when the checkered flag dropped.

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The final race for Modified Sprints saw Fraser dominate from out front, smashing his rivals to cap off a big weekend of racing for the Riverside speedster. Fraser’s clubmate Vernon Helms struck some excellent form over the weekend, getting up to second, while McKenzie raced home in third.

Youth Saloons

Youth Saloons provided some excellent clean racing with no cautions until the third heat. Dunedin’s Max Kemp was chased after breaking away to a solid lead. He would fight off clubmate Jayden Cron to take the Heat 1 win, with Cron second ahead of Noah Kitto of Dunedin.

Cron would go one better in Heat 2 following a solid battle with Riverside’s Joshua Richardson, who got away to a good start. Cron would snatch the lead late in the race to claim the win, with Richardson second and Brooke Soper of Beachlands third.

It was newcomer Lachie Robertson of Riverside who bought Heat 3 to a brief stop with a big rollover in Turn 2, the car hitting a rut and firing upside down. At the restart, Cron would again get his way to the front of the pack and go on to win the race. Madi Stewart of Dunedin claimed a well- driven second, with Kemp up to third.

The next day’s Heat 4 saw Kitto hit the wall before passing the green flag, bringing a complete restart. On her last night of racing in the Youth grade, Stewart got off to a flying start, getting past the cars on the front row and powering off unchallenged to take her last-ever win in Youth Saloons. Richardson placed second, with Beachland’s Ashley Bennett fast in third.

The fifth heat was a heartbreaker for Kemp, who was fighting hard with his clubmate Cron when his engine blew, causing the car to catch fire. Kemp was visibly gutted but would return for the finale thanks to a great act of sportsmanship from Richardson, who gave up his car to Kemp to participate.

Beachland’s Max Fleet had a tough race, two spins bringing out cautions. The race win would go the way of Cron, with Soper second and Kitto third. The final Youth Saloon race for the season was fast and tidy with no cautions. It was fitting that Cron would get to the front of the pack and win the race in his last meeting in the grade. Kitto placed second, with Cayden Race of Riverside Speedway third.

With this race done, The Young and The Restless Championship went the way of Cron, Campbell and Schumacher, with Dunedin’s Lycan Cuff – Willman, Lavender and Andrew second and Bennett, MacHattie and Jenkins third.

Stockcars

The Stockcars were as entertaining as always, with Dunedin’s Zane Tuhura in one of those moods where he would inflict as much pain as he could. Trazarn Ryland-Annabell would take an easy Heat 1 win from Dunedin’s Nico Tuhura, with clubmate Liam Squire third.

Ryland- Annabell would start from the front row in Race 2, remaining unchallenged for the second race in a row. Nico Tuhura was second, with Squire rounding out the top three.

The third heat saw plenty of biff and bash, showcasing a Tuhura versus Simon family battle, with three members of each family attacking each other at every opportunity.

Squire would work his way to the front in this heat and remain there to take the win. Savannah Simon drove an excellent race for second, while her father, Paul, settled for third.

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The next day, Nico Tuhura was too strong for the opposition taking the opening heat ahead of Dunedin’s Zac McClenaghan and Ryland-Annabell.

The second race saw more action and some solid hits, notably when Riverside driver Adam Naber placed Beachland’s Mike Holley up the wall at Turn 2. Ryland- Annabell would take this race over Nico Tuhura and Shannon Simon.

This left one race to run, with an early stoppage required when Naber put Shannon Simon into the Turn 2 wall. It wasn’t long after this hit that Holley would again be up the wall, this time in Turn 3. When the flag dropped, Nico Tuhura was the first man past the line, ahead of Ryland- Annabell and Savannah Simon.

The results for the Man of Steel went to Nico Tuhura over Ryland-Annabell and Paul Simon, while Zane Tuhura took the stirrers award ahead of Naber and McClenaghan.

Saloons

Saloons were running a 40-lap race to cap the opening evening off, first running two 10-lap heat races to determine that grid.

Heat 1 saw Christchurch driver Ashton Osborne easily take apart the opposition to bag top points. Second went the way of Dunedin’s Travis Smith, who held off a fast-finishing Aaron Andrews of Dunedin.

Race 2 was another race dominated by a Christchurch driver in a Stealth, this time Peter “Dutchy” Schouten clearing out from the front to bag the win. Ryan Bennett of Dunedin was second, while Andrews was again at the top end of town in third. Andrews would lead the field into turn one of the 40-lap race, having never been beaten in previous years in the event, once again looking the part early. It was only a matter of time before Osborne and Schouten would start to make a move for the lead.

There was an early caution when local driver Wayne Bennett spun but managed to re-join, while Smith suffered steering damage heading into Turn 3, putting him out of the race.

At the restart, Osborne bolted from the field only to come to a grinding halt when Dunedin driver Calvin Todd spun in Turn 2, the leader making light contact with him but able to continue. Riverside’s Mark Dobson was starting to put together some fast laps and began making his way through the field, but a spin late in the race saw the Southlander fall down the order.

Osborne would continue to impress to come home first, winning the 40-lap race with ease. Schouten would be second, and Andrews third.

Saloons were back on Saturday, racing for the Donald Maclean Trophy, Osborne continuing from where he left off in Heat 1 with a dominant win over Bennett and Dobson.

Dobson got away to a flying start in Race 2 while the pack battled hard behind and would take the win, with Gold driving well to get to second and Andrews third.

The final Saloon race was again fast and clean despite Osborne being forced out with steering issues, which opened the fight for the silverware. Gold and Andrews put on a fantastic show, with the latter constantly threatening to pass in a fierce battle for the lead.

Gold would take the heat win ahead of Andrews and Shane Greer of Dunedin.

Victory in the finale saw Gold claim the Donald Maclean Trophy over Andrews and Dobson.

Production Saloons

Friday’s meeting also saw the final night of action for Production Saloons, with the grade not competing on Saturday. You could not fault the driving in the first three heats with just the one caution when Lucy Greer of Dunedin had her bonnet flip over her roof in Heat 1.

Dunedin’s Liam Gillies and Clubmate Aaron Brookland were both class acts across the heats, with Gilles taking the opener over Brookland and Dunedin’s Clay Marshall.

Heat 2 would also go the way of Gillies following a post-race penalty for Brookland. Dunedin’s Tyler Kelk was second, with Brookland pushed to third.

Gillies made it three-from-three in the finale off the back of a charging drive, Brookland was second, and Marshall third.

The feature saw Gillies and Brookland start from the rear and work their way through. Dunedin’s Ricki Pilley would get the lead mid-race, but Gillies and Brookland would eventually get to him before both suffering problems.

Brookland looked to have mechanical issues but still raced home for sixth, while Gillies looked good for the win chasing Pilley before hitting the wall on the last straight while in second. This gave Pilley the win over Dunedin’s Kaleb Marshall and Gillies.

Super Saloons

A strong Super Saloon field was also at Beachlands for the Otago Super Saloon Championship. Christchurch’s Josh Boulton was an early scratching, damaging a rib before racing. A handy replacement was found in the way of three-time New Zealand Champion Mark Osborne of Christchurch.

Cromwell’s Owen Dixon bought out Heat 1’s only caution, hitting the wall hard coming out of Turn 2. Out front, it was Osborne who took apart the opposition, claiming the win from Ray Stewart of Cromwell and Ricky Boulton of Dunedin.

Osborne had an uncharacteristic spin in Turn 3 in Heat 2, his clubmate Trevor Elliott dominating the race from the front, holding off a strong Boulton challenge for the win, with Alister Lister of Dunedin third.

Boulton raced hard off the front in the finale, trailing Cromwell’s Greig Johnston early before eventually powering his way through for the lead which he held until the end on his home track. Johnston capped off a good race with second over Elliot in third.

Boulton would take the Otago Super Saloon Championship, with Elliott second and Johnston third overall.