The summer heat matched the intensity on the track as fans packed Milestone Homes Top of the South Speedway for an unforgettable New Zealand Streetstock Championship.
Sponsored by Richmond Exhaust and Radiator Specialists and Prokut, the two-night event was filled with drama, rollovers and nail-biting run-offs that decided championship places right to the final flag.
Defending champion Jareb Verdoner was the biggest casualty, suffering a flat tyre just three laps into his opening race before engine issues ended his title defence in heat two. Other contenders, including 2nz Benji Smaill, former champion Allan Finch and local hope Ryan Musgrove, were forced into the repercharge the following day to fight for a finals berth.
Seven Nelson drivers made the championship finals group, with Musgrove scraping through after sliding over the pole line in the repercharge. He joined Cody McCarrison, Perry Soper, Jordan Gillespie, Laurie Harrington, Taylor Lynch and Thomas Macleod to face nine Canterbury cars, seven from Dunedin and lone drivers from Invercargill, Wanganui and Auckland. The biggest spill for locals came when 16-year-old Andre Musgrove rolled spectacularly on night one, one of several high-flying crashes across the weekend.
Championship heats ramped up the drama. Heat one sorted the points leaders, while heat two saw big names targeted. Baily Gilliam, a strong mover in heat one, turned the tables by rolling his attacker Kahu Epiha in turn one. Former champions Simon Bland and 3nz Steve Dryden were among those parked early, ending their chances.
The final heat was a war of attrition. Four of the top five cars were from Christchurch, with Dunedin’s best sitting second. Nelson needed multiple breakdowns to have a shot at the 1nz title. Musgrove, sitting eighth before the final heat, became a target but flipped the script by putting Dunedin’s Scott Palmer on the fence. Only 13 cars finished, with the infield littered with broken machines.
Mitch Lavender, second overall before the final, lasted just two laps after a hit blew his engine, despite swapping in his father’s motor to make the start. Former champion Paul Leslie drove a dream race, aided by teammates acting as blockers, to finish second in the final heat and claim his second national title by five points. A run-off decided second and third, with Jono Garthley and Matt Peterson tied on points. Peterson, a former South Island champion, edged Garthley after a tense cat-and-mouse battle, sealing a full Canterbury podium for the fourth time in championship history.
The non-qualifiers’ finale offered redemption for top guns, with Smaill taking the win ahead of Finch and Blenheim’s Jason Fox in his comeback season. Heavy bumper use throughout the heats meant plenty of overnight repairs ahead of next weekend’s New Zealand Grand Prix.
Super Saloons added extra spectacle with two rounds of the SuperCup. 1nz Mark Osborne endured a rough start, hitting a parked car at full speed on night one, but bounced back with a second-place finish in a thrilling duel with Bodie Abrahamson on night two. Osborne’s son Ashton stole the show, winning both rounds in style.
Ian Burson claimed a home-track win in the opening heat on night two, while Dale Bigwood’s night ended upside down after a heavy crash. The Nelson club delivered an outstanding event, with intense racing, spectacular rollovers and a championship outcome that stayed uncertain until the final flag.
