North Island Midget Car champion Aaron Hodgson (25) battles with Hayden Guptill (91) in early season action at Baypark Speedway. Photo / Supplied
North Island Midget Car champion Aaron Hodgson (25) battles with Hayden Guptill (91) in early season action at Baypark Speedway. Photo / Supplied
There is big money on the line this weekend for the front runners in Baypark Speedway's all new signature event for the crowd pleasing midget cars.
The Baypark 50-lap midget car feature will be raced on Saturday night. The field, featuring New Zealand's best drivers, is set to battle fora $20,000 prize fund with $5000 awarded to the 50-lap victor.
The race will be the longest staged for any racing class at Baypark Speedway since the track opened in October 2001.
The format is expected to test both the speed and endurance of drivers and their highly-tuned open wheel racing machines as well as chassis set-up skills of crew chiefs.
The entry list is headed by nine-time national champion Michael Pickens who has already cashed-in with a $5000 win at Baypark Speedway this season when he won the NZ Sprint Car Championship in January.
Over the last 20 years Pickens has recorded 183 feature race wins, including more than 10 50-lap race victories in New Zealand and Australia.
New Zealand Midget Car champion Michael Pickens has a strong record of success in 50-lap races both in New Zealand and Australia. Photo / Supplied
Former national champion Brad Mosen along with Hayden Williams - who recently put together a streak of three midget feature wins at Baypark - Hayden Guptill, impressive midget car rookie Ryan Baker, Max Guildford, Nathan Howard, teenager Travis Buckley and reigning North Island champion Aaron Hodgson will be some of the other leading contenders.
Baypark Speedway promoter and former midget car driver Bill Buckley said he was excited to introduce the 50-lapper as Baypark's marque event for the midget car competitors.
"The intention is to make the Baypark 50-lapper an annual event and when international travel restrictions are eased the future editions of the race are sure to attract international competitors," Buckley said.
The 50-lapper will adopt a US-style format involving time trials followed by quick-fire "dash" races to determine the starting line up for the main event.
A further innovation will be the use of double file restarts up until the final five laps of the race.
In addition to the $5000 winner's payout there is a chance for drivers to cash in further with a $500 Quick Time award paid to the fastest qualifier and a $500 Hard Charger prize for the driver who improves the most starting positions in the 50-lapper.
Sprint cars, F2 midgets and mini stocks will also compete on Saturday's programme.
