Baypark racer James Earl (22m) won the inaugural Aotearoa F2 Midget title last season and faces a strong field chasing the 2026 edition this Saturday night.
Photo / Stuart Whitaker/The Write Angle
Baypark racer James Earl (22m) won the inaugural Aotearoa F2 Midget title last season and faces a strong field chasing the 2026 edition this Saturday night.
Photo / Stuart Whitaker/The Write Angle
Baypark Speedway returns to life on Saturday night after a month‑long break, unleashing a triple header of championship racing for its Battle of the Bay meeting.
Formula 2 midget cars, stock cars and sprint cars will all contest major titles, while Super Stock racing also features on the packed programme.
Last summer, Baypark hosted the inaugural — and unofficial — national title for the F2 midgets, a class currently recognised as regional by Speedway New Zealand.
“The event proved hugely popular, and the Aotearoa F2 midget crown returns for a second edition this weekend with a 21‑car field drawn from Auckland and Baypark," a Baypark Speedway statement said.
Defending champion James Earl will look to retain his title, with last season’s runner‑up Dion Kendall also back in the hunt.
Third‑place finisher Holly Russell is now racing in Australia, but her former BSL Racing car returns with top midget racer Luke McClymont at the wheel.
Adding further interest is an entry from sprint car driver and former NZ Mini sprint champion Christian Hermansen.
“Aucklander Troy Jeffries has set the pace for the class this season with his Honda‑powered machine, while Baypark regulars Brynn Jackson and Tylar Browne have also produced strong summer performances," the Baypark statement said.
The night’s stock car action features a formidable line‑up of visiting Auckland and Rotorua drivers taking on Baypark’s home‑track competitors in the annual Harry Fredrickson Memorial Gold Cup.
Last year’s winner Karl Garnett will not return, but podium finishers Sam Wright and Jordan Latham are both back for another shot at one of Baypark’s premier trophies, the statement said.
Chloe Ingram (31m) is one of the leading home track contenders entered for this Saturday night’s Harry Fredrickson Memorial Gold Cup Stock Car contest at Baypark Speedway. Photo / Stuart Whitaker/The Write Angle
“The fastest stock car driver at Baypark this season, Chloe Ingram, is also a key contender. Waihi super stock racer Ross Ashby, competing in a borrowed car, adds another layer of intrigue to the field.
“Sprint car fans can expect intensity to rise yet again, with the Bay of Plenty Championship drawing a 20‑car field — the largest seen in the North Island this summer."
Leading the line-up is Hamilton’s Daniel Thomas, fresh from winning his second New Zealand title in Cromwell last month. Saturday night also marks the first Baypark appearance this season for Wellington hard‑charger Stephen Taylor.
Former national champions Rodney Wood, Jonathan Allard, Jamie Larsen and Michael Pickens join early‑season feature race winners Ryan O’Connor and Keaton Dahm, making for a stacked grid for the 25‑lap BOP title race.
