Baypark Speedway hosts $5000-to-win Piston Cup

Former New Zealand Sprint Car champions Rodney Wood (51) and Jamie McDonald (71) are among the leading contenders for the Bay Piston Cup 30-lapper at Baypark Speedway on Saturday night. Photo/ Supplied

Sprint Car racers get their chance to cash in when Baypark Speedway runs the second of three $5000-to-win feature races on Saturday night.

The SsangYong Tauranga Bay Piston Cup 30-lapper for speedway’s fastest class follows the Bay 51 Midget Car feature and precedes the Super Saloon Showdown on Easter Saturday in a “Triple Crown” of late-season big money events.

Raced to a format that rewards the ability to qualify strongly and gain positions in preliminary races, the 30-lapper will be contested by a strong field of drivers from throughout the North Island that is headlined by five former New Zealand champions.

Four of those champions — California’s Jonathan Allard, Tauranga’s Rodney Wood, Hamilton’s Dean Brindle and Kapiti racer Jamie Larsen — have already achieved Baypark feature race success this season while Jamie McDonald (Auckland) has been a podium finisher.

Also in the mix of front runners are likely to be Tokoroa brothers James and Keaton Dahm while Palmerston North’s Dean Cooper and Wellington racer Stephen Taylor have threatened wins on several occasions this season.

The fast-paced Sprint Car racing at Baypark this season has also seen the emergence of Cole Wood (Tauranga) as a regular contender while rookies Ayrton Hodson and Syd Ferguson have been producing some strong performances.

Racing starts at 6.30pm and the support race programme continues to rotate classes with the Six Shooters, Saloon Cars and Youth Mini Stocks joining the programme this weekend.

There are also Baypark registered drivers chasing major title success this weekend with Stratford Speedway hosting the New Zealand Midget Car Championship while the North Island Super Saloon Car Championship is being held at Auckland’s Waikaraka Park.