Tauranga racer Luke McClymont practising in the new BSL Terra-Esslinger he’s racing this summer.
Tauranga racer Luke McClymont practising in the new BSL Terra-Esslinger he’s racing this summer.
Speedway
Fresh dirt-track challenges are in the sights of several drivers as the 2024-25 racing season begins at Baypark Speedway on Saturday night.
The winter break has seen drivers switch classes, change teams, invest in new equipment and gain overseas experience.
The first test of those off-season choicescomes at the Bay Season Premiere event, the first of 12 Baypark Speedway race nights scheduled between Labour Weekend and Easter.
Two of the Bay of Plenty’s young talents have secured opportunities with multi-car teams during the off-season.
Tauranga’s Luke McClymont, who won the North Island Midget Car title in his rookie season, has a new opportunity with the BSL Racing squad. He’s driving an Esslinger-powered Terra chassis and has already logged some pacey practice laps.
And teenage sprint car feature winner and Porsche Michelin Sprint Challenge Australia rookie Ayrton Hodson (Katikati) has secured a drive in a four-car sprint car effort from Team HLR. That move opens the chance for Hodson’s younger brother Cruz to step up from 6 shooters into sprint cars with the family team.
Switching classes is former NZ Midget Car champion Hayden Williams, who will be among Ayrton Hodson’s teammates in the HLR Sprint Car operation while Hamilton’s Benjamin Mathews also makes the move into sprint cars after several seasons in the midget car ranks.
Former national midget car champ Hayden Williams is making the switch to a sprint car campaign for the 2024-25 season.
International interest is being added to the opening night with teenage Australian racer Zoe Pearce making her first Baypark appearance in preparation for the International Midget Car Series across the Christmas-New Year season.
Pearce, 18, hails from Melbourne and raced in the United States earlier this year with a string of top-10 finishes at Midwest tracks in the PowRi National Midget Series.
The sprint cars and midgets provide the drawcard for the opening night along with a strong early-season grid of 26 super stocks.
The 24-strong list for sprint cars is headed by former national champions Daniel Thomas, Rodney Wood, Michael Pickens, Dean Brindle and Jamie Larsen, and also sees Baypark racer Max Guilford return from a busy US campaign.
Benjamin Mathews is one of a number of competitors making a move for the upcoming season with a new sprint car.
There are 22 midget car competitors entered for opening night with national champ Brad Mosen along with Brock Maskovich and Mitch Fabish completing a full representation of current 1NZ, 2NZ and 3NZ title holders.
Pickens is the other star attraction, doing double duty in the midget and sprint car classes. He has made an early start to his summer campaign with sprint car appearances in Australia, while newcomers to the midget class include Rotorua’s Terence Dorrell and Ben Vaughan, who move from the TQ midget and mini sprint sections respectively.
The opening night programme also includes an 18-car grid of 6 shooters, and 24 young drivers have registered for the first night of the youth mini-stock competition.
Racing starts at 6.30pm and October 27 is reserved as a rain-out option if required.
