As the 2024/25 Speedway season reaches its climax, most Speedway New Zealand Championships have either been decided or are just around the corner. With the season winding down in the next month or so for most tracks, Sprintcars are now taking centre stage, featuring three of the four SNZ Championships and two high-stakes special events, making for an electrifying conclusion.

Sprintcars Dominate the Late-Season Action

The Baypark Sprintcar Bay Piston Cup, initially postponed, was re-run on February 14th, with Daniel Thomas (55K) from Kihikihi Speedway taking the victory. Last season Thomas nearly had the win but unfortunately ran out of fuel in the closing stages of the race.

Meanwhile, the prestigious Sprintcar Grand Prix took place on February 22nd at Western Springs, where current New Zealand Champion Joel Myers Jnr (Sevastopol, CA, USA) once again proved his dominance. Myers Jnr led home Baypark-registered drivers Ryan O’Connor (98M) and the current 2NZM, Dean Cooper, both of whom had also been on the podium in the previous feature race at Western Springs.

Former 3NZ Matthew Leversedge (78C) registered to Ruapuna Speedway, secured an impressive fifth-place finish, a remarkable result considering his historical bad luck at North Island tracks. Sprintcar rookie and former NZ Modified Champion Luke Brown also had a strong showing, coming home in sixth ahead of established names like Jamie Duff, James Dahm, and Christian Hermansen. However, the DNF list was just as star-studded, featuring Michael Pickens, Jonathan Allard, Jamie Larsen, and Max Guilford—Pickens and Guilford both bowing out on lap 18 of 30.

$20,000 Sprintcar 50-Lapper – A Battle Royale

Last weekend, Western Springs hosted the highly anticipated Sprintcar 50-lapper, run in two gruelling 25-lap segments with a five-minute pit stop in between. This year, it was Max Guilford who emerged victorious, piloting the Daniel Anderson Racing 46C. With Guilford and Joel Myers Jnr both under Anderson’s wing, the Te Anau-based team is racking up both silverware and prize money across the country.

It’s worth noting that Anderson was the one who introduced Buddy Kofoid to New Zealand back in 2018 when Kofoid, then just 17, went on to win the NZ Sprintcar Championship. While Kofoid has since claimed a NZ Midget title, the youngest-ever NZ Sprintcar Champion remains Kiwi racer Ben Finemore, who took home the title in 2005 at just 15 years old in front of a home crowd at Baypark Speedway.

All Eyes on Baypark for the North Island Championship

Tonight, Baypark Speedway hosts the 2025 Boss Powdercoating North Island Sprintcar Championship, just a week before the New Zealand Sprintcar Championship at Kihikihi Speedway on March 14th and 15th. With over 30 of New Zealand’s best Sprintcar drivers lining up, anticipation is sky-high.

American sensation Joel Myers Jnr enters as the hot favourite, but this will be his first time racing at Baypark—a track known for levelling the playing field, even against the best in the business. Defending North Island Champion Michael Pickens (current NI1) has two titles and six podiums to his name, making him a formidable opponent.

Key Stats & Historical Insights

• Dean Brindle – 9 podiums since 2001
• Alan Wakelin – 9 podium finishes, including 5 wins, making him one of the most successful drivers in North Island Championship history.
• Kerry Jones – 7 podiums, with 5 wins.
• Jamie McDonald – 6 podiums, with 2 wins; notably, he is the only driver to have won all four major Speedway NZ Sprintcar titles at different times.
• Jonathan Allard (USA) – 4 wins and 6 podiums, with his last victory at Baypark in the 2022/23 season.
• Current South Island Sprintcar Champion – Aucklander Max Guilford, who registered with Ruapuna Speedway when joining Daniel Anderson Racing. The team now holds two of New Zealand’s four major Sprintcar titles.

North vs. South Island Rivalry:

• North Islanders who have won the South Island title – Max Guilford, Stephen Taylor, Daniel Thomas, and Jamie McDonald.
• No South Islander has ever won the North Island Championship – The only South Island driver to make the podium is Matthew Leversedge, finishing third in both 2019 and 2024.

American Influence on the North Island Champs:

• Americans have won the title six times between two drivers – Jonathan Allard (4 wins in 2010, 2011, 2014, and 2022) and Ricky Logan (back-to-back wins in 2007 and 2008).
• Allard’s unique record – He has raced under five different numbers in New Zealand (1NZP, 2NZA, 0USA, 4USA, 11USA) but has only ever won using the 1NZ and 0USA.

Track Hosting Stats:

• Western Springs – Hosted 15 times (most frequent).
• Baypark – Hosted 10 times.
• Palmerston North – Hosted 6 times.
• Wellington, Stratford, Mystery Creek, Wanganui, and Meeanee – Each hosted once.

Records from Speedway New Zealand indicate that the North Island Sprintcar Championship was held at Meeanee (1980), Wanganui (1981), Wellington (1977, 1978), and the first ever running was at Mystery Creek (1976), though winners and podium finishers from these years are not recorded.

Final Thoughts

With the calibre of competition lining up tonight, the 2025 North Island Sprintcar Championship promises to be an unforgettable showdown. Will Joel Myers Jnr conquer Baypark on his debut? Can Michael Pickens defend his title? Or will a dark horse emerge to claim victory? One thing is certain—Sprintcar fans are in for a thriller at Baypark Speedway.