Friday 5 March and Saturday 6 March 2027 will see the 56th New Zealand Sprintcar Championship roar into Baypark Speedway for two massive nights of championship racing.
And this one comes with some serious history.
The 2027 championship will mark the sixth time Baypark Speedway has hosted New Zealand’s most prestigious Sprintcar title. Over the years, the terracotta clay has produced some unforgettable moments, incredible upsets and a roll call of champions that reads like a who’s who of New Zealand and international Sprintcar racing.
The story began when a young Ben Finemore stunned the Sprintcar world at Baypark, defeating some of the biggest names in the sport to claim the New Zealand Sprintcar Championship. At just 15 years old, Finemore became the youngest NZ Sprintcar Champion in history, creating one of the greatest championship stories the sport has ever seen.
Then came Carl Wilson, completing an incredible rise from TQ Midgets to New Zealand Sprintcar Champion when he claimed the title at Baypark in 2007/08.
Baypark has also played host to international stars, with American driver Jonathan Allard writing his own chapter in the history books. Allard remains the only driver to have won the New Zealand Sprintcar Championship at Baypark twice, taking victory in both 2010/11 and 2015/16.
Then, in 2020/21, the championship returned to the Bay and another giant of New Zealand Sprintcar racing added his name to the Baypark honour roll, with Michael Pickens taking the coveted national title.
New Zealand Sprintcar Championship History at Baypark Speedway
| Season | First | Second | Third |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2020/21 | Michael Pickens | Jonathan Allard (USA) | Daniel Thomas |
| 2015/16 | Jonathan Allard (USA) | Dean Brindle | Jamie Larsen |
| 2010/11 | Jonathan Allard (USA) | Tommy Tarlton (USA) | Peter Murphy (AUS) |
| 2007/08 | Carl Wilson | Kerry Jones | Phil Game |
| 2004/05 | Ben Finemore | Allan Wakeling | Jamie McDonald |
A Championship Built on History
The New Zealand Sprintcar Championship has a history stretching back more than five decades. From the early years, where venues such as Ruapuna, Wellington and Hamilton played major roles, through to the dominance of Western Springs and the modern era of international competition, the championship has continued to attract the very best drivers.
The early years saw names such as Peter Annan, Roger Bertram, Harry Pierson, Barry Butterworth and Selwyn Everett establish themselves in the history books.
From the late 1980s through the 2000s, New Zealand Sprintcar racing was defined by two of the greatest names ever to climb into a Sprintcar — Allan Wakeling and Kerry Jones.
Together, the pair won an incredible 16 New Zealand Sprintcar Championships, with eight titles each, establishing themselves as the two most successful drivers in the history of the championship. Their names dominated the record books for nearly two decades, with both drivers winning titles across multiple venues and generations of competition.
Wakeling’s remarkable career saw him become one of the true legends of New Zealand Speedway, while Kerry Jones became an equally dominant force, building an extraordinary championship record of his own. Jones was particularly unstoppable during the mid-1990s, winning four New Zealand Sprintcar Championships consecutively from 1992/93 through to 1995/96 a remarkable run that cemented his place among the all-time greats.
For much of this era, if Allan Wakeling or Kerry Jones were in the field, they were the drivers everyone else had to beat. Between them, they set the standard for an entire generation of New Zealand Sprintcar racing, creating a period that can only be described as the Wakeling and Jones Era.
Western Springs also became one of the great homes of the championship, producing champions including Allan Wakeling, Kerry Jones, Noel Goodwin, Peter Murphy, Jamie McDonald, Kerry Brocas and Joel Myers Jr.
As the championship continued to grow, so too did its international reputation.
Drivers from around the world have travelled to New Zealand to chase the coveted 1NZ, including Jonathan Allard, Sammy Swindell, Tommy Tarlton, Peter Murphy, Michael “Buddy” Kofoid and Joel Myers Jr. The New Zealand Sprintcar Championship has become a true test against some of the best talent from New Zealand, Australia and the United States.
Another name that deserves special recognition in the history of the New Zealand Sprintcar Championship is Rodney Wood. A proud Baypark Speedway driver and Tauranga local, Wood has achieved something only a select group of drivers in the history of the championship have managed — winning the coveted New Zealand title twice. He claimed his first 1NZ in 2009/10 at Cromwell, before returning to the top of the sport to win his second title in 2013/14, also at Cromwell. With more than 50 years of championship history behind the event, only a handful of drivers have managed to win the New Zealand Sprintcar Championship on two or more occasions, placing Rodney alongside some of the biggest names ever to turn a wheel in the class. For Baypark Speedway and the Tauranga motorsport community, his achievements stand as a proud reminder that the Bay has produced champions capable of taking on and beating the very best in the country and from around the world.
| Allan Wakeling | 8 |
| Kerry Jones | 8 |
| Roger Bertram | 3 |
| Peter Annan | 2 |
| Tony Allen | 2 |
| Noel Goodwin | 2 |
| Rodney Wood | 2 |
| Jonathan Allard | 2 |
| Jamie Larsen | 2 |
| Daniel Thomas | 2 |
And now, in 2027, the championship returns to the Bay.
Sixth time hosting. Fifty-six years of history. One of the most coveted titles in New Zealand Speedway racing.
For two nights, the best Sprintcar drivers will battle wheel-to-wheel on the 455 metres of Baypark’s terracotta clay, chasing the one thing that matters most — the right to wear the 1NZ.
The history is already written.
Who will be the next driver to add their name to it?
For the full New Zealand Speedway Championship results archive, visit https://www.speedway.co.nz/competitors-1/championships/results-archive
Photos from
Blissfull Photography, The Write Angle, James Selwyn Photos, Kevin J. McIvor Poetry and Motor Sports Page Richard Haynes , Gary Jemmett