North Island Sprintcar Championship STATS

Below are some intriguing stats from the Speedway New Zealand North Island Sprintcar Championship, highlighting winners, tracks, and notable differences between the North and South.

Most Podium Finishes (1st, 2nd, or 3rd Place):

Dean Brindle has made the podium an impressive 9 times since 2001, yet a North Island Championship title has always eluded him. Despite this, his consistency is undeniable—he holds a remarkable streak of three consecutive 2nd-place finishes.

Rodney Wood, one of Baypark’s most successful Sprintcar drivers, is a two-times North Island Champion, winning in 2015 (Palmerston North) and 2009 (Baypark). He also secured 2nd place in 2017 and 2007. Wood is one of only five competing drivers to have won NZ titles in two different classes—of those, all but one are registered to the mighty M.

Allan Wakelin is the most successful driver in the North Island Championship’s history, amassing 9 podium finishes and a record-breaking 7 victories. His wins span multiple decades and include:

  • Western Springs – 1994/95, 1996/97, 1998/99, 1999/00, 2002/03
  • Baypark – 2001/02, 2005/06

With 8 New Zealand Sprintcar titles, Wakelin is one of the most decorated drivers in the history of the class since its introduction in 1974.

Kerry Jones follows closely with 7 podiums and 5 victories, winning across three decades:

  • Western Springs – 1993, 1995
  • Stratford – 1987, 1992
  • Baypark – 2006

Jamie McDonald is a two-time champion, with both wins at Baypark (2017, 2005). He has finished in the top three six times and is the only driver to have won all four SNZ Sprintcar titles at different times.

Jonathan Allard, the internationally renowned driver, has 4 North Island Championship victories and 6 podium finishes. His wins include:

Wellington – 2010

Baypark – 2022/23

Western Springs – 2014

Palmerston North – 2011

American drivers have also left their mark on the North Island Champs, with 6 wins split between two drivers. Jonathan Allard’s 4 victories came under various numbers in his New Zealand career: 1NZ (P), 2NZ (A), 0USA (A), —interestingly, he has never won the title while using 4USA (A), and 11USA (A) He is registered this weekend as 4USA, not 0USA.

Dean Brindle 22K has 9 poduims since 2001
5X North island Champ Alan Wakelin
Kerry Jones 5x NI Champion
Jonathan Allard has won teh North Island Championship 4 times

Other Interesting Stats:

The current South Island Sprintcar Champion, Aucklander Max Guilford, competes under Ruapuna Speedway as part of the Daniel Anderson Racing Team alongside Joel Myers Jnr. This powerhouse team currently holds two of the four 2024/25 Speedway New Zealand Sprintcar titles.

Four North Islanders have won the South Island Sprintcar Championship, with two Baypark cars finishing 2nd and 3rd last season. North Island drivers have dominated the South Island title for the past two years, with Max Guilford (2023) and Stephen Taylor (2022) taking the honours. Daniel Thomas (2020, Nelson) also held the title for two years, while Jamie McDonald (2015, Ruapuna) completes the list. Interestingly, both McDonald and Guilford were Ruapuna-registered when they won.

No South Islander has ever won the North Island Championship. In fact, only one driver from the South has ever made the podium—Matthew Leversedge, who finished 3rd in both 2019 and last season.

Ricky Logan claimed back-to-back wins in 2007 and 2008 (10USA), while both he and Allard have also finished 2nd twice in their careers.

Number of Times Each Track Has Hosted:

  • Western Springs – 15 times (most frequent host)
  • Baypark – 10 times
  • Palmerston North – 10 times
  • Wellington – 3 time
  • Stratford – 3 time
  • Mystery Creek – 1 time
  • Meeanee — 1 time
  • Wanganui – 1 time
  • Covid -2001 probably the most unpopular host
Taylor has won twice
Leversedge is the best of the south with 2 3rds
Ricky Logan was a popular American winner
Kerry Jones with half a house as a wing
Jmac has won all 4 championships
Thomas held the title for 2 years after winning once

Before the rotation system was introduced, tracks had to bid or prove their eligibility to host the event. After the first-ever North Island Champs at Mystery Creek (1976), Wellington surprisingly hosted the next two. Palmerston North then took over from 1982-86 before a cycle of different tracks sharing the event.

In 1993, under the promotion of Barry Bonner, Western Springs took control, hosting from 1993 and continued to host until to 2001 under a couple of different promotion teams. When the new Baypark Stadium opened in 2001, Baypark Speedway then took over, hosting from 2003 to 2008. Palmerston North briefly regained hosting rights for two years before the rotation system was introduced.

Western Springs has hosted the most events, cementing its place in the competition’s history. Baypark and Palmerston North remain the only tracks currently eligible to host the championship.

Speedway New Zealand records also confirm that:

  • Meeanee hosted in 1980
  • Wanganui in 1981
  • Wellington in 1977 and 1978
  • Mystery Creek (closed) was the original host in 1976

However, no official records remain of podium finishes for those events.

  • Jonathan Allard Motorsports facebook page
  • Hazzamedia
  • James Selwyn Photos
  • Magors Speedway
  • Alana Warrington
  • Ken Nicol