We don’t see a lot of Connor Rangi on the track in Nelson, the Sprint Car driver spends most of his time racing out of Christchurch, but the 57 Dalton’s Sprint Car proudly displays the N beside the number, fast becoming the top South Island driver, his biggest challenge has been competing against the young American Prodigy, Joel Myers Jnr, Rangi won his last WOW title in 2021-22, has been chasing Myers who has picked up the last two series wins plus winning the NZ Sprint Car title last year. 

Myers has raised the bar and Rangi has started to match it. The latest series had the added drivers of Max Guilford who has joined Myers as part of the Daniel Anderson Race Team, and Dyllan Forsey who is under the guidance of Myers, both have spent time racing with Myers in the States over winter.

The 25th running or the Hydraulink War of the Wings Series was reaching a climatic finale, with Rangi taking the series lead after Myers faulted at Greymouth with engine issues, the 22-point gap proving pivotal in the final 3 rounds. 

The margin slowly being whittled down to just ten points as they headed to Nelson for the series finale. It was a case of Rangi keeping in touch with Myers who had picked up wins in both features and avoiding a non-finish in the last feature to claim the title.

The racing panned out as Rangi had hoped, Myers winning the feature but with Rangi coming from 4th to 2nd over the 30-laps, it was only a loss of 3 points that had Rangi clinch a second series title and a relieving victory after a couple of intense weeks of racing. 

They drivers head North for the NZ Title in Kihikihi with the GP and a couple of other meetings as warm-ups.  The South Islanders in with a strong chance of podium places. The doughnuts after the feature a clear sign the Connor enjoyed being the War of the Wings champion again.

It was a busy night in the speedway office with multiple championships running alongside the Sprint cars, best pairs for Quarter Midgets, club titles for Productions, Streetstocks and Stock cars, plus the final round for the MTF finance (Nelson) T.Q. series.

The Productions saloons tried to match the Streetstocks with hit to pass, a messy night on the track keeping the referees busy, Vaughan Cornelious taking the victory over David Allen by a point, Dave Leitch’s opening heat victory undone by an open door that wouldn’t close in heat two, leaving him parked on the infield, several bumpers need fixing before the next meeting. Shaun Heath’s second meeting not going as well as the first, an unlucky target in several instances, the bumper falling off the car while being towed in.

The Streetstocks rolled onto the track for their club champs, they continued to roll throughout the racing, 3 huge flips that were unintentional but saw wheels dig in while sideways sending them on their lids, Cassandra Brand over in heat 1, Perry Soper in heat 2 and Cody McCarrison in the run-off for 3rd place. 

It was a case of finishing all 3 races to claim a podium spot, Taylor Lynch have a magic night to become the club champion, Jason Clark was 2nd with Harry Moffat-Schwass claiming 3rd after unexpectedly rolling McCarrison to decide the podium. Jordan Gillespie picking up the stirrer’s shovel. 

The Knights team has been named to head south for the Streetstock State of Origin, Cody McCarrison(c), Perry Soper, Ryan Musgrove, Richard Bateman, Jason Clark and Taylor Lynch.

The Stockcars were running their closed club championship, while a quiet heat one after recent antics, heat 2 saw Zoe Hughes take to Toby Walker while Kohu Whalon trolled the pole line looking for a couple of visiting cars, things started to heat up as he found who he was looking for but they were aware and went on the attack.

It was set up in the final heat for the locals to try and target the visitors to support Jack Rarity and Ben Smith in winning, but with Whalon unable to start and several other blockers falling to flat tyres it was a sprint race to the finish line, Jack Rarity winning that race and taking the club title from Wade Sweeting and Ben Smith. They have the Summer Slam ahead which promises to be off the charts once again.

Quarter Midgets were running their blind pairs, unknown who their partners were until after racing it was the feature winner Taylor Martin and his partner Kaiden Simmons that took out the top prize, Ryan Gallagher and Bailey Bensemann were 2nd with Meneka Rawson and Millar Johnson in 3rd, some busy meetings coming up with several South Island rounds ahead. Taylor Martin having Uncle Brett Nicholls on the tools while dad was away with brother Locky in Rotorua.

The MTF Finance (Nelson) T.Q. Series ran their final round at Nelson, local Jayden Corkill winning the 3 round series from Christchurch’s Aaron Finlay and Jamie Booth. 

Kohen Thompson took out the feature race after his 2nd placing at the S.I. title last week, the newly crowned CTRA champion has the club champs in his sights, tied top on points going into the final round. 

Alicia Hill finished second in the feature with Lachlan Brett 3rd. There’s still plenty of racing ahead with club Champs final round, King of the Coast and a couple of big meetings at Ruapuna.

The clubrooms were humming for prize giving, the many visitors commenting on a full house and the way in which the meeting was run, the Sprint cars enjoying the extra bite in the track even if it did tip a couple of Streetstocks over. 

The Hydraulink team enjoying the weekend over in Blenheim and Nelson seeing out the War of the Wings series, the large Uhlenberg support group enjoying the South Island hospitality, no doubt they will be back for the series again next year, the Stratford/Kihikihi team a welcome component of the series, Connor Rangi celebrating well into the night with friends and family, no better feeling than winning a hard fought series on your home track.

Away from the track, Ian Burson finished 6th in the NZ Super Saloon title at Baypark, starting off grid 20, he was the big mover in the final. Eli Gare won the Youth Ministock King of the Coast in Greymouth, while a couple of heat wins in his group on qualifying night, Locky Martin finished in 4th place overall in the Junior section of Ministocks in Paradise at Rotorua.

The huge double header weekend is next, PTS Stampe, Rees Tour, Ministock Mania, Stockcar Summer Slam and the Historic’s, it’s going to be nuts..

Jody Scott

BM Photography 

Article added: Sunday 16 February 2025