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April 19, 2021

Nelson Speedway: Sunshine Classic for Sprintcars

NO DOUBTING THOMAS By Pete McNae It is acceptable to roll out a tired sporting cliche for the final speedway meeting of the season, so here goes …. “It is better to be lucky than good”. Of course, if you are lucky AND good, that’s a happy combination, one worth 3000 bucks in the...

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April 18, 2021

Nelson Speedway: Dirtworx South Island Sprintcars

SPRINTCARNAGE By Pete McNae How do you get a quality nine-car field of sprintcars on the Milestone Homes Top of the South Speedway dirt track oval? Start with 21 cars and then let them do what they do. Last night's Dirtworx Nelson South Island Sprintcar Championship drew an impressive entry list; the current...

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April 16, 2021

Nelson Speedway: Sunshine Classic for Sprintcars

ASHES TO SASHES By Pete McNae Daniel Thomas has been to the bottom but things are looking up. Less than three years ago, the Hamilton-based sprintcar competitor and his family suffered a catastrophic house fire. He and wife Courtney lost everything, Thomas crawling through the burning home to save his baby daughter, now...

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April 14, 2021

Nelson Speedway: South Island Sprintcars

UNDER DAD'S WING By Pete McNae Caleb Baughan is an unlikely Covid casualty. No, the "tricky virus" didn't make the Canterbury car painter crook ... but it sort of messed up his moment as the champion of the Hydraulink War of the Wings sprintcar series. What happened was the 2019-20 series was three-quarters...

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April 3, 2021

Nelson Speedway: NZ Sidecar Grand Prix and Easter Extravaganza

DON'T GET MAD, GET EVEN By Pete McNae Which came first, the chicken or the (Easter) egg? Did Nathan (Nippy) Ching and Shaun Solly crack the start tapes in heat one of the Thelin Construction New Zealand Sidecar Grand Prix, earning a disqualification? Or did the tapes do as they have often done...

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March 31, 2021

Nelson Speedway: NZ Sidecar Grand Prix and Super Saloons

HOT AND CROSS By Pete McNae Pull up a (side)chair while we look into what has happened to one of the major promotions for the 2020-21 season at the Milestone Homes Top of the South Speedway, the Thelin Construction New Zealand Sidecar Grand Prix. The event is going ahead this Saturday from 5pm but the...

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March 20, 2021

Nelson Speedway: South Island TQ title and demolition derby

SWINGS AND ROUNDABOUTS By Pete McNae Jonti Austin experienced the highs and the lows and then another high, all in the space of around three hours at Nelson's Milestone Homes Top of the South Speedway tonight. A first-season driver in the three-quarter midget class, Austin's run at the Baby on the Move South...

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March 17, 2021

Nelson Speedway: South Island TQs

CHASE IS A RACE By Pete McNae "Here's the plan," said four-time New Zealand three-quarter midget champion Jeremy Webb. "Just follow me and use my lines." "That worked until turn 2 on lap one and he was gone," laughs Nelson TQ pilot Dylan Bensemann. But while it is no easy matter mimicking Jeremy Webb,...

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February 11, 2021

Nelson Speedway: February club night

PAYING IT ... FORD By Pete McNae It's the Rednecks to the rescue at the speedway on Saturday after serious shuffling delivered a different programme from the one planned. Crashes and meeting clashes left the Nelson Speedway Association with insufficient entries to run the Dirtworks Nelson South Island Sprintcar Championships, with the decision...

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January 24, 2021

Nelson Speedway: New Zealand Streetstock Grand Prix

HOW TO TRUMP TRUMP By Pete McNae For the past four years, Capitol Hill in Washington DC has been the source of chaos and confusion, misdirection and mayhem. Then, along came the Capelli Hair Salon New Zealand Streetstock Grand Prix and said: "Pfffft, hold my beer ..." Last night's feature at the Milestone Homes...

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