club

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 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 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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January 10, 2021

Nelson Speedway: SI Midget Series and Ministock Mania

FAST TRACK TO SUCCESS By Pete McNae Say M and M to a Nelson speedway fan and they might think crunchy sweeties or pasty rappers -- or the fans who turned up at the Milestone Homes Top of the South Speedway tonight could opt for ministocks and midgets. The two classes from opposite...

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December 23, 2020

Nelson Speedway: Demolition derby

1 AND DONE By Pete McNae When the Nelson Speedway Association farewells the bizarre calendar year that has been 2020 with a demolition derby meeting on Boxing Day, it will also farewell its current national stockcar champion, Ben Smith. While the season runs through until April, the Milestone Homes Top of the South Speedway...

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December 12, 2020

Nelson Speedway: PTS Superstock Stampede

THIRD TIME'S THE CHARM By Pete McNae Guess we can call this daylight Robb-ery. The Nelson Speedway Association's third attempt at running the first PTS Logistics Superstock Stampede was such a slickly run meeting that patrons were filing towards the exit gates, doing the speedway dust shuffle, before it was even fully dark....

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November 28, 2020

Nelson Speedway: Sprintcar War of the Wings (Nelson round)

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, CLETUS By Pete McNae Sam O'Callaghan will be feeling pretty happy about his job security tonight. The Central Otago-based sprintcar driver has been Nelson car owner Kevin (Cletus) Freeman's helmsman of choice in the past couple of seasons, the young man never afraid to take a risk to earn a reward...

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October 25, 2020

Nelson Speedway: Fireworks Spectacular

SPEEDWAY WINS BY A LANDSLIDE By Pete McNae Go hard and go early seems to be the way to ensure a satisfactory result these days. It worked, by a landslide, last Saturday and it worked again last night with the Nelson Speedway Association cranking through an opening meeting that was still one of...

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August 31, 2020

Nelson Speedway: New event on the calendar

BRING ME SUNSHINE With the 2020-21 speedway season fast approaching, the Nelson Speedway Association is still coming up with new ways and means to add value to their season calendar. And, with the first scheduled practice now less than a fortnight away, the club is excited to announce the inaugural Sunshine Classic. Set down...

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