A hot and very dusty day greeted fans who came to watch five grades battle for the Southland Championship, and the dust meant the first three races were called early as it was unsafe for competitors.
Once the track crew got water into the track surface the track shaped up to be one of the better ones raced on this season.
But by the time the track came right, Six Shooters decided to pull themselves from the meeting due to the conditions.
Christchurch Stockcar drivers Murray Greig and Luke Molloy were keen to spoil the party.
Molloy snared a race win in the first heat over Riverside’s Zach Newsham and Greig in third.
Race two saw Newsham turn the tables on Molloy, charging home to a popular victory in front of his home crowd.
Clubmate Peter Young banked a solid second placing with Molloy securing third place.
Newsham went into the third and final race a single point ahead of Molloy, but Molloy and Greig got off to a flying start and looked as if they would spoil the party.
However, Newsham found a friend on the track in Jesse Hamilton who waited for the two Christchurch cars to circulate and pulled in front of them, almost bringing the pair to a standstill.
Newsham then darted down the inside of the stranded cars and raced off to take the win, Greig finished second and Peter Knight third.
Newsham did, however, get relegated, as his pass was under the pole line but he had enough points banked to win his maiden Southland Stockcar Championship. Molloy finished second and Greig third.
Steve Dryden made easy work of the Southland Streetstock Championship, winning three for three races in a depleted field.
Jonathon Delaney took three second placings to secure second overall and the last spot on the podium went to Jono Bower.
The future stars of Speedway, the Youth Saloons, put on some excitement across four races.
In the fourth bonus race, Dylan Rawcliffe, of Riverside, won his first race.
Race one of the Southland Championship went the way of Lachie Robertson who was all class, getting to the front early and controlling the race, second was clubmate Vandah Thompson and Rawcliffe was third.
Robertson repeated the dose in race two, Thompson tried to throw everything he could at Robertson but had to settle for second once more while Hunter Kergozou was the big improver, placing third.
In race three it all came unstuck for Thompson, who made solid impact with the wall on the back straight, ending his chances of a podium finish.
Out front, Kadin Cracknell was setting the pace. He suffered a couple of tough races before this one and certainly looked to be a title contender, but had to settle for a heat win only. Cracknell won race three, ahead of Robertson, with Kergozou third.
Robertson won the Southland Youth Saloon Championship overall, Kergozou was second and Lukis MacHattie’s reward for consistency was third place overall.
The production saloons were the last grade racing for the Southland Championship and several Cromwell cars were entered.
Invercargill driver Blake Hamilton got off to the best possible start winning race one, with Cromwell’s Steven Nicholas second and Blake Murdoch, of Riverside, third.
Unfortunately, Hamilton could not repeat the feat in race two, finishing mid-pack. Cromwell’s Aven Erskine won, Murdoch was second and Kenny Balloch, of Riverside, third.
Erskine repeated the dose in race three, claiming a race win from Balloch who was closing in on the leader. Hamilton placed third.
This result saw Erskine crowned Southland production saloon champion, Balloch was second and Murdoch third overall.
By Daryl Shuttleworth
