A star-studded field of 20 cars has entered to battle it out for the championship.
The biggest name is New Zealand saloon champion Jarred Fletcher, of Bay Park Speedway in Mt Maunganui. Fletcher has won the national championship two years on the trot, and would dearly love to add the grand prix silverware to that achievement.
Ethan Cook, of Gisborne, will be his toughest opponent; a former New Zealand saloon champion and three time New Zealand Grand Prix winner, Cook will be eager to add to his already very impressive resume.
Cromwell’s George Phillips is another former New Zealand Saloon Grand Prix winner, having won the title back in 2021 at his home track in Cromwell. Phillips spent most of his earlier years racing here at Riverside, and will certainly be a hot chance of upstaging the North Island competitors.
Recent Southland champions Aaron Andrews, of Dunedin, Mark Dobson and Graham Williamson are other drivers who have tasted success at Riverside previously, while other local hopes rest on Jeff Richardson, Eddie Edwards and Darren McLeod.
This meeting will also double as the Stacey Perreau Production Saloon Memorial, the first running of this event almost one year from Perreau’s tragic death.
Perreau was a former driver and longtime volunteer at Riverside, and this meeting will be a chance for drivers to race in his honour.
Six Shooters will team up to race for their annual best pairs championship, while youth saloons and Streetstocks will also run in support.
Racing for the New Zealand Saloon Grand Prix gets under way at 2pm on Saturday.
By Daryl Shuttleworth
