This event was the ILT Fireworks Extravaganza and a big crowd was expected so the call was made to forge on and put on a show for the punters.
There was a delayed start to try to bring the track back to a raceable surface and, thanks to hard-working volunteers, they managed to prepare something. It wasn’t ideal — it was rough — but it got cars on the track, and the season under way.
The Southern Sprintcar Series was the feature drawcard but the winged warriors only get their three heat races in but not a final due to running out of daylight. The heats were won by Mathew Anderson and Shanarrah Stronach, of Cromwell, with Invercargill’s Jacob McIntyre also claiming a race win.
Dunedin’s Aaron Andrews was simply too good in saloons and won three races from as many starts to be crowned Southland saloon champion, while Invercargill’s Jayden Fraser locked away the Southland Modified Sprint Trophy for another season, Fraser also claiming victory in the Brett Cooper Memorial.
The combination of Invercargill’s Shae McKenzie and Dunedin’s Shya McHardy won the Best Pairs Streetstock Champs while the Best Pairs for stockcars went the way of Cromwell’s Ashdyn Gable and Stephen Thompson, of Dunedin.
Opening night trophies were also awarded across the grades; Aaron Andrews won saloons, Joshua McIntyre (Invercargill) youth saloons, Steven Nicholas (Cromwell) production saloons, Harrison Brown Six Shooters, Zach Newsham (Invercargill) stockcars and Shya McHardy won streetstocks.
The club will be back on track on December 1, with the final of the South Island Saloon Series.
- By Daryl Shuttleworth
