Win highlight of Wood's speedway career

The New Zealand Sprint Car Championship title will remain on New Zealand shores after Tauranga's Rodney Wood saw off the challenge of two top United States drivers in Cromwell at the weekend.

Leading US competitors Ricky Logan and Jonathan Allard were tipped as the frontrunners for the title before the event, but it was Wood who captured the coveted prize.

The Bay of Plenty man produced some pleasing efforts in qualifying at Cromwell's Central Motor Speedway and led from start to finish in the 25-lap final race, featuring the top 20 drivers, on Saturday.

Wood started from the front of the grid in the final and got away to a strong start. After seven laps, the race was halted temporarily for the caution flag, and when racing resumed he maintained his advantage. The caution flag was brought out again four laps later, before Wood continued on in the lead for the remaining 14 laps of the race.

The win was one of the biggest highlights of Wood's speedway career, in which he has raced in several different formats.

He has previously won the New Zealand Streetstock title and has a strong background in stockcars.

Eight-time defending New Zealand champion Allan Wakeling qualified sixth-fastest for the final, but encountered brake problems midway through the race and was ultimately forced to pull in.

Central Motor Speedway spokesman Phil Burgess said there was fantastic racing in the 25-lap final, which featured some of the most talented drivers in the business.

"Anyone in that top 20, could have won it," he said.

About 3000 people attended the racing at the weekend and Burgess said it was a real coup for Cromwell to hold an event of such magnitude.

"It's been a lot of hard work to get the event down here. They organise the venue at a yearly conference, so for two years, we've been in planning."

The speedway will host another large event in two weeks' time when the New Zealand Sidecar Grand Prix bike meeting is held.

The Central Otago Streetstock Championships were also raced during the New Zealand Sprint Car Championship meet at the weekend, with Matt Stewart beating his father, Russell Stewart, to take top honours.

- © Fairfax NZ News

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