PTS Stampede & Rees Tour - Vazey Farewell Double Bange
Photo: BM Photography
The annual PTS Super Stock Stampede will combine with the second round of the Rees – Vazey Farewell South Island Tour, a huge weekend of racing that’s never been seen before, plus the Stock Car Summer Slam and Ministock Mania return with the Historic’s and Modifieds also making an appearance over the weekend.
The PTS Stampede made the headlines last year, the feature race was a warm-up for what unfolded at the NZ title final race here in January. Some of the best individual racing in the Super Stock grade has been in Nelson, this weekend many of the top guns are back as the PTS Stampede feature action continues to be off the charts.
Latest Grand Slam Champion Peter Rees will be an added highlight for the Stampede, the Baypark Boys return, legends Kerry Remanent and Horse making the trip down again. The local contingent will be keen to impress, Alex Hill picked up his 3rd South Island Championship, Shane Harwood sports the 3NZ on his car, while Brett Nicholls has picked up numerous titles and has a Stampede win under his belt. Tigers captain Blake Hearne could decide to change the outcome of the result if he makes the feature race.
The popular Stock Car Summer Slam returns as well. Racing in pairs over 2 nights, the top 6 will proceed to a 3-lap shoot-out where the teams will try to advance to the final to win the Summer Slam, the 5th and 6th teams start the finals with the winner moving to face the 4th-placed team, etc. The format has proved extremely popular, drivers must be quick thinking with only 3 laps as well as keeping their cars intact should they move on.
There are some extremely strong pairings with the Rees tour cars joining in this year, including the Rees Aotearoa Ladies Champion and Cowgirl teams racer, former local Brittany Carpenter, plus one of the most feared blockers in Stock cars, Hamilton’s Justin Hutchby. Ministock Mania has the biggest entry list of Youth Drivers ever seen in the South Island, over 60 competitors will contest the Senior and Junior sections over the weekend, including M.I.P. junior winner Jack Anderton who won the Junior Mania last year section. He returns to run in the senior section against returning and defending champion, Hawkes Bay’s Memphis Trengrove. There are some top drivers from the North Island coming down, it will be a hotly contested championship.
The Rees - Paul Vazey Farewell tour is travelling to every South Island track over the next 3 weeks, they start in Blenheim before heading to Nelson, Greymouth, Dunedin, Invercargill, Cromwell ending with a double-header in Christchurch. Paul Vazey is retiring at the end of the season; he has been a regular competitor at the PTS Stampede but will tick off his bucket list doing the Rees Tour. The tour includes Super Stocks, Stock cars, Ministocks, Modifieds and Historic’s. It is the second Rees tour, organiser Super Stock and Stock Car legend Peter Rees leads the tour, the multiple NZ Champion taking in all the southern tracks this time around - it will be a true festival of speedway. The former 3xNZ Champion Asher Rees returns to the Stampede and is part of the tour, he will be a headline act once again as the “Team Rees” cars have dominated all but the NZ title this season.
The Modifieds have not raced at the Nelson track for nearly a decade. The class, once strong locally, had former 2x NZ champion Tony Frost and the Bald Eagle Cliff Frost cutting laps around the Nelson circuit many years ago. The Street Stocks will also feature over the weekend. The open club champs sure to be hotly contested on the second night, they won’t be shy to mix it up and keep the crowd entertained.
Bragging rights heading into next year's NZ Title here in Nelson, being the open club champion, a good start to the title build-up. There will be a charity auction as part of Sunday’s Prizegiving in the clubrooms, a large range of items including signed T-shirts, along with various donated products etc. The money raised goes towards Youth Cystic Fibrosis, everyone is welcome to participate at the auction.
Information can be found on the Nelson Speedway Facebook page. Racing starts at 5pm on Saturday 15th and at 4pm Sunday 16th, pre-sale tickets can be purchased via the Nelson website or at the Kiosk in Richmond Mall, gate sales available from 4pm Saturday and 3pm Sunday. More information can be found on the Nelson Speedway Facebook and website.