Baypark Speedway’s annual flagship event for the fastest cars in dirt track oval racing is the main attraction when a weather-interrupted racing season is set to resume this weekend.
The 19-strong entry list for the fifth annual Bay Piston Cup 30-lapper is the strongest Sprint Car field assembled in the North Island so far this summer.
The line-up is headlined by defending Piston Cup champion Daniel Thomas of Hamilton. The in-form Thomas won his second New Zealand title at Cromwell last month and also won two early-season feature races at Baypark before Christmas.
The Bay Piston Cup features a unique trophy and a $ 5,000 winner’s prize. The other likely front-runners include 2024 winner and former national champ Michael Pickens, along with two-time New Zealand champions Rodney Wood (Tauranga), Jonathan Allard (California), and Kapiti’s Jamie Larsen.
Wellington racer Stephen Taylor makes his first Baypark appearance for this season, and the recent feature race winners Ryan O’Connor and Keaton Dahm also rank among the top contenders.
A very strong field of Super Stocks has been assembled to contest the 2026 BOP Championship over a three-race format. Visitors from Hawke’s Bay, Gisborne, Auckland, Stratford and Whanganui will challenge the Baypark drivers for the regional title.
Super Saloon Cars make their fourth appearance of the season at Baypark with Tauranga’s Chris Cowling back on home turf after winning his fifth North Island title at Wellington last weekend.
With the season being weather-interrupted for many tracks, this weekend will be a valuable opportunity for track time ahead of the 2026 New Zealand Super Saloon Car Championship in Napier the following weekend.
Youth Mini Stock racers from throughout the North Island will also be eager to make up for opportunities lost to rain-outs in recent weeks. Visiting drivers from Gisborne, Kihikihi, Stratford, Huntly, Rotorua, and Auckland will do battle with the home-track teenagers.
Racing starts at 6.30pm.
Header Image: Stuart Whittaker/The Write Angle
