The high-speed summer countdown to the 56th running of the New Zealand Sprint Car Championship at Baypark Speedway begins this weekend with the traditional Labour Weekend season opener.
A strong entry in speedway’s fastest racing category headlines the 2026-27 season-opening night programme, with five New Zealand Sprint Car champions in a 19-strong field.
Heading the Sprint Car field are former NZ champions Michael Pickens (Auckland), Auckland-based California racer Jonathan Allard, Rodney Wood (Tauranga), Jamie Larsen (Kapiti) and Dean Brindle (Hamilton).
Brindle is returning to the sport after a one-season break, while a high-profile new addition to the Sprint Car ranks this summer is two-time NZ Midget Car Champion Brad Mosen (Auckland).
Mosen is switching his focus to the V8-powered winged open-wheelers as part of a four-car HLR Racing squad that includes Ryan O’Connor, Christian Hermansen, and Hayden Williams, all three also former NZ champions in other speedway categories.
It will also be a fast-paced opening night of Midget Car competition with an 18-car field representing six tracks, including Christchurch visitors Jay Chadwick and Craig Cox.
The main theme of the 2026-27 midget car competition is a looming battle between the class’s young guns. Auckland racers Ben Morrison and Alec Insley, Baypark’s Luke McClymont and Travis Buckley, and Kihikihi’s Mitch Fabish are among the new generation of Midget Car stars and have already proven themselves on the Baypark track.
This weekend’s Midget Car competition will also offer Hamilton’s Daniel Thomas a chance to extend an opening night win streak at Baypark.
Thomas raced to Sprint Car feature wins at Labour Weekend in 2024 and 2025 but is delaying his entry into the class till later in the season. This weekend his attention is focused on a BSL Racing Esslinger-powered Midget Car.
There are 12 race nights planned for the 2026-27 season, with the New Zealand Sprint Car Championship dates being March 5-6.
A Super Stocks grid of 21 cars is also being assembled for opening-night action, including visiting drivers from five tracks, and the holiday weekend programme will also feature Stock Cars and a capacity 26-strong Youth Mini Stocks field.
Racing starts 6.30pm.
Header Image: Stuart Whitaker/The Write Angle
