Daniel Anderson Racing driver Max Guilford is the early pace-setter at the 2025 New Zealand Sprint Car Championship, racing to a clear lead with a near-perfect Friday night performance at McDonald’s Kihikihi Speedway.
Guilford won two, placed second in his three heat race starts last night, and broke the Kihikihi track record with a blistering 12.164 lap in his first heat race.
He sits atop the 33-car field with 35 points from a possible 36. The reigning South Island Champ, who drives for Te Anau’s Daniel Anderson Racing, seized the opportunity by starting from grids five, six and pole position on Friday.
He will have more work ahead on Saturday afternoon, with the qualifying rotations placing him on grid 11 and then grid nine for his remaining heats.
Young Auckland racer Zackary Sokol’s impressive night saw him post a win, a second, and a seventh. He goes into Finals night in second place on 29 points.
The tight competition behind clear leader Guilford – which saw eight different winners in nine races – has produced a four-way tie for third place on 28 points.
The quartet comprises HLR teammates Ryan O’Connor and Christian Hermansen, Christchurch racer Matthew Leversedge, and former NZ modified champ Luke Brown (Auckland), who performed strongly.
The Friday night racing was largely incident-free. However, a four-car pileup involving defending champion Joel Myers Jr. interrupted heat three.
The California teenager was able to restart and complete the race in seventh place, but the Daniel Anderson Racing squad had plenty of work to do. Due to the tangle, the car needed a fresh top wing, a new fuel tank, and new right-side exhaust headers.
Myers completed the night with a fourth and a win.
An engine issue took the current 2NZ Dean Cooper (Taupo) out of his third heat. Cooper had a good start, finishing third and fourth before the DNF.
Overnight Myers is ranked seventh with 27 points, with Tokoroa’s Dahm and Nelson’s Connor Rangi on 26 points.
A relegation in his third heat cost former two-time champ Rodney Wood (Tauranga) two spots. He is tied with former champs Daniel Thomas (Hamilton) and Dean Brindle (Hamilton) for 25 points. Jonathan Allard and Greg Pickerill are next with 24 points.
The top 16 after the 15-heat qualifying rotation will transfer directly to the 30-lap final. The drivers on the edge are Cooper, Chris Kernohan and Michael Pickens, who are tied in a three-way tie for 15th spot on 22 points.
Full Points Table after Night 1 –
| Position | Car No. | Driver | Total Points |
| 1 | 46C | Max GUILFORD | 35 |
| 2 | 47A | Zackary SOKOL | 29 |
| 3 | 98M | Ryan O’CONNOR | 28 |
| 4 | 78C | Matthew LEVERSEDGE | 28 |
| 5 | 89A | Luke BROWN | 28 |
| 6 | 99M | Christian HERMANSEN | 28 |
| 7 | 1NZ | Joel MYERS JR | 27 |
| 8 | 6M | James DAHM | 26 |
| 9 | 57N | Connor RANGI | 26 |
| 10 | 51M | Rodney WOOD | 25 |
| 11 | 55K | Daniel THOMAS | 25 |
| 12 | 22K | Dean BRINDLE | 25 |
| 13 | 18M | Gregory PICKERILL | 24 |
| 14 | 4USA | Jonathan ALLARD | 24 |
| 15 | 92A | Chris KERNOHAN | 22 |
| 16 | 2NZ | Dean COOPER | 22 |
| 17 | 54A | Michael PICKENS | 22 |
| 18 | 25C | Caleb BAUGHAN | 21 |
| 19 | 3NZ | Jamie LARSEN | 20 |
| 20 | 73K | Brian EDWARDS | 20 |
| 21 | 17C | Dyllan FORSEY | 20 |
| 22 | 21P | Stephen TAYLOR | 19 |
| 23 | 88M | Keaton DAHM | 18 |
| 24 | 41M | Cole WOOD | 18 |
| 25 | 15T | Steve DUFF | 16 |
| 26 | 28K | Tony UHLENBERG | 15 |
| 27 | 71A | Jamie DUFF | 15 |
| 28 | 27M | Hayden WILLIAMS | 15 |
| 29 | 85M | Brody MATHIESON | 13 |
| 30 | 77M | Benjamin MATTHEWS | 12 |
| 31 | 16A | Ryan BARRY | 11 |
| 32 | 67A | Nicholas PINKERTON | 9 |
| 33 | 9M | Holly WILLIAMS | 6 |
Pickens is well positioned for Saturday with grid four and grid one starts.
The Friday programme also saw the Waipa Midget Car title decided by a 25-lap feature. Baypark-registered Aaron Hodgson controlled the race and led home Trent Way, while a late-race restart allowed Luke McClymont to grab third place away from Brad Mosen on the final lap.
The Saturday programme starts at 4.30 pm with the remaining six heats of Sprint Car qualifying, followed by the last-chance B-Main and the 30-lap Championship final. The support programme features the Waipa Super Stock Championship, the final round of the Central TQ Midget Car Series, and Super Saloons.
Header Image and Words: Colin Smith
