S.I Super Saloon Champs & NZ Productions Champs (Final Day)

Two championships on the same day.

1/ 2019 - 20 South Island Super Saloon Champs is an exciting, adrenaline-pumping, heart-stopping second helping to Friday's Mag & Turbo Super Cup.

2/ Friend Forestry 2019-20 New Zealand Production Saloon Championship Decider

Some 60 production saloons from all over the country have descended on Heavy Trax Hire Central Motor Speedway to compete in the Friend Forestry 2019-20 New Zealand Production Saloon Championship.

Productions track action started yesterday but today, Saturday, Feb 8, is the decider of who gets the bragging rights that comes with winning the title, 2019 - 2020 1NZ Production Saloon. One of the forces behind the growth of productions racing at Heavy Trax Hire Central Motor Speedway is former Warrior and Rugby League International is Whetu Taewa who although he'll be racing and should be featuring at the pointy end suggests those to watch are current 2NZ Wayne Warrender, Geoff Friend (11t), Ron Koole (21t), current S.I. Champion Eddy Frans (51n), 3NZ last season Matt Sherlock (75C) and Brad Johnson (9c) providing Lady Luck is riding shotgun.

Heavy Trax Hire Central Motor Speedway track announcer Mike Sentch is among the ever increasing number who enjoy productions racing.

“Personally I think productions are underrated when in fact they provide drivers and spectators with close and enthusiastic racing. It’s cheap to get into and the camaraderie and cooperation among drivers helps keep down the cost of repairs and parts. I also enjoy the range of cars racing, the increasing number of female competitors and range of ages from college students to pensioners. Having front and rear wheel drive cars mixing it up adds another element. Pretty much any car can be converted into a production, even an old Skoda. Now that would be fun to see.

“I believe that the 19-20 Production Saloon Championship coming to Cromwell is recognition by Speedway NZ of the tremendous support and effort Central Motor Speedway puts into productions. Hats off, too, to our 2018 – 19 Productions Club Champion Geoff Friend who through Tuatapere based Friend Forestry, is the principal sponsor, “ says Mike. “To have around 60 entries further endorses the popularity of the grade and Central Otago’s speedway track.”

Around $2000 can buy a competitive production saloon which is basically a striped out, roll-caged pretty much end of the road Honda, Subaru, Mitsubishi, Toyota, Nissan, BMW , Holden or Ford.

As with all meetings at Central Otago's Fastest Family Show on Earth, other popular classes will be racing including some 26 youth ministocks, flame spitting super saloons competing in the South Island Champs, six shooters (aka wingless sprint cars) and those winged demons of speedway, sprint cars.

Gates for trackside parking open at 4pm with racing starting at 6pm. There's yummy food and Mr Whippy. And while at the track don't forget to buy a fund raising raffle ticket that could see you the owner of a $90,000 jet boat.