08/06/2026
The big winners at Speedway Awards Night
The 2025/26 Milestone Homes Top of the South Speedway season came to an end with the Nelson club awards night held on Saturday night. A huge season for the club hosting the NZ Streetstock Championship and South Island Superstock title, the club well represented at national titles with multiple placings throughout the season.
The Youth started the evening with their awards, the Ministock numbers continued to grow throughout the season, with some of the most competitive racing within the club. Cort Higgins took out the season points award, with Scarlett Gray taking the most improved driver and grade Sportsperson award, Aimee Burson won the Alex and Alicia Hill Female Ambassador of the Year award. Locky Martin taking home the Club Championship trophy.
The Quarter Midget awards were very successful for Blake Stilwell, picking up the Most Improved award, 1st Season Points, and Club Champion trophies along with most grid starts and first club member home awards. Niko Harper was presented the Rookie of the Year Trophy, Bailey Bensemann ended his Quarter Midget career with the grade Sportsperson award, he steps up to the T.Q. grade next season.
The T.Q.’s had multiple awards for the season, Dylan Bensemann picking up the Best Presented, Jayden Corkill grabbed his regular trophy the Robin Bloomfield Trophy for the driver that helps others, Jonti Austin winning the Hard Luck award, Kynan Bezet took home a handful of silverware, the Bloomfield Trophy for season points, Trevor Francis and Colin Robertson Trophy for most Improved and the Stone Family Award for Grid Starts amongst his haul. Conley Webley was the Rookie of the Year, with Mark Bezett picking up the most popular Trophy and Morgan Frost gaining the Best Pit Crew award.
Three drivers claimed the majority of the Stock Car awards, Riley Eathorne handily seated close to the dais for his many announcements, Best Presented, Open Club Championship, before claiming the Competitor of the Year Award taking away the Birdling Trophy. Jack Rarity was another that had a great season, amongst his awards were the Closed Club Championship, Triples, Grid Starts and season points, Kohu Whalon took out the Stirrers Trophy and best pairs, the Hard Luck award going to Deegan Broker.
It was veterans night in the Super Stock class, Jason Moir’s passionate speech well supported by Blake Hearne, was one of the best banters of the night, Moir picking up the Hard Luck award and the Dave Scott Memorial Trophy, Brett Nicholls took away the Trackman Trophy, Best Presented and shared the most Grid Starts with Alex Hill and Shane Harwood, Hill picking up Best Pit Crew and Open Club Championship, Shane was voted the Most Popular driver and claimed the Season Points award. Blake Hearne won the Easter Championship and was Best Pairs with Ben Taylor, (Taylor who in turn was named Stirrer of the Season).
The Productions Saloons shared their trophies around, the youngsters of the class Morgan Wells and Eastern Salter doing well in their first season, Wells taking home the Most Improved, Most Consistent and Grid Starts trophies, Salter picking up the Rookie award plus Season points, Richard Ross was Sportsperson of the Grade and awarded Best Presented car, Kandu Racing picked up the Best Pit Crew award, Eddie Frans and Dave Leitch claiming best pairs, with Leitch being season points runner-up.
The three Sprint car drivers claimed an award each, Gus Dawson was Competitor of the year in class, Jack Burson for Best Presented and Connor Rangi for the Club Championship, the two Super Saloon drivers of Paul Power and Ian Burson were acknowledged for their commitment for representing the club while only getting one meeting at their home track.
The Streetstocks continued to entertain on and off the track, plenty of banter over awards night making for plenty of laughs, the battle for the Stirrers Shovel hotly contested as Andre Musgrove took it home in his first year in the grade, he also picked up Rookie of the year, he shared the Grid Start trophy with Taylor Lynch who claimed the Sportsperson of the grade award. Ryan Musgrove won season points and most spectacular driver award, Jordan Gillespie claimed Best Presented, the Nelson Knights team claiming the Club Team of the Year award.
The club special awards ended the nights events, Melanie Grey and Bastian Atkinson receiving Appreciation awards, Geoff Watson received the Harrop Cup award for the Driver Who has done the Most for the Club, Richard Ross won the Tony Coppell Tray for Official of the Year. The President’s Cup was awarded to the Tiananga Family for all their hard work behind the scenes in the club, Riley Eathorne took away the Birdling Trophy for Competitor of the Year as mentioned earlier.
An emotional Ian Burson received the final trophy of the night, the Hebberd Cup for Sportsperson of the Year, a return to Super Stock racing in the latter part of the season, he joined good mate Jason Moir who has been racing the “Wakefield Taxi” Ian bought a couple of seasons ago, Ian piloting his newly purchased Higgins car. There’s been plenty of road trips racing the Super Saloon, a highlight of the season was being joined by son Jack in the ex-Dennis Bolt Super Saloon to compete as Father and Son at the King of the Coast in Greymouth, Jack having raced the Kevin Freeman Sprint Car through the season, getting the better of Dad on the day. Daughter Aimee has been busy racing the Ministock, a new engine late in the season getting good results. after 26 seasons Ian is looking to get the car back up on the podium with an eye towards the NZ Super Saloon title at his home track in 2029.
There was a great vibe over the night, the future of the club looking strong with plenty of talented Youth drivers coming through the grades, growing numbers in the Super Stocks and Stock cars for next year, a few new drivers stepping up into the T.Q. grade while the NZ Midget Title and Sprint Car GP headline next season, a successful Streetstock title done and dusted this year, a packed clubroom at the end of every meeting shows the club is in good heart. Bring on next Season…
Jody Scott
BM Photography
