01/04/2026
**Warning Long Post Ahead**
WE WON THE 58TH NZ NATIONALS!!!!
Even a just over a week on from winning we all still can’t believe what we have just achieved. To be able to do it in the last pass of my jnr career and after every problem with that car, it’s just insane to comprehend.
Saturday started out with qualifying, 1st run was a 9.82 @ 68mph with a 0.047 light. 2nd run was a 9.79 @ 68mph with a red light. 3rd run was a 9.88 @ 68mph with a 0.060 light. All day we had been struggling with bouncing as i dumped the clutch because the track was so sticky it just stuck the tyre which bogged the motor down. Overall i qualified 5th with the 0.047 light i did first round of qualifying.
Sunday morning was a bit emotional as it was the last day i ever got to race the car that has been the center of our attention since we got it in October 2022 as my 16th birthday present.
First run of the day was a practice round. I ran a 9.58 @ 68 mph, that’s only 3 hundredths of my pb et. The track was cold enough for us not to stick the tyre off the line resulting in the faster et. 1st round i had Jadyn Wilson, We dialled a 9.62 and proceeded to run a 9.68 @ 68mph with a 0.89 light. We were very lucky that round with Jadyn breaking out handing us the win.
2nd round we had our good friend Alec Hart- Scott, We dialled a 9.62 again. Unfortunately for Alec he broke as he did his burnout handing us the win into the semis. I ended up running a 9.64 @ 68 mph. At this point we were all in disbelief with what had just happened like we’re in the semis of the nationals in a clutch car, that’s insane.
For the semis we faced Kayden Patel who had taken out some big names on his way to the semis. Again we dialled 9.62, we ended up winning on a hole shot! I ran a 9.77 @ 67 mph as I decided just before the finish to get out of it just to be safe. That decision almost ruined our day as the margin of victory was only 0.016 of a second. After the shock of making it to the final against Victoria Steiner we had the idea to ask if they wanted to go heads up at 9.70, they agreed to let the best driver win. We were very lucky that she went -0.001 red as we would’ve broke out as we ran a 9.68 @ 68 mph. Which means we won the nationals by 0.001 of a second, how crazy is that to comprehend!
As I went through the finish line I looked up to the timing boards and saw the win light and I was in total disbelief, tears started welling in my eyes as I realised two things, first that we won the nationals in a clutch car!! and the second was that I will never be able to race that car again after everything we had been through as we had finally sorted the combination and found a consistent race car!
One of the coolest moments of that day was the reaction of everyone as we towed back down the return road, the amount of people to came out of their pits to congratulate us was such a humbling moment to experience.
Thankyou to my family, Dad, Mum and Madi. I couldn’t have done any of this without you. The journey we have been on is one that i would repeat in a heartbeat. I will be forever grateful for all the memories we have made together.
There are a few more people who i would like to thank, specifically Tim Hart, Mike Mckay and Stacey Hedley. Tim, thankyou for always lending a hand when we need it, and allowing us to join onto your little city we create every race weekend. Thankyou for all the parts you have given us for nothing because you just want to help in every way possible.
Mike, Thankyou for always being the first person in our pit to help us. For running around with the motor to get it done in time for the december meeting. i will forever appreciate everything you’ve taught me about that car.
Stacey, thankyou for always jumping in to lend a hand if we needed it. I will be forever grateful for everything you’ve helped us with even if it couldn’t be fixed.
Thankyou to Masterton Motorplex International Dragstrip and Tokoroa for the meetings you put on. None of us would be able to achieve anything without out you guys.
Thankyou for all the photographers who capture moments in time that we can go back and relive.
Lastly thankyou to all my sponsors i couldn’t have done this without you.
Three65 Spouting
Red Line Oils New Zealand
WelTec International
PPG
High Performance Coatings (HPC) NZ
Gates Corporation
Upper Hutt Glass
DG Engineering and Equipment
Pinkfit Wellington Todd Russell
Signbiz - Head Office - Christchurch
See you trackside next season.
