Speedway: Maiden win for Max Guildford as Baypark season ends

Max Guilford raced to his maiden Sprint Car feature race win at Baypark Speedway on Saturday night. Photo / Supplied

A heavy crash on opening night and a career-first feature race win have book-ended a season that has seen young Baypark racer Max Guilford emerge as a force in the sprint car division.

Guilford, 21, built on a string of recent podium performances as he raced to a breakthrough feature victory at Baypark Speedway’s season finale on Saturday night.

Starting third, Guilford had a mid-race duel with former New Zealand champ Rodney Wood on his way to adding Sprint Car success to his achievements in Midget Cars.

It’s a timely win for Guilford who heads to the US next week to race for an Indiana Sprint Car team.

“From where we started, crashing on the first night of the season, ending the season on a high is the best thing we could have done,” says Guilford.

Guilford will race for the Terre Haute, Indiana, team of Travis Norris and Bob Burkle with about 40 race meetings on his schedule through til September.

After racing throughout the country this year, Guilford says: “Baypark is the most bad-ass track in New Zealand because it’s fast and it’s technical.

“I used to hate coming here because we couldn’t finish a race here. But Rodney [Wood] and his team have really worked hard on the track this season and it’s been great to race on.”

Wood came home second with Tokoroa’s Keaton Dahm completing the podium. The heat race winners were Wellington’s Stephen Taylor and Hamilton’s Dean Brindle who finished fourth and fifth in the feature.

Auckland racer Brad Simpson was the winner of Baypark's annual Harry Fredrickson Memorial Stock Car event on Saturday night. Photo / Supplied

Rotorua stock car drivers held a weight of numbers advantage in the chase for the annual Harry Fredrickson Gold Cup but it was Auckland visitors to the fore.

Heat race wins went to Aucklanders Brad Simpson and Blake Brooks while Baypark racer Ryan Hunt was the top point scorer to earn pole position in the trophy race.

Simpson raced to the front and found the gaps in the traffic to lead home Brooks while Sam Wright completed an Auckland trifecta ahead of Rotorua’s Jayden Steiner.

Formula 2 midget cars delivered some fast-paced action with Carlos Stone withstanding pressure from both Lindsay Gate and Corbin Anderson in the 20-lapper to score his second feature win of the season.

The 2023-24 racing season at Baypark Speedway will open at Labour Weekend.