All week the weather reports threatened showers on the annual Milestone Homes Top of the South fireworks display on Saturday night.
But sunny Nelson lived up to its reputation as other tracks around the country succumbed to wind and rain.
The huge crowd weren’t left waiting for long as the fireworks started early on the track.
The Streetstocks were into it from the get-go. Shannon Marr lost steering, putting Steve Thomas hard into the wall with others caught up in the melee before even crossing the start line.
Then it was the turn of the T.Q’s. Two rollovers increased their lead in the rollover tally, firstly 58n Daniel Porter going belly up with a flat rear tyre before the end of his first lap.
But that was outclassed by a spectacular wall climb by Darkie Armstrong in the final race when he clipped the rear tyre when trying to pass a car which sent him flying out towards the wall, throwing him up the concrete, rolling along the safety fence, before landing in a heap back on the track.
Brad Neiman smashed the lap record before, a lap later, Shane Harwood bettered the time again. He was the fastest but Neiman put two wins together to win the Dave Scott Memorial trophy.
The Productions were contesting the first round of their club champs with some close racing. Geoff Watson was the best of the locals a point behind the 3nz visitor Matt Sherlock from Canterbury.
It was hard to keep up with all the action in the Stock Cars, but Levi Collier was hell bent on making a nuisance of himself while 31n Dylan Clarke’s night ended early when he was slammed into the wall by 85n Hamish Carter.
The class of Keightley Teece shone through taking the points on the night.
Phil Krammer made his debut in the Super Stocks along with Ben Taylor returning for his first meeting.
Dwayne Westley is fast getting to grips with his car and made good use of his front bumper in the final heat.
The next meeting sees the Hydralink “War of the Wings” Sprintcars return with their first of two rounds scheduled for the season.
