Victory lap for Clay Dawson, 2022 New Zealand Youth Mini Stocks Champion Photo Supplied

Cromwell College student Clay Dawson had just earned the title of 2022 New Zealand Youth Mini Stocks Championship, racing at Oxford Speedway last weekend.

Clay first attended the Speedway as a 5-year-old, with his father Brett.

So began his passion for the sport, but he was 12 years old before he got a chance to race in the Youth Mini Stocks category. 

This class provides a fun and affordable way for youth to develop their driving skills and experience the thrills of racing on the clay of Cromwell’s Central Motor Speedway.  The cars race at speeds of up to 70kph.

Many Mini Stock drivers step up to other classes.  Others just go on to use what they have learned on the track to help make them better drivers on the open road.

Central Motor Speedway Club is keen to encourage this class to keep growing and can organise opportunities to ‘have a go’.  Central Speedway President, Andy Erskine, is keen to welcome Cromwell youth to the club, saying, “We have a great facility and we are proud to be able to give young people a place to go, a sport that’s out of the ordinary, and a chance to enhance their driving skills.”

He adds, “Clay won the CTRA championship, whereas Central Speedway competes under the Speedway New Zealand organisation.  I absolutely congratulate Clay – it is a wonderful achievement.”

“Racing at Oxford in a 43-car competition was great, and winning was pretty cool,” says Clay. His focus now is to keep competing in the category, with a view to defending the title in 2023, a race planned for the same Oxford Speedway venue. Clay enjoys competing in a sport that his father Brett also loves.  Together, they tinker with the mechanics, learning as they go, though as he has just obtained a new car it should be smooth riding for a while.  Clay says that

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