New Zealand Solo League

[hawkeyenz]

Here are the teams for this years league.

 

AUCKLAND RHINOS
Sean Mason
Dylan Hancock ...
Dylan Moohan
Chopper Bagshaw
Jake Turner
Caleb Glew
Manager: Glen Bagshaw
Assistant: Tanya Bagshaw

CANTERBURY COMETS
Andrew Aldridge
Ryan Moss
Dale Finch
Konnor McCluskey-Young
Jason MacKay
Grant Tregoning
Manager: Craig Moss
Assistant: Sharee Brawley

SOUTHLAND OUTLAWS
Jake Gillespie
Ryan Terry-Daley
Bradley Stockton
Glen Sole
Daniel Shuttleworth
TBA
Manager: Derek MacRae

 

Canterbury look much too strong for the others as they have acquired Grant Tregoning. There is no Bradley Wilson-Dean, Jason Bunjan or James Sarjeant this year.

 

The main problem for the continued existence is the distances between the three tracks. It would be like Edinburgh, Peterborough and the Isle of WIght being in a three team semi-pro league with minimal sponsorship. Plus the average age of the crowds are usually 50+

Edited November 20, 2015 by hawkeyenz

[johno]

Any fixture dates ??

[hawkeyenz]

Any fixture dates ??

 

19th December Canterbury Vs Auckland Reverse Fixture 10th January

30th January Canterbury Vs Southland Reverse Fixture 5th March

14th February Auckland Vs Southland Reverse Fixture 20th February

 

The venues are Ronnie Moore Park in Christchurch, Oreti Park in Invercargill and Rosebank in Auckland.

 

Hope that helps. All three venues have websites if you put in their names in to something like Google. If you are into Facebook there is also a Group associated with the competition called National Solo League.

 

I'm hoping to make it along to the two Christchurch meetings. Shame Bradley Wilson-Dean isn't competing as I've been an Eagles fan for 44 years and I would have liked to see how much he has progressed.

Edited November 21, 2015 by hawkeyenz

[Guest]

What a difference it is with present NZ league racing compared to the late 1940s and early 1950s when there were more teams and riders of genuine international calibre were in the sides. But NZ is not the first country to have a major loss in team racing - two other once prominent countries where interest for this type of racing evaporated are Holland and South Africa, while I have a feelig the same thing may be happening nearer to home.

[Bavarian]

I think it is marvelous that a small speedway nation like New Zealand runs a league competiton at all. Very good thing for the sport in NZ and for the riders there.

 

The Aussies should try to set up simliar leagues, all maybe at amateur level and regional for some of their states. Why is there no NSW Solo Speedway League, a Queensland League, or a Victoria State League, each with say three teams à la New Zealand ?

 

The Kiwis are to be congratulated to have their New Zealand Solo Speedway League. Long may it contine, prosper and grow!

[Bavarian]

NZ Solo and Sidecar Speedway Championships calendar 2015-16:

 

05.12.2015 : New Zealand U21 Solo Championship (Oreti Park, Invercargill)

04.01.2016 : South Island Sidecar Championship (Moore Park, Christchurch)

16.01.2016 : SNZ Sidecar Grand Prix (Palmerston North)

24.01.2016 : New Zealand Solo Championship (Rosebank, Auckland)

30.01.2016 : South Island Solo Championship (Moore Park, Christchurch)

06.02.2016 : New Zealand Sidecar Championship (Oreti Park, Invercargill)

27.02.2016 : SNZ Solo Grand Prix (Moore Park, Christchurch)

06.03.2016 : North Island Sidecar Championship (Rosebank, Auckland)

17.04.2016 : North Island Solo Championship (Rosebank, Auckland)

[Ozrik]

I think it is marvelous that a small speedway nation like New Zealand runs a league competiton at all. Very good thing for the sport in NZ and for the riders there.

 

The Aussies should try to set up simliar leagues, all maybe at amateur level and regional for some of their states. Why is there no NSW Solo Speedway League, a Queensland League, or a Victoria State League, each with say three teams à la New Zealand ?

 

The Kiwis are to be congratulated to have their New Zealand Solo Speedway League. Long may it contine, prosper and grow!

I missed this post when you listed it, firstly i also agree that the NZ speedway promoters/riders need to be highly praised for their efforts in putting the League together. Should be great.

 

You pose a fair question about Australian League racing. It never really has been tried properly in this country. I believe from time to time in the 70s there were matches between state teams; Vic v SA, NSW v Qld, and some of the stronger tracks had their own teams, like the Mildura Marauders for instance, who would compete in one off matches against other tracks. However there was no structured league as such, and most of these initiatives ceased long ago. During this period (lets say upto 2000) bikes often raced at tracks built for car racing, but as these tracks have altered their racing surface to suit cars (clay base), and more recently with changing safety requirements, bikes are largely restricted to purpose built tracks.

 

This is not a bad situation, it simply means there are not as many quality venues for speedway bikes and sidecars to race at. For example i think there are only five or six clubs in the whole country that have permanent air bag systems in place. On many occassions distance and associated travel cost have been cited as a barrier to league racing in Australia. Then of course, and most importantly, there is the desire of promoters and riders to consider. They are some of the reasons why league racing has not been promoted in this Australia.

 

So, can we overcome these issues, of course we can, if and when we decide to. We have strong depth in riders, with many good domestic and junior riders that could fill team positions. The South East of the country has four strong speedway regions with good race tracks and facilities. Each of these areas could field a team. This would minimise the travel burden as much as possible. There certainly would be no problem with scheduling as the league matches could replace some of the local meetings which really are nothing more than practice days for club riders. This would give clubs a focal point for advertising and would draw more fans through the gate. I know i would rather see Gillman Giants v Mildura Marauders involving the local riders. May even get enough spectators to pay point money.

 

Who is going to make this a reality, i don't know. Perhaps that is the true reason why Australia does not have a viable speedway league.

[Humphrey Appleby]

Why is there no NSW Solo Speedway League, a Queensland League, or a Victoria State League, each with say three teams à la New Zealand ?

Queensland alone is huge. Brisbane to Cairns is nearly as far as London to Moscow, and even up to Rockhampton is as far as London to Glasgow. It's simply not viable for what's a part-time sport.

[iris123]

Queensland alone is huge. Brisbane to Cairns is nearly as far as London to Moscow, and even up to Rockhampton is as far as London to Glasgow. It's simply not viable for what's a part-time sport.

Then again Perth to Brisbane is 4,300km or so,compared with Moscow to Vladivostok which is 9,200 or so......They manage to have a speedway league in Russia somehow

 

There is huge and there is Russian huge....огромный.Which is bigger than the english version!!!!

Edited December 3, 2015 by iris123

[arnieg]

Then again Perth to Brisbane is 4,300km or so,compared with Moscow to Vladivostok which is 9,200 or so......They manage to have a speedway league in Russia somehow

 

There is huge and there is Russian huge....огромный.Which is bigger than the english version!!!!

Vostock to Mega Lada is just a short stroll, over 5,000 miles (assuming no short cut through China and Mongolia!)

 

...and Balakovo is even further from Vostock

[hawkeyenz]

First meeting of the season Canterbury Comets 37 - Auckland Rhinos 35 at Ronnie Moore Park. Last heat decider with the scores level entering the race.

 

Pretty average meeting despite being close. Canterbury without Dale Finch and Ryan Moss became a two man team with Grant Tregoning scoring a paid 15 maximum and Andrew Aldridge getting 13 with four race wins and the crucial third in the last race. For Auckland Sean Mason scored 8 getting better as the meeting went on and Jake Turner scored 14 paid 16 from six rides. He benefited from riding most of his races against the Canterbury second strings and reserves.

 

Full scores:

 

Canterbury

 

1 Grant Tregoning 5 rides 14 paid 15 points - Untroubled

2 Jason McKay 4 rides 4 paid 5 points - Battled

3 Andrew Aldridge 5 rides 13 points - only beaten in the last race, otherwise fast and made the best pass of the day

4 Konnor Mckluskey-Young 5 rides 5 paid 6 points - Could have scored more except for a couple of mistakes

5 George Congreve 4 rides 1 point - Outclassed but it is his first season on a 500

 

 

Auckland

1 Sean Mason 5 rides 8 points - Poor in first three starts and then got better

2 Jake Turner 6 rides 14 paid 16 points - Didn't beat either of the Canterbury top 2 but was too good for the rest

3 Dylan Hancock 5 rides 4 paid 6 points - Poor for second heat leader

4 Dylan Moohan 5 rides 7 paid 8 points - Too good for the bottom three of Canterbury

5 Chopper Bagshaw 3 rides 2 paid 3 points - Beat his opposite number twice

 

I guess in summary that it was disappointing that Aldridge and Tregoning found it so easy as they are unlikely to improve and apart from Jake Turner their doesn't appear to be any great improvers on the scene at the moment. The racing was very processional because of the wide range in abilities. Fortunately the sidecar support class had many close and exciting races.

 

Still it was great to have a fix of speedway with a team format. All credit to the organisers for putting it on and the riders for travelling the length of the country to compete. With Finch and Moss back Canterbury will be very hard to beat.

[Triple.H.]

Chopper Bagshaw is an absolute cracking name

[hawkeyenz]

Jason Bunjan and Bradley Wilson-Dean added to the reserve list.

[johno]

First meeting of the season Canterbury Comets 37 - Auckland Rhinos 35 at Ronnie Moore Park. Last heat decider with the scores level entering the race.

 

Pretty average meeting despite being close. Canterbury without Dale Finch and Ryan Moss became a two man team with Grant Tregoning scoring a paid 15 maximum and Andrew Aldridge getting 13 with four race wins and the crucial third in the last race. For Auckland Sean Mason scored 8 getting better as the meeting went on and Jake Turner scored 14 paid 16 from six rides. He benefited from riding most of his races against the Canterbury second strings and reserves.

 

Full scores:

 

Canterbury

 

1 Grant Tregoning 5 rides 14 paid 15 points - Untroubled

2 Jason McKay 4 rides 4 paid 5 points - Battled

3 Andrew Aldridge 5 rides 13 points - only beaten in the last race, otherwise fast and made the best pass of the day

4 Konnor Mckluskey-Young 5 rides 5 paid 6 points - Could have scored more except for a couple of mistakes

5 George Congreve 4 rides 1 point - Outclassed but it is his first season on a 500

 

 

Auckland

1 Sean Mason 5 rides 8 points - Poor in first three starts and then got better

2 Jake Turner 6 rides 14 paid 16 points - Didn't beat either of the Canterbury top 2 but was too good for the rest

3 Dylan Hancock 5 rides 4 paid 6 points - Poor for second heat leader

4 Dylan Moohan 5 rides 7 paid 8 points - Too good for the bottom three of Canterbury

5 Chopper Bagshaw 3 rides 2 paid 3 points - Beat his opposite number twice

 

I guess in summary that it was disappointing that Aldridge and Tregoning found it so easy as they are unlikely to improve and apart from Jake Turner their doesn't appear to be any great improvers on the scene at the moment. The racing was very processional because of the wide range in abilities. Fortunately the sidecar support class had many close and exciting races.

 

Still it was great to have a fix of speedway with a team format. All credit to the organisers for putting it on and the riders for travelling the length of the country to compete. With Finch and Moss back Canterbury will be very hard to beat.

Any one got the heat details ?

Thanks

[Guest]

First meeting of the season Canterbury Comets 37 - Auckland Rhinos 35 at Ronnie Moore Park.

 

I didn't the know the host venue was now known as Ronnie Moore Park? The last venue name I had was -

http://www.mooreparkspeedway.co.nz/

Thanks for the update hawkeyenz.

Edited December 22, 2015 by Guest

[hawkeyenz]

The link you have is correct Gustix. It is Moore Park Speedway which is named after the great Ronnie Moore. My mistake.

[Ja-Jacek]

Any one got the heat details ?

Thanks

See full results here: http://sportowefakty.wp.pl/zuzel/568645/ruszyla-liga-nowej-zelandii-canterbury-comets-auckland-rhinos-3735

[hawkeyenz]

Second match of the season to Auckland 36 - 33 at home to Canterbury. Canterbury pick up bonus point so both have 4 points on the table.

 

Heat Details below

 

http://sportowefakty.wp.pl/zuzel/571826/liga-nowej-zelandii-auckland-rhinos-canterbury-comets-3633

[racers and royals]

26 min video from sunday`s match Auckland Rhinos v Canterbury Comets http://sportowefakty.wp.pl/zuzel/572102/tak-scigaja-sie-nastepcy-ivana-maugera-zobacz-mecz-ligi-nowej-zelandii-wideo

Edited January 12, 2016 by racers and royals

[brandonbee48]

26 min video from sunday`s match Auckland Rhinos v Canterbury Comets http://sportowefakty.wp.pl/zuzel/572102/tak-scigaja-sie-nastepcy-ivana-maugera-zobacz-mecz-ligi-nowej-zelandii-wideo

Thank you for posting this. Very enjoyable. We'll have to have a forum whip round to buy them some white and yellow helmet covers. All the best. Alan.