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Woodford Glen Speedway 31st March 2006 Well thats another season over for Woodford Glen speedway and one many of us would choose to forget I guess. I would like to see some more cars return from garages around Canterbury to compete in the class which several years ago was one of the best to compete in and to watch but that has changed somewhat which in my opinion is a bit of a shame. We would like to thank all our sponsors who have continued their valued support of Nees Racing. I would also like to thank the fans who have supported us and hope that you have enjoyed the giveaways we have provided. We still have the regular "off season" meets including Kaikoura's Northern Zone Championship at queens birthday weekend. Always a grouse time no matter what the weather conditions or the condition of your racecar afterwards. I also hope to get Pam & Casey driving the car at some Federation meetings over winter so we hope to see you there. Cheers for now. Yours in Racing ... Roger Nees (Flash)
Woodford Glen Speedway 17th & 18th March 2006 Hmmmm ... A broken rod end put an early end to friday nights racing but I guess managing to keep the car from hitting the wall with failed R/F suspension was a bonus. After working for another good portion of the day to ensure the car would be reliable we ventured out for Saturday nights racing. The track conditions suited our car and we were very pleased to win the first race and continue the good run finishing all races for the night. It is good to have Jane back to her usual self and we look forward to the remaining race meetings. There is also the possibility of a driver swap with another class before the season finishes so "watch this space". Cheers for now. Yours in Racing ... Roger Nees (Flash)	Special thanks to Terry Burt for supplying the winning picture !
Woodford Glen Speedway 25th February 2006 Tonight we had the honour of having the very successful production saloon racer Ben Abernethy come on board to drive the Honda for us. He is in the process of making the transition to A Grade Saloons and we were hoping this would be a good opportunity for a combined test session. Well it didn't last long as the latest axle design we used failed immediately putting an end to the nights racing. We are now confident of curing this problem so look forward to another opportunity for improvement at our next meeting at the Glen. Till then.... Yours in Racing ... Roger Nees (Flash)
Woodford Glen Speedway 3rd December 2005 Tonight's racing will no doubt be spoken about in various forums for a considerable length of time but there are two sides to every incident. All I intend to say about it is that I can only be pushed so far until I snap and tonight that distance was determined to be sideways for a majority of the front straight with the offending driver intent on destroying Jane Honda and/or me. This and my retaliation were completely stupid and I appologise to the fans and followers accordingly. Lets move on and look forward to some clean racing which I know the class is capable of producing. Yours in Racing ... Roger Nees (Flash)
Woodford Glen Speedway 19th November 2005 Another night at the Glen and we sustained no crash damage which was most pleasing. However we broke one of our new axles in the third race so a re-think may be required on how we are making these. With very little time available to change it we got the car mobile to only just miss getting out the pit gate for the feature. Bad luck I guess but then with the way the super saloons are abusing their cars and crashing so much maybe the pits was the best place to be. 2 weeks till our next meeting at the Glen (3rd Dec) so I better do some long awaited chores around the house. We have new team posters and postcards available so make sure you come and visit us in the pits for your free copy. Cheers for now. Yours in Racing ... Roger Nees (Flash)
Woodford Glen Speedway 12th November 2005 The Canterbury Saloon Championships .... it just seems to produce havoc year after year and this time round was no exception. First heat and Jane Honda was looking pretty sad after real heavy contact in a completely unnecessary manouvre. This caused a chain reaction accident resulting in severe damage to several cars. We managed to press on and complete all three heats, finishing 5th overall which I guess isn't too bad considering the impact of the crash. And when you consider Jane Honda only produces around 140hp, we can't expect too much more in the drivey conditions. Anyhow congratulations to 28c Steve Petersen who won the championship this year and also a great effort from Craig Young who will be pleased with the outstanding form he has been striving to achieve. We now have a large amount of repair work to complete this week but you can count on us returning for hopefully some clean, fast racing this weekend. We have some new posters and giveaways arriving for this weekend too so you kids make sure you come and see us before or after the meeting. Till then ... Yours in Racing ... Roger Nees (Flash)
Woodford Glen Speedway 22nd October 2005 Hmmmm ... Its proving to be a real struggle for us to gain placings so far this season. It appears that the competition have done some homework and improved their cars over winter. We often struggle earlier in the season so hopefully things will improve further down the track. Proving to be going very well though is www.racing.org.nz with some good results achieved tonight for most of the other speedway members. Next week is the annual fireworks at the Glen and we have some new drink bottles to give away from Gary Clarke Plastics so ... see you all there!!! Yours in Racing ... Roger Nees (Flash)
Woodford Glen Speedway Trophy Challenge 15th October 2005 Another season underway and we are very proud to have our existing sponsors on board with us again. New team uniforms from Castrol along with new overalls and a wicked colour scheme for Jane Honda have proven very popular already. Butler Auto Mart & Hella along with Gary Clarke Plastics & the Crossing Bar & Cafe continue to support Nees Racing and we look forward to another exciting season. Tonight we started a little slowly as the dry conditions didn't really suit the Honda but we came away with 4th place trophy and a driveable car. Its also going to prove to be a very busy season so thats it for this week. Yours in Racing ... Roger Nees (Flash)
Kaikoura Stockcar Club Queens Birthday Weekend 2005 I am obviously just not destined to do well at Kaikoura. This year Jane Honda broke a left hand drive axle that had been in the car for approx 8years. Hence I had never bothered carrying a spare but I will from now on. Casey was the one to excel this weekend when she drove Nick Mansfield's Honda Civic in the Ladies Races. After the two heats Casey finished 4th overall and was presented with a sash at the prize giving. She is well on the way with her racing career so I may have to hand over the racing duties sooner than expected. Thats it for this season so the winter rebuild will get underway soon. A big thank you to all our sponsors and to Jenny & Brendon for all their help at the track and with computer work. I would especially like to thank our Kaikoura sponsors for making the weekend awesome. Thanks also to Basil Jones for letting me have a thrash in the "Scud". Click here to download a video clip (7meg) which sort of sums up our weekend of racing on the track. "Thanks" Brendon Yours in Racing ... Roger Nees (Flash)
Oxford Speedway 15th May 2005 Casey continued her racing career this weekend by taking to the track at Oxford in the ladies race. Graeme Read was kind enough to loan her his Mitsubishi which she drove well and confidently, just missing out on third place. Casey is now looking forward to having another go at Kaikoura at queens birthday weekend. I also took Jane Honda out for a test to make sure the new clutch was all okay and we were pleased to have a trouble free run and two wins on the day. Kaikoura's Northern Zone champs is the next meeting so see you all there ... Yours in Racing ... Roger Nees (Flash)
Woodford Glen Speedway 9th April 2005 What an absolute disaster tonight turned into for us. Firstly the rain began falling as we were lining up on the grid. Then our race was delayed until the track became suitable for the saloons to race on. At this point it was inevitable that things were not going to plan but we cannot control the weather gods. Once our race finally got underway I was involved in a tangle which resulted in a lot of bodywork damage. This didn't stop Jane Honda from continuing but the ensuing self destruction of the clutch most definately did. This not only put pay to our nights racing but also made us look decidely average in front of two new sponsors. Night & Day Foodstore & Quality Bakers, both of Kaikoura have come on board with us for the Northern Zone champs at Queens birthday weekend. I certainly hope that the car lasts a bit longer that weekend than it did tonight. I'm looking forward to racing again at Kaikoura so till then ... Yours in Racing ... Roger Nees (Flash)
Top of the South Championships Nelson 26th & 27th March 2005 We were very pleased to have continued support from "Tahuna Beach Tattoo Lounge" for this meeting. We were a bit lucky to be able to race at all due to a lot of rain but we persisted and helped pack the track so racing could continue. 9 cars started but the track conditions didn't really suit us. In fact I was suprised at just how much drive the V8's are getting at Nelson now. We finished at the blunt end in our heats resulting in 7th overall but we did win "Best Presented Saloon" which was very pleasing for the team. Again we would like to thank Greg of "Tahuna Beach Tattoo Lounge" for his support. See you all at the Speedway Spectacular at Woodford Glen on the 9th April. Yours in Racing ... Roger Nees (Flash)
Woodford Glen Speedway 19th March 2005 Another excellent track which suited our car best (for the first race anyhow). Pleased to get another win as they have been few and far between for most of the season. Also pleased to have no damage so just normal preparation is all thats required this week to get ready for next weekends "Top of the South Champs" in Nelson. Thats always a real neat weekend away for us regardless of our racing results. As for Woodford Glen there is only one meeting remaining for the season (9th April) and then there's the Northern Zone Champs in Kaikoura at Queens birthday weekend. So not a lot of racing left before the winter rebuild gets underway. That's it till my report from Nelson ... Yours in Racing ... Roger Nees (Flash)
Woodford Glen Speedway 11th & 12th March 2005 Two nights of racing usually means a lot work but Jane Honda survived the ordeal with relative ease and not only did she require virtually no work but we even won 2 races (1 each night). The wet track for the first race each night suited us best which meant we appeared quick, but in reality the opposition tend to struggle which is a welcome change and the results are very pleasing. Meantime if your looking for car parts or accessories please try our main sponsors "BUTLER AUTO MART" as I'm sure Tony will look after you, especially if you mention us when you call in. See you at Woodford Glen next weekend and dont forget about the posters ... we still have plenty left. Yours in Racing ... Roger Nees (Flash)
Woodford Glen Speedway 26th February 2005 No wheels broke away from the car tonight so this enabled us to gather a couple of good placings. 2nd in race one & 3rd in race three is a far better result than the previous week. We have a lot of posters still available so if you want a free copy just see us in the pits before or after any meeting. Woodford Glen takes a well earn't break on the 5th March but racing will resume on Fri11th & Sat 12th March with A Grades racing both nights. That will be a full on weekend for us so till then ... Yours in Racing ... Roger Nees (Flash)
Woodford Glen Speedway 19th February 2005 An excellent track to suit our car was on offer tonight. The first race started with us getting the better of the leaders and racing into first place. Having reset wheel alignment settings earlier in the day, Jane Honda felt awesome and very quick in the conditions. We were looking for a sure win when the right rear hub broke entering turn 1. The wheel parted company and left us with our first DNF for a while. A bit disappointing especially when the car felt so good. Another annoying aspect was that I didn't have the parts available to repair the car so that put Jane onto the trailer for the remainder of the evening (Bugger) We will have to wait till next weekend to give it another shot at Woodford Glen. Cheers for now ... Yours in Racing ... Roger Nees (Flash)
Woodford Glen Speedway 5th February 2005 Tonight was the return and final round of the A Grade Saloon Teams racing between Christchurch & Dunedin. Some very close and fast racing ensued and the Christchurch team managed to take the overall win but I am sure Dunedin will come back very strongly if this event can be repeated again next season. Thank you to all the team for making the huge effort. We take a break from racing until Woodford Glen on the 19th Feb. So untill then ... Yours in Racing ... Roger Nees (Flash)
Riverside Speedway Invercargill 29th January 2005 I decided late in the week to have another attempt at the elusive Rod McLaren Memorial Championship being held in Invercargill. It began to appear each time we entered this event that we were never destined to win it. Due to problems we have struck with the car previous times I've raced at Riverside the best result has been 2nd (twice). Our Honda was originally raced very successfully by Rod and it is always great to race the car at Riverside Speedway where the hospitality shown is awesome. Rod's wife Ag McLaren again joined us for the day. I also managed to rope their daughter Sonya and her husband Woody into being pitcrew. The racing got underway with a win for us in the first heat. The second heat was a very close race for us with the Corvette super saloon of Invercargill local Owen Dixon. We just couldn't get the traction in the slick conditions to match the sheer horsepower of the V8 but 2nd was still a good result. The final proved to be the same again but this time my old Mitsubishi now raced by Chris Rooney also came into play before problems forced him to retire. Another 2nd in this final heat gave us enough points to win the championship over the small field of cars. This was very pleasing and I now look forward to getting my name engraved onto the 18 carat gold plated piece of history which was presented to me by Rod's grandchildren (pictured). Thank you to everyone involved for a great weekend. Yours in Racing ... Roger Nees (Flash)
Woodford Glen Speedway 22nd January 2005 With the mid-season points from Woodford Glen Speedway now displayed on their website we were very pleased to currently be in second place overall. And tonight would have produced another good points haul for us too. We managed to win the feature and gathered two 3rd placings during the night. Woodford Glen takes a break for a week when we return on the 5th Feb. That is when the A Grades host the final round of the challenge against Dunedin. That should prove to be an excellent night and one I am looking forward to. Yours in Racing ... Roger Nees (Flash)
Woodford Glen Speedway 14th January 2005 Finally !!! Gee its taken us a while but we finally tasted a victory at Woodford Glen this season. 3rd placing in the first race and a win in the last race was very pleasing. Especially after the struggles we have been having with the sheer pace of the opposition to date. Maybe it was something to do with still being on holiday but whatever it was we'll take it. I certainly hope the relatively trouble free run we are enjoying keeps up but now that I've said it things are bound to change. Next meeting is back to the Glen on 22nd Jan so until then ... Yours in Racing ... Roger Nees (Flash)
Woodford Glen Speedway 2nd January 2005 The night began with all the race cars lining the infield and a minutes silence to remember Wayne Wilding. The stockcars then held a formation lap behind the 11c car before starting their racing but leaving pole position vacant for the evening. A very touching tribute to a very good friend and I was pleased to be able to be a part of the evenings events. Although failing to produce any top placings for us, the racing was very enjoyable leaving no damage to be repaired. Which is just as well considering I'm supposed to be holiday. Dennis Bolt's new Monaro looked awesome which was also very pleasing as we had spent nearly 4 days prior getting the signwriting completed for him. My best moment of the evening was re-passing Wayne Andrews during the saloon feature but only because he had a tyre going flat. Still it looked good even though he was struggling. Next week we are heading up to Blenheim/Picton/Nelson (without any race cars) and will return for the 14th January meeting at the Glen. So until then ... Yours in Racing ... Roger Nees (Flash)
Woodford Glen Speedway 26th December 2004 The annual Remembrance Championships were the main event tonight and a surprise turn-out of 14 cars produced some very close and hard fought racing. I was extremely pleased to pull out a fine 2nd placing in the first heat however this was backed up with a poor drive in the next heat finishing towards the rear of the field. Overshadowing all the club members at this time was the shocking news of the loss of stockcar driver and friend "Wayne Wilding". After racing hard from the rear of the field in his first heat Wayne finished in a fine 2nd place. He was so estatic that he told his crew that he had just had his best ever race. But before Wayne had climbed from his car the ambulance was called to take him to hospital. The sad news of his passing washed across the pit teams and we can take some consolation in that he died doing what he enjoyed most. I have known Wayne for many years and recently sponsored his racing. We had become good friends over these last few seasons and I really appreciated his kindness and hospitality. We often spoke of each others racing during the meetings and the best time I will always remember was last season when I backed up his Canty Stockcar Champs win with our own Canty Saloon Champs win. We had both beaten the stiff competition in our respective classes and both cars carried 11c. I am even more proud that both our cars adorn the Woodford Glen poster this season. Our sincere condolences and heartfelt thoughts are with his family, friends and many fans at this difficult time. I managed to produce a reasonable result in the final heat which placed us 4th overall in the championship. A good result considering the level of competition but if only I hadn't allowed Nana to drive in the second heat maybe the result would have been a lot better. We will have the Butler Auto Mart Honda at the annual Spencer Park Gala on new years day so feel free to call in a get yourself a free poster then it will be back to the "Glen" on the 2nd so till then ... All the best for the New Year ....... Roger Nees (Flash)
Island Park Motor Speedway Dunedin 4th December 2004 I was pleased to be included in the 5 car team to go down to Dunedin for the A Grade Saloon Challenge. The others in the team were 28 Stephen Petersen, 89 Mike Allan, 57 Ken Sharp & 42 Alan Newton. Our team competed very well I thought and we all managed to finish all of the three heats. The Dunedin guys however had a few mechanical issues but we look forward to when they come to Woodford Glen for the return match later in the season. Our next meeting is boxing day at the Glen so till then ... Have a great xmas !!! Thanks for stopping by ....... Roger Nees (Flash)
Woodford Glen Speedway 26th November 2004 Tonights racing was brought to an early end due to rain but I was pleased with a second place finish in the first race after making a miserable effort at the start. I lost around 4 places due to running too high up the track but later managed to capitalise on the opposition struggling with the rough track conditions and made the passes necessary to get back to the pointy end. A Grades are standing down tomorrow night but next weekend Jane Honda is heading to Dunedin as part of the A Grade Teams challenge which sees 5 cars from Woodford Glen take on 5 from Beachlands Speedway. Till then ... Thanks for surfing in ....... Roger Nees (Flash)
Woodford Glen Speedway 13th November 2004 Jane seemed to struggle even more tonight amongst the extremely quick cars within the class. Some of these drivers appear intent on destroying machinery rather than clean racing with several cars suffering unneccessary major damage. The Butler Auto Mart Honda (although finishing out of the placings) again came through the carnage without any damage. Next week we have our canterbury championship meeting. As defending champion it seems a little ironic that we are up against the odds but maybe we could win a prize for the best looking tow van instead. Our new Honda Stepwagon team van is nearly complete and we hope to be able to use it for the first time next week. Till then ... Yours in Racing ....... Roger Nees (Flash)
Woodford Glen Speedway 6th November 2004 The super saloons are still running within our class so 4th's & 5th's were the best results achieved from the nights racing. Our posters have again proven very popular so make sure you see us in the pits to secure your copy. However the lack of damage from the nights racing is most welcome as this week I can hopefully concentrate on getting the teams new van on the road. The canty championships are scheduled to run in a fortnight so meantime ... Thanks for stopping by.. Yours in Racing ....... Roger Nees (Flash)
Woodford Glen Speedway 30th October 2004 Tonight was the annual fireworks extravaganza brought to us by none other than our main sponsor "BUTLER AUTO MART". I was hoping we would achieve a slightly better result tonight than we did last week. In a way I guess we did with a fine 2nd placing in race 3 but not before being involved in someone elses over zealous driving which left Jane Honda severly battle scared. This actually also resulted in the car losing a wheel during the saloon feature after cracking the r/f cv joint. The car needs a considerable amount of work before we get back to the track again next week but it is pleasing to see that we can still make it to the sharp end of the field once in a while as the super saloons in the class take themselves and the opposition out. As I said last week it is going to be a season where its the "survival of the fittest" so hope to see you all at Woodford Glen next weekend. Cheers for now. Yours in Racing ....... Roger Nees (Flash)
Woodford Glen Speedway 23rd October 2004 Another Woodford Glen season got underway tonight. I've always agreed with the superstition that the colour green on race cars is bad luck and this was verified before the racing even started with one of the stockcars backing into our car while we were lined up for scrutineering. The only consolation gained from this was the fact it was the only damage the car received all night. A majority of my crew deserted me with Pam taking on the unenviable task of Production Saloon Drivers Rep. Casey has begun work at the Warehouse on saturdays so she cannot make it to the track until later in the evening and Shannon is selling tickets at the main entrance. Brendon was given the opportunity to watch the the racing from the control tower where he has been employed to provide a race review for the Woodford Glen website. This all meant it was up to Jenny and I to ensure the Honda was kept going and up to scratch. So if anybody would like to join our team carrying out pit crew duties please contact us. Now to the racing ... During the first heat of the Trophy Challenge I had made a couple of passes and then (while watching the Super Saloons now in the class take off into the distance) the car blew an oil filter seal. This resulted in a huge smoke cloud trailing the car and severe oil pressure loss along with a failure to finish the race. Jenny and I rectified the seal & lack of oil problem and carried on the nights racing. The engine seemed to be performing okay in the next two heats so the Castrol Formula R oil should have done its job well but possible wear to engine internals may result with a premature engine failure later in the season. With the first heat DNF and the extremely quick competiton we were never going to be back at the sharp end so, (for us at least) this may prove to be a season where its "the survival of the fittest" rather than heading for outright wins. Next weekend is the annual fireworks extravaganza and this meeting is brought to us by none other than our main sponsor "BUTLER AUTO MART". I definately hope we can have a better run with the car on that night. Hope to see you all there and make sure you come and see us after the meeting for a copy of our new poster !!! Yours in Racing ....... Roger Nees (Flash)
30th Northern Zone Champs Kaikoura Yet another awesome weekend put on by the Kaikoura Stock Car Club. This club never fails to make us feel very welcome. The track itself has often been known as a car breaker and this year was no exception for us anyway. The Honda showed great speed to leave the field behind in the opening cash race but it all came unstuck when we were involved in a major crash in the first championship heat. The combined impacts of being in a multicar sandwich destroyed everything on the right front corner of the car and also caused a lot of damage to the left rear. At first inspection if looked like our weekend may have finished right there but with a huge team effort and a lot of help from people like Mike (Kinder) Burt, Noel Noble and Paul (Uppy) Upston we were able to get the mechanicals replaced and the car mobile again. Although the bodywork of the Honda looked like it had started its way into a car crusher, there was no slowing the car down and two more wins resulted from the remaining heats. The DNF put pay to any chance of a championship placing but a moral victory was well worth the effort we all put in. Noel drove the car in the remaining cash races on the sunday and apart from a cross country excursion to do some scrub cutting, he had a trouble free run and a second placing. Casey also appreciated the loan of a locals car so she could drive in the ladies event. Although our championship didn't go well we did however receive a trophy for "Best Presented Car". (They must have judged that before we crashed!) I was also very humbled to be awarded "Honorary Membership" to the Kaikoura Stock Car Club which was a great way to cap off an awesome weekend. Looking forward to next year already. Yours in Racing ... Roger Nees (Flash)
Woodford Glen Prize Giving Saturday 29th May 2004 Another Woodford Glen race season drew to a close with the annual prize giving. We were very pleased to be awarded the following trophies: Leech Cup ... A Grade Saloon Champion Canterbury Tyres Trophy ... Best Presented A Grade Saloon A copy of this trophy to keep as we have won 3 years in a row Ian McDougal Trophy ... Best Mechanically Prepared A Grade Saloon A Grade Season Points ... 3rd place plaque overall We now look forward to the final meeting we have planned before the winter rebuild starts. This happens to be the 30th Northern Zone Champs at Kaikoura Speedway over queens birthday weekend. This will definately be a fun meeting not to be missed ... See you there !!! Yours in Racing ....... Roger Nees (Flash)
Nelson Speedway Top of the South Champs Easter Weekend 2004 What an awesome weekend we all had. We were very pleased to have the Tahuna Beach Tattoo Lounge supporting us and several of the team took home some of his excellent work. The snowball fight in the Lewis Pass along the way was just the start but on the track during the championship itself we achieved the best overall result we've ever had at Nelson. There was a lot of damage caused to several cars during the meeting (not by us) but the Honda survived virtually unscathed to emerge 4th overall behind 12n Shane Carey (1st), 61p Kevin Gimblett (2nd) and 35n Mark Carey (3rd). It is always great to be able to race with these guys, but to obtain a good result as well is even better. Our next meeting will be the 30th Northern Zone champs in Kaikoura over Queens birthday weekend so .... see you then !!! Yours in Racing ....... Roger Nees (Flash)
Woodford Glen Speedway Saturday 3rd April 2004 The final night of the season provided drivers with the chance of winning some awesome prizes. We were pleased to survive the racing unscathed and even more pleased after winning a portable jump starter / compressor system. We are now looking forward to going to Nelson over Easter and competing in the Top of the South Champs. See you there !!! Yours in Racing ....... Roger Nees (Flash)
Woodford Glen Speedway Friday 26th March 2004 Jane showed a good turn of speed tonight and provided us with a win and a third. The class has had another sharp decline in turn-out of cars so we now endure another stand-down until we race the final night of Woodford Glen on 3rd April. What we are looking forward to though, is the Top of the South Champs in Nelson at Easter. It always proves to be an exciting weekend. Cheers for now ... Yours in Racing ....... Roger Nees (Flash)
Woodford Glen Speedway Saturday 13th March 2004 Roger took over the driving seat for tonights racing and immediately struck engine trouble which was very worrying until it was traced to water from cleaning the car which had found its way into a spark plug lead fitting. With this cured things improved with a 2nd placing and a night of no damage at all which means we can concentrate on getting Janes new workshop into shape. Next meeting is the double header at the Glen which is the "Battle of the Stocks". See you all there !!! Yours in Racing ....... Roger Nees (Flash)
Woodford Glen Speedway Friday 27th February 2004 The new engine ran faultlessly tonight but Pam was involved in some uneccessary contact which damaged the left front suspension. This produced a rare DNF and although we got the car repaired for the next race it slowed progress considerably. The saying goes ... "Thats Racing" but we are keen to have a good result before the season concludes so .... "watch this space." Our next scheduled meeting at the Glen is 13th March ... see you then !!! Yours in Racing ....... Roger Nees (Flash)
Woodford Glen Speedway Saturday 7th February 2004 Although we finished all three races we discovered a few new problems with the car tonight which have crept in over the last month or so. I guess with building our new home that preparation of the car has suffered slightly. The HiTech Honda has a shock absorber problem which will be addressed before the next meeting. But the major issue was the three large holes punched out of the engine block by #4 conrod in the last lap of the final race of the evening. That engine was installed last season and won us the Canterbury Championship back in November so we can not complain. Especially considering it owed us only $120. We will now have to fit the spare we have had waiting to go into the car which was purchased NEW from Honda Japan. Rest assured NEES Racing will be back at the next meeting so until then ........ Yours in Racing ....... Roger Nees (Flash)
Woodford Glen Speedway Saturday 24th January 2004 Tonight provided the team with another first. NO ... not a win in a race but the first time Jenny has driven the race car in the Grand Parade. She was absolutely buzzing with excitement after driving round in front of the large crowd. We just had to get a picture of the huge grin so we could post it here. Its good to be having fun again as the racing has become very serious recently. Meanwhile on the track we managed to finish our three races without incident so now we have a couple of weeks free of repairs before we return to the Glen. Phew !!!. Until then ........ Yours in Racing ....... Roger Nees (Flash)
Woodford Glen Speedway Friday 23rd January 2004 An easy win in the first race of the evening was very pleasing. And another night of no damage is even better especially since we are racing again on saturday night. Brendan has recently purchased a digital camera which also has mpeg capability so we can now bring video to you via this website. Click here to download tonights mpeg. The file size is 1.2meg so it may take several minutes. We hope to add this more often as time allows. MOV00187_23jan04.mpg Yours in Racing ....... Roger Nees (Flash)
Top of the South Speedway Nelson 16th & 17th January 2004 We made the trek to Nelson for the NZ Stockcar Champs meeting. Although there were not a large number of saloons, most of the top guys from the area turned out for the two nights. We were very pleased not only with a third in the first race but also to complete all 7 races for the weekend and to bring a straight car home. Especially pleasing was the reception from the locals so a good time was had all round. Thank you to Carl Nees and Liv for scraping the mud! The HiTech Honda was put on display outside Butler Auto Mart in Tahuna for both days which was received well. We also hope to return to Nelson for their Top of the South Champs at Easter. Meantime till next week .......... Yours in Racing ....... Roger Nees (Flash)
Woodford Glen Speedway 10th January 2004 Tonight was to be a take it easy and stay out of trouble sort of deal. We were hoping for a clean, damage free evening so there wasn't too much to do before we head off to Nelson during the week. But getting involved in someone elses accident put pay to that idea and now the car requires a day or twos work to get it ready. Still ... we managed to finish all three races and now look forward to getting away. Till next time .......... Yours in Racing ....... Roger Nees (Flash)
Woodford Glen Speedway 2nd January 2004 Pam had a bit of an eventful night of racing, firstly finding herself with some of the super saloons racing among the A Grades and also to be nursing a wounded car when the r/f brake caliper disintegrated. This appears to have initially come loose (which I am disappointed I missed during my spanner checks) and then captured against the wheel rim which has torn the caliper and its mountings away. A pleasing aspect is that the dual system in the car means only half of the cars braking ability is lost at any one time so the car was still able to complete all 4 races for the night. I'm confident that a visit to Les Hunter Racing Products will see the system repaired and back to 100% in no time. Next week we are back at the Glen on Saturday night so till then ..... Yours in Racing ....... Roger Nees (Flash)
Woodford Glen Speedway 26th December 2003 We had a good start to the nights racing with a front row grid in the annual Remembrance Championships. Mid race we were spun by another competitor while we were in the lead which tore up the bodywork of the Prelude fairly badly. After the restart we still finished first on the track only to have an over zealous referee disqualify me for "not holding a line". Geeeeeez ... Next time maybe I should spin the other competitors out of the way so I at least get some finishing points. The remaining races were basically race slow and away from other cars for fear of further referee trouble. This gained us 7th overall (even with the disqualification) which proved we could have again been frontrunners. The Goodyear Tyres we have been testing proved to be quite good. It just depends now on how well they last too. Next week we are back at the Glen so till then ..... Yours in Racing ....... Roger Nees (Flash)
Woodford Glen Speedway 6th December 2003 Tonight Pam tested some new tyres brought into the country by Goodyear. These appear to be a less expensive alternative to the Hoosier tyre we have been using for many years now. But with Hoosier no longer making the size we require we have been sourcing a suitable replacement. At this stage the Goodyears appear to be a lot harder compound and more rigid in the side walls so we are not yet convinced that we can get these to work well on our light car. We will continue to trial these in the hope that we can get an improvement from their inital outing. The team here wish you all a very Merry Christmas and hope to see you at Woodford Glen on boxing day for the Remembrance Champs. Yours in Racing ....... Roger Nees (Flash)
Woodford Glen Speedway Canterbury Saloon Championships 29th November 2003 YAHOO ..... We finally got the clean run and the good luck we have been waiting for. Finishing 3 heats and all of them in top 3 placings provided us with the Canterbury Championship we have been trying to win again for several years now. Roger won the Canty Champs driving this same car 6 years ago and it's an awesome feeling to have done it again (especially with the level of competiton being as high as it is at present). The fans were obviously impressed with how we went too as the following picture shows. Our next meeting is back at the Glen on 6th Dec so we hope to see you all there ... meantime we are off to celebrate our win!
Woodford Glen Speedway 15th November 2003 Tonight Roger drove in the Blanchard Memorial Trophy championship. A good start from the rear of the field in heat one resulted with a 5th placing but while leading the second heat Jane suffered a broken outer CV during impact from another car which resulted in the r/f wheel immediately parting company. The team worked very hard and were rewarded for their efforts with a win in the final heat of the night. Its the old story ... if only that hadn't happened we may have ended up with a winning result. The good thing is that we now get another chance with the Canterbury Saloon Champs in a fortnight and rest assured we will be doing everything we can to be at the sharp end again. Until then ... Yours in Racing ....... Roger Nees (Flash)
Woodford Glen Speedway 8th November 2003 What a huge improvement over last weekends effort. Pam drove very well to bring the car home at the end of the evening without any damage although we need to work through some tyre issues which are proving to be a bit of a problem. The A Grade Saloons are about to enter into a couple of championship events over the coming meetings at the Glen so we hope to get the car at the sharp end of the field if possible. Although we strive to prepare the car as best we can it would also be nice to have a bit of luck filter our way for a change. Our giveaways are proving as popular as ever and all we ask is a donation to Koru Care so please come and see us in the pits after the meeting. Until next weekend ... Yours in Racing ....... Roger Nees (Flash)
Woodford Glen Speedway 1st November 2003 It was one of those nights it's better to forget. On the one night when one of our sponsors was looking on from the corporate boxes and what did we do?...CRASH. And right in front of them too. Being involved in other peoples accidents and ending up the meat in a sandwich just wasn't what we had planned at all. Jane has suffered severe damage in the rear axle and chassis area but with a huge effort we should be on the pace again at the Glen's following meeting. Gotta go and get stuck into repairing the car. Until next weekend ... Yours in Racing ....... Roger Nees (Flash)
Woodford Glen Speedway 25th October 2003 Another night of the season completed and it was an average evening excitement wise hence the reason we took off from the track immediately after Pam completed her last race. The team were pleased with the nights effort and we came away from the meeting with the car requiring no repairs at all. Next weekend is the annual fireworks extravaganza and it's also when we attract the biggest crowd & sponsor presence for the season so we are hopeful of a good run. With the help of Jane's original builder (Ivan Burney) we think we have finally cured the intermitent misfire problem which has plagued us since the end of last season. We are all confident of a good running car for next weekend so along with a bit of luck going our way, you can expect us to be at the sharp end of the field at some stage. Until next weekend ... Yours in Racing ....... Roger Nees (Flash)
Woodford Glen Speedway Trophy Challenge - 18th October 2003 The annual Moller & Young Tropy Challenge kicked off a good start to the season for us. We were very pleased to be presented with the 2nd place trophy overall after a fast paced night of racing. The HiTech Honda still has an intermittent missfire problem which means we still have a bit more left to improve on. Next weekend its back to the Glen so make sure you come and see us for one of our new posters. See you there ... Yours in Racing ....... Roger Nees (Flash)
29th Northern Zone Champs Kaikoura Brilliant weather for the weekend which helped to make the event a great success and most enjoyable. Two days of racing on the Kaikoura track can be harsh on any car but we were all very pleased to have the HiTech Honda stand up to the punishment the drivetrain was getting. We achieved 2nd overall for the championship behind 8n Basil Jones in his Corvette. I managed to finish ahead of Basil in the first cash race when the track was greasy but after that 2nd placings were all we could achieve. I tried hard to get by several times in the final but contact between us eventuated in the corvettes R/R tyre peeling of the rim. To be able to run virtually door to door with such a more powerful car was awesome and would have been even more interesting if we could have cured the intermittent missfire that plagued us all weekend. Theres always next year at the 30th Northern Zone Champs which will be "THE ONE" not to be missed. Another pleasant surprise was receiving the trophy for best presented car at the prize giving. Now the winter rebuild starts so keep an eye on the website for updates over winter. Thanks to all those who supported us during the season. Yours in Racing ....... Roger Nees (Flash)
Woodford Glen Speedway Annual Prize Giving We enjoyed another great night at the Richmond Working Mens Club with Ian Shrimpton as compare for the evening. We were also very pleased to have retained the trophy we won last season for the "Best Presented A Grade Saloon" as well as take out the seasons second place trophy for the "A Grade Saloon Feature Points". Next weekend (Queens Birthday) we are heading to Kaikoura for the annual "Northern Zone Champs" which is raced over two days. This will be the final race meeting before the winter rebuild begins. Till then ... Yours in Racing ....... Roger Nees (Flash)
Nelson Speedway Top of the South Easter Champs 19th & 20th April 2003 What an awesome way to finish off the season. Staying in sunny Nelson and competing with the Super Saloons in their annual Easter Champs. We have often had trouble keeping the car reliable and/or avoiding crashes while on the Nelson track but this time we had a relatively trouble free run. A lot of people were surprised how quick the car was (including myself). The team finished 6th overall in the championship which is quite an achievement for the HiTech Honda considering the horsepower difference from the fuel injected V8's. We must have done something right because we even received a mention in their local paper. The week was topped off with a day on the water with my brothers boat which was most memorable as while I was driving we were joined by over a dozen dolphins cruising alongside (not often that happens). We will probably begin the winter rebuild of "Jane" soon, but there is also the possibility of meetings such as Kaikoura at Queens Birthday weekend so stay tuned ...... Yours in Racing ....... Roger Nees (Flash)
Woodford Glen Speedway 22nd March 2003 (Saturday) Yippeeeee ... The HiTech Honda is now performing excellently providing the team with a win in the first race and good placings in the remaining races too. It is very gratifying to get some good results after the problems we have been having recently. A little less panel damage would still be appreciated which would cut back the amount of work between meetings. The "A Grades" are standing down at the Glens next meeting and then we have the seasons grand finale on Sunday 6th April starting at 1.30pm. See you there ........ Yours in Racing ....... Roger Nees (Flash)
Woodford Glen Speedway 21st March 2003 (Friday) Finally we have some reliability back into the HiTech Honda and achieved finishes in all 3 races and the Saloon Feature. The best being 2nd in the first race where the track suits us best. In this race we had a good duel for the win with 85c Kevin Kerr in the closing laps. We nearly pulled off an outside pass in the turns but the horsepower of his V8 Corvette just gave him the edge on the drivey track. The following races seemed to be a panel rubbing contest so there is plenty of work to do today to get the car repaired and tidied for tonights racing. See you there ........ Yours in Racing ....... Roger Nees (Flash)
Woodford Glen Speedway 8th March 2003 The Remembrance Championship plaques for A Grade Saloons were up for grabs tonight. We started the race from 9th on the grid and were quickly up to the front with the leaders ... the HiTech Honda showing really good speed. Mid race we had a tyre deflate which meant all the hard work was lost again with cars passing us each lap. We managed a 9th place finish which was disappointing considering how well the car was going prior to the puncture. Race 2 we started at the rear of the field and started using the high line to make as many passes as possible. While doing so the right front wheel picked up a large lump of clay which sent huge vibrations thru the front of the car. This slowly wrenched the rack & pinion mounts from the chassis lap by lap. With the steering getting worse as each lap passed I pressed on in the hope that it wouldn't fail completely. It finally did fail completely but just as we crossed under the chequered flag in 5th place. The team worked extremely hard including the girls driving back home for spare parts and they all managed to get the car to the grid just in time for the final heat. This was our front row grid but 4th place finish was the best we could achieve in the slick track conditions. The feature was also very slick with cars laying considerable rubber in the turns so a 3rd place finish amongst the A Grades was also great. And to top the evening off a huge suprise came when we were invited to the infield prize giving and awarded 3rd place plaque. None of us thought we had done enough for a podium finish so this was great news after the rotten luck we have been experiencing lately. Our next meeting will be Friday 21st & Saturday 22nd March. See you there !!! Yours in Racing ....... Roger Nees (Flash)
Woodford Glen Speedway 22nd February 2003 What an unlucky night we had this evening. Firstly the engine wasn't quite tuned correctly so we fixed that and then in race 2 we broke an axle while in the lead. While also leading the 3rd race the r/f top ball joint let go at the worst possible moment ... while at terminal velocity entering turn 1. This sent the HiTech Honda straight into the turn 1 wall very hard and almost rolling the car. The damage sustained resulted in the unfamiliar site of the car being tow trucked into the pits. Upon inspection it wasn't as bad as could be expected and the car will live to fight again another day. The positive side is that the car is once again right up there on the pace and we look forward to getting some good placings as the season nears it conclusion. Our next race meeting is in a fortnights time on the 8th March. See you there ... Yours in Racing ....... Roger Nees (Flash)
Woodford Glen Speedway 6th February 2003 Tonight the reliability of the HiTech Honda again eluded us with what appears to be another engine problem. I now realise that the car was not performing properly in the previous weeks meeting at Invercargill but I had put it down to the different track conditions at the time. We obviously have some homework to do over the next fortnight and sort out exactly where we have gone wrong with the last engine rebuild. Its a good thing that we have a couple of weeks to sort out the problem before we have to race again on the Glen's calendar. Yours in Racing ....... Roger Nees (Flash)
Riverside Speedway Invercargill 1st February 2003 A big trip southwards to Speights territory for the Rod McLaren Memorial championships. We had a great weekend and caught up with Ag McLaren and some of her family. Rod & Ag's daughter Sonya and her husband Paul joined us on the crew for the evening (thanks again). There was a lack of cars entered due to engine mishaps over previous meetings so this meant the points were always going to be very close. 73i Paul Renton in the V-Tec Honda I campaigned several years back was the main competition for us. Another old car of mine, the 16i Turbo Mitsi of Chris Rooney made the meeting a front wheel drive trifecta. Paul initially got the jump on me in the first heat but I managed a relatively easy outside pass in the slippery conditions. This win probably gave me a false sense of security which was to change quickly in the second heat. Again Paul got the jump in the V-Tec but this time I completed an inside pass mid race which should have put me in good stead for a championship victory but Paul got me back across the finish line by a matter of inches (bugger). So going into the final it was always going to be a two horse race. With Paul starting in front of me on the grid I had to pass him for the overall win which I just couldn't complete. Although I managed to get underneath him entering the corners a couple of times, the power of the V-Tec showed its dominance exiting the turns. So a good win to Paul, Second to me and third to Chris. All three off these cars were rebuilt and campaigned by us at some stage previously so we must be doing something right. The trophies were presented by Rod's grand-daughter Mallory which brought a fitting conclusion to the whole weekend. Sonya & I did however dominate on the pool table back at the Ascot Hotel. Next meeting is Waitangi Day at the Glen ... See you there. Yours in Racing ....... Roger Nees (Flash)
Woodford Glen Speedway 25th January 2003 Having spent a good portion of the week rebuilding the engine it was very pleasing to see the car going really well again. Pams confidence was growing with each race and she finished the evening well. An added bonus is the car only needs cleaning and the usual check over before heading to Invercargill for next weekends "Rod McLaren Memorial". The next meeting at the Glen is then the following week so ... see you there. Yours in Racing ....... Roger Nees (Flash)
Woodford Glen Speedway 18th January 2003 Tonight the usual reliability of the HiTech Honda departed the team and resulted in the engine suffering from what we think is a blown head gasket. This was a bit of a surprise as the car has been so dependable all season to date. When being sidelined for the evening and getting the opportunity to watch the remainder of the class race it showed just what attrocious driving we have to put up with within the grade. I personally think a lot of the drivers need to learn more about car control and setup before attempting to win races as I was actually pleased our car was not amongst them by the end of the night. It is getting the stage where there is more action for the race fans in the NON contact A Grade Saloons than there is in the full contact Superstocks. We will get the car repaired over the next week and use next weekends meeting at the Glen to ensure it is spot on before we head south for the Rod McLaren Memorial championships in Invercargill. Yours in Racing ....... Roger Nees (Flash)

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