Aaron Hodgson Charges to Glory in 83rd NZ Midget Championship

Aaron Hodgson (35M) has won the 83rd New Zealand Midget Championship at Baypark Speedway in Tauranga, charging from the third row to take the chequered flag by 1.3 seconds.

The two-night event (January 16-17) saw a quality field of Midget racers battle it out on Baypark's clay surface. Teenage sensation Alec Insley set the pace as top qualifier, but it was Hodgson who proved strongest when it mattered most.

Veteran Brad Mosen (10A) finished second in what was his sixth runner-up finish at the NZ Midget Championship — a record of consistency that is both impressive and heartbreaking. Ben Morrison (97A) completed the podium in third.

Six-time champion Michael Pickens led early laps but ultimately finished sixth, while young gun Insley's qualifying pace couldn't quite translate to the final, finishing fifth.