Racing in the NZ Saloon Car Championship at Baypark Speedway has had an exciting start on Friday with the second day of racing for the 2023 New Zealand title resuming tonight at Trustpower Baypark Stadium, Mount Maunganui.

Early on Friday morning the new car of defending national Saloon Car champion and Tauranga's Chris Cowling was sitting in the team workshop waiting for a rebuilt engine to arrive and be fitted.

At the end of Friday evening the car hadn't missed a beat as Chris raced through the first three rounds of qualifying heats in the New Zealand Saloon Car Championship with an unbeaten performance.

Chris went three from three to have a perfect 60 point scorecard and lead the 51-car field into the Saturday decider.

Former champion Ethan Cook of Gisborne was in spectacular form and sits second with 54 points after a fifth and two second placings with North Island champ Jarred Fletcher of Cambridge one point further back in third. Jarred posted two wins early in the night but had a spin in his third outing before recovering to eighth.

Tied in fourth on 51 points are Tauranga's Trent Amrein, Southlanders George Phillips and Campbell McManaway and Christchurch teenager Ashton Osborne. All three of the southerners have shown title contending pace and George's effort as notable for two wins, a tenth place with a front right puncture, and the fastest lap time of the night.

The race to the 2023 New Zealand title continues Saturday night with two more rounds of heats for all drivers from which the top-16 transfer to the 25-lap final. Two last chance repechages will determine the final four spots the 20-car grid.

The Open Wheel racing was impressive on the smooth track with Rotorua's Boyd Westbury holding off Tauranga's Luke McClymont to win the 15-lap 6-Shooter feature race. And Carlos Stone claimed the first feature race win of his Speedway career by racing clear to win the Formula 2 Midget 20-lapper ahead of Sam Cometti and Leighton Kendall.

Racing for the NZ Saloon Car Championship resumes at 6.30pm Saturday at Baypark Speedway at Trustpower Baypark Stadium, 81 Truman Lane, Mount Maunganui.