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A super effort and traditional tactics kept outsiders at bay and ensured the Taranaki Super Stock title stayed in the province, following speedway action on Tuesday night.

Te Wera's Paul Johnson is the new Taranaki Super Stock Champion, after a threat to take the title north was squashed by local drivers in the deciding race at the Stratford Speedway.

A large contingent of challengers from all over the North Island turned out for the championship, which was rained out in October.

The first race of the three-race championship started well, with current champion Neville Nolly (Stratford) giving himself a good chance of retaining his title with third place.

Visitors, Callum McLeod (Huntly) 1, and Steve Gilford (Wanganui) 2, scored valuable points early on.

Craig Rolston (Palmerston North) secured fourth place and was intent on adding the Taranaki title to his King Country crown which he won two weeks ago.

After placing fifth in the first heat, Johnson won the second heat from Rolston, with Dave Tennant (Auckland) third.

In the decider, Taranaki's proud tradition of keeping the silverware at home led to a change of tactics, which Rolston had prophesied could be his undoing.

As if by command, all the Taranaki drivers who were still running, returned to the track.

Nolly was still underpowered and Brian Booker came back after hitting the wall in the second heat.

Gilford's challenge was thwarted when Booker nudged him off the track and ended his hopes, but it was Nolly whose single move decided the title.

Waiting for Rolston to close in on the leaders, Nolly timed a blocking manoeuvre to perfection and spun Rolston when he tried to pass - ending Rolston's challenge.

New Plymouth's Steve Behl took the chequered flag, but more importantly, Johnson crossed the line in second place to secure enough points to win the title.

Johnson said after the meeting that the club had a long family tradition and if a bit of help was needed, drivers knew what to do when the chips were down.

Following last year's rain-out, the youth mini stocks was another feature of the night's racing.

Although Stratford was not represented, 34 drivers aged between 12 and 16 showed that the breeding ground for the future of the sport is healthy.

Competitors from Mt Maunganui to Wellington arrived en masse and created a small city in the pit area.

Te Puke's Nick Johnson (15) had the stand-out performance of the night, where he went from 30th to 4th in the first race and set himself up to win the event.

Johnson repeated his performance from a week ago, when he won the River City Youth Mini Stock Invitational in Wanganui.

The Ginge Hayward Memorial for modifieds was won by Wellington's Tama Arapere, after the event was all tied up going into Race 3.

New Plymouth's Craig Ward was equal on points with Arapere, but with Arapere starting from the front of the grid and Ward at the back, it seemed too much to ask of Ward to get through the pack. Arapere won by half a lap from Paul Ward and Craig Ward was third.