Motorsport: Northlanders urged to get behind speedway event

ATVs will again grace the Whangarei Speedway track tomorrow as they did on the season opening weekend. Pictured is Whangarei quad bike rider Arin Riwhi getting a back wheel off the ground during the first meeting of the season. Photo / John Stone

Visiting speedway drivers will be keeping the Whangarei Speedway busy tomorrow as they join forces with locals and an afternoon of action looks set.

The meeting - the first of 2014 - will kick off from 1pm with a mixture of ATVs and mini stocks.

Whangarei Speedway promotions manager Brett Doull said the day was shaping up nicely with drivers travelling from near and far to be part of it - a nice turnaround after the last meeting of 2013 was cancelled due to a lack of drivers.

He said the ATV Yamaha Cup Challenge and the mini stocks best pairs were the main drawcards. In the latter event, drivers are paired off and their collective score decides overall results - with the catch being drivers don't know who their partner is until after racing has finished.

"It's the third time we've run it. Last year a young guy got paired up with a top dog from down Auckland and was chuffed because he got the first prize certificate," Doull said.

While Doull hoped this weekend's racing would bring more public support than earlier this season, he said getting more drivers and supporters was not something that could happen overnight.

"We're really struggling with numbers, all the Northland tracks are. Our last meet before we canned it, I think we had eight cars in total.

"It's just been really weird. Some of the speedways have got not bad numbers in one grade but some are shot to bits in others."

The next Whangarei Speedway event is scheduled for February 1, which will include one of the main events for the club - the Filter HQ Super Modified 30 lapper.

Doull noted this event was always a good watch as 600 horse power cars graced the Whangarei track rather than their usual Auckland raceways.

"They're always bloody good to watch," he said.

Whangarei Speedway club president Peter Blacklock asked Northlanders to get behind the sport after a quiet opening weekend.

Blacklock also invited Northlanders to get involved with the sport, adding that they could sign up to the C grade - an introductory type class - for next-to-no money as cars were not hard to get hold of.

To learn more go to www.whangareispeedway.webs.com