Expect plenty of chaos from the superstocks and stockcars at Oceanview Speedway on Saturday night. Photo / SB O'Hagan Photography
Expect plenty of chaos from the superstocks and stockcars at Oceanview Speedway on Saturday night. Photo / SB O'Hagan Photography
The end of a disjointed speedway season is nigh.
But before cars disappear into sheds for off-season rebuilds, there's one more meeting, and it's going to be a big one.
By the time the lights go out on Saturday night at Fast Lane Spares Oceanview Family Speedway, the final two West Coast championships (superstocks and sidecars), and no fewer than seven memorial events, will have been concluded.
The superstocks take top billing for their West Coast championship, and the Noel Kensington, George Podjursky and Craig Heibner memorial races.
Despite Palmerston North, Stratford and Meeanee all running on Saturday, a strong field has entered, including father and son Peter and Ethan Rees, and Randal Tarrant, winner of the New Zealand Superstocks at Oceanview two seasons ago.
Plenty of visitors have entered, including the Stratford duo of Zane Riddick and Matthew Picard, Josh Prentice and Scott Penn from Gisborne, Josh Kahui (Wellington), Hayden Hart (Auckland) and Les Hepworth (Huntly).
They will do battle with a strong local contingent including Zane Dykstra, Dylan Marshall, Scott Duncan and Max Holloway, all of whom are battling for inclusion in the Wanganui Warriors team for the ENZED-Dewtec New Zealand Superstock Teams Champs in two weeks.
Former New Zealand stockcar champion Big Bad Charlie Berntsen was one of the original entertainers of stockcar racing, and today's breed of stockies will compete for the Charlie Berntsen Trophy on Saturday night.
A full field of stockcars has entered and visitors from Huntly, Kihikihi and Rotorua, along with former Wanganui Vulcans captain Trazarn Ryland-Annabell who now races out of Dunedin, will do battle with the locals, who will do whatever it takes to keep The Charlie in Whanganui.
Dion and Kaelin Mooney, Blair Reeves-Smith and Callum Sturzaker shape up as the pick of the locals, whilst Hailey James has shown some fine late-season form.
Karl Barritt was considered an up-and-coming talent when he lost his life in a racing accident at Auckland in 2005.
The tight-knit sidecar fraternity always supports this meeting, and Saturday is no exception with 15 entries, headed by 2NZ Jamie Moohan and Patrick Larsen and the well-performed Palmerston North duo of Mike Zachan and Ben Franklin.
The 97P combination of Mike Zachan (rider) and Ben Franklin (swinger) is a team to watch in the sidecar class. Photo / SB O'Hagan Photography
First, however, the West Coast sidecars will be raced over three rounds of heats and a final.
Long-time supersaloon driver "Uncle Ray" Purdy will be remembered with the running of the Ray Purdy Memorial Production Saloons.
Local drivers should be to the fore here, and the ongoing rivalry between 2NZ Brent Hackett and Grant Loveridge is likely to be a feature.
The last of the memorial events is the Heiby Memorial Youth Ministocks, which is again likely to attract a full field, despite competing events.
Craig Heibner was a mentor to many young racers, including his nephew Kyle Heibner, and this is always another keenly contested title.
Big fields of midgets and adult ministocks round out the programme.
In the midgets, former minisprint 1NZ Shane Dewar will make his first Whanganui appearance of the season, and there will be plenty of interest in the performance of former world freestyle MX champion Levi Sherwood, who is adjusting to racing on four wheels.
The public gates open at 3pm, and racing gets under way at 4pm.
There will be a break some time after dark when the Kairanga Lions Club will light up the Oceanview sky with another of its spectacular fireworks shows.
To the relief of the Wanganui Stockcar and Speedway Club, all Covid restrictions have been lifted, with the public again allowed access to the pits, and food trucks back on site with all the speedway staples such as hot dogs, chips and burgers.
It's been a frustrating, stop-start season, but all that will be forgotten once the green flag drops and racers hit the Oceanview track for one final meeting.
It's going to be an all-action night at the Oval by the Ocean.
