The quality of the driving of these young competitors seems to improve every season, and the Youth Ministock class has become known as a breeding ground for Speedway New Zealand champions.
It's not hard to imagine the three occupants of the podium on Saturday night going on to bigger things.
It wasn't a great night for the local drivers, with Trent James getting caught in a racing incident in the first heat, ending his race and his chances.
Fletcher Hoskins, Jordan McDonald and Ethan Linklater all finished in the top half of the 40-car field.
The West Coast Adult Ministock title was a much closer affair, with just three points separating the top three.
Local Jemma Barnes took out the first heat and was making progress quickly through the field in her second when she spun, dropping her to ninth, a result that proved costly.
Rhys White only aged out of the Youth Ministock ranks a few weeks ago, but he drove like a seasoned veteran with a second place in his first heat, and a win in his final race.
But in the end, a third-place finish in the final heat was enough to give Stratford driver Gary Adamson the West Coast title in his last night in the car before he gives it to his daughter to drive in the Youth Ministock class.
The Adamson name is another well known in speedway circles, with Adamson's late father Gary a long-time racer for the Stratford Scrappers under the same number, 6S.
But the family ties didn't stop there.
Three generations of Mooneys raced in the Stockcar and Superstock class on Saturday night, in a night of musical cars.
Grandfather Evan Mooney stepped into grandson Kaelin's Stockcar, while Kaelin drove the 56V Superstock of the James family and gave the drive of his own car to his father Dion.
Kaelin had a successful night with a third placing and a win, while Palmerston North's David Lowe and Stratford driver Hamish Booker took out the other Superstock races.
1NZ Asher Rees was left high and dry on the wall after a first corner squeeze in Heat One, which also saw Dylan Marshall get some airtime.
The Stockcar class was dominated by visiting cars, with Stratford's William Hughes and Bryce Jensen and Palmerston North driver Taylor Lampp picking up a race apiece.
2NZ Blair McPhee was unable to drive his modified due to Covid isolation, so his brother-in-law Sheldon Arapere, current 2NZ in the Stockcar class, took the drive, his first in a Modified.
Arapere had a ball, with two wins and a second placing in the unfamiliar car.
Of course, no one was surprised, as Arapere is the son of former 1NZ in the Modified class, the late Tama Arapere, another legend of the sport.
Mike Zachan and Ben Franklin took out a hat-trick in the Sidecar class, a feat almost emulated by Production Saloon driver Nathan Smith, who won the first two races, but he couldn't catch Grant Loveridge in the third.
The event was run under Covid red light restrictions, with only 400 spectators permitted at the track.
The Wanganui Stockcar and Speedway Club will be hoping crowd restrictions are lifted before the final event of the season on Saturday, April 9.
That will be one of the biggest meetings the club has promoted, as it tries to get all championships run in before the season ends.
The meeting pays tribute to a number of late members, with the Charlie Berntsen Stockcars, Noel Kensington, George Podjursky and Craig Heibner Memorial Superstocks, the Ray Purdy Memorial Production Saloons, Karl Barritt Memorial Sidecars, and the Heiby Memorial Youth Ministocks, plus the running of the West Coast Superstocks and Sidecars events.
To ensure the season ends in an explosive manner, the event will also feature a fireworks display.
With a host of competitors and officials currently isolated with or from Covid, the WSSC is very grateful for those who pitched in to help with the smooth running of the meeting.
But that's what families do.
