Max Holloway (81V) led the Warriors to a win against the Palmerston Panthers in January, and will turn out for the Warriors on Sunday. Photo / Pete Paltridge
Max Holloway (81V) led the Warriors to a win against the Palmerston Panthers in January, and will turn out for the Warriors on Sunday. Photo / Pete Paltridge
It's been a long, long time since the Wanganui Warriors Superstock team has raced on its home track.
But that will change on Sunday, when the Warriors take on the Manawatū Mustangs at Fast Lane Spares Oceanview Family Speedway.
The Superstock teams race tops the bill of what promises to be an all-action afternoon of racing.
The Wanganui Toyota Vulcans Stockcar team will race twice against two Palmerston North Pumas teams, a full field is expected for the West Coast Youth Ministocks, and the Production Saloons will race for the Ray Purdy Memorial.
But with the Warriors having only raced outside Wanganui for the best part of 20 years, their home track return is the undoubted highlight.
A squad of nine cars and drivers, all of whom are contracted to the Wanganui Stockcar and Speedway Club, was announced last week.
Current Warriors Shaun Smith, Scott Duncan, Max Holloway, Maddie Wise and Shane Kells were all named, along with Elias and Zane Dykstra, Bruce Williams and Dylan Marshall, newcomers to the Wanganui ranks this season.
Sunday's race is the first step towards the Enzed-Dewtec Superstock Teams Champs in February.
The team named by manager Cameron Jurgens on Thursday includes Max Holloway, Maddie Wise, Dylan Marshall, Shane Kells and Elias Dykstra.
The Mustangs are a fitting opponent given that they, as the Palmerston North B Team, beat the Warriors in the very first Teams Champs final in 1981.
The Vulcans are also starting their build-up to the New Zealand Stockcar Teams Champs in Wellington in February, having missed last season's event at Stratford.
The team for Sunday's races is Cody Alabaster, Kaelin Mooney, Trazarn Ryland-Annabell, Mark Johnston and Dennis Black.
Former NZ Champion Dave Evans will pedal his Classic Stockcar on Sunday. Photo / Pete Paltridge
It marks a changing of the guard for the Vulcans, with the team representative of a host of younger drivers in the Stockcar class.
With drivers of the calibre of Dion Mooney, Blair Lockett and Francis Potaka no longer available to teams race, it is really pleasing to see a new generation of drivers coming through.
The West Coast Youth Ministocks has attracted a massive field, with drivers from all over the North Island entered.
Trent James is likely to be the most favoured local driver, but he will face stiff competition from the likes of Terrence Dorrell (Rotorua), Jesse Whelan, Cody and Regan Ogle (Stratford) and Palmerston North drivers including Conor Linklater, Max Lowe, Kurtis Tinetti and Daniel Adie.
"Uncle Ray" Purdy was a real character both on and off the track, and the Ray Purdy Memorial celebrates his life. Grant Loveridge, Brent Hackett, and Bailey Goldsack have all shown form this season, as has Shayne Hughes, in whichever of his three cars he chooses to race in.
The Minisprints will make their final appearance before the Dewtec New Zealand Minisprint Championship at Oceanview on January 9. Current 1NZ Shane Dewar, who manages Dewtec, will make his first appearance of the season at Oceanview, a track he thrives on.
And as if that wasn't enough, the Wanganui public will have the chance to watch one of the greats of the sport, Dave Evans, in the Classic Stockcar class.
The two-time New Zealand Champion has built a replica of his "no body" car from 1986 which was first raced in New Zealand by English driver Chris Elwell, then by Evans himself a season later.
The speedway season in Wanganui has been fantastic to date, and on Sunday, the action is set to step up a notch or two. The gates open at 2.30pm, with racing set to start at 4pm.
