2NZ Blair McPhee puts the pedal to the metal during a practice at Oceanview in January. Photo / S.B. O'Hagan Photography
2NZ Blair McPhee puts the pedal to the metal during a practice at Oceanview in January. Photo / S.B. O'Hagan Photography
Youth and Adult Ministocks take top billing tonight at Fast Lane Spares Oceanview Family Speedway, with the running of their respective West Coast titles.
But it is the return of a class not seen at Oceanview for many years that may steal the show.
The Modified class hasn't raced in Whanganui for many years, possibly as far back as the days when Bob Smith and Evan Mooney drove in the class, in cars topped by wings that looked as though someone was missing a garage door.
The Modifieds of today are sleek racing machines, even though the wings have got smaller. But on a tight track like Oceanview, they will be a spectacle.
The six-car field is headed by 2NZ Blair McPhee, who brought his car to a Wanganui practice in January to run a new motor in. Tonight's demonstration races are hopefully a forerunner to a full-field Modified invitational meeting next season.
Over the course of the meeting, every driver races against every other driver at least once, and the winner will be the driver who scores the most points over their three heats.
As usual this season, drivers from all over the North Island have entered the West Coast Youth Ministocks.
With the annual Ministocks in Paradise event at Rotorua falling victim to Covid, Oceanview has become like a magnet to the young racers.
Cohen Wright, from Rotorua, Hunter de Ridder, from Palmerston North, Regan Ogle, from Stratford, and Kurt Behrent, from Wellington, have all shown good form at Oceanview this season.
Pick of the local drivers is Trent James, who has his last chance to win the West Coast title before he ages out of the class in a few months.
The Adult Ministock class has provided some great battles this season between Jack Lammas-Martin (Palmerston North) and local hope Jemma Barnes.
However, the championship has been thrown wide open thanks to the entries of former New Zealand Superstock champion Randal Tarrant, and Hawke's Bay Hawkeyes driver Quentin Butcher.
Their presence will add spice to what was already expected to be a wide-open title.
1NZ Asher Rees and 2NZ Jason Long have both entered in the Superstock class, which has again attracted a large and high-quality field.
Fresh from winning the Dash for Cash at the last Oceanview meeting, Maddie Wise will be back, and after a highly successful debut at the same meeting, former 1NZ Stockcar driver Gerry Linklater will be having another drive in the Dan Cox SS Motorsport Superstock.
Palmerston North driver Taylor Lampp dominated the Stockcar heats at the last meeting and leads a large contingent of visitors.
56V Trent James is the top Whanganui prospect in the West Coast Youth Ministocks. Photo / S.B. O'Hagan Photography
Hailey James took out the Stockcar Dash for Cash at the last meeting and, along with Dion and Kaelin Mooney, looms as the biggest local threat to the many visitors.
Production Saloons and Sidecars will complete the programme of 23 races, which starts at 5pm.
As with the last meeting, limited numbers of public are being admitted, with spectators being allocated one of four zones around the track.
Tickets are still available at eventbrite.co.nz and the Wanganui Stockcar and Speedway Club advises that there will be no food vendors onsite because of Covid restrictions, and spectators are welcome to bring their own food and drinks.
In the meantime, the Club committee is waiting expectantly for a Government announcement lifting Covid regulations, which would allow the last meeting of the season to proceed in front of a full crowd.
