After a five-week break, racing resumes at Supercheap Auto Oceanview Family Speedway tonight with a sizzling double-header.
For the first time ever, Oceanview hosts a Speedway New Zealand championship in the Minisprint class.
The Minisprints have raced at Whanganui for three seasons and last year the Oval Superstars Tour helda round here for the first time.
It was voted by the drivers as the best event of the season. This season, the opening round of the tour was held at Oceanview.
A quality field has been assembled for tonight's Zodiac Signs in Hawera Grand Prix. Christian Hermansen won a second consecutive New Zealand title at Stratford two weeks ago.
His new car had problems early in the season, but all those frustrations went out the window when he defended his 1NZ position.
Dean Cooper was runner-up at Stratford – the 2NZ car has been consistent all season, and took out the North Island title in Palmerston North in January. Shane Dewar took a big step up to 3NZ in the New Zealand Minisprints.
He is a regular at Oceanview, loves the track here, and will be keen to take his first Speedway NZ title tonight.
Others to keep an eye on include Oceanview lap record holder Karl McGill (93P), Lydia Dickinson (75S), event sponsor Cameron Hurley (82V) and his team-mate, the fast-improving Dylan Smith (53V).
Each driver will race in two heats tonight to determine grid positions for the 20-lap Grand Prix, which will close out the night.
The second feature of the night is the annual Charlie Berntsen Trophy for Stockcars.
No history of Oceanview Family Speedway would ever be complete without multiple references to "Big Bad" Charlie Berntsen.
Berntsen began his Stockcar racing career in Palmerston North, where he quickly became a crowd favourite.
The story of the night that Berntsen, in his Stockcar, chased promoter Ray New in the start jeep has become the stuff of legends.
Berntsen was a long-time member of the Palmerston North Panthers in his well-known Brew 22 car.
When Roy Eaton and Paul Carrick started building Oceanview Speedway, Berntsen was there to help.
A blocklayer by trade, he built the toilet blocks that still stand today.
When Oceanview opened in October 1972, Berntsen won the very first race on the new track.
The next season he contracted to Whanganui, and was captain of the very first Wanganui Warriors team.
A serious racing accident at Rotorua forced Berntsen to retire in the mid-1970's, but a few years later he spotted a car in a paddock near Foxton, bought it, took it home and the infamous 432V car was born.
It was in this car that Berntsen recorded his greatest achievement, winning the New Zealand Stockcar title at Wanganui in 1982.
Even after his racing career ended, Berntsen remained closely involved with speedway, and was elected Patron of the Wanganui Stockcar and Speedway Club.
He held this position up until his untimely death in 2015.
Plenty of visiting cars are expected to do battle with the locals, including regular attendee Les Hepworth (22H), one of many racers inspired by Charlie Berntsen.
Last season's trophy race resulted in a very popular win to Francis Potaka (52V), another driver who was mentored by Berntsen when he started his racing career.
As he received the unique Charlie Trophy, Potaka told the crowd in the clubrooms that this was the event he had always wanted to win.
Mark Johnston finished second overall, with Sandy Flett in third place.
Superstocks, Youth and Adult Ministocks and Production Saloons complete tonight's programme.
Racing starts at 7pm.
Francis Potaka (52V) won last season's Charlie Berntsen Trophy from Mark Johnston (78V).
