Shelterview or Featherston to cover loose end

After the cancellation of this weekend's round at Tauherenikau Racecourse, Whanganui's Shelterview could be in consideration for another April night round to complete a full six-round national series.

Upokongaro's Shelterview park has an outside chance of getting back its iconic night round of the Altherm Window Systems New Zealand Jetsprint Championships after a dried out Tauherenikau Racecourse was cancelled for this weekend.

After weeks of dry weather in the Masterton area, the scheduled Round 2 of the championships was canned after an urgent meeting of the Jetsprints Wellington Club last Sunday.

"Unfortunately due to consents and the big dry at present, plus river ware being too low, they must cancel the event, this is out of everyone's control," said an official NZ Jetsprints Association (NZJSA) statement on Facebook.

"The ware is at 1.35 as of today and [water] restrictions have been put in place. If it drops to 1.3 - which is highly likely - no pumping is allowed.

"Therefore, the track will not be able to maintain water levels to be able to race.

"This decision was not made lightly, as the club has done a lot of work with track improvements to get Tauherenikau back on our race calendar."

So the next round will be at Shelterview on December 27, previously scheduled as Round 3.

Last summer saw the series officially contested over five rounds after the season opener in Waitara was rained out.

However, Fowler Homes Group A Whanganui driver Ross Travers, currently in second place after Round 1 in Wanaka, said discussions are happening within the NZJSA to re-introduce another track to the schedule in the New Year.

"There's definitely going to be a sixth round," said Travers, who is also on the NZJSA Executive.

"It's a shame, there probably is [enough water] by now with a lot of rain there this week.

"But not enough to take a chance."

Travers confirmed Shelterview owners Richard and Julia Murray have put their hands up to offer the home track for another round this season, bringing back the prospect of night racing, which was removed from the schedule as December 27 was put back in after missing last season.

The Whanganui night round is traditionally held in April, although this year the series started early on November 4 with the final round set for Meremere on March 24.

However, Travers said the first choice is likely to be returning to Featherston, which was taken off the schedule after the 2015-16 season so improvements could be made to the track.

"We've got six tracks now. We definitely want to give Featherston first dibs," Travers said.

"They didn't have it last year and there's a new crew in Featherston.

"They've spent a lot of money [on the track]. Personal money.

"In saying that, [as a driver], I'd love to have two rounds in Whanganui."

The decision is likely to be made in the latter half of the season and if Featherston has similar dry weather concerns with low water levels come April, then Shelterview would move to the top of consideration.

Travers definitely ruled out Baypark Stadium in Mount Maunganui for hosting a round of the series, even though it will be holding a special one-off jetsprint challenge in January.

That racing will be a more exclusive, 'All-Star' style event with just the Top 10 drivers from each of the three jetsprint divisions being invited, making it smaller than a regular national series round.

"It's too dangerous up there. Forty-five boats doing the round, the track cannot stand up to it," said Travers.

"It's [run] how they did the Stadium challenge up there a few years ago."

In January 2015, Baypark hosted a national series round on a Saturday, then the following day was the one-off Jetsprints Cup – a shoot-out style event where Travers won the Group B division, while fellow Whanganui driver Rob Coley was second in the Superboats.