477P Kurtis Tinetti uses Nathan Rees' car as a launching pad, without success. Photo / SB O'Hagan Photography
477P Kurtis Tinetti uses Nathan Rees' car as a launching pad, without success. Photo / SB O'Hagan Photography
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Postponed by a fortnight, the comeback meeting at Fast Lane Spares Oceanview Family Speedway delivered action aplenty on Saturday night.
Run under strict Covid red light restrictions, the only disappointment was that more people were not able to be admitted to Oceanview to watch the action.
However, the 400spectators who had purchased tickets for the four pods of 100 spectators each enjoyed some excellent racing as drivers shook off the rust.
The feature events were the Elite Mechanical Stockcar Dash for Cash and the Diamond Cut Wheels Superstock Dash for Cash, both of which attracted excellent fields.
Two groups of stockcars competed in three qualifying heats and, after qualifying, Palmerston North drivers Taylor Lampp and Matt Webb topped their groups.
With three wins from three, Lampp was unbeatable in qualifying and earned a choice going into the Dash for Cash race; run from Grid One for $1000 if he won, or from Grid 10 for a chance to win $2000.
Lampp chose the front grid position and, in the opening laps, that decision seemed to have paid off as he held the lead.
Then the attacks came and Lampp's car ended up parked in the turn four wall with steering damage, and his personal Dash for Cash over.
Even after Lampp's elimination, the race continued as an effective teams race, with Palmerston North driver Lucas Hey rolling Steve Cooper of Wellington and hitting any car without a P in its number.
As the race wound down, Hailey James got to the lead and, staying out of trouble, headed home Stratford speedster William Hughes and Wanganui Vulcans driver Blair Reeves-Smith, taking a well-deserved win.
477P Kurtis Tinetti uses Nathan Rees' car as a launching pad, without success. Photo / SB O'Hagan Photography
Kaelin Mooney was top qualifier in the superstocks and, like Lampp, elected for the front grid position with teammates Maddie Wise alongside and Gerry Linklater right behind.
Linklater was having a guest drive in the Daniel Cox superstock and looked completely at home, as did Dennis Black, also having his first superstock drive in Darryl Taylor's car.
Mooney got out ahead of Wise early, but on the third lap his car lost power and he came to a stop in the same place as Lampp had in the Stockcar Dash for Cash.
Wise inherited the lead, with Hayden Hart right behind, but from the restart after Mooney's removal from the track Hart's car failed to fire and he too was towed to the infield.
Wise drove a heady race, surviving several attacks from Stratford evergreen Phil Ogle, running interference for his son Cody and teammate Hamish Booker.
But Ogle couldn't land the telling blow and Wise took the win ahead of Booker, with the younger Ogle in third place.
A competitive field of 14 minisprints turned on some excellent racing as they competed for the West Coast title.
Nathan Jefferies looked a good chance of winning, holding the points lead going into heat three.
But 1NZ Dylan Smith, having his first drive of the season at Whanganui, took out the final race and with Jefferies only able to finish in fifth, Smith took the title by a single point, with Stratford's Zen Dodunski in third place.
A smaller-than-expected field of midgets competed for their West Coast championship, with all three heats marred by incidents and mishaps.
Glenn Huijs was the worst affected, rolling the 7V car in the first heat, and although he was uninjured, Huijs' night was over.
Brent Huijs took the second heat and Ben Huijs the third, and the latter victory was enough for a championship win, with the fast-improving Matt Buckley taking third overall.
Another massive field of youth ministocks was on hand for the Jurgens Demolition Prize Dash.
Hawke's Bay driver Jeremy Brown won the final from Huntly's Ethan Whittaker and Palmerston North speedster Hunter de Ridder, whilst Rotorua's Cohen Wright took the Consolation division.
It was great to be back racing under clear Whanganui skies after the deluge and subsequent postponement of two weeks earlier.
The Wanganui Stockcar and Speedway Club's committee will meet this week to assess the success of the meeting and make decisions as to whether the rest of the season can be completed.
But on the evidence of Saturday night, they'll find plenty of enthusiasm from the speedway racing community, provided racing can be conducted within current Covid-19 conditions.
