A former national champion, Minnell agreed by the end of this round it will be clear which drivers and crews are just carrying on for fun, and who will still have enough points to realistically have a shot at winning their division's championship.
"This weekend is going to be a real turner or a burner."
In the headline Mouth Fresh Superboats division, Canterbury's multiple time world and national champion Peter Caughey holds a three point lead from Australian Ted Sygidus, but Minnell is picking Hamilton's Sam Newdick to give Caughey a real run for his money – having missed Baypark while he fixed his boat and going back to the track where Newdick upset the defending champion last season.
And Minnell would never write off the wild card that is Whanganui's Rob Coley, who is currently tied for fourth in the Superboat division, and has been practicing at the track with his new turbo package, which he will also take across the Tasman to enter the Australian Championships.
Coley is always only one strong round away from getting back in the kind of form that saw him finish runnerup in both the New Zealand and Australian championships in 2015-16.
The Fowler Homes Group A division is being led by three points by Hamilton's defending champion Ollie Silverton, who also missed Baypark where Travers was successful and most of the leading drivers suffered hard crashes.
Travers seven points behind Silverton and four points behind Canterbury's Simon Gibbon in second place.
For the first time in two seasons, the Whanganui driver could have adopted a "hands off" policy for his boat, given how perfectly it was running when he and navigator son Shane won the Jetsprints Cup last month.
"Just a bit of a polish up and a clean last night, just a bolt check," he said.
"We're happy with what we got at Baypark.
"We tidied up a bit of wire in there last night, took a few bits out we used to run."
Travers also put on some fresh motor blades while keeping the previous ones on standby, and is looking to make up significant ground on Silverton if he can to see if he can pressure him into a mistake.
"We got the rotation last night, she's pretty tight and technical, which is what we like."
Taranaki's Neil Marshall had to rebuild his engine after a crash at Baypark, but will be a contender on his home track.
Wilson has a share of third overall in the Stinger Boats Group B division, only five points back from Taranaki's series leader Daniel Reade.
However, Reade will be hard to beat at home, while Te Awamutu's defending champion Patrick Haden is right behind him and last season's third-placed finisher Kellie Minnell will be looking to make a statement on her husband's track, having rebuilt her hull after also taking a hard lick at Baypark.
The qualifying runs start at 11am tomorrow.
Top 5 points table after two rounds
Group B: 1. D Reade 57; 2. P Haden 56; 3=. H Wilson 52; 3=. R Thompson 52; 5. K Minnell 51.
Group A: 1. O Silverton 60; 2. S Gibbon 57; 3. R Travers 53; 4. N Marshall 50; 5. A Ryan 45.
Super Boats: 1. P Caughey 60; 2. T Sygidus 57; 3. B Briant 50; 4=. R Coley 49; 4=. S Newdick.
