Whanganui ready to race under lights

Richard Burt and Hayley Huijs will be competing in the unique rotary-powered Superboat at the fifth round of the NZ Jetsprint Championships at Shelterview tonight.

The season titles are long gone, but the Whanganui crews in the Altherm Window Systems NZ Jetsprint Championships do not want anyone else on top of the podium but them when the iconic night round in Upokongaro is completed this evening.

After a couple of rounds showing off his Group A boat for potential buyers, track co-owner Richard Murray will be back behind the wheel of Meaner Machine this evening in a return to the Mouthfresh Superboats division.

He will join Rob Coley in Poison Ivy in flying the local flag in Superboats, which should be well represented with up to 18 craft, while fellow Whanganui racer Ross Travers continues to hunt for his first round victory in the Stinger Group A's.

Murray's wife Julia confirmed unfortunately that other Whanganui racers like Donna Thomson and Hayden Wilson could not commit just running this fifth round on their home track as a one-off challenge.

However, Coley, Murray and Travers will be racing for pride on their turf in the unique environment of floodlight competition.

"Let's face it, anyone that gets in a boat wants to win it," said Julia Murray.

"Rob likes the night light, Ross is happy with it but some of them [visiting drivers] don't like it."

Upokongaro has retained the rotation format it had 12 months ago with the finishing line in front of the grandstand area - a change that was made to remove the antiquated finishing bay after Coley's spectacular crash where he flew up the side and over the fence in December 2015.

"With Rob going out into the neighbours paddock, having them [finish] here keeps them contained for rescue crews," Julia Murray said.

"It will be a standard thing for safety."

Helping set up the marquee tents at the course yesterday, Coley was aware that the barrell-rolling smash, which made national headlines, is part of his legacy in jetboats.

"The things I do for the good of the sport. Wrecking boats.

"Still [got] the attitude of win at all costs, which is not always the right way.

"I enjoy [night racing] actually, it's a challenge."

Coley came fourth at the Hastings round nearly three weeks ago, continuing a season where he has been just slightly off the pace after coming runnerup in that eventful 2015-16 campaign.

"We don't have our best gear and we're limping through.

"That package can go when it's all working well."

He is also enjoying sharing Poison Ivy with his wife Ange, in her first full season as navigator after taking over from Kellie Minnell following the big wreck, as Minnell now competes herself in the Group B division.

Coley laughed that his crew is worried that having his wife in the cockpit have curbed some of his natural instincts.

"She calms me down a bit."

Kellie Minnell's husband Leighton has also given over his No66 boat to Americans Kyle and Cole Patrick to compete in tonight.

The other Whanganui connection is the unique-sounding quad rotary Turbo Superboat belonging to Whanganui's Peter and Gary Huijs.

The brothers have tapped former New Zealand champion Richard Burt of Foxton to drive their craft, with Hayley Huijs as navigator.

In a press release, Team Huijs Racing confirmed they are hoping to "have all the bugs ironed out" of their boat between now and the final round in Wanaka, with an eye to being ready for the world championships in Australia next season.

"It has now six years of development and is ready to stamp its mark on the world.

"With the help of a great team effort by numerous people and many late nights.

"We are very excited and have great faith in this event. So get down there and make some noise."

The gates open at the Shelterview track today at 4pm.