Taranaki's Mike McCallum raced away for the first cash bonus, although he, like more than half the original field, would have to pull out as the pace became too exhausting to maintain.
Australian Jacob Schmid, who had a tough day racing against the full New Zealand team with only countryman Josh Harrison occasionally with him in the absence of Emerson Harwood claimed the next prize before he withdrew, leaving Harrison alone.
Another national squad member Cam Karwowski claimed the third prize as the field had broken apart with only nine riders still slogging away into the wind, before omnium world champion Aaron Gate dashed off to claim Van Velthooven's $100 bonus.
Gate and teammate Kennett then put a sprint on the rest of the pack and proceeded to lap them, leaving a frustrated Harrison in a race for third.
By now, only two young domestic riders remained in contention with the international elite competitors and Waipukurau's Regan Gough earned a warm cheer when he dug in to win the last $50 bonus lap.
The safe money appeared on Gate at this point, but it was Kennett who emerged from the pack of five to shoot clear and hold off the world champion at the finishline, with Gough proving a face for the future with his third placing.
Kennett's time of 17m 57s eclipsed the old track record by 50 seconds, which had been set by current New Zealand coach Dayle Cheatley back in 1998.
"It's bloody awesome eh," Kennett said.
"A wee bit disappointed we couldn't race last night, but it had a good turnout and I think we all enjoyed it. It's a great carnival."
Kennett also won the Open Points Race earlier in the day the 10km event when you accumulate points by leading or placing top three on each lap.
Van Velthooven no doubt enjoyed his friend's success, but it was the Olympic bronze medallist himself who had been the true star of the afternoon.
The Feilding native, who considers the velodrome his second home, won the major Union Cycliste Internationale (UCI) points events like the one-on-one Invitation Sprints and the Open Keirin, while also claiming his fourth River City Wheel Race as the 66th edition of that event was resurrected for the show.
For the sprint events, two riders race at a time, travelling slowly together to see who can get the key break when they go for it on the final lap.
It is very tactical pick the high side to dive down or stay low to cover less distance, while choosing to go early and hope you don't run out of gas or hang back and hope to run your opponent down.
Van Velthooven was the only rider to employ the tactic of the "track stand" a dead stop which he did in both his semifinal win over national team mate Sam Webster and in the final against big Eddie Dawkins, the powerful international from Southland.
Webster stayed behind Van Velthooven but couldn't keep up when he made his move, while Dawkins tried to turn the tables by moving ahead then also stopping, before winding up and diving down heading towards the final lap.
Dawkins may be the quickest sprinter in the country but Van Velthooven is still the fastest over 1km, and he went outside the Southlander to just barely beat him at the line by inches in a blistering last lap of 10.86 seconds.
In the Keirin final, the overseas names of Schmid and 19-year-old Malaysian Muhammed Sahrom were favourites after winning the heats, but after the pace motorcycle dropped away to let the field go full bore it was Van Velthooven who would go above Dawkins again to claim another win, with Sahrom just behind them.
The 66th River City Wheel Race may not have been a UCI event, but its history was respected as all the international riders contested it amongst the 21 entrants.
Schmid and Harrison raced well as a pair as they looked to break up the New Zealand team's momentum, but within sight of the line Schmid had the ignominy of watching Van Velthooven ease by him with a friendly wave.
"I was meant to help out the boys on the scratch, but the two Aussies were out there and I didn't want them to win," Van Velthooven said.
The Wanganui Chronicle will have full results later in the week
