Sparks on track and off at Oceanview

Aaron Rose (rider) and Amelia Stanley (swinger) are among the top local hopes for the West Coast Sidecars.

There will be fireworks at Supercheap Auto Oceanview Family Speedway tonight.

The Wanganui Stockcar and Speedway Club is running its annual Fireworks Extravaganza, with a full race programme to be followed by the club's biggest and best fireworks display yet.

The feature event is the West Coast Sidecar Championship.

With the New Zealand Sidecar Championship being run at Oceanview in March, there's plenty of interest from out-of-town combinations with entries from Auckland, Hawkes Bay and Palmerston North.

A field of ten machines will face the starter, accumulating points over three heat races.

The 46A crew of Russell Stewart and Andrew Parker looked fast here last meeting, but they will have plenty of competition.

The 2015-16 West Coast champions Andrew McNamara and George Olsen (21B) will be keen to retain their title, and the Palmerston North combination of Tony Hislop and Mitch Byers (17P) is always quick in Whanganui.

Local hopes will centre on two-time 1NZ John Hannam with swinger Bryce Rose in the 19V.

Aaron Rose and Amelia Stanley (34V) will also be very competitive on their home track.

Also on the programme on Saturday night is the Trev's Concrete Stockcar Shootout.
Into its third season now, the shootout has become a popular event with the Stockcar competitors.

The first ten finishers in the first Elite Stockcars heat will qualify for the shootout, and they will race for the cash prize put up by sponsors Trevor and Jennifer Greig from Trev's Concrete.

The shootout is a novel format, with a series of two lap eliminations.

Dion Mooney (2NZ) won the inaugural event from Mark Johnston (78V).

But Johnson showed he had learned from that defeat, turning the tables on Mooney last season with a great tactical drive.

Crews have burned the midnight oil this week to the Wanganui Vulcans team cars ready for racing at Oceanview tonight.

The Vulcans finished second in the annual Huntly Stockcar Teams Invitational last weekend, with Mooney's car the only one left running after a brutal final against the Auckland Alleycats.

The Vulcans had earlier beaten the Waikato Raiders in the semi-finals.

Superstocks, Youth Ministocks and Production Saloons round out the programme.

The local Superstock field will be bolstered by the four car Rees team.

Peter Rees (10G) is a six-time New Zealand champion, and one of the very best ever to have competed in the sport.

His new car debuted at Stratford last week, taking out the Taranaki Superstock Championship.

His elder son Asher (126G) already has an NZ Stockcar title to his name, and younger son Ethan (127G) is a real up-and-comer.

The fourth car in the team, Peter's former car, is driven by 125G Kyle Ashton. Fans can expect plenty of action in the Superstock class.

Then once the sun has set and it gets dark overhead the lights will go out and everyone can enjoy a spectacular Fireworks display courtesy of the Kairanga Lions Club, experts in this field.

The gates at Supercheap Auto Oceanview Family Speedway open at 4pm, and racing starts at 6pm.