1NZ Brad Johnston from Christchurch will defend his production saloon title this weekend in Whanganui. Photo / Supplied
1NZ Brad Johnston from Christchurch will defend his production saloon title this weekend in Whanganui. Photo / Supplied
It's championship season in the speedway world at the moment.
And Fast Lane Spares Oceanview Family Speedway gets in on the action this weekend, with the running of the Tom Francis Building New Zealand Production Saloon Championship.
Almost 60 drivers from all over New Zealand will descend on Whanganui fortwo nights of action-packed racing.
Drivers have been drawn into four groups for qualifying heats to be run tonight. Points will be accumulated over three heats for each group and the top four on points will go directly to the 20-car finals tomorrow night.
The remaining four places in the championship field will go to the top four points scorers across the groups, who have not qualified directly.
Tomorrow, the title will be decided over three 12-lap heats.
Current 1NZ Brad Johnston and 2NZ Matt Sherlock, both from Christchurch, head the entry list. Sherlock is a former 3NZ in the class as well, and will be looking to step up to the top of the podium this weekend.
But with a big, competitive field of cars and drivers from Invercargill to Huntly, Johnston and Sherlock will have to perform at their very best.
Eighteen South Islanders are making the long trek north, from Invercargill, Dunedin, Cromwell, Christchurch, Greymouth, Nelson and Blenheim, making this a truly national event.
Local hopes centre on Brent Hackett (434V) and Grant Loveridge (7V). Loveridge is a consistent performer, and a veteran of the class, having first competed in the 1993-94 season in a Ford Capri.
Locals Grant Loveridge (7V), Brent Hackett (434V) and Jason Pointon (71V) will all be looking for a top result on home soil at Oceanview. Photo / S B O'Hagan Photography
Hackett is having an excellent season to date, leading the local points race, and finishing second in the New Zealand Production Saloon Grand Prix at Huntly last weekend in his Honda Prelude.
Shayne Hughes (23V) is another local who cannot be discounted in his 20-year-old Honda CRX, which is fast and nimble around the tight Wanganui track. Hughes is a prolific builder of race cars and no fewer of four of his cars will be racing this weekend.
Other locals who will lay down the challenge to the many visitors include Jason Pointon (71V), last season's points champion Bailey Goldsack (72V), Ray Jaggard (48V), Mike Lovell (10V), John Huijs (73V) and Wanganui Stockcar and Speedway Club president Daryn Smith (21V) in a Hughes-built Mazda 3.
Most of the cars entered this weekend are Japanese in origin, with Honda Preludes, Toyota Celicas, Mitsubishi Galants and various Mazdas being particularly popular. There's also a lone Ford Falcon, three Holden Commodores, and a pair of BMWs.
The ever-popular Classic Stockcars will be on hand both nights, and tonight's racing will also feature Superstocks and Youth Ministocks.
There will be two additional features tomorrow night, the West Coast Midgets and the Trev's Concrete Stockcar Teams Challenge.
Midgets from Palmerston North, Stratford and Baypark will be on hand to race the Team Huijs Racing locals. There will be much interest in the performance of former Minisprint 1NZ Shane Dewar (41P), who is now focusing on the wingless class.
The Wanganui Toyota Vulcans will take on a strong Manawatu Steelers team in two teams races over the course of the evening, with the highest points overall taking out the prizemoney. The Vulcans team comprises Trazarn Ryland-Annabell (33V), Dennis Black (82V), Cody Alabaster (16V), Vulcans debutant Callum Sturzaker (15V) and Gerry Linklater (98V), making his first Vulcans appearance for 12 years.
Racing starts at 6pm both nights, with the public gates open from 4.30pm. The last New Zealand championship at Oceanview Speedway delivered a Wanganui 1NZ, and there's no reason why this weekend can't as well.
