Revved up for season
After the winter break, Stratford Speedway is about to kick back into life again this Saturday night when the opening race meeting of the season is held.
Three practices have been held at the track to date with a good turnout of cars, boding well for the busy season ahead. Several drivers have already attended meetings at other tracks including superstock racer Blair Johnson who won the opening race at Palmertson North on Saturday night and stockcar competitor Dale Michielsen who managed to get tipped over at Wanganui on Sunday.
Not all drivers have made it to the practices though, and many will be burning the midnight oil to get their cars ready in time, including team member of the champion team the Stratford Stormers, Tyler Walker. Walker has been busy over the winter assembling a new Keith Gill chassied car. Delays in parts arriving have pushed his time to the wire and he and his crew have been working over the past long weekend and throughout the week to get the car ready. He is confident they will get the car ready and hopeful that the untested machine will perform well at its first outing where there is a trophy on the line.
Stockcars are just one class competing for a trophy in the busy opening night line-up. Joining them in the trophy hunt are the superstocks, minisprints and streetstocks, all four classes racing for their City of New Plymouth Classic titles while the modifieds and youth ministock classes will complete the program.
Racing is expected to be action packed as competitors are always keen to get their name on the first bit of silverware for the season.
■ Gates open at 5pm and racing gets under way at 7pm.