Oceanview Speedway finale ready to rumble on Memorial Night
Whanganui’s Fast Lane Spares Oceanview Family Speedway holds its final meeting of the 2023-24 season tonight, and it’s going to be huge.
It is Memorial Night, with all but one class paying tribute to notable club members who are no longer with us.
Superstocks top the bill and a big, noisy field is expected for the West Coast Superstocks. Each of the three heat races serves as a memorial race, in memory of Noel Kensington, George Podjursky and Craig Heibner respectively.
The field is full of quality, including three-time 1NZ Asher Rees and reigning 3NZ Zane Dykstra.
Former New Zealand champion Peter Rees, his son Ethan, Gavin Taniwha, Brett Hyslop and Mike Mccarthy will be there to keep a top field of crews honest.
An interesting entry from the local ranks is stockcar driver Callum Sturzaker who will be driving Kihikihi-contracted Mitch Vickery’s superstock, while the likes of young guns Kaelin Mooney, Trent James, Ryan Marshall and Max Holloway will be highly motivated to do well.
The stockcars are racing for The Charlie, a unique trophy donated to the club to recognise former club patron “Big Bad” Charlie Berntsen, one of stockcar racing’s first legends.
At the time of writing 35 cars had entered, with the number growing by the day.
Most of the top Whanganui drivers will be racing including 3NZ Cody Lockett, Sturzaker, Dion Mooney, Blair Reeves-smith and Hailey James, but they will face a strong group of outsiders headed by Asher Rees, a former 1NZ in the stockcar class.
Whanganui drivers will do whatever it takes to keep The Charlie in town, and that should produce plenty of action on the track.
Another big field has assembled for the Heiby Memorial Youth Ministocks. Local numbers in the youth class have really taken off this season and, unusually, Whanganui cars will outnumber visitors.
There have been some real breakthrough performances in the youth class this year with Harry Jurgens finishing second overall at Ministocks in Paradise, the unofficial New Zealand title, and the likes of Ethan Linklater, Fletcher Hoskins, Benjamin and Alyssa Tulloch, Devon Wilson and Ashton Mooney all showing their potential.
The Karl Barritt Memorial Sidecars always produces fast, exciting racing and the field of 10 bikes will turn on exciting racing over three heats then a one-race final for the top qualifiers.
Last season’s winners, Bryce and Aaron Rose, will make their first appearance together this season and will be determined to retain the coveted trophy.
The final memorial is the Ray Purdy Memorial Production Saloons.
Ray Jaggard beat Brent Hackett home in the West Coast championships, but Hackett turned the tables on his teammate and rival last weekend, winning titles at Meeanee and Rotorua ahead of Jaggard, and it is likely they will again be the top contenders.
Adult ministocks round out the field and, being Charlie Berntsen night, the Golden Oldies Stockcar Club will be on hand to relive some past glories.
With the nights getting cooler, the public gates will open at 3.30pm for a 5pm start to racing action, and the gate at the airport end of the track will also be open in expectation of a good crowd.
With the weather forecast looking promising, it’s a great night to bring a picnic tea out to Oceanview and relax on the spacious grass banking.
It has been an outstanding season for the Wanganui Stockcar and Speedway Club, so get out to Oceanview tonight as drivers and riders see the season off in style.