Ready for racing this Saturday at Wahgunyah Speedway will be Corowa businessman Billy O'Donoghue in his Goulburn Ovens Sedan. Image Vern Parker Photography.
Get ready for an adrenaline-packed weekend at Wahgunyah Speedway with four feature events and thrilling races.
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This Saturday the Corowa-Rutherglen Speedway Club will once again provide the best sports entertainment available for families in the northeast with major events for the Wingless Sprints, Goulburn Ovens Sedan Association, Unlimited Sedans and Standard Saloons, supported by Sports Sedans, Production Sedans, and Humpy Holdens.
Interested spectators and especially those with young children wanting to get up close to the cars and competitors, can join the 1pm pre-event pit walk and come and sit in cars, talk to drivers, get autographs, buy available merchandise and maybe even get some give-aways.
The club will provide officials to walk folks through the pit area to share what racers and crews get to be a part of almost every weekend.
Standard Saloon entrants will compete for the victory in the Lachie Howie Memorial event ran each year in tribute to the late Lachie Howie whom at the time of his passing was a member of the local speedway community.
This season Wahgunyah’s most dominant Standard Saloon competitor locally has been Micheal Fleming-Robertson.
Fleming-Robertson has won most races he has entered at Wahgunyah; however, he will have his work cut out for him with Jack Yeomans, Wayne Sheerman, and former Victorian champions of the class Warrick Howie and Rhys Lansdown in the field.
To Howie the event means much more than anybody else in the field, however he just appreciates being in the event with other competitors willing to pay tribute to his brother.
Nathan Orton (yellow sprint car) and Travis Millar (white sprint car) will battle it out in the Wingless Sprints this weekend. Image Dean Miller Photography.
Wingless Sprint entries include Travis Millar, Thomas McDonald, and Blake Walsh to absolute standouts in the Victorian scene that boasts nearly one hundred registered drivers.
Walsh is currently the Northern Territory champion whilst, Millar and McDonald have had wins through this Victorian season.
Drivers from New South Wales have taken a liking to the events at Wahgunyah and Andrew Seery, Brad McCarthy, Matthew and Peter Thacker and Evan O’Bryan who is practically a local to the Wahgunyah venue are lining up to do battle with their Victorian counterparts.
Unlimited Sedans will hold a round of their state series this weekend with Corey McDonald, Peter Schmetzer, Daryl Nicolson, Garry Coates, Nathan Lightburn and Paul Williams some of the entrants that will bring their popular chassis cars and chase the victory.
Schmetzer has not had a lot of seat time this season however he is the top Corowa club representative, whilst Wodonga race driver Corey McDonald is the driver to beat in the state series. They should go head-to-head, with Nicolson and Lightburn likely to be challengers.
The biggest field once again belongs to the Goulburn Ovens Sedan Association who will present their annual $1000 to win event.
Brandan Lovell who now has proven his winning capabilities, is eying going back-to-back with the likes of Tom Schmetzer, Marty Bassett, Ben Schmetzer, Marcus Maclean, Billy O’Donoghue, Daniel McCarten, Nathan Shortis, and Justin Ewert amongst a long list of capable competitors in the field from mostly New South Wales towns along the Murray River and the Albury suburbs that will compete.
Local businessman O’Donoghue has brought in Corowa racing legend Trevor Mills to get behind the wheel of his car, although plans are not yet confirmed which races either will do, if they do share the car there is a chance the driver in the final will have to start from down the field and work hard to mix it at the front.
Mills has a habit of starting mid pack and winning money paying events and has pocketed a few thousand over the years racing with the Goulburn Ovens Sedan Association or the Production Sedans.
The competition in the Sports Sedans should be spirited with some great racers amongst field. Martin Heiner a few seasons back was on a hot streak locally and he is most certainly one to watch, Drew Harrison had a win at Swan Hill on Saturday just past, Mick Mannix has won at Wahgunyah and Dennis Reid is one of the most improved in the class this season and is keen to bag a victory in a final before the season ends.
Production Sedans have a big feature coming up in the King’s Birthday weekend at Wahgunyah, however a handful of competitors are keen to have a shake down this weekend with David Lord from Wagga, Robbie Miller, Andrew Robl and Brayden Creek.
Finally, the spirited demonstrations of the Humpy Holdens will also be scattered through the program.
You can be forgiven for thinking these boys and girls are actually racing if you did not know they were a classified Vintage class where racing is not in the rule book. Youngsters David Walton, Kate Bunt, Craig Lansdown and Joel Copeland will chase the old boys such as Pat Wallace, Ray Lavender, and Rod Glare. The old boys usually find a way to cross the line at the front of the non-race.
Gates to the public open from 8am. Racing starts at 3pm. A full canteen operates on site with hot, cold food and drinks. Entry is $25 for adults whilst the club offers aged pensioners and Children aged 12 to 16 a $15 entry. Any child under 12 is free. Family tickets are $60 for 2 adults and 3 children in the 12 to 16 age bracket.
For enquiries you may contact Brendon Eames on 0400126487.
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