This Friday evening on AFL grand final eve the Bairnsdale Speedway Association will get their brand-new racing season off to a spectacular start with the return of the fast and furious Sprintcars.
From 4.30pm and after four and a half months in hiatus, the sprintcars will be competing in the main event on the program, the now annual “Rumble at the Rock”, with local drivers well represented.
The meeting will also be the supported by an attractive card of classes that include limited sportsman, division two hot rods, and open and ladies standard saloon.
The sprintcars return under
the Sprintcar Racing Association banner, with most of Gippsland’s known competitors turning out for the show.
Bairnsdale identities through business and racing include Shane Steenholdt, Alistair Bastian, David and Rodney Dennison, Adam Greenwood, and Koby Noonan, whilst Morwell ace, Dennis Jones, a winner of Bairnsdale’s last big sprintcar event is also back.
The event has has also drawn, Steven Horton whose already competed in Cairn’s this current season, where they get underway much earlier.
Jordan Rae will also head into town, after an outstanding campaign last season, while Steven Loader whose been competing in Queensland and Darwin will be keen to do well.
Also in the field are Lachlan Mineeff from New South Wales, sprintcar newbie Zack Rogerson, East Melbourne’s Travis Millar, Rusty Ponting, whose graduating to big wings after learning his skills in junior formula 500, where he was a frequent winner and Jake Healey a rookie having his first sprintcar start.
Division two hot rods continue their resurgence as a class of choice in Mid to East Gippsland with Kate Stuchbery making her long awaited debut in the class.
Stuchbery owns a team of cars competing at this meeting, to be driven by Beau Stuchbery, Chris Greaves and herself, a life long fan of this class, she is keen to get behind the wheel.
Troy Wilson, one of Bairnsdale’s stronger competitors and Ben Crittenden, another front runner, are in the field along with Rosedale club members Leigh Mitchell, Keven Stoopman and Mathew Goode.
Mitchell a double state champion in the class is the driver to beat, whilst Stoopman had several strong results as last season concluded.
Limited sportsman’s are also increasing their car counts, it is early in the season however with a race point score series and events connecting the west to the east expect the numbers to pick up as the season moves on.
Brothers Dan and Matt Hurley, Jayden White, Mark Both, Sean Axnick and Darren Adams are all keen to get cracking.
Adams in particular is the man to beat and both Hurley lads are best placed to do that.
Ladies standard saloon racing is scheduled with four members in competition.
Michelle George has been the best performed competitor of the four in the recent season representing the club up and down Gippsland.
She is keen to start the season with a ‘W’ whilst Leticia Williams, Sharni and Kate Stuchbery who is competing in two classes on the night are just as determined to be the first to win this season.
Also on the program is the open standard saloons with some of the state’s best competitors in the field.
In recent seasons Mitch Foster, Jack Yeomans and Josh Thomas have been frequent winners especially
in Gippsland.
All three will once again be keen
to get one over the other, whilst
Glen Pendlebury one of long-time legends of the class is also set to hit the track.
Jamie Prezioso, Tyson Bretherton, Gus Argoon, Andrew, and Joshua Cormack all members of Bairnsdale Speedway Association have sights set on a podium and rookie Mitchell Ling competes for the first time.
Spectator entry begins from 12pm, racing will kick off at 4.30pm.
Eftpos is the preferable method of payment and is available at the ticket box, pit box, and canteen.
