This coming Saturday night (Jan 17th) Wahgunyah Speedway will be in action once again with the JP Asphalting Extreme Sports Sedan Series main eventing a schedule that includes the Junior Sedans competing in their state series, the Goulburn Ovens Sedans Association Corowa Blue Shed Self Storage Series backing up after Swan Hill this past weekend with another state series round and the Unlimited Sedans for a round of the Corowa-Rutherglen track championship.
Once again it will be Wyatts Mechanical race night with the Wodonga business taking on the race night sponsorship and, in the process, affording themselves another corporate night within the Corowa – Rutherglen club rooms for them, their business contacts and family.
This Saturday afternoon from 3pm and finishing no later than 10:30pm is Speedway night. Fans who get their early can be involved with the pit walk to see the cars and drivers close up and see what racers and their families take for granted every weekend. This creates an opportunity to get merchandise and autographs from your favourite drivers, take photos with your heroes, and perhaps even get to sit in their race car.
A huge list of entrants in the Sports Sedans could be written down as possible chances for taking out the win, some of the state’s regular podium finishing competitors that are coming to the northeast this weekend include Brendan and Damien Miller from Melbourne’s southeast, Shane Simpson, Nathan and Shane O’Brien from Melbourne’s northeast, Tommy McDonald from Wodonga, Ian Thomsen, Jay Nicolaisen, Mick Mannix from Wangaratta, Harry Cecil, Dale Smith, David Donnegan and Corowa’s own Danny Cox is always a fan favourite and thereabouts when it comes to the feature run.
The win is likely to come from within this bunch, do not discount another dozen on the entry list we just cannot fit in. Brendan Miller won the last event at Wahgunyah on points in December to get a head start on others, not that he needed it as finishing on the top step of the podium is what he does a lot of. Tommy McDonald a Corowa-Rutherglen Speedway Club supporter is somebody the fans get behind also, a win for such a supporter in a field this good would be huge.
Many of the Goulburn Ovens Sedan Association drivers are Corowa and Albury based race drivers. Competitors this Saturday such as Swan Hill winner Ben and his brother Tommy Schmetzer, Danny McCarten, Alex Gouveia, Thomas Bowers, Mitch Watts, Nathan Shortis, and Brandan Lovell will be in the thick of the action.
Gouveia is mixing it with the best more often than not these days, whilst everybody else has been a winner in the class at one stage or another over the last six to seven years. McCarten, Shortis and Ben Schmetzer in particular would have won more finals than others in that period.
It is a huge field for the Blue Shed Series this weekend with Corowa also represented by Alex Nichols, Stu Balins, Robert Williams, Chloe Creek, Samuel Failla, One of the Team Joosten drivers, Sam Schmedje, and Luke Collis.
Nominations for the Junior Sedans are continuing, they may be affected by a handful of competitors being in Western Australia for the Australian title this past weekend and the Western Australian title this Saturday. Some drivers from closer to Melbourne may not compete due to challenges with the horrendous Bushfires plaguing the area, in particular in the Murrindindi Shire.
Some early nominations for this weekend’s racing include Steane Cosson, Zack Erickson, Jai Hallett, Oscar Conder, Chase Davey, Ryder Lack and locals Lily Frost, Lucas Williams, and Kade Brockley. Steane last season in particular was a regular front runner, and Corowa’s rookie racers of Lily. Lucas and Kade are showing promise in their first season. Chase Davey and Oscar Conder are very competitive New Star competitors and to keep an eye on that are coming into town from Ballarat.
Our latest track series championship round for Unlimited Sedans has attracted a healthy list of entrants. Corey McDonald comes in as the favourite, however the likes or Riley Taylor, Lennie Bonnici, Josh Barber, and Anthony McKean make for an interesting list of challengers. Bonnici is a champion endurance length racer having won the one hundred Lap Derby at Alexandra four times, he has also proven hard to beat at Nagambie. Taylor in his debut Unlimited Sedan season has shown he is a serious threat as is Barber who was very good at a recent Drouin race meeting. McKean is always consistent and a podium chance.
Gates to the public open from 11am. 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 twelve is free. Family tickets are $60 for two adults and three children in the 12 to 16 age bracket.
Australian Defence Force veterans with the appropriate veterans cards, enter for free.
For enquiries you may contact Brendon Eames on 0400126487.
Corowa-Rutherglen Speedway Club would like to thank the following for their support of this Speedway season.
Max Maclean Hardware
Club Corowa
Maverick Marine
Q.A Kitchens
Quantum Printing
Crowie’s Paints
Blue Shed Self Storage
Cellarbrations Wahgunyah
Hi Tec Oils Albury
McRae’s Wodonga
Abacus Energy
Upton Engineering
Federation Steel
Edge FM
Sonaray Lighting
DMT Speedway Media
Meat on the Murray
Jackie & Vern Parker Photography
Rod Stones Automotive Rutherglen
Ducks Race Shop
East to West Data
Brocks Welding
Stevo’s Painting
Corowa Furnishing & Floors
Aricks Corowa
MForce Security
Hume Bank Albury
Sunday Tyres Wodonga
Rapid Hydraulics and Performance Wodonga
NOMINATIONS
VSC SPORTS SEDANS – JP ASPHALTING EXTREME SPORTS SEDAN SERIES
Braidan Webster – Wangaratta 5
Brendan Miller – Alexandra 6
Damien Miller – Drouin 6
Shane Simpson – Nagmbie 7
Lachlan Pottage – Alexandra 8
Bree Simpson – Wangaratta 10
Andrew Mitchell – Nyora 11
Nathan O’Brien – Nagambie 11
Tommy McDonald – Wangaratta 14
Andrew Galley – Nyora 15
Belinda Nicolaisen – Wangaratta 15
Blair Botheras – Daylesford 18
Anthony Berger – Bendigo 21
Ian Thomsen – Alexandra 22
Tameika Simpson – Wangaratta 23
Jason Berger – Bendigo 27
Jay Nicolaisen – Wangaratta 34
Marcus Griffith – Mount Beauty 38
Anthony Nicolaisen – Wangaratta 40
Mathew Ismail – Alexandra 42
Mick Mannix – Wangaratta 43
Dennis Reid – Wangaratta 54
Shane O’Brien – Nagambie 54
Harry Cecil – Nyora 56
Danny Cox – Corowa 62
Robert Garlick – Alexandra 63
Dale Smith – Alexandra 64
Riley Sherrard – Nyora 70
Bradley McNeil – Goulburn Valley 74
Dave Donegan – Alexandra 75
Tim McKenzie – Wangaratta 85
Nick Binney – Wangaratta 98
VSC UNLIMITED SEDANS – TRACK CHAMPIONSHIP ROUND
Daniel Williams – Corowa 11
Paul Williams – Corowa 15
Shane Brown – Drouin 23
Riley Taylor – Daylesford 25
Lennie Bonnici – Nagambie 33
Corey McDonald – Mount Beauty 37
Tim Williams – Geelong 46
Josh Barber – Nagambie 73
Keith Simmonds – Goulburn Valley 75
Anthony McKean – Rosedale 83
SSA JUNIORS TOP STARS – JSPA SERIES
Steane Cosson – Alexandra 8
Zack Erickson – Wangaratta 28
SSA JUNIORS NEW STARS – JSPA SERIES
Mackenzie Dixon – Goulburn Valley 3
Clay Paull – Nyora 4
Ryder Lack – Wangaratta 4
Jai Hallett – Wangaratta 5
Oscar Conder – Ballarat 9
Laci Mitchell – Avalon 11
Rylan Paterson – Ballarat 31
Lilly Frost – Corowa 33
Chase Davey – Ballarat 38
Amelia Henskens – Nyora 38
Lucas Williams – Corowa 44
Kade Brockley – Corowa 50
Jayden Curtis – Bairnsdale 75
Ollie Roycroft – Wangaratta 85
GOULBURN OVENS SEDAN ASSOCIATION – BLUE SHED SERIES
Ben Schmetzer – Victoria 2
Tom Schmetzer – Victoria 3
Alex Nichols – Corowa 8
Brendan Brewer or Bella Thomas – Wangaratta 16
Mitch Sayers – Wangaratta 18
Brandan Lovell – Corowa 21
Stu Balins – Corowa 22
Robert Williams – Corowa 23
Damiel McCarten – Corowa 25
Justin Granger – Leeton 29
Alex Gouveia – Wangaratta 32
Corey Millar – Mount Beauty 33
Chloe Creek – Corowa 34
Samuel Failla – Corowa 36
Thomas Bowers – Mount Beauty 44
Team Joosten – Corowa 46
Mitch Watts – Leeton 54
Nathan Shortis – Wangaratta 55
Sam Schmedje – Corowa 68
Luke Collis – Corowa 77
Thomas Bull – Wangaratta 81
Ryan Chant – Mount Beauty 83
Anthony Bull – Daylesford 88
Written by
Dean Thompson
Dean Thompson Media
For Corowa – Rutherglen Speedway Club