Article by: Scott Kernahan
Action a plenty at Darwin’s Northline Speedway for Meeting #2 on Saturday night 25th May 2024
The crowd on hand saw the return of the mighty Solos and the Street Stocks for the first time this season and were ably supported by the Wingless Sprintcars, Dirt Karts, AMCA Nationals and Junior Sedans for another round of 3 Heats and a Feature Race.
Dirt Karts – The name Brown had risen to prominence again, however it was not the First Night winner in Yazmin who was absent due to work commitments. Tony Brown made his debut for the Season after missing Night 1. Starting very dominantly to win Heats 1 and 2 before Michael Brown recorded the victory in Heat 3 ahead of Tony and Brad Fichtner. Tony Brown was leading the Feature Race very comfortably when with 2 laps to go suffered a mechanical issue (possibly a broken chain) which handed the race lead and ultimately the victory to Brad Fichtner who recorded his first Feature Race win ahead of Isaiah Strong and Michael Brown home for third place.
AMCA Nationals – The Mark Allcorn show continued following his first Meeting’s success. Allcorn took out Heat 1 comfortably ahead of Reece Prior and Jacobus Beets. In Heat 2 Allcorn started from mid pack but was able to reel in the field to record his second Heat win ahead of Deegan Sherwood and Beets. Heat 3 was a bit more dramatic for Allcorn when he came into contact with Beets in turn 2 with 5 laps to go. Allcorn relegated to rear of field but stormed back into second place with Sherwood taking the win and Paul Carmody home in third place. The Feature race was also surrounded by drama with Deegan Sherwood inheriting the lead after Allcorn again came to grief in Turns 1 & 2. Sherwood was enjoying the lead and on track to cause a boilover when with 7 laps to go his machine started smoking like a Bunnings BBQ and pulled out onto the infield. 5 laps to go and Allcorn again in an altercation with Sarah Gordon this time in turns 1 & 2 but was able to resume from the lead and held on for his second straight Feature win for Season 2024. Jacobus Beets was home in second place and Gordon in for third.
Junior Sedans – Another very healthy field of 12 Junior Sedans greeted activities for the night for their rounds of 3 x Heats and a Feature Race. It was the River Spitzbarth benefit with a clean sweep of the Heats and the Feature Race. An all the way win in Heat 1 with Zackery Czoloszynski in for second whilst Harrison Turnbull claimed third spot. Heat 2 saw a very good tussle between Blake Overend and Caiden Weaver for the minor placings. Weaver held second spot for most of the journey before Overend overtook with 2 laps to go. Czoloszynski led for a few laps in Heat 3 before Spitzbarth assumed the lead with 3 laps to go with Kallen Hall taking out third place. Spitzbarth reigned supreme in the Feature Race to win comfortably ahead of Czoloszynski and Hall in for third place.
Solos – Four riders commenced the season on the sensational brakeless machines. Steven Hutchinson fresh from a stint down south racing with some of the best in the country was feeling pretty good before the meeting. Making his return to the saddle also was Ryan Pope along with Bradley Niven and the evergreen legend Wayne Lorymer. Young “Bones” has done more laps around Northline than the water truck and grader combined !!! It was Pope who quickly asserted his dominance on the field with a clean sweep of the Heats and Feature race. Hutchinson by his own admission was a bit rusty on the starts and conceded he needs to work on this aspect prior to the next meeting. Niven completed a consistent night with a pair of third placings in the Heats followed by and second place in Heat 3 and the Feature race.
Wingless Sprintcars – Another mighty field of Wingless Sprintcars fronted for Meeting 2 to contest rounds of 3 x split heats and a Feature race. Zack Grimshaw was returning to his roots having debut the Ekins Motorsports Sprintcar on night 1. Mick Kelly showed a clean set of heels to the field in Heat 1A to take a comfortable win ahead of Sean Tiedeman and Grimshaw, who came from the back of the field. Heat 1B saw emerging star William Prest take the chequered flag ahead of Matt Sealy and Matthew McLennan. It was an all the way win for Cameron Jaenke in the Wiseman Motorsports entry in Heat 2A with Grimshaw across the line in second place and Jarrod Goldoni in third place. Jamie McInnes owned Heat 2B to go flag to flag ahead of Sealy and Kyle Wiseman recording a fine third placing. McInnes took out Heat 3A but Jaenke was not far behind in second place and Angus Campbell in for third place. Matt Sealy had a very good win in Heat 3B to clear the field ahead of Grimshaw and Daniel Goldoni (who finally had some good track time following a run of wretched luck). The Feature race and all interest centred on whether Grimshaw and McInnes were going to resume their Star Wars from last season. Matt Sealy was looking to spoil the party. McInnes was away to lead and with 13 laps to go on came the red lights due to Cameron Jaenke spinning in turn 1 which saw both Keelan Edwards and Sean Tiedeman being innocent victims to both flip in the ensuing carnage. Both drivers were ok but the cars were a bit second hand. On resumption, with 9 laps to go Grimshaw got underneath McInnes after a huge bicycle through turn 1 and 2 for McInnes. Grimshaw held on for the win ahead of McInnes whilst Matt Sealy completed a very good night in third. The star of William Prest is on the rise after another great display in the #72 machine.
Street Stocks – A very modest field of four Street Stocks began their 2024 campaign. Jake Budd recorded the first win in Heat 1 with Jake Koivumaki home in second and James Ballantyne claiming third spot. From there it was Koivumaki who ran amock taking out Heats 2 and 3 with Ballantyne and Budd sharing the minor placings. Koivumaki, fresh from his NSW Street Stock title win showed a clean set of heels to the rest of the field in the Feature Race with Budd home for second place and Michelle Gill home for third place.
Next Meeting for Northline Speedway is Saturday night 1st June with the same program of racing including Solos, Karts, Junior Sedans, AMCA Nationals, Street Stocks and Wingless Sprintcars.