Article by: Scott Kernahan
Meeting under unusually inclement skies, we are 6 meetings in to the 2024 Season in the Top End, at Darwin’s Northline Speedway and there is a hint of something special coming in the second half of the season. The racing in each category has been top shelf and the normal seasonal dry season chill is about to disappear with the heat being produced by the racing.
Dirt Karts – Tony Brown continues to dominate the Dirt Kart section and was in scintillating form to win all 3 Heats and the Feature. Battling out for minor placings was Yazmin Brown who claimed a second and two third placings in the heats and ran home second to Tony Brown in the Feature. Brad Fichtner scored a second place in Heat 1 along with a third placing in the Feature. Michael Brown also got on the scoreboard with a third place in Heat 2 and a second place in Heat 3.
AMCA Nationals – Mark Allcorn didn’t have it all his way tonight and was made to work through the packs to achieve his latest Feature Race win. Allcorn opened up the account in Heat 1 with an all the way win with Scarlett Sherwood recording a great second placing and Jacobus Beets in third place. Heat 2 saw Deegan Sherwood move into first place and take the Heat race win with Allcorn coming from deep in the pack to be second place and again Beets home for third place. Again it was Deegan Sherwood scoring the win in Heat 3 with the same results behind in Allcorn for second and Beets settling for this third x third placing for the night. However the cream was to rise to the top in the Feature Race with Allcorn assuming the lead early in the 25 lap distance and was never headed to take out yet another Feature race win for the season. Deegan Sherwood in for second place and Beets rounding out the night with another third placing.
Junior Sedans – Hot on the heels of their NextGen Nationals the Junior Sedans continued their impressive display of racing from these up and coming stars of the sport. River Spitzbarth was looming as the one to beat following his back to back titles with the NextGen Nationals. WA’s Hannah Tomkins was keen to amend after coming runner up to Spitzbarth. It was Tomkins in Heat 1 that came through the field to register the first Heat race win for the night, whilst those behind her battled for the minor placings with Brodie Costello settling for second place and Caiden Weaver in for third. Spitzbarth and Tomkins resumed their war on the track in Heat 2 with a great race ensuing and battling to the line it was Spitzbarth who reigned supreme at the end with Tomkins in second and Zackery Czoloszynski in third. Heat three saw the third first placing of the night with Kallen Hall taking out the win ahead of Tomkins and Harrison Turnbull recording a third place finish. The Feature race was a sight to behold, in what turned out to be one of the races of the year so far between Spitzbarth and Tomkins. The two were never more than a blanket thickness apart for the 15 lap journey, and regularly swapped the lead only for the other to slide back through. Tomkins briefly held the lead on lap 10 but Spitzbarth got through again and on the 13th lap it was Tomkins who muscled past to take the lead and held on for a magnificent result to win the Feature Race. Spitzbarth remained second and Czoloszynski came home in third place.
Solos – Three rounds of double heats were contested again for the Solos tonight with Ryan Pope quick out of the gates in Heat 1A with last meeting’s Feature Race winner Brad Niven in second place and Wayne Lorymer home in third place. Heat 1B saw SA’s Sam Martin lead home Steven Hutchinson in the two bike encounter. Hutchinson took out Heat 2A in a dominant ride ahead of Niven and Lorymer in third. Heat 2B saw some action with Martin and Pope coming together in turn 4 with a DNF being recorded for both riders. Hutchinson was looming as hard to beat by taking out Heat 3A ahead of Pope and Lorymer again in third place. Niven and Martin had a cracker of a race in Heat 3B, side by side racing with Niven holding on for the win ahead of Martin. Niven also scored the win in the B Feature ahead of Pope and Lorymer to progress into the A Feature. It was Steven Hutchinson who rose to the top in a cracking Feature race win ahead of Martin and Pope in for third place. Martin so excited after the race he spilled over after performing some doughnuts on the back straight, much to the delight of the crowd !
Sprintcars – As we approach the business end of the year, 7 winged warriors fronted the starters with a noticeable inclusion being that of Jordyn Charge, driving the NT11 for Ekins Motorsports alongside Zack Grimshaw. WA’s Trent Pigdon is looking to turn his luck around claiming he must have run over a black cat somewhere this season. Last start Feature Winner Chris Harrison was looking to go back to back as was NT77 Hayden Brown, hoping to emulate his first Feature Race win a couple of meetings ago. WA regular this year Aaron Chircop was out to stake his claim as well and the perennial teenager David Ling also keen to make inroads in the field. It was a messy affair with a false start in Heat 1 followed by another near false start, but it was Trent Pidgdon who streaked away to ultimately take out the 8 lap journey ahead of Charge and Grimshaw in third place. Not a good start for Hayden Brown who pulled infield. Fresh from a stint in the USA it was Jordyn Charge who lit up the timesheets on a super fast track to obliterate the 1 lap record in Heat 2 to record a new benchmark of 10.825 whilst leaving Harrison and Pigdon in his wake. It was another DNF for Brown still experiencing issues with the #77 machine. The Feature race started out strongly for Pigdon who jumped to the early lead with Charge hot on his heels. The war of attrition began with Zack Grimshaw suffering a failure when the diff gears stripped taking him out on lap 7. Pigdon then cut a tyre on lap 17 which deflated to see him pull infield and handing the lead to Charge. Aaron Chircop retired with fuel issues when the car literally stopped on him with 3 laps to go whilst in third spot. Out front it was “Lead Foot” Charge who blasted away for the win ahead of Chris Harrison and David Ling home in third place. Charge was very comfortable in his first outing at Northline Speedway tonight, throwing down the gauntlet as he prepares for Chariots of Thunder in September.
Wingless Sprintcars – Yet again another quality field of Wingless Sprintcars was on show and it was Matt Sealy who dominated Heat 1A to win ahead of Mathew McLennan and Cameron Jaenke in third place. Heat 1B saw an epic duel between Jamie McInnes and Daniel Goldoni with McInnes holding on for the win and a smokey Goldoni in second place and Raymond Walliss in third place. Sealy went two from two in Heat 2A after Kyle Quinlan led early in the race. Quinlan held on for second place and Jaenke again in third place. Raymond Walliss scored a great win in Heat 2B to lead home Daniel Goldoni and McInnes in third. Young William Prest took out the Mid Pack Dash ahead of Scott Murdie and Ty Eade whilst Sealy recorded the win in the Top 8 Dash ahead of Daniel Goldoni and Raymond Walliss in third. It was redemption time for Daniel Goldoni in the Feature Race. After enduring so much heartache and bad luck this season it was a great finish for him to win the Feature Race ahead of Sealy and McInnes in third. A clearly exhausted Goldoni could hardly muster his breath in Victory Lane but the beaming smile said it all.
Street Stocks – The night began very well for Jake Koivumaki in the NT11 machine as he led from the front and disappeared into the sunset in Heat 1 to record the win ahead of James Ballantyne Jayke Budd. Heat 2 was shaping up to be a beauty with Kane Lloyd and Koivumaki engaged in a war out front, with Lloyd holding the ascendency until the last lap and a big dive from Koivumaki to take the lead exiting turn 4 and the run to the flag for the win. Lloyd held on for second with Budd again home for third place. Heat 3 saw another great battle between Lloyd and Koivumaki but it was Lloyd that held on for the win this time and Koivumaki taking second with Megan Henderson claiming third spot. Unfortunately for James Ballantyne he tangled with the wall after a spin in turn 2 which rearranged the front end of the NT3 machine. Also the big news was that Koivumaki was to end his night after suffering a broken drive shaft (and couldn’t get it out) so it was all over. The Feature Race was wide open now with Koivumaki out and a rate of attrition with Lachlan Vanderburg and James Ballantyne joining Koivumaki as non-starters, which opened the door for Kane Lloyd. However whilst in the lead he suffered a gearbox/shifter issue on lap 15 and pulled infield to hand the lead over to Jayke Budd who recorded an emphatic win with Megan Henderson into second place and Michelle Gill in third place.
Next Meeting for Northline Speedway is Saturday night 10th August for the Presidents Cup with all Sections represented again.