By Scott Kernahan
Dirt Karts – 2 Heat races and a Feature race confronted the mighty Dirt Squirts with Yazmin Brown opening up the score with a win in Heat 1 ahead of Tony Brown and Bradely Fitchner. Tony Brown was out to make amends for his relegation at the last meeting which cost him a Feature Race win. He dominated Heat 2 to win ahead of Michael Brown and Yazmin Brown. The Feature Race saw Tony Brown streak away from the field to secure another Feature Race win for Season 2023. Michael Brown followed in second place and Yazmin Brown completing a Brown trifecta.
Street Stocks – The Brumfield/Koivumaki Battle of the Galaxies resumed with Brumfield returning to the winners list by taking out Heat 1 ahead of Koivumaki and Jayke Budd rounding out the placings in third spot. Disaster struck Brumfield in Heat 2 when he experienced another differential failure, and decided to park up for the night rather than risk another set of gears for the upcoming Titles this coming weekend in Katherine. This left the door open for Kane Lloyd to take out Heat 2 ahead of James Ballantyne and Samantha Radford. Koivumaki then made amends following a flat tyre in Heat 2 in the Feature Race to score the win ahead of Lloyd and Ballantyne round out a solid night with third place.
Sprintcars – 9 of the Winged Wonders fronted for hostilities with unfortunately Benny J Atkinson out with prior commitments for the night. The Sprinters are gearing up for the upcoming Chariots of Thunder Series and some of the fancied runners are starting to arrive. 2021 Series Champ Matt Egel from South Australia came out to begin his campaign to retake the Crown. Egel set the standard in Time Trials to peel off a fast lap of 11.936 (best speed of 121.548 km/h) with Kale Quinlan second fastest with a 12.015 and Hayden Brown third with a 12.135. Egel then transferred this fast time into a Heat Race win in Heat 1 ahead of Matt Dumesny and Quinlan in third place. Heat 2 saw Victorian Jordyn Charge fire a shot to win the Heat (after not posting a time in Time Trials) with Dumesny completing another second placing and Quinlan again in third spot. The Feature Race was a Dumesny benefit to race away in the #11 Ekins Motorsport Maxim with Egel home in second place and Quinlan rounding out night of third placings. Focus now turns to the NT Titles in a fortnight with more fancied runners arriving from down south to gear up for Chariots of Thunder.
Wingless Sprintcars – The Wingless Sprintcars again showed up for the Duel in the North with huge numbers with 25 cars out on show as they ramp up for their support role for Chariots of Thunder. Blake Walsh signalled his intentions with taking out Heat 1A ahead of reigning champ Cameron Jaenke and Matt Sealy in third place. Daniel Goldoni returned to some much needed form with a win in Heat 1B ahead of Michael Kelly and Josh Norman in third placing. Hot favourite Zack Grimshaw started out strongly with a win in Heat 1C ahead of Angus Campbell and Matthew McLennan. Sharni Pitcher recorded a very well deserved win in Heat 2A ahead of Jaenke and Sean Tiedeman. Jamie McInnes scored victory in Heat 2B beating home Keelan Edwards and Blake Walsh. Heat 2C was won by Bailey Jones ahead of Nathan Dicker and Zack Grimshaw. B Main action saw William Prest take the win ahead of Daniel Taylor and Kyle Wiseman. All interest now was on the A Main and the expected “war” between Grimshaw and McInnes, however it was Blake Walsh who spoiled the party to romp away to win ahead of Nathan Dicker and Cameron Jaenke home in third place.
Junior Sedans – Victorian Jayden lock continue wit his recent dominant form with his “shadow” River Spitzbarth never too far away in Heat 1A. Lock home first ahead of Spitzbarth with Kallen Hall rounding out the top three places. Heat 1B was taken out by fellow Victorian Pary Das who led home Zackery Czloszynski and Harrison Turnbull. Lock again won Heat 2A from Spitzbarth and Hall again in third place. Heat 2B won by Das again with Turnbull and Czlosznski again in third. The Feature Race saw the dominance continue for Jayden Lock who won ahead of Spitzbarth and Pary Das in third.
Solos – The two wheeled Warriors returned with a series of Heat and Feature race with Connar Bridgeford all alone with a win in Heat 1A after both Kurt Baxter and Bradley Niven retired from the race. Baxter bounced back in Heat 1B to win ahead of Steven Hutchinson and Wayne “Bones” Lorymer. Heat 2A was won by Bridgeford ahead of Niven and Wayne Lorymer with Baxter taking out Heat 2B from Hutchinson and Wayne Baxter. Heat 3A was again won by Bridgeford ahead of Lorymer and Wayne Baxter. The last Heat Race 3B was completed with Kurt Baxter winning ahead of Niven and Hutchinson. The B Feature was won by Wayne Baxter with Wayne Lorymer home in second place. A boilover occurred in the Feature Race with Kurt Baxter springing off the line to take the lead into turn 1 where he was never headed, coming home for a fine win ahead of Bridgeford and Hutchinson home in third.
AMCA Nationals – A good field of 9 AMCA Nations contested their 2 Heats and a Feature with New South Welshman Shane Newstead taking out the win in Heat 1 ahead of Mark Allcorn and Jimmy Keane. Newstead suffered damage in Heat 2 to record a DNF which allowed Allcorn to win Heat 2 ahead of Keane and Deegan Sherwood placing third. Newstead managed to repair his car to resume in the Feature Race and wound his way through the field to take out another Feature Race win this time ahead of Jeffery Tiedeman and Sherwood finishing in third spot.
The next meetings coming up at Northline Speedway is DEFEND THE TOP END with feature events being the Sprintcar Defend the Top End and Wingless Sprint Darwin and NT Title on Friday and Saturday nights 11 and 12 August 2023.