By Scott Kernahan
Street Stocks took centre stage at Darwin’s Northline Speedway on Saturday night 6th May 2023 for the Darwin Street Stock Title and were ably supported by the season opening debut of the Sprintcars and Wingless Sprintcars.
Junior Sedans continued their march towards the Next Gen Junior Sedan Nationals competition on 26-27 May and in a wind back of the clock, we saw the return of the evergreen Wayne “Bones” Lorymer into the Solo ranks. It certainly was a blast from the past to see Bones out there strutting his stuff again with the famous #9 chestplate.
Justin Brumfield looked like the man to beat for the Darwin Street Stock Title and is in red hot form from his opening night’s racing. Likely to challenge Brumfield were Kane Lloyd, Jake Koivumaki and Jack Yates.
Wingless Sprintcars fronted with 20 cars for their first meeting of the year. A very healthy representation and bodes well leading into their support role for Chariots of Thunder later in the season.
Sprintcars had 6 cars front the starters with third generation driver Matt Dumesny debuting in the Ekins Motorsports #11 entry. Mitch Wormall and Nathan Swann arrived from Western Australia to take on the Territory’s Hayden Brown, David Ling and Chris Harrison.
Dirt Karts – Tony Brown continued his perfect start to the season by clean sweeping the Heats and the Feature race. Yazmin Brown picked up a couple of second placings but unfortunately DNF’d in the Feature Race. Bradley Fitchner backed up two second placings and a third in the heats to finish runner up to Tony Brown in the Feature. Michael Brown was to place third in the Feature.
Junior Sedans – River Spitzbarth steamrolled the competition for the second straight meeting by taking out all his Heat Races and the Feature in the Top Stars whilst Harrison Turnbull claimed second placings in the Heats and in the Feature to complete a solid night. Caiden Weaver showed good form also to record a third placing in the Feature race to go along with a third place in heat racing. Liam Butterworth was the pick of the New Stars with 2 first places in the Heats and the Feature race win as well ahead of Rhys King and Ash Bucklar.
Solos – Connar Bridgeford shone in the Solo section with Heat Race wins to go along with a win in the Feature A for Solos. Kurt Baxter also recorded Heat Race wins but was outdone in the Feature A by Bridgeford. Steven Hutchinson also recorded a Heat Race win but was headed by Bradley Niven in the Feature B race. Returning to the Solo ranks after many years absence saw Wayne Lorymer pick up a couple of second placings in the Heats.
Wingless Sprintcars – A mighty showing by the Wingless Sprintcar section with 20 cars packed into the schedule. A prelude for what is to come later in the year. Current NT #1 Zack Grimshaw was on song for the night with 3 Heat Race wins and backed up to take out the Feature Race as well. Matt Sealy is showing some great form to record a couple of Heat Race wins and was to finish second to Grimshaw in the Feature Race. Cameron Jaenke had a consistent night in the #59 entry to record a win and a second place in the Heats and a third placing in the Feature race. It was not a good debut for the Goldoni brothers Daniel and Jarrod who were both chasing issues from the start. Jarrod suffering a rocker issue from the beginning that stifled his night whilst Daniel experienced electrical issues before losing breaks in the Feature Race.
Sprintcars – A modest field of 6 cars began the 2023 season with huge interest around the debut of Matt Dumesny in the Ekins Motorsport #11 rocket. Dumesny is keen to get as many laps in as he can leading into the Chariots of Thunder series later in the year, as is WA’s flyer Mitch Wormall (who is no stranger to Northline Speedway). Hayden Brown debut in his new Triple X chassis and was prominent through the Heats with second and third placings to see him start from Pole Position in the Feature. Dumesny suffered mechanical gremlins when a fuel line came loose and was sucking air in Heat 2 to record a DNF whilst Chris Harrison started the night promisingly as well, before being the first to join the Upside Down club for the year. Dumesny bounced back to take out Heat 3. Brown started from Pole in the Feature but was outdragged by Wormall into turn 1, but Brown clung on to pursue Wormall throughout the race until a restart saw Wormall power away and on to record the Feature Race win.
Street Stocks – 9 cars were to contest the Darwin Street Stock Title with interest on who could match it with Justin Brumfield. Heat Race victories were shared among Jack Yeates, Brumfield and Lucas Fry whilst Jake Koivumaki and Kane Lloyd were thereabouts in the Heats as well. Lloyd was keen to follow up with Night 1’s First Place result but was to DNF in the Feature race. The Feature race was a cracker with Brumfield and Koivumaki enduring a race long battle until Koivumaki was baulked by a slower car and ran out of momentum, which allowed Brumfield to creep away for the win. Jack Yeates came home for third place.
Next meeting for Northline Speedway is 26 – 27 May for the Junior Sedans Next Gen Nationals and are supported over two night by Wingless Sprints, AMCA Nationals Darwin Title, Go Karts and Street Stocks on night 1 followed by Sprintcars, Wingless Sprints, Go Karts and Street Stocks on night 2.