This Saturday night a huge competitor count is on at Rushworth Speedway with the visiting classes bringing some great numbers to compliment the local club’s member drivers, thirty plus cars are entered in the Victorian Speedway Council Sports Sedan Power Series, more than a dozen in the Grand Prix Midget Masters Series and near on the same amount in the ‘Ray Welsh Memorial’ for the Speedway Drivers Association of Victoria Hot Rods.
An impressive list of entrants in the Sports Sedan class has Victorian series point score leader Robert Garlick and some of his series challengers such as Tommy McDonald, Troy Glassborow, Aiden and Joel Copeland, Jamie Paull, Zac Leeson, and Dale Smith all entered. Dale Smith is the driver here to look out for as he has won already when it comes to features in the series.
Other challengers for the win on Saturday caring not as much about the points as others might be include Bradin Claridge from Bendigo, Lucas Conder from Ballarat, Jay Nicolaisen whose family name has long been associated with Rushworth, Robert Lock from Bendigo, and last Sports Sedan feature race winner at Rushworth Felicity Roycroft.
With nine heats schedule, a last chance main and a feature race the class should provide fans with terrific entertainment all night long.
Honouring a legend of Speedway racing in Ray Welsh will be the Hot Rods. Ray was a member of the SDAV Hot Rod club for so many years and won many races and titles in his time. This Saturday night drivers will compete to try and win the race in his honour where the heat race results mean very little with the pill draw determining where drivers start. A driver could be the best all night and draw the pole position or the best all night and draw the last starting spot for the final. Victorian champion Shannon Meakins is in great form behind the wheel and is a favourite regardless of where he starts the race, whilst Russell Hovey a veteran of the class could easily win the race again as he has done before. It literally is anybody’s race with the way it is set up.
The Masters Series round for the Grand Prix Midgets has attracted some New South Wales competitors to race along with last meetings feature winner Chris Fowler and the Victorian troupe. Janelle Saville and Gary and Riley Bowyer from North of the border will be up against Fowler, Ashley Booker, Mark Blackeby, Shawn Ward, Paul Perry, Travis Florrimell and Alex Myers – Hudson amongst others.
Local Goulburn Valley Open Saloons, Production Sedans and Ladies Saloons are at stage set to compete at the same time on the track together with Mark Bergman keen to get a feature win after dominating qualifying at our last race meeting for the Open Saloons. Opens to watch for include Bevan Hutchins, Bergman, Scotty Smith, and Marc Hanson. Whilst in the Production Sedans Jack Houlahan who took the overall win at the last race meeting when Productions combined with Open Saloons is the one to watch in that class and for that matter the overall, also watch Shane Hutchins and Geoff Lee. Kelly Lamb is also another entrant to watch she has been picking up some wins as she visits other race tracks from the Mallee to the North East.
In Junior Sedans Connor Claridge, Mia Lamb and Anthony Hanson are some of the likely drivers to feature in the battle for a win on race night.
Goulburn Valley Auto Club is proudly supported by,
Automotive Super Balance – Shepparton
1 Stop Construction Group P/L – Kyabram
Be Seen Signs
Claridge House Removalists
Maxam Printing – Shepparton
Midland Contactors (Earthmoving) – Bendigo
RDI Mobile Mechanical Services
Rod Wild Auto Electric Services – Shepparton
Rushworth Criterion Hotel
Rushworth Rural Services
Ward Bros – Rochester
WG Panels – Rochester
NOMINATIONS
VSC SPORTS SEDANS DIRT X INDUSTRIES POWER SERIES
Bradin Claridge – Goulburn Valley 5
Marcus Griffith – Mount Beauty 7
Shane Simpson – Nagambie 7
Brodie Montague – Alexandra 9
Lucas Conder – Ballarat 9
Tim Gorski – Alexandra 10
Tommy McDonald – Mount Beauty 14
Zac Leeson – Nagambie 14
Troy Glassborow – Nyora 16
Daniel Knight – Nagambie 17
Anthony Knight – Nagambie 19
Michael Knight – Nagambie 20
Aiden Copeland – Corowa 22
Joel Copeland – Corowa 23
Lucas Walker – Heartland 23
Caleb Lincoln – Alexandra 24
Jason Berger – Hamilton 27
Matt Sgroi – Nagambie 29
Jay Nicolaisen – Wangaratta 34
Robert Lock – Bendigo 42
Jamie Paull – Nyora 42
Russell Smith – Alexandrea 48
Dennis Reid – Alexandra 54
Nick Hill – Corowa 55
Robert Garlick – Alexandra 63
Dale Smith – Alexandra 64
Matthew Brooks – Wangaratta 65
Corey Knox – Goulburn Valley 67
Justin McKeegan – Ballarat 72
Josh Beattie – Wangaratta 72
Jasmin Molloy – Ballarat 73
Matt Callanan – Goulburn Valley 78
Felicity Roycroft – Wangaratta 82
Nathan Fawns – Redline 87
Matt Chiminello – Alexandra 91
Jack Houlahan – Goulburn Valley 96
SDAV HOT RODS RAY WELSH MEMORIAL
Shannon Meakins – 1
Phil Jenkins – 3
Dean West – 4
Eddie Ivermee – 6
Jade Ewart – 15
Kali Hovey – 22
Russell Hovey – 25
Tony Green – 34
Stuey Robinson – 36
Neil Sixtus – 93
GRAND PRIX MIDGETS MASTERS SERIES
Janelle Saville – New South Wales 2
Jack Ward – Victoria 4
Gary Bowyer – New South Wales 5
Daniel Meredith – Victoria 8
Mark Blackeby – Victoria 10
Alex Myers- Hudson – Victoria 11
Chris Fowler – Victoria 13
Matt Kamolins – Victoria 22
Alex Gouveia – Victoria 32
Paul Perry – Victoria 13
Shawn Ward – Victoria 44
Riley Bowyer – New South Wales 50
Ashley Booker – Victoria 50
Travis Florrimell – Victoria 81
GOULBURN VALLEY OPEN SALOONS
Bevan Hutchins – 18
Mark Bergman – 31
Aaron Bacon – 54
Scotty Smith – 58
Daniel Smith – 59
Matt Smith – 61
Marc Hanson – 119
GOULBURN VALLEY PRODUCTION SEDANS
Geoff Lee – 5
Jordan Tombyn – 9
Shane Hutchins – 10
Warren Alexander – 64
Jack Houlahan – 96
GOULBURN VALLEY LADIES SALOONS
Kelly Lamb – 77
Nicole Gapes – 84
GOULBURN VALLEY JUNIOR SEDANS
Connor Claridge – 5
Ty Claridge – 8
Leah/Caleb Simmonds – 32
Carly Smith – 58
Mia Lamb – 77
Anthony Hanson – 119
Written by
Dean Thompson
DMT Sports Media
For Goulburn Valley Auto Club t/a Rushworth Speedway
