Speedway: West Coast championships decided at Oceanview
The sun shone over Fast Lane Spares Oceanview Family Speedway on Saturday, as three championships were decided.
With the season's clock fast ticking down, and after a rained-out meeting two weeks ago, it was a relief for Wanganui Stockcar and Speedway Club organisers to get the meeting completed.
With a competing event in Wellington, it was primarily a local field contesting the West Coast Stockcar title.
Palmerston North driver Taylor Lampp (992P) showed up to keep the Whanganui drivers honest, but any title hopes he had ended when Sam Bridger (34V) neatly slotted him up the Turn 2 wall in the opening heat, leaving Lampp stranded.
Pre-meeting favourites Dion Mooney (6V) and defending champion Callum Sturzaker both had nights to forget.
Mooney had a series of tyre issues and a fuel pump problem, while Sturzaker broke an axle in Heat 2, ending his bid to go back-to-back.
There were no such problems for Kaelin Mooney (26V) however.
The young driver took out the first heat, then backed it up with a third placing in the second heat and then runnerup in the final heat to win his first West Coast title.
Kaelin Mooney has had an outstanding debut season in his Stockcar, after graduating from Youth Ministocks at the end of last season.
He won the Charlie Berntsen Trophy for Stockcars in December, and qualified in the Top 26 at each of the three Speedway NZ championships this season.
Mark Johnston (78V) had a consistent night to finish second overall, while Mizaan Lees (58V) and the ever-present Blair Lockett (89V) finished tied on points for third, necessitating a four-lap runoff.
Lees, who had earlier won the second heat, squeezed Lockett's car under the pole-line from the start, and shot away to a substantial lead.
However, he slowed on the final lap and Lockett took advantage, pushing his way past Lees to take the final podium placing.
A good field of Minisprints was on hand for their West Coast title, plus Round 4 of the Oval Superstars Tour.
Heat wins were shared around between Cory Ward (55S), Shane Dewar (1NZ) and Bayley Betts (3NZ).
However Dewar's consistency gave him the West Coast Minisprints crown, ahead of local driver Dylan Smith (53V) and Betts.
The 30-lap Oval Superstars Tour finale was a race of attrition, with Dewar's punctured tyre putting him out.
Elliot Heron (72P) held on to win ahead of Conrad Hall (88s) and Cameron Hurley (82s). Dewar retains his OST series lead ahead of Heron, who is one point ahead of Smith in third place, with one round remaining.
A good sized field of Superstocks was on hand, with wins shared between Carl Burns (25V), Brett Hyslop (9P) and Rebecca Barr, who was driving her father Graeme's 32P machine.
Burns however, inadvertently provided the highlight of the night with a spectacular rollover in the Grand Slam.
Charging towards the finish line, Burns went wide to avoid the 212V Stockcar of Blair Reeves-Smith, clipped the wall, and tumbled end for end past the chequered flag.
The Superstocks will have star billing once again at the final meeting of the season on Saturday, March 21.
The West Coast Superstocks, along with the Noel Kensington, George Podjursky and Craig Heibner Memorial races, will bring down the curtain on a season marked by big fields and action-packed Superstock racing.
Tony Stuart / Speedway
Whanganui Chronicle 10/3/20