Motor Racing
18 June, 2024
Massive finish to Blue Ribbon Raceway's season
Horsham’s Blue Ribbon Raceway celebrated the end of the 2023/24 summer season with the running of a two-day Speedway Carnival on Saturday 8th and Sunday the 9th of June. The weekend extravaganza proved to be a real success.
With close to 100 competitors racing across the six competitive classes and the two highly spirited vintage demonstration classes, the race fans who attended were provided with great value for their dollars spent, purchase a ticket for night one and get in for free on the second day giving the fans a whopping 60 events.
The Wingless Sprints headlined the card and would be the only class racing for two individual feature races as the remaining classes would run heats on the opening night and final on the closing.
Wingless Sprints - Walsh So Nice He Did It Twice!
Over 30 competitors took to the track, including some from New South Wales, South Australia, and the Northern Territory, to take on the best of the home state. Despite the high competitor density, Blake Walsh proved to be the measuring stick of the field, claiming back-to-back feature race wins.
The opening night win was a hard-fought battle with Blake, starting from position 12 for the 30 laps final, and he would have to race his way through the field. Dillon Siley was the runner-up and meat in the Walsh sandwich as Blake’s sister Carly rounded the podium in the third position.
Michael Conlan and Jake Warren were next, followed by the well-traveled Raymond Walliss, who had ventured all the way from Darwin. Mick Rigby, Luke Johnson, Alex Thomson and Ricky Bailey rounded out the top ten.
Steven Hartley was the first of the Wimmera-based competitors home in eleventh, and Scott Cole was the final competitor on the lead lap.
Logan Davis, Jayden Lock, Robert Whiteside, Ricky McCubbin, and Glen Harris rounded out the finishers, while Jack Regan, Esther Thomson, and Brayden McKay were retirees.
The following day, Walsh would rinse and repeat. This time, it was easier to pass the chequered flag as he started from the front row and led every lap for the 30-lap final.
This time, Carly Walsh would go one better with a well-deserved runner-up placing. Having worked her way from ninth, she applied real pressure towards the back of her brother in the dying stages to make it a Walsh one, two.
Keeping it in the family was cousin Mick Rigby who started from Pole Position. Steven Hateley again flew the flag proudly for the locals with a popular fourth placing Michael Conlan was next and ‘super sub’ Daniel Storer rounded the top half dozen after only taking the seat for Raymond Walliss who was unable to race on the final day.
Dillon Siley, Luke Johnson, Brayden McKay, and Glen Harris round the top ten, including Alex Thomson, Ricky Bailey, Ricky McCubbin, and Jake Warren.
New South Welshman Evan O'Bryan was the final competitor on the lead lap. Tailing off the field was Jarrod Payne and Logan Davis. Esther Thomson, Jayden Lock and David Anderson failed to finish.
V8 Trucks - The Final Bell
The always popular V8 Trucks featured the largest field ever with a 10-truck convoy taking to the track and some of the trucks having a few guest drivers for what proved a sentimental occasion for founding partner of the Truck division, Wes Bell.
After 20-plus years racing the big rigs, Bell has hung up the helmet. Bell was the sentimental favourite, but that did not stop Luke James from spoiling the party and taking the 12-lap final.
A spirited Bell dug deep in the final to charge from sixth to the runner-up placing and sharing the podium celebrations was Jaryd Carman.
Nathan Bird, Fletcher Mills, Dean Thomas, Tim Van Ginneken, Robert Whiteside and
Belinda Taylor made the distance while Tim Diller failed to finish.
Junior Sedans – Stars Of The Future
The Junior Sedans were divided into three categories. However, the Top Stars, for those with greater speed and experience, and the New Stars, for the less experienced, were bundled into one race, making it a race within a race.
This is in addition to the Speedway Sedans Australia 1200cc section, which is the rear-wheel-drive older cars that ran individually.
Despite dropping back to third in the early stages, Parry Das would fight his way back to claim victory in the 15-lap final. The runner-up racer was Hudson Moorfoot, who really set the cat amongst the pigeons as the first runner home in the New Stars and beat some of the more experienced Top stars, Jake Bradley and Tristan Jarred, who was next. Jackson Warrener, Tyler Wilson, and Flynn Davis rounded out the field.
Young gun Jack Mills flew the flag proudly for the Wimmera district, taking the 1200 Sedans feature race win after a tight battle with Holly Hutchinson, the duo trading places several times over the journey. Archie Thomas, Libby Ahearn, Jorja Rundell and debutante Ruth Johnstone who improved with speed and ability with each run over the two days.
Production Sedans – Low Numbers, High Action
While the Production Sedans were low on numbers with only 4 competitors, Modified Sedan competitor Peter Rizolli was gifted the opportunity to run with them, while he lapped the entire field of Production Sedans and went undefeated all weekend the Production Sedan final provided some close racing with Peter Hoggan passing Dean Hughes late in the race to take the honours. Shaun Queale and Alex Miller rounding the five.
Vintage - Another Classic Performance
Last but not least the field of 8 Vintage Sedans and 10 Vintage Hot Rods delighted the crowd when they turned back the hands of time as the sights and sounds of yesteryear returned to life with six demonstration races for each division.
The Blue Ribbon Raceway will now go into winter hiatus; during this time, the club will be working hard to structure an exciting 2024 / 25 summer season.
To stay up to date with any off-season news and developments, be sure to keep an eye on the Blue Ribbon Raceway Facebook page.