By Phil Michell Motorsport Media
This Saturday night (September 20) the gates will open to a new season with the opening event of the 2025/26 South Australian Speedway season at the Murray Machining and Sheds Murray Bridge Speedway. The dirt is set to fly with a full field of Wingless Sprints the feature event along with Street Stocks, Modified Sedans, Formula 500’s and Junior Sedans. A small field of Sprintcars is also expected to conduct a series of hot laps in preparation for their season opener in a few weeks.
Despite an early start to the season the Wingless Sprint event has attracted a field of 34 drivers from across the State and Victoria. The entry list includes some of the best competitors in the country including dual Australian Champion Joel Chadwick, who will drive the Andrew and Lyn May owned #47, Rylan Furler, Tailem Bend’s Sam Martin, regular Speedcar and Sprintcar racer Robert Heard, Mason Merritt, Kaitlin Vickers, Bordertown’s James Rodda, Kadina’s Tate Cowie, and Michael Spoljaric.
Victoria will also be well represented with Hamilton racer Aaron Kennett making his regular early season trek to Murray Bridge along with Mildura residents Jordon Bolitho and Diesel Fallon.
One encouraging sign for the Wingless Sprint class is the number of newcomers who will take to the track for the first time, with seven drivers expected to take to the 360-metre clay way for the first time.
The format for the Wingless Sprints will see two rounds of heats along with a B-main and a 25-lap finale.
The Formula 500’s are set to rocket their way around the Murray Bridge Speedway with former South Australian Champion Jack Bell joining fellow Victorian James McDonald in a series of battles against the locals including Harrison Pfitzner, Darren Richter, and rookie Jeff Martin.
In the Sedan categories the Street Stock season opener has attracted 14 entries with Track Champion Nigel Reichstein being the one to beat. Over the past few seasons’ veteran Carey Weston has always started a new season strong and he will be looking to continue that trend again on Saturday night. Keith Moore, Neville Nitschke, Grant Harris, Phil Watson, Ryan Buchanan, and Curts Brown will also be drivers to watch out for the overall event victory.
The Junior Sedans will see a mix of seasoned drivers and rookies in attendance with Mildura’s Ryan Burns, local Henry Brumfield, Brodie Reichstein and Cody Gartner looking to start their seasons in style while a small field of Modified Sedans, headed by Terry Brown, Darren McCarthy and Tony Hardy will battle it out for night 1 honours.
Event Details:
OPENING NIGHT
Saturday, September 20
Wingless Sprints, Street Stocks, Modified Sedans, Junior Sedans, Formula 500s
Tickets: www.speedwaytickets.com.au
Gates open 4pm, Racing from 5pm
Nominations:
WINGLESS SPRINTS
S8 Darryl Sloan
S14 Joshua Rusby
S15 Ryan Broome
S17 Brad Kirtland
S18 Kaitlin Vickers
S19 Michael Spoljaric
S24 Ross Miller
S25 Hayden Jericho
S26 Rylan Furler
S29 Hayden Mason
S32 Diesel Fallon
S33 Lachlan Evans
S34 Ryan Watts
S38 James Rodda
S40 Joshua Mason
VX41 Aaron Kennett
S47 Joel Chadwick
S48 Patrick Monaghan
S49 Darryl Knuckey
S50 Jordon Bolitho
S57 Mason Merritt
S56 Tate Cowie
S57 Robert Heard
S66 Sam Martin
S74 Byron Wright
S76 Casey Atkinson
S82 Caleb Evans
S83 Craig Bampton
S84 Jesse Alexander
S85 Scott Vivian
S92 Thomas Walkom
S96 Sharni Pitcher
S97 Leanne Turner
S99 Michael Busby
STREET STOCKS
S3 Keith Moore
S6 Grant Harris/Tash McRae
S11 Ryan Buchanan
S13 Ashley Carver
S14 Nigel Reichstein
S17 Carey Weston
S19 Phil Watson
S24 Curtis Brown
S28 Jarryd Farrell
S31 Jayden Garner
S35 Steve Moore
S42 Thomas Garner
S58 Neville Nitschke
S72 Kye Richardson
S81 Wayne Kirley
S85 Thomas Claxton
MODIFIED SEDANS
9 Terry Brown
12 Phillip Hayes
18 Brandon Elphick
SA24 Darren McCarthy
31 Tony Hardy
JUNIOR SEDANS
SA6 Hannah Harris
Ballarat 9 Oscar Conder
SA10 Aidan Gartner
MDA 12 Ryan Burns
Sa14 Brodie Reichstein
19 Mayson Cadd
SA 22 Violet Thorne
SA25 Cody Gartner
MDA 42 Chloe McCarthy
S74 James Becker
SA91 Henry Brumfield
FORMULA 500S
S14 Jack Bell
SA22 Darren Richter
S31 Harrison Pfitzner
V37 James McDonald
S49 Jeff Martin
Comments are closed