PHOTO: Mark Cowin
A big weekend of speedway is planned for Kalkee’s Blue Ribbon Raceway this weekend. The annual speedway carnival will be conducted Saturday and Sunday with over 100 drivers from across Victoria and South Australia racing.
The Wingless Sprint Cars have become a regular event at the carnival and will provide some action packed racing with 31 drivers nominated for the weekend.
The annual Three Litre sedan feature race, which was postponed in February, will also be raced on Saturday. Driver numbers are strong and points from the night will carry on to Sunday’s tally when the class race in Swan Hill.
Also on Saturday, Horsham Motor Sports Club is offering a unique opportunity to speedway fans with a “ride in a race car raffle”. The club will provide the lucky raffle winner a race suit and safety gear to borrow and they will get to sit in the passenger seat of a race car during a race.
Tickets are $5 each and will be available on Saturday – 6th June.
The always popular V8 Trucks will race both days, but stronger in numbers than usual. Wes Bell has been secretly building a new Dodge race truck and it will debut on Saturday.
Another favourite that will be returning to Blue Ribbon Raceway is the Vintage Heavy Hotrods. After racing here in May, they return again boasting a field of 19 machines exhibiting speedway from yesteryear.
Fourteen 1200cc Junior Sedan drivers have nominated to race on the weekend. It has been a while since juniors raced at Kalkee so it is great to see them return in good numbers.
Street Stocks will be well represented with 14 cars nominating. Penola driver Steve Gartner who did well earlier in the season at the track, returns with a posse of three other South Australians who will also battle it out in a small field of ASCF Open Sedans.
Victorian champion, Mark McDonald will return to Kalkee for the weekend to race against a small field of local Limited Sportsman drivers.
Sunday Morning will see the official opening of the Robin Thomas Memorial gates that will welcome visitors to the track.
Robin Thomas was an exceptional member of Horsham Motor Sports Club who unfortunately passed away two years ago. He worked tirelessly for the club to make the venue what it is today. The opening ceremony will be held at the entry to the speedway at 11am – 7th June. Everybody is welcome to attend.
Sunday will also feature an ASCF Ladies race, which will feature nine of the best women drivers from across the state. Heat races will be conducted on Saturday and Sunday that will decide the starting positions of the feature race.
Catering will be available on both days, but unfortunately due to recent changes in liquor licensing, the bar will not be open this weekend.
Action starts 3pm Saturday and 1pm Sunday