Grit and guts: speedway season in Narrogin is off to a sensational start

The Narrogin 2023/24 speedway season began on September 30 with an action-packed afternoon of racing that drew more than 60 competitors and hundreds of spectators trackside for a speed-filled opener. The main events began about 4.30pm and first to take to the dirt were the junior 125s in which Georgia Ellis asserted her dominance behind the wheel, starting in first and maintaining a solid lead. The race was abandoned a few laps in after several quarter-midgets came to grief on Carstairs Corner where gutsy young Mason Kulker sustained a heavy knock. The junior sedans were the next to hit the track and Max Lang fended off the competition to take out a comfortable win despite strong driving from Vince Lindsay who finished in second and Mackenzie Silver who finished third. Jacob O’Farrell produced a stunner in the senior 125s, taking an early lead that had blown out by lap three. A tight grouping jostled behind O’Farrell but none were able to match the speedster’s pace. O’Farrels confident and error-less driving saw him claim the win followed by Jasmin Ellis in second position and Ella Hann in third. The Formula 500s opened with Chris Dimmack and Darren Wood battling it out, however, by the third lap Dimmack had managed to build space and open up a formidable lead. It was a lead Dimmack maintained into the final lap and he sailed beneath the chequered flag followed by Wood and Sam Hathaway in third. Paul Bowman got off to a great start in the streetstocks when three laps in Dick Hicks left the track. Once racing resumed Bowman wasted no time extending his lead, soon leaving the pack behind on a brilliant run. Bowman was soon nipping at the heels of last-place holder Brad Gould, extending his lead to almost half a track length as he eclipsed the field. Bowman took honours at the end of a solid race followed by Hicks in second and Fiona Palmer in third. The production sedans began with a tight grouping jostling for position in what was the closest start of the day. Barry Rose took an early lead but was soon bonnet-to-bonnet with Darren Coles. By the seventh lap, Rob Fraser took second position and Rose fell back into fourth. Coles looked strong going into the last but in a dramatic turn of events Fraser edged past to claim victory by 0.37 seconds with Wayne Livingstone coming in third. The final event of the day was the supermods, a 12-lap run that was dominated early by an outstanding Wayne Bingham. Luke Jury and Darren Alymore nudged for the lead in the beginning but by the third lap, Bingham had consolidated his lead in a thrilling display of disciplined and focused driving. With Rob Grumwald doggedly chasing in third by the sixth lap Bingham has built on his good start with a two-second lead on Jury. With four laps remaining Jury spun out on a corner and was unable to recover. When the race recommenced Bingham pushed out again as space began to open up producing the largest spread of the day. Bingham’s determination paid off with the supermod racer claiming the win over Rob Grumwald in second and Jury in third in a thrilling end to a Saturday afternoon of speedway action. At presentations, young racer Adam Reynolds received the New Stars encouragement award and the juniors were congratulated by Narrogin Speedway Club president Steven Stewart who commended the drivers on their skills and on-track behaviour.