Sport
2 June, 2025
Action aplenty at speedway
THE opening of the local 2025 speedway season on Saturday night delivered all the action spectators could hope for at Mareeba Speedway.
With five divisions of race cars, over 30 events and a Circus Theme for the children, the night had something for the huge crowd who attended.
The growing Junior Sedan Division with competitors, both girls and boys, aged 10 to 16 competing, once again put on some close racing. In the end it was 13-year-old Jaydyn Hawkins from Cairns who was first to the chequered flag in the final ahead of Maltilda Bertuch (13) also from Cairns and Mareeba’s Bray Taylor (13) in his first time on the track.
The Formula 400 class, promoted and mentored by the Townsville-based club, were back on the bigger track and it was David Keating home first in the final with Len Pollock in second and Owen Duffy in third.
Yet another class that is growing in number is the Wingless Sprint division, with eight cars fronting the green flag. In the final, it was the experienced motorsport campaigner Richie Rob from Edmonton that took the chequered flag with Brisbane’s David Collins in second.
In third was Bruce Hill who with his wife, Rebecca, the secretary of the Queensland Wingless Sprints, made the 3000km round trip from Hervey Bay.
In a fairly dominate night, it was Edmonton’s Brandon Wyatte in the SVS Toyota Corona who took the chequered in the feature final, with Mareeba’s Bruno Fegalli in a EB Falcon in second and Ashley Goodman from Cairns in the Warpak Nissan Gazelle in third.
Once again it was the powerful “Big Things with Wings” that had the crowd on the edge of their seats with three heats and the feature final. Returning home to Mareeba for the event, it was young Brodie Davis who eventually was able to take the chequered flag.
The club’s new president, experienced Australian motorsport racer John Magro, led the final for 13 laps only to touch the wall coming out of turn two and flipped, leaving Davis in the AERO6FOUR NQ51 to then lead the way home ahead of Edmonton’s “quick timer” Gwesyn Dalliston in second from the rear of the field in the Centre Point Windscreens NQ 65.
Youngster Ash Ewing in the HC Building & Construction NQ73 came in third. Unfortunately, Brian Walsh in the beautiful Walsh’s Auto/Status Signs NQ3 had a huge crash with one lap to go and the race declared.
“What a great night for our opening meeting for season 2025 with a bigger crowd then we anticipated and with great racing and plenty of kids activities between races,” Magro said after the event.
“A big thank you to all who came out and to all our volunteers etc. and we continue with our theme nights which being well received by the families and their children.”
The next meeting is scheduled for Saturday 28 June, incorporating a “Zombie Night” theme.
