The countdown to the 80^th season of Open Wheel Speedway action at Auckland’s Western Springs Speedway, continues towards the first night of the new season on November 5.

In just over two months time, NZ’s best TQ, Midget and Sprintcar racers return to do battle on the iconic quarter mile.

Over the next couple of weeks, we’ll catch up with some of the goings on in each of the three premier classes at Western Springs. This week it’s the Midgets.

Current NZ Midget Champion Shane Alach will debut a new US built Spike chassis leased from BSL Racing for the 09/10 season, powered by the teams regular Esslingler powerplants, provided by long-time Speedway supporter Bob Haldane. Parker Store returns as primary sponsor for the close-knit and popular team.

Brad Mosen capped off one of his best seasons in ’09, winning the International Midget World Series, the 50 Lap Midget World Championship, and a second place finish behind Alach at the NZ title in Nelson. Mosen has a new Aggressor chassis for the new season, which will be presented in the colours of Big Ben Pies. Big Ben is already involved in Motorsport with Andy Booth in the NZV8 Championship, and with Greg Murphy and the Sprint Gas V8 Supercar team in Australia. A new Barry Graham tended Hawk out of Australia may power the new car to replace the teams’ familiar Mopar, but this is still to be confirmed at this stage.

The man to beat for the majority of the 08/09 season was undoubtedly Michael Pickens. Pickens won the Western Springs Track Championship, and the inaugural National Midget Car Series, dominating at one stage with nine consecutive Midget features around the North Island, as well as the North Island Midget Championship. The two-time former National Champ returns with car owner Don Kay in a new BSL Racing built Breka designed by Tim Clark, and a new Esslinger powerplant. A new sponsor will be named in the coming months to replace Little Rippers who have new owners and are sadly not returning for the season ahead.

The ever popular Wayne Green also has a new BSL Built Breka chassis for the 09/10 season.

Dave Gick has purchased the Pickens Breka chassis from last season, and also has an ex Pickens Ed Pink Ford to replace the Fontana engine that has provided some great results in the past for Gick.

Five – time NZ Midget Champ Michael Kendall goes ‘back to the future’ for the new season, returning in a new Mike Robins built Terminator chassis to replace the Spike and the older Terminator raced over the last couple of season’s.

Current 2NZ in the TQ ranks, Hayden Williams joins the Midget class this season, driving with the experienced Lance Beale in a two car Geoff Harper owned team. Ed Pink Ford’s should provide the power, but look out for a possible new engine to power at least one of the teams Aggressor chassis’.

NZ Midget Grand Prix Champ Scott Buckley continues to impress with his speed each season and returns with the same Aggressor / Sesco Mopar from last season.

Former National Champ Shaun Insley should have a new updated Aggressor for the new season, paired with the Mopar powerplant from last year, looking to continue the strong form showed in Australia at the end of the 08/09 season.

And moving up from the F2 Midget class will be Craig Aitcheson in the ex Gavin Elbers Aggressor / Esslinger.

Former Midget racer and long-time Western Springs Track Marshall Simon Wi, makes a return to the track in a Stealth /Gaerte purchased out of Christchurch.

There are also whispers that another former NZ Champ will return in the shape of Matt Thompson in the ADL Breka / Fontana, while all recent stories point to the fact that Graham Standring won’t be seen having retired at the end of the previous season, ending a stellar career spanning 99 all-time feature wins.

And on the fabricating front, it’s all on in the BSL Racing workshop here in Auckland currently, with the new Breka’s mentioned above being joined by more new cars being built for Christchurch’s Dave Kerr and Gary Chadwick, Stratford’s Dwayne Hickman and Lydia Dickenson, as well as Auckland’s Nick James, while new Aggressors are being built for customers in Australia as well.

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