Building up to the start of the ‘09/’10 Western Springs Speedway season, we’re looking at each of the respective classes over the next couple of months. This week it’s the Three Quarter Midgets (TQ’s). Thanks to the ATQMA and their driver’s for the updates.

Auckland’s domination of the NZ TQ Championships continued last season, with Western Springs registered drivers dominating all three podium positions.

Current 1NZ Shane O’Connor returns to defend the National title he won at Western Springs last season in his familiar Onsite Caterers Harris / Kawasaki. Gary Harris has updated the chassis, and Calvin Worthington has prepared a new engine. Darryl Webster will run the former Ryan O’ Connor Harris / Suzuki NZ Championship winning TQ as teammate to Shane this season, and comes from a background in Kartsport and Rallying.

2NZ Hayden Williams has moved up to the Midget class this season.

3NZ and current Western Springs TQ Track Champion Brock Maskovich returns for 2010, with the team updating and freshening the car for the new season.

Chris Gwilliam finished second in the Western Springs Track Championship behind Maskovich last season, and returns for 2010 in a new Breka chassis with another new Kawasaki built by Calvin Worthington.

Ross Linklater will be returning for his fifteenth consecutive season of racing at the Springs and will continue to travel from Tauranga each week. Linklater will run the same #56 Breka chassis as last season, powered by their own Linklater Autosport prepared Suzuki GSX-R750.

Over the past two seasons John Hopewell has been the sole watercooled TQ registered at Western Springs, a concept largely initiated and accepted in the South Island after a trial period with SNZ. This year will see at least four watercooled TQ’s racing out of Western Springs with competitors seeing the advantages of the reliable late model engine plus the bonus of self starting.

John Hopewell will again run the #13 Breka / Suzuki which was built for last season and is joined by #4 Steven Smith in an STR / Suzuki, and Aymon Bridger in an ex Melrose Motorsport Harris Suzuki. Anton Johnson from Whangerei is also converting his #12 Harris chassis to watercooled Suzuki power.

Newcomers to the Western Springs TQ ranks will be Kaz Townsend in a new Aggressor chassis running as #6, Steve Jeffries, an ex Quarter Midget racer, who will be running the #9 Exide Batteries Breka / Suzuki driven last season by Hayden Williams and Dave Bennett, and young lady racer Alex Salter driving the ex Chris McCutcheon TQ out of the Salter Motorsport stable. Alex's dad is longtime Auckland Sprintcar racer and team owner Ron Salter.

Following a major engine blow at the Nationals last season Sean Rose has a new engine this season, with Ask Metro Ltd, Diecast Direct, and Demon Graphics again sponsoring the #66 Harris / Suzuki.

New ATQMA Club President Brad Curtin will also appear with new Carson Racing Chain Drive chassis, and a freshened Worthington built Kawasaki powerplant for his #58 machine.

Also expect to see the likes of former National Champ Paul Le Cren, 16-year-old Jared Taylor, Lawrence Baker, and many other familiar names battling it out for the TQ honours at Western Springs for the new season.

Check out the ATQMA Website at www.atqma.net.nz 

Check out the Springs Website next week for an update on the Sprintcar class.

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