The opening night of Western Springs Speedways historic 80th season saw track records fall, some spectacular crashes, and three popular Classic Hits sponsored feature victories to Shane O’Connor, Michael Pickens, and Dean Brindle, across the TQ, Midget, and Sprintcar classes. 

The Ampro Tools 09/10 season opener saw a great crowd in the terraces and the VIP Corporate area, eager to watch some top notch Speedway action on the newly re-profiled Springs quarter mile. 

With close to thirty cars in the pits, heat wins in the ultra competitive TQ class were shared by Darren Warren, Chris Gwilliam, Paul Le Cren, and former Track Champion Ross Linklater. The highlights of the four heats were the competitive side by side racing and former NZ Champ Paul Le Cren’s new one lap track record of 14.86 seconds in the third heat, the first sub 15 second lap at The Springs with transponder lap scoring. Le Cren also took two seconds off Bryce Townsend’s longstanding 10 lap track record set back in 2001. However, the one lap record would not last long… Linklater was the top qualifier from the heats and would start from pole for the TQ feature. 

All eyes were on the Midgets though for their four qualifying heats, with hard fought wins going to the returning Matt Thompson, Michael Pickens, Carl Worboys, and Shane Alach. Like Le Cren, Pickens also broke the one lap Midget record, resetting Alach’s previous mark of 13.77 set last season, to a stunning 13.74 seconds. 

Current NZ1 Dean Brindle set the early pace during the Sprintcar heats with seventeen cars pitside, winning the first heat. Jeremy Halpin, Jamie McDonald, and Alan Wakeling shared the other three heat wins, with Wakeling the top qualifier with a win and a third in his two heat races. 

The F2 Midget Feature was won by 15 year old Midget rookie Nick Cassidy driving for the HLR Team, ahead of Rob Aitcheson, and former Stockcar racer Rose Halfpenny, also debuting in the F2 ranks. Cassidy won all three races on the night for the F2’s and also scored a clean sweep in all three NZ Formula Ford races on the same weekend at Pukekohe, a feat possibly not achieved ever before in NZ Motorsport. 

The TQ feature would have to rate as one of the best seen in recent times, with Auckland’s regulars racing two and three wide on an ideal surface suited to the motorcycle powered machines. Linklater battled with Chris Gwilliam and National Champ Shane O’Connor for the lead early in the 15 lap race, which was then stopped when Sean Rose flipped viciously on the main straight after contact with another car. Rose was shaken but otherwise OK. O’Connor got to the front after the restart, and went on to score a spectacular race win from Linklater, and Gwilliam, with Le Cren finishing fourth. Le Cren lowered his earlier track record to a stunning 14.691 seconds during the feature. 

NZ Sprintcar Champ Dean Brindle dominated the 20 lap Sprintcar feature from grid two, winning from eight times NZ Champ Alan Wakeling, and Ryan O’Connor. Brindle was awesome through lapped traffic on his way to the win, setting the fastest lap of the feature of 12.60 seconds. It was Brindles second win of the season, coming off an opening night feature victory one week earlier at Baypark Speedway. With American Jonathan Allard due at Western Springs in the next couple of weeks along with the return of 3NZ Greg Pickerill, Auckland’s Sprintcar numbers should swell to over twenty cars for the remainder of the season. 

The Midget feature was up next and the fans were not left disappointed to say the least with eighteen cars taking the start. Pickens charged to the front from grid two, but the 25 lap race only lasted one corner with former circuit racer Jody Vincent getting upside down after a group of cars clashed in front of him.  He was able to restart after a quick check from the Springs infield staff. Pickens again jumped into the lead from the original grid rerun, intent on running the highline, on and over the cushion at each end of the track, whereas Worboys stuck to the inside line, chased initially by Brad Mosen, Shane Alach, and Scott Buckley. Alach then made hard contact with the pit straight fence after a clash with Buckley, which started a chain reaction behind them. Matt Thompson spun in avoidance and was clipped by Michael Kendall and Wayne Green, with Kendall crashing spectacularly down the pit straight. 

Worboys managed to pass Pickens for the lead after the restart, with a great move off the exit of turn two, only for Pickens to blast back around the outside on the cushion through turns three and four. That was the race. While Alach eventually retired due to damage from the clash with the wall, Pickens continued to blast the cushion on his way to another Western Springs Midget Feature win, ahead of Worboys and a charging Shaun Insley, who had moved through from grid twelve in an ex Tony Stewart Racing Spike chassis. Brad Mosen, Scott Buckley, and Michael Brunt rounded out the top six. 

Next weeks second meeting of the Ampro Tools Season at Western Springs (Nov. 14) will feature the ‘Radio Hauraki Night of Legends’, with all of the regular classes on the menu for the second round of the Track Championship. A special offer for Nov. 14 only, will be free entry on the night into Western Springs for all people aged over 65 (with ID). A night certainly not to be missed!  

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