Shane van Gisbergen returns to the dirt oval for the second time this season this evening, competing in a Sprintcar at Western Springs Speedway.
The three-time Xfinity Series race winner will again drive Annette and Brian Theobald’s United Truck Parts #97 Sprintcar, the same car he took to a heat win and third place in the feature on December 14.
Intermittent showers in Auckland have cleared in the past few hours, and Western Springs Speedway has confirmed that racing is going ahead.
Twenty-two Sprintcars will take to the track over the evening, with drivers including Jonathan Allard, 2NZ Dean Cooper, and South Island-based star Matthew Leversedge among those expected to take the challenge to van Gisbergen.
The event is headlined by the World 30-Lap Midget Derby, featuring a field of Kiwi, American, and Australian competitors, the first of five rounds of the Midget World Series.
Reigning two-time Chili Bowl Champion Logan Seavey will compete for Green Way Racing, the same team that also fields current New Zealand Champion Brad Mosen.
Californian Michael ‘Buddy’ Kofoid, a former NZ Sprintcar champion, will also be in action in the Midget car grade, as will Young North Carolina racer Ethan Mitchell.
Former Australian champion Kaidon Brown and Melbourne teenager Zoe Pearce are visiting from across the Tasman.
A strong contingent of Kiwi drivers complete the impressive lineup of 29 cars, with the entire 2023/24 New Zealand Championship podium of Mosen, Brock Maskovich, and Mitch Fabish in action.
Ten-time NZ Midget Champion Michael Pickens will run the CRC Industries Midget and Sprintcar.
Other grades competing in the Boxing Day event at Western Springs include F2 Midgets and Kiwi Kidz.
Gates at Western Springs Speedway open at 3.00 pm, with racing commencing at 6.00 pm.
Live coverage of the event can be followed via a paid stream through The Pits Media.
Following this evening’s outing, teams will head south to Baypark Speedway for the Bay Superstars event on December 28 and The Bay 51 on the 30th. They will then return to Auckland for the Fast 40 at Waikaraka Park on New Year’s Day and the 50-Lap Midget Classic at Western Springs a day later.
The New Zealand Midget title will be held at Western Springs on January 4.
Header Image: Supplied
