WESTERN Speedway is the place to be this weekend, with around 144 drivers, cars and crews converging on the venue over the two days of racing.

The main event is the SSA Victorian Street Stock Championship which is seen as a fore runner of the Australian Title for the same class, which is scheduled for Hamilton in 2024.

The weekend will bring 63 street stock drivers and crews to Western Speedway with the ultimate aim for their car and their driver to take the win in the SSV Victorian Street Stock Championship.

The class is popular with both drivers and fans, as it provides close competitive racing for base model four or six-cylinder sedans and races in either direction, according to a coin toss prior to each race.  

Competitors can only build up to a 2017 model, as there is a five-year limit on eligibility, and just to make it a bit more family friendly, passengers are optional.

The ratio of makes and models this weekend is interesting and also very even, with 31 drivers choosing Ford Falcons, and 31 drivers choosing Holden Commodores, while one lone competitor has chosen a Mitsubishi Magna.

Defending title holder, Matt Nelson, will be piloting his VF Commodore and will have the pedal to the metal as he faces some talented opposition.

The nomination list is a who’s who of the street stock world, with Victorian drivers hailing from Alexandra, Ballarat, Colac, Daylesford, Horsham, Hamilton, Laang, Mortlake, Mildura, Nyora, Portland, Redline, Rosedale, Simpson, Swan Hill, Wangaratta and Warrnambool, while Tasmania has three entrants.

South Australia has long been the home of Street Stock champions, and Jason Duell, Stevie Gartner, Andy Maxwell jnr, Nathan Thorne, Daniel Lawn, Jayden Edwards, Thomas Garner, and Corey Crafter will be going all out to maintain that status.

Heading the Victorian based nomination list is defending champion, Matt Nelson, and he is followed by Ricky Cornwall, who is currently holding Vic 2, John Baker Jnr, Adam Barkby, Morris Ahearn, Dean Jenkins, Jack Jordan, Tristan Hunt, Leigh Gooding, Mat Crawford, Ellen Vagg, Dale Morrison, Robert Smith, Jarred Wilkinson, Hanna Domburg, Ricky Throckmorton. Scott Seacombe, Mathew Brooks, Mick Dann, Nathan Russell, Zack Yeoman, Dylan Wilkinson, Nathan Hutchins, Jamie Crutchley, Jo Anne Scott, Jason De Goldi, Wayne Davey, Peter Kinnear, Ronald Davey, Josh Davey, Stephen Petrie, Mathew Martin,  Chris Hay, Shaun Jenkins, AJ Lawrence, Steven Watts, Troy Hose, Matthew Glab, Jayden Blomely, Melissa Crutchley, Wade Fell, Shane Roycroft, David Barrie, Aaron Meakins, Rhys Meakins, Dean Whatmore, Brad Warren, Jensen Wilson, Tim Hutchinson, Brent Clark, Aston Hurley, and Stephen Brook.

Mat Crawford, Lucas Dickerson and Nathan Russell finalise the list as the Tasmanian trio of drivers.

The Street Stocks will contest three heats each tonight, followed up by further heats,  a B Main and the title decider tomorrow.

The opening night action will start at 4pm today and will feature demonstration events by Vintage Rods and Vintage Sedans.

Nominations for the sedans include a mix of the older style sedans with Tom and Michael Grist, Rod Smith, Alex Miller, Steve Perry, and Ross Burrows/Connor Mott taking part.

The Vintage Rods events have John Chadwick, Jamie Pridham, Noel Sharrock, Mark Dycer, Ron Schneider, and Alan Howden behind the wheel.

Standard Saloon racing will complete the program, and a full field is expected with the likes of Hayden and Cody McCabe, Mathew Keiller, Robin and Sam Rundell, Austin and Lachie Chivers, Ben Clements, Charmaine Bryans, Sarah Gartner, Bhoe Paterson, Samatha Dunn,  Greg Hutchins, Jackson Annett, Patrick Walsh, Dylan Shelton,  Ian Walsh, Jacob Head, Bailey Sinclair, Rick Stowe, Hayley Walker, and Brad Sheppard taking to the clay.

Tomorrow’s schedule gets underway at 2pm and will see the Street Stocks complete their heat racing, followed by the B Main and the final, while support racing will be provided by Production Sedans, Limited Sportsman and Junior Sedans.

The Limited Sportsman events will be headed by Jock Baker, along with Justin Shuttleworth, Thomas Baker, Nathan McDonald, Craig Ansell, Andrew Wilson, Rod Hetherington, Troy Curran, and Garry Hutchins.

The 11th round of the Junior Sedan Promotional Series has 12 drivers in each of the junior classes with Jayden Lock, Matilda Farrel, Blake Glynn, Pary Das, Cruz Farell, James Oliver, Tayler Whatmore, Christine Oliver, Isabella Thornton, River Paterson, Sammy Noseda, and Will Fallon contesting the Top Stars events.

The New Stars field will be made up by Rebecca Johnstone, Steane Cosson, Tyson Heaphy, Charlotte Leersen, Elizabeth Flavell, Cruz Carlin, Jackson Warrener, Tyler Wilson, Taylah Hose, James Peacock, Clair Hose, and Toby Cook.

After a long trip to Western Australia to contest the SSA Australian Production Sedan Title last weekend, Hamilton’s Dehne Sparrow and Colby Hammond are back, and are headlining the list of Production Sedan nominations for this weekend.     

They will be joined by John Baker Jnr, Dean Hughes, Katelyn Eltze, Mouldy Calderwood, Jamie Pumpa, Ryan and Shaun Queale, Hayden and Heath Riley, and Belinda Taylor.

All in all, its promises to be a huge weekend for Hamilton and the Hamilton Speedway Drivers Club volunteers and should also provide some great racing for the fans.

Further information and tickets may be accessed online at Western Speedway Hamilton, while tickets can be purchased at the gate on the day.