THE Southern 500 Speedway witnessed its first round of action for the 2023-24 season, with dozens of racers hitting the dirt track in an event headlined by the Super Rods being back in action.

Club president Bob Wilson said it was a successful evening of racing which had mostly been “smooth sailing.”

“It was really good to have the place back up and running, apart from a minor accident it mostly went without a hitch,” Wilson said.

“Given how much was on over the weekend and the races we had on, it was a really good turnout from the spectators who enjoyed a great night of racing.”

Wilson said there were some great performances among Portland’s competitors, highlighted by Cruz Carlin and Jackson Warrener finishing on the podium in the Junior Sedans.

“Second and third place for them was a great result… Steven Aldridge dominated the Sedans, and for Tanner Barclay to come in fourth for the Super Rods was a fantastic effort.”

The speedway now turns its attention to tomorrow’s action, as they’re getting their season up and running with back-to-back weekends of action.

The SSA Sedans and Limited Sportsman events which were originally on the calendar will not run, however the event will still be headlined by the return of Pro Sprintcars.

“It’s great that the Sprintcars want to come back for another event, we’ve got a great field set to come in with some locals to look out for,” Wilson said.

“Daniel Storer is one to watch, he’s been racing well recently and is a real shot at taking it out.”

As per the Saturday just gone, the speedway will be getting events underway earlier than past years, with spectator gates to open at 4pm for a 5pm start to racing.