HAMILTON’S Western Speedway was the place for pace last Saturday night, as competitors tested out the newly revamped circuit which provided plenty of action-packed entertainment, as well as close racing for all classes.

From flag to flag, South Australian driver, Anthony Beare, showed he has lost none of his skills, taking the win in the Street Stock Series main event.

Starting from pole position in the final, Beare remained undefeated and took the flag ahead of Matt Nelson and Jayden Bromeley, after a race which saw plenty of action before being cut short at 31 laps.

The Robin Sparrow Memorial race was well contested with some of the top drivers in the state amongst the field, but it was veteran driver, Stephen Laidlaw, who triumphed in the main event, followed closely by Jack Bear and Trevor Mills.

The night was full of ups and downs, with several roll overs amongst the sedans, and one of the Horsham trucks ended up resting on its side, but with so many competitors vying for the win, hard racing is expected.

Racing was delayed several times due to various incidents, including a delay while South Australian driver, Alex Merrett, was assessed before being transported to hospital for further care, along with several other rollovers, all of which caused the program to run over time, which was unavoidable.

The majority of drivers were happy with the track surface, which in spite of the recent weather conditions remained grippy throughout the night, and there were many comments on the improvements carried out by the Hamilton club’s volunteers during the off season.

Street Stocks provide some of the closest racing within the sedans, and the local club is gearing up for what should be the biggest event on their calendar this year, the SSA National Street Stock Championship over the Labour Day weekend in March.

This is one event that shouldn’t be missed if you are a sedan fan, as one would expect to see around 100 competitors turn out for this meeting.

In the more immediate future, focus now turns to the next meeting, when they have programmed a $10,000 to win event - a reboot of the time-honoured Silver Strike for modified sedans.

It is some time since the format was one of the prestige races within the state, and it is hoped that the club will get the same sort of support it received in the past.

Former winners of the event include the late Ern Overall from Ballarat, along with Max Carlin, Peter Dowling and Ross Burrows.

To keep up to date on current information and nominations, go to the Western Speedway website or check out the Western Speedway Facebook.