Friday night at the speedway

TASMANIA'S most sought-after speedway title will be up for grabs at the Hobart International Speedway near New Norfolk this Friday night (December 30) when the Tasmanian Sprintcar Championship is contested, sponsored by New Norfolk Mowers and Chainsaws. The Friday night program gets under way at 6.30pm and will also feature the fifth round of the Junior Sedan Championship Series, plus support class racing from lightning sprints, street stock sedans, Tassie sixes and bombers.

The championship will also be round four of the Sprintcar Series. Series leader Jamie Bricknell will start among the favourites for the title as he chases his first championship. Fellow Launceston driver Jason Dawkins has also put in some impressive drives in recent weeks, including a victory at Carrick on Monday night's Boxing Day program in the final hit-out before the state title. Bricknell finished third in that race, but may have been a little conservative ahead of the championship. Reigning champion Kurt Luttrell will defend his title in what will be his first race on home soil this season, having been racing in Victoria.

Meanwhile, the junior sedan championship series round should see an exciting battle between series leader Josh Smith and the much-improved trio of Brodie Piper, Nathan Russell and Josh Stephens.

Hobart International Speedway (presently branded as Mountain Dew Raceway) is on the Lyell Highway at Sorell Creek - ignore the television ads saying it's at Granton. Future events at the speedway are on January 14, 27 and 28, February 18 and March 17.