Karen Jones, Tennant & District Times

If your backside wasn’t trackside on the weekend, you missed out on an action-packed weekend of racing.

Two Northern Territory Titles were contested over the course of two nights.

The NT Junior Sedan 2021 Title and the NT Wingless 2021 Title was up for grabs.

Seventeen competitors travelled from across Australia to battle it out for the Jetcor Yamaha Honda 2021 Northern Territory Wingless Sprint Championship.

Current NT Wingless champion of two years, Nathan Dicker, travelled up to try and retain the title. Over the first night the heats were not for the faint hearted.

With the rivalry showing in the heats it was going to be a hell of a ride in the final the next night.

The Goldoni team showed their dominance early, taking out four of the six heats on the first night. The other two heats going to Greg Wells and Troy Carey.

In the feature, Jarrod Goldoni started out first on the grid, while second and third was determined by the quickest lap time as both Jamie McInnes and Nathan Dicker ended up on equal points.

Jamie achieved the quickest lap.

As the flag dropped, McInness was straight on the gas and took the lead, with Goldoni and Dicker closely behind.

This race was going to be about who could keep the pace and have the skill to keep their race line consistent.

With a couple of kisses of the wall, some spinners and a spectacular flip by Bailey Jones, the crowd was on their feet with excitement.

No matter though what Dicker tried, racing around that track with his wheels lifting at every corner, it was McInness who showed he not only had the pace but the skill to bring it home and claim NT number one.

Dicker took out second place with Carey bringing it across the line for third.

The Junior Sedans put on a spectacular show throughout the practices and heats.

Alira Allen, alas, didn’t make it past practice as her car decided to challenge the wall.

Happy to report though she is okay.

That left 19 Juniors to contend the title.

By the end of the heats it was equal points between WA Riley Hanson and the local Jones boys, all winning their respective heats.

Riley and Michael Jones were both competing in their last Junior title, Jamie was competing in his first title.

Pole position went to Riley as he had the quickest lap time, followed by Michael and then Jamie.

On the first lap Michael managed to come under Riley on the fourth corner and this had the local crowd screaming.

Lap after Lap Michael held Riley out and it was going to be a two car race to the finish.

Lapping traffic as they went around it was the front wheel that found it easier and ended up making his move in the 12th lap to take the lead.

Michael tried to come back but Riley wasn’t giving in and took the win, claiming NT number one. Michael Jones came in second and one of our youngest drivers, in his first season, River Spitzbarth took out third place.

In our support classes final placings were:

Street Stocks: 1st Jack Yates, 2nd Jamie Yates and 3rd Jake Koivumaki. NT Sedans: 1st Kade Roberston, 2nd Brodie Reid and 3rd Tarmo Koivumaki.

We cannot thank everyone enough for the support they gave Tennant Creek Speedway over the weekend.

The new competitors that built cars just for the weekend, the competitors that travelled huge distances to be here, the volunteers that helped on the night, all the officials that travelled to assist, our sponsors that support us year in and year out, NT Wingless, Speedway Sedans Australia, NT Motorsport and lastly Tennant Creek for coming out and cheering on the racers.

See you all racing in a few weeks.

This article appeared in the Tennant & District Times, 7 May 2021.