by Dean Thompson
This coming Saturday night at Nyora Raceway drivers and friends will remember Robert Bickham with the running of the annual 'Woggy Memorial' for sports sedans headlining the action that includes the Victorian Compact Speedcar Club returning to the bullring, as will the Speedway Drivers Association of Victoria with their hot rods.
Further local competition will come in the form of standard saloons and women's standard saloons whilst at the time of writing there may be an inclusion of modified sedans.
Sports sedans competition will include Simon Bent, one of Bickham's closest mates before he passed, and Simon's daughter Shona, a young woman who considered Woggy her very own family in his latter years of life. They are both serious chances to win.
Taken too soon, Bickham was a larrikin bloke who spent much time with two Nyora families - Russell Hill and his circle of mates that included this journalist, and the Bents and their circle of mates.
A Nyora member prior to his passing, Bickham would be chuffed at the what the event means to many.
Damien Miller is one of the state's best sports sedan race drivers and he enters to honour Bickham first and win as a secondary effect of being their on-race night.
David Donegan, a popular racer in a Cortina with a large media presence and tremendous crowd popularity, will compete, as will Chris and Jayde Aarts who were themselves mates with Woggy,
Josh Service will compete a former Victorian sports sedan state champion, as will Braiden Webster, one of the younger drivers coming through in the class.
Brodie Ardley fresh off competition in the Australian Street Stock championship will compete, as will Nyora members including Allan Sell, Daniel Angus, Peter Angus, Ray Gould, and Bernie Franklin.
Another competitor of interest is David House from Goulburn, New South Wales.
David in the 1970s was a two times Australian sedan title winner. In these times the cars were mostly modified sedans with a lot of variety and very serious competition at the national level.
House won a national title at Liverpool and Toowoomba against the likes of sport legends such as Alan Butcher, Peter Crick, Neville Harper.
House will compete in a Centura with a 265ci Hemi running triple Webbers, he hopes to be extremely competitive on the tight Nyora layout.
In compact speedcars Justin Paull, fresh off winning the NSW Compact Speedcar title once again, will lead nominations that include Matt Papa, Trevor Perry, Nick Parker, Michael Conway, and Tania Hallett.
Paull is expecting serious challenges at the front of the field on Saturday night from all.
Conway Hallett and Paull consider Nyora their home track and each have an extra reason they wish to win.
In hot rod action Shannon Meakins, the Victorian champion of the class, heads the nominations for this weekend with Neil Sixtus keen to win at a track closest to his residential home.
Brendan Roberts, Andrew Kemp, Tony Green, and Kali Hovey would love to come out at the end of the night ahead of Meakins, they all will be trying to do just that.
Kacey Ingram from Warragul, Owen Cecil of Poowong, Luke King, Logan Mair, Arron Cormack, Brodie Robertson, and Nigel Frew will compete in standard saloons.
Many drivers are not entering, with a couple of weeks away before their Victorian title, leaving cars in sheds preparing.
Caroline Allen leads the women's standard saloon competitors into action on women's 'Pink Night' and along with Bree Walker, who has a handful of race wins to her name this season, they are set to do battle on Saturday.
The two will have Katie Meyer, one of the state's best, also in the field looking to upset both their plans.
Meyer is a highly credentialled racer from the state's northeast, whilst the quickly improving Elise Halliday plus Melissa Van Stien, Samantha Cormack and Shana Hilsdon are all looking for their own best results.
Racing on Saturday begins at 4:30pm.
Pre-event online ticket purchase prices are adults at $25, pensioners for aged care and disabled at $10, children of any age up to 16 at $5. A family ticket of two adults and two teenagers is $55.
Do yourself a financial favour and pre-buy online and turn up to the gate and with your phone and you will have a few extra dollars in your pocket.
Purchase of tickets at the track gate sees pricing change to adults at $30, pensioners for aged care and disabled at $10, teenagers aged 12 to 16 at $10 all kids up to the age of eleven $5 dollars. A family ticket of two adults and two teenagers is $60.
EFTPOS is available at the track and for enquiries you may contact 0428 847 888.