Those who may be a bit slow from a big Christmas lunch will be revved back to life by the time 2022 rolls around with two mega motorsport events speeding into town over the festive period.
The motorsport madness begins next Tuesday night with a huge night of racing at Borderline Speedway.
This time of year is usually when speedway fans get pumped for their annual adrenaline rush of World Series Sprintcars, but for second successive summer that will not be the case.
However, a high-caliber field full of speed, talent and bravery will race around the “Bullring” as part of the SA/Vic Speedweek.
Two wheels will replace four as 2022 rolls around when the region’s home of motorbike racing hosts one of its biggest events.
The SA Historic Road Racing Championships return to McNamara Park and close to 200 fascinatingly classic bikes will grace the rider-favourite 2.4km circuit.
Interest for the weekend has been so high the entry list of more than 115 riders has been full weeks in advance with many from both sides of the border keen to get the leathers and helmets on.
Some will be eyeing breaking more records after benchmark times were slashed in the 2020 edition.
Enthusiasts looking for old WL Harley Davidsons and Indians fans can look forward to the Period 2 , Handshifters and Class C categories being just some of the many grids expected to have at least 15 bikes line up at the start line.
Fans’ senses will be thrilled by the large field racing for single cylinder glory in the Bob Jolly Memorial race where Norton Manx’s and Matchless G50’s are the preferred machines.
The addition of Period 5 bikes into the Ken Blake Memorial race has been welcomed and a bumper grid is on the cards.
Qualifying kicks off on New Year’s Day at 9am followed by the first races of the weekend. Sunday is full of speed with the green flag dropping from 9am to commence a full day of racing.
There will be plenty of action for motoring enthusiasts to soak in with 18 qualifying sessions and 40 races on the card.
The one-night spectacle of speedway will create an equally epic rush with some of the best sprintcar drivers set to slide on the dirt.
The nominations are spearheaded by quadruple WSS champion James McFadden, who is fresh from a highly-successful rookie season in the World of Outlaws Sprint Car Series in the United States of America.
McFadden earned the Kevin Gobrecht Rookie of the Year Award after scoring two wins and finishing seventh in the championship for Kasey Kahne Racing despite missing the first six races.
He showed ominous form winning at Warrnambool on Saturday night, while Tate Frost and local hope Daniel Pestka also looked pacey scoring podium finishes.
However, few will forget the early-season speed Matt Egel showed at Borderline last month and he will be determined to set the “Bullring” alight again.
Luke Dillon, Brad Keller and Steven Caruso are just some of the other South Australian drivers, plus local Glen Sutherland.
The state series fills the void left by the cancelled World Series Sprintcars for the second straight year with races at Murray Bridge, Avalon and Warrnambool either side of Mount Gambier.
But Borderline Speedway president Cary Jennings was expecting a stacked field and said border restrictions may limit entries with Victorian drivers battling to make the journey west.
“Due to COVID and what is happening with the border, the people involved have decided to just do a South Australian mini-series, so there will still be four nights of racing,” he said.
“We are not quite sure what is happening with the borders, but it is too late because we have already organised what we are going to do.
“We will probably end up with around 30 sprintcars and there are some good names like James McFadden who comes back from America after doing some good racing in the World of Outlaws.
“We also have Steve Lines and Glen Sutherland trying to get on the podium, but nominations are still coming in.
“Our support classes are looking good with 14 Super Sedans, plus Modlites and Street Stocks also racing.”
