Motor Racing
3 October, 2025
Blue Ribbon goes green on for new season
Fans of speedway, the countdown is finally over.
The spills and thrills of speedway are back as Blue Ribbon Raceway finally goes green after the off-season.
Fans are in for an action-packed couple of days, headlined by likes of Street Stocks, Wingless and V8 Trucks on day one and the quarter midgets hitting the track on Sunday.
Making the journey from Shepparton for the event are the Roycrofts, with dad Shane racing street stocks and sons Nate and Ollie in the action the day following in novice 120cc and open 120cc, respectively.
Nate and Ollie's mum, Felicity, a successful speedway driver herself, won't be on track as her car's not finished so it won't quite be an entire family effort, but the boys will be giving it their best despite this.
Shane is one of six drivers nominated for street stocks, with the class's bash-and-crash competitive racing always a fan favorite.
For Roycroft it will be an important opportunity to get another run on the Blue Ribbon surface ahead of the Victorian Street Stock Title, to be held at the venue on March 14 and 15 next year.
Affectionately know as 'The Hulk' and with a car design to match, Shane said he also couldn't pass up the opportunity to make it a weekend of racing beside his boys.
"I haven't raced at Horsham for a few years so I wanted to have a hit out before the Title," Roycroft said.
With a mix in surface of clay and sandstone, Roycroft said he was hoping for a wet track on Saturday.
"I expect and hope the track to be juiced up for the entire meeting," Roycroft said, adding that they were conditions he favoured.
But if you think the racing will be competitive on Saturday, wait until Sunday, with Krispy Kremes a commodity last time these kids met.
At Daylesford last week Zac Parsons qualified off pole in the class of open 160cc for the final, but when he was offered a box of Krispy Kremes to start at the rear, he took the chance, with the offer too hard to resist.
Unfortunately for Parsons there was no drive at the top of the track and the gamble didn't pay off, but by all reports he had fun trying.
Parsons is one of seven drivers nominated for racing on Sunday, with a number of other classes for midgets on track, including novice 120cc, junior restricted and open 120cc.
Nate and Ollie will be drivers to watch in their classes, with Nate currently Victorian number three in his class and older sibling Ollie the state's number two in his class.
As to who is going to be their biggest competition, Wimmera Mallee News asked the question.
Nate rates the V28 of Lewis O'Brien as his biggest competition on Sunday.
"He won Daylesford ... and is fast," the six-year-old said.
For Ollie, Jack O'Brien in a V23 will be the driver he's keeping a close eye on, with the nine-year-old saying he's not afraid to try a different race line to get around his opponent.
"I can pass him on the outside," Ollie said.
"But I'm also happy to (pass him) him on the inside if the track is good."
Also in action in the quarter midgets will be Horsham hometown drivers from the Beddison, Muller and Simpson families, including Lenny Beddison who is taking to the track for the first time in the class of novice.
The flag drops on racing on Saturday at noon while on Sunday the midget program will be on track from 11am.
Entry on Saturday is $30 for adults, $25 for pensioners and $10 for students aged 12 to 17.
Children under 12 can attend free.
A family pass costs $70, with additional children's passes priced at $5.
Entry is free for everyone on Sunday.
Current nominations are as follows:
SATURDAY
- 1200 juniors: DS84 Zeke Warren, HO88 Kylie Clarke, HO51 Archie Thomas, HO95 Jack Mills, HO86 Maxwell Hughes and HO41 Ollie Mills
- limited sportsman: HA22 Ash Harrison and HA26 Craig Ansell
- proddies: HA74 Steve Perry, HO26 James Robinson and P18 Shane Hammond
- street stocks: SA42 Thomas Garner, SH51 Riley Rampling, WANG85 Rhys Meakins, WANG82 Shane Roycroft, C24 Stacie Riches and B38 Josh Davey
- V8 trucks: HO67 Maxi Muller, HO24 Jacinta Holding, HO78 Dean Thomas, HO22 Cody Bell, HO57 Luke James and HO56 Belinda Taylor
- vintage sedans: 90 Austin Corcoran, 79 Gavin and Nathan McEachern, 44 Ray Hammond, 33 Damien Murley, 88 Ken Smith, 74 Steve Ellis, Vintage Hotrods, 6 Noel Sharrock, 20 Alan Howden, 17 Ron Schneider, 5 Cam Tournier and 77 Ron O’Connor
- wingless: V4 Carly Walsh, V14 Ricky Bailey, VX15 Leigh Van Ginneken, VX44 Glen Harris, V60 Tyler Bish, V75 Michael Conlan, V76 Luke Johnson and S85 Scott Vivian.
SUNDAY
- juniors restricted: V98 Jed Simpson, V57 Reed Muller, V30 Chase Goss, V17 Lexi Van Ginniken and V93 Mila Knox
- novice 120cc: V82 Nate Roycroft, V9 Hudson Belk, V28 Lewis O'Brien, V78 Scott Chippindall, V54 Lenny Beddison and V47 Aury Muller
- open 120cc: V85 Ollie Roycroft, V23 Jack O'Brien, V96 Charlie Simpson, V72 Leo Parsons, V77 Josie Chippindall, V67 Niki Chippindall, V16 Sophie Van Ginniken and V92 Pheobe Belk
- open 160cc: V24 Kaiden O'Brien, V44 Chase Van Ginniken, V37 Zac Parsons, V0 Billy Parsons, V6 Amber Van Ginniken, V71 Ben Parsons and V89 Charlie Ackland.