Warrnambool's Chris Hay ready for 2023/24 street stock season

Premier Speedway will host the Victorian Street Stock titles on February 23-24 before the Australian title is held at Western Speedway in Hamilton in March.

"It's really awesome, I haven't had a Vic titles here in Warrnambool in this class before," Hay told The Standard at Premier Speedway's 2023-24 season launch. "It's also the same night as the modified (sedan Vic titles) so it should be such a good night, there should be well over 100 tin tops as we call ourselves.

"There is only two or three local (street stock drivers)... it's always good to get out on your home track at Warrnambool on the high banks.

"And I have gone alright there in the past."

Hay, 42, said while laps were crucial to success, he also prescribed to the notion "races were won in the work-shop".

"Just the maintenance, it's so important, it could be one bolt," he said.

Hay, who is an agriculture mechanic with CLAAS Harvest Centre Swayn McCabe, is able to work on his car at work.

"I'm really grateful for that," he said. "It's (car) there every night, everyone at work is used to it... and all our customers are used to seeing the car in the shop."

Hay, who recently took on a role as Victoria's Street Stock representative with Speedway Sedans Victoria, has put in plenty of off-season work into his VE Commodore.

"I raced this last year a few times and it was just no good," he said. "I had a big crash in it at the titles in Hamilton and destroyed it.

"Hopefully this year, it's going to be good to me."

Hay, who has been racing for around 20 years, previously drove a VY Commodore.

"(That) lasted probably 10 years with its fair share of crashes," he said. "It was time to step up and upgrade."

He said a unique feature of street stock racing was it was one of the only categories to allow passengers during races.

"It's always good, I take my (older) sister in its sometimes and she loves it," he said.

"She hits me when I'm racing and tells me to pass the car and I say 'I'm trying'."

Hay said he would likely have his first outing in the car at Geelong's Avalon Raceway in three weeks time, before regularly suiting up in various events throughout the summer.

"We're a national class so I can race every weekend really," Hay said.

Hay thanked his sponsors, adding he couldn't race without their support.

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