Esteemed sprintcar commentator Wade Aunger describes the Flying Horse Bar and Brewery Grand Annual Sprintcar Classic as one of the two biggest speedway races on the planet.
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The showcase at Premier Speedway in Allansford officially kicks off on Friday, January 19 with the finale on Sunday, January 21 and Aunger will once again be the man behind the microphone calling all the action.
Aunger told The Standard he was bracing himself for a weekend of twists and turns where anything could happen.
"I'm so privileged, I get to work at the Knoxville Nationals and the Warrnambool classic, in my opinion the two biggest sprintcar races in the world, at either end of the globe," he said.
"I feel that exact same excitement every year at Warrnambool as I do at Knoxville. You just never sleep. There's so much happening from the classic breakfast to the fan appreciation day and all the racing.
"It's an exciting feeling and it all begins on Friday night."
Aunger said the strong 105-driver field made for one of the most-highly anticipated yet unpredictable classics to forecast, adding as many as a dozen drivers were in strong enough form to be considered the favourite.
"It's hard every year to not say it's the best ever year," he said.
"When you look down the order, it's so even. Kerry (Madsen), never write him off, he's got one of the best cars in the southern hemisphere.
"Jock (Goodyer) of course, (Jamie) Veal of course, (Lachlan) McHugh because he hasn't really stomped us like he did like last year so get ready for that.
"Rico (Abreu), well you kind of have to (have him in the running), he's a freak whether he's at the Chili Bowl or the Motorplex which he'd never driven at before. Grant Anderson is another because you can never write him off at Warrnambool ever.
"Marcus Dumesny because he hasn't had the big one this season yet and is due. J-Mac (James McFadden) because he hasn't had the win yet in that thing and when he does the roof will lift off the joint.
"Others like Sheldon (Haudenschild) because he'll be pissed after last year (when he came second) and (Carson) Macedo because he is absolutely the man right now so those are ones to watch."
Aunger said defending champion and Portland native Brock Hallett was still in with a strong chance.
"He's in scorching form but to back it up is something else, he'd be putting himself in rare air," he said.
"To win one is cool but to back it up is rare. He's a smokey even though he's the defending champion. He's got some serious speed."
While Aunger concedes the finale could go either way depending on a number of factors, he said there were plenty of left-field drivers to not write off.
"Cam Waters is starting to really become legit now, so he is definitely a possible top-five," he said.
"Cory Eliason has been pretty disappointing in Perth but you can't keep a star like him down for long so he's massive in terms of a luck change. He's probably a smokey with no luck coming in.
"I'm not sure Tate Frost has the maturity just yet to win it but he'll be up and about. He'll do something spectacular and (Aaron) Reutzel is one of the top-15 drivers in the world.
"Cal Williamson is another, he won speedweek over in Perth and was one of the only West Australians to stand up to the Americans.
"Also watch out for Ryan Newton, he's a hell of a racer.
"There's probably another 10 I could rattle off to look out for to be honest and that's what is exciting."
Nick Creely
Sports reporter with The Standard
Sports reporter with The Standard
