Abermain driver Kiona Sunerton is looking to add two more titles to the family’s already burgeoning trophy cabinet from this year’s speedway street stock season.
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Sunerton’s younger brother John Lodge jnr, from Sawyers Gully, won the Victorian Street Stock title in Portland this month adding to her NSW title claimed in November .
The next assignment for the siblings is on April 9 when Sunerton and Australia’s number one-ranked diver Lodge race in the RSA Australian Championship at Tamworth.
After that Sunerton will try to claim the Sydney Club Championship. She leads the event with the final round on May 7 at Sydney’s Valvoline Raceway.
“We’ve had a great year,” mother of two Sunerton said.
“To have two state titles in the family is terrific. I was thrilled for John who did so well in Portland to claim the Victorian title.
“I’ve got the RSA Australian Championship at Tamworth next and then hopefully I’ll be able to wrap up the club championship in May.”
Sunerton can claim the club championship by finishing second, but she said the simplest way to seal it was to go out and win.
Her father John Lodge snr raced for many years and is a regular supporter track-side, along with her husband Peter who is part of her pit crew.
“My dad raced and we travelled with him around the state in various categories. As soon as I could I started to race in juniors and discovered I had the knack for it,” she said.
“I started as a 16-year-old and have been competing ever since apart from breaks to get married and have my children.”
The street stock category is one of the most hotly contested categories in speedway, with drivers skills at a premium as vehicles are only allowed to have minor alterations from stock vehicles.
“There’s no gear shifting, any alterations to speed are made with the throttle and brakes,” Sunerton said. “You don’t have a speedo so you are concentrating on their rev counters. At the end of the straight its maximum revs then breaks into the bends.”
Maximum revs produces about 110km/h on an oval circuit packed with 20 or more vehicles.
“You don’t think about the danger or what’s really involved. I’ve always been around it,” Sunerton said.
“It’s only when someone from outside the sport sees it for the first time that you get a reality check. It really is exhilarating.”