Hunter Smith takes out the junior all stars division at the Oakburn Park Speedway

Fifteen-year-old Narrabri speedway driver Hunter Smith has gone full throttle in 2025 following his move from the junior new stars division up to the junior all stars.

Hunter, the son of David and Jocelyn Smith, debuted in the sport during the 2023/24 season and raced his way to a maiden new stars feature race victory in Gunnedah on Saturday, January 6 of 2024.

He ended that year with a new stars feature race victory in November in Gilgandra and then kicked off the 2025 calendar year as an all stars driver in Gunnedah, where he raced to a second-place finish.

A week later on Saturday, January 12, Hunter celebrated his maiden all stars win in Tamworth, and then after a third-place finish in Gilgandra on Saturday, January 25, he returned to Tamworth’s Oakburn Park Speedway last Saturday and drove his way to a second all stars victory.

The Narrabri boy contested three eight-lap heats in his second all stars racenight in Tamworth, and he won the first of those heats. He started that race from the pole position and led the whole way before starting heat two in seventh position and heat three in eighth position, and finishing fifth and third, respectively.

Those results saw Hunter start from second position in the 10-lap feature, and after dropping back to third he hit the lead with three laps to go. He managed to stay in front until he hit the finish line about a car length ahead of second-placed Levi Payne and third-placed Jackson Bailey.

“We all finished within a couple of metres,” Hunter told The Courier.

“It was the most fun I’ve ever had. The three of us were only about a metre apart for 10 laps straight.

“All stars is much more competition, however your car gets wrecked a lot more.”

Hunter was in the car and ready to race in the RSA Junior Sedans NSW State Title in Goulburn earlier this month, but it was called off due to wet weather and was rescheduled.

It will now be held on Saturday, March 22, and Hunter is setting a high bar for himself.

“Of course first,” was his reply when asked what his goal for the title was.

“I’d like to win, but a more realistic goal is to finish on the podium. I’d like to be top three.”

Hunter has a weekend off before he heads off to Gunnedah on Saturday, March 1, and he will then be in action on his home track a week later when Northwest Speedway Club Narrabri host their first meeting of the year on Saturday, March 8.

Those events will see him continue his preparations for the NSW Title.

The Narrabri teenager thanked his father David and all of his sponsors for their support of his career.

“I couldn’t do it without them,” he said.