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QUEEN OF THE RIVER 2026.... Light, Dust and Legacy

The night air in Margaret River shimmered with the kind of energy only a speedway can conjure, part adrenaline, part hope, part heartbeat. The scent of fuel drifted across the pit bay, lights sliced the darkness, and the crowd leaned closer to the fence, eyes wide. The 2026 City Discount Tyres Auto Service Centre Queen of the River was more than a race, it was a statement. Tonight, it was the women who ruled the dirt.

From the moment the first engines snarled to life, the stands trembled. These were not full time pros or factory backed stars this was a lineup powered by courage and community. Mothers, daughters, friends, rivals, each strapping in with a shared fire to prove something both to themselves and to every young fan watching from the rail.

The early heats belonged to Chantelle Hinsey, the 52W machine gliding through traffic with a composure that seemed almost effortless. Lap after lap, she built her rhythm, calm, confident, and in perfect sync with her car. Behind her, young Isla Yates, fresh from the Junior Sedans ranks, showed the poise of someone twice her age, pushing for every inch. Hannah Featherstone followed close, carving her lines like she was painting the track with consistency.

By Heat 3, another story began to unfold, Chevelle Davis, in her first night ever behind the wheel of a Legend Car, digging deep to grab second place. It wasn’t just talent; it was bravery on display for everyone watching.

And then… it was time. The A-Main. Fifteen laps. One crown.

As the field rolled to the grid, the lights glowed against rising dust, the crowd fell quiet, and every driver could feel her pulse through the steering wheel. On the front row, Hinsey and Yates. A master and a prodigy. Behind them, Featherstone, Davis, the Muir ladies Sophie and Nicole, and Julia Stone completing the field.

When the green flag dropped, the Speedway came alive. Hinsey stormed into the lead, slicing the corners with purpose. Yates shadowed her every move, daring, fearless, her car dancing on the edge of grip. Davis, feisty and fast, found her rhythm again, rolling through turns two and three with newfound confidence. Dirt sprayed in golden arcs beneath the floodlights as each lap closed the distance between dream and reality.

By halfway, Hinsey had opened a gap, clean lines, steady hands, unrelenting pace. Behind her, Yates refused to fade, the rookie fighting for every breath of track. Davis held strong in third, a future star writing her first chapter.

Fifteen laps later, the checkered flag waved and the story was complete....

1st - Chantelle Hinsey
2nd - Isla Yates
3rd - Chevelle Davis

Behind them came Sophie Muir, Hannah Featherstone, Nicole Muir, and Julia Stone, every one of them part of what made the night unforgettable.

As engines cooled and helmets came off, there were no losers, just a field of women who had filled the Margaret River night with heart, horsepower, and history. The lights dimmed, the clay settled, but the echoes of the Queen of the River lingered, reminding everyone that sometimes, courage and community can make a racetrack feel like home.

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