Mick Manini and Lauren Farr try to stay the course on Lake Wyangan in 2009.
Motorsport
THE carnage of V8 Superboats will return to Griffith this Easter after a two-year hiatus and the Riverina's own former world champion Slade Stanley promises it will be bigger and better than ever.
Long considered one of the city's premier annual sporting events, the jetboats will make a welcome comeback on Easter Saturday at Lake Wyangan.
For the last two years, the Griffith leg of what was formerly known as the Australian Superboat Championships had fallen off the radar due to financial difficulties.
But after long and arduous negotiations, the V8 Superboats will return to what locals claim is the best track in the country.
"They've actually made the track it a touch tighter, so it's going to be even more challenging for the drivers," Stanley said.
"It's always very spectacular. It could catch a few out.
"There seems to be a lot of carnage there so some guys don't like it because it's a bit harder to navigate through there.
"But others who've had a good run through there before, like myself, are happy to be going back.
"It's round one of the Australian series so we're sure to have all the big names there from right around the country."
Stanley himself is making something of a return to the sport after sitting out the majority of last year.
The Wagga driver said he has been "laying low" while building his new boat, which packs even more power.
"It's got a small-block twin-turbo methanol engine and puts out around 1700 horsepower," Stanley said.
"We've been building this new boat for three years now so I can't wait to run it.
"I didn't do a lot of racing last year so I'm not in the rankings at the moment, but I hope to change that this season.
"Hopefully I can take out the Australian series and set us up for the world series next year."