The ghost-faced killer is on the hunt at Dardanup.

Round 1 threw up more surprises than Scream 7, not the least of which was the battle for first place in the Iron Class (+45yrs).

Crawling, dragging, inching across the line: this gorefest is NOT coming to a cinema near you. Round 1 Iron Class winner Andrew Lardner captured by Laughing Bulldog Images begging for mercy on the final hill of MounTurner.

We have barely caught our breath and calmed our farm. Yet we are already staring down the dark corridor towards the flickering light that is Round 2, the Enduro Parts Australia Dardanup Dash.

Are you scared? You should be, because it looks very much like it is going to follow the same plot line as the latest installment of the slasher franchise.

Scream 7 explores themes of legacy, family, and the cyclical nature of horror. Let me assure you WHES Round 2 won't be, in any way, dissimilar.

Immerse yourself in my mind and come with me as we explore how this horror show may well play out. You'll want to look away. But you won't. You'll turn back to peer through the cracks in your fingers.

"The battle will be fierce! Andrew is very 'keen' on the start line and wants the hole-shot!"

Our protagonist is Andrew Lardner: Husband, father, entrepreneur.

He is, undeniably, a man with 'presence'. Towering at a massive 6ft 1inches, he is hard not to notice in a crowd.

But despite his stature, his demeaner is gentle, sensible and understated. Life was good, nay perfect for Andrew.

Was.....

The Lardner family. Once a picture of sense and sensibility, until.....

Son Chase reflects on his father "I remember, when we first talked of him doing WHES; the conversation we had at the table. I said "Dad, you can just cruise, you don't need to race". But no! He is so competitive. It was always going to end up this way. I know what he is like. He knows what he is like."

Wife Lorraine says "He is semi-kid like, to the point of doing himself in." and, of his own volition, he is the first to admit he loves adventure.

"Oh Andrew, WHES is not an adventure." (ed)

Have you ever wondered why, in those slasher flicks, the victims simply have to go into the woods to 'investigate' when we all know damn well how it's going to end.

Yes......Andrew went into the woods; the woods that was WHES.

Fortunately for him he survived Round 1. But even three weeks after he dragged himself across the finish line and onto the podium, he is still trying to pull the pieces of himself back together. He is still seeing a physiotherapist for his shoulder, bicep, hip flexors and lower back.

So, who was the ghost-faced killer that did this to him in Round 1? It was none other than the infamous #243 Mr. Grant McCarthy.

The Ghost-faced Killer and his posse.

Like any villain capable of a decent jump scare, McCarthy is merciless.

Riding the WHES meat wagon since 2022, Grant has ridden through Bronze, Silver and Gold (not to mention two tours of the Wildwood Rock Extreme). Feeding only on flesh and broccoli, McCarthy is now more lean, more agile and more threatening than he has ever been before.

From Lardner, after Round 1"Keeping up with Grant was tough. He has better skill than me, so I just had to grind it out. But I never realized how competitive he was. It was brutal".

McCarthy on the Dardanup Dash "It's a long track (7-8 klm). Longer than MounTurner. Some bits fast, some slow. The technical shit is more my jam. And the power climbing hills. The climbs out of the creeks. That'll be where I hope to get him."

Laughing Bulldog Images captures footage of the ghost-faced killer; Grant McCarthy.

Grant is clever, and like any good antagonist, he knows when to lay in wait, and where he has the best chance to draw blood from his victims. In the pits and the paddock, he can be your best mate, but out on the track there are no friends in business. He will use you for traction if he gets half a chance.

Grant with son, Tyler. Like Scream, the McCarthy Franchise is just getting started.

So, when adults are behaving like teenagers starring in their first slasher flick, who will you be throwing your popcorn at in Iron Class? You'll want to look away, but I know you won't and no horror show has a happy ending for everyone.

If you want to find out who gets carved up in cow country, then head to the WHES website for a map and spectator sign on details so you can go and gnaw your fingernails down to the stump at the Enduro Parts Australia Dardanup Dash.

Ed's note....

And while we are on the subject of images to shock and entertain, can I please give a MASSIVE SHOUT OUT TO Laughing Bulldog Images. These stories may entertain, but the photos are what makes the stories pop.

I am an emotive writer; always trying to bring the back story to the audience and only Laughing Bulldog can capture the feeling of WHES that I feel!!!