Panther mascot Mickie's debut

The Wrangle youngster was given his own pit bay with the team, donned his new team kevlars and was introduced to the crowd with a walk down the steps through the stands and down to the track.

After a small parade as the teams got ready to do battle, 12-year-old Mickie took to the track for some demonstration laps to a rapturous applause.

Mickie and fellow youngsters Corban Pavitt and Jack Bell then took to the track after heat 15 had been run to do some demonstration racing, to which Mickie stole the march in his new Panther role, winning all three rides.