Top drivers headed to Borderline

The festive season is set to be action packed at the Borderline Speedway, with two major events set to take on the Glenburnie track, with Bordertown also joining the party to make the Limestone Coast the centre of speedway racing.

It is all starts with Brandt Sprintcar Speedweek, the revitalised incarnation of the former World Series Sprintcar Series, with the PMP Chassis Victorian Formula 500 Speedweek hitting the track on January 3.

The five night Brandt Sprintcar Speedweek series, that sees drivers competing for a prize pool of almost $250,000, starts in Murray bridge on Boxing Day, heads to Tolmer Speedway at Bordertown on December 27, down to Mount Gambier’s Borderline on December 28 before rounding out the week with a December 29 meet at Avalon Raceway and then Premier Speedway, in Warrnambool, on December 30.

It is Bordertown’s first foray into the sprintcar series with around a dozen Borderline officials heading north to help run the night’s racing.

Borderline Speedway president Cary Jennings said it was exciting to have another local track part of Speedweek.

“Bordertown had been in recess but there is a new group of people involved and the government gave them some money and they’ve made a lot of improvements to their facilities,” he said.

“It can now host big events for go karts and as a speedway – it is really good for the community.”

The calibre of drivers heading to this major sprintcar series is headlined by Australian champion Lockie McGugh, while Daniel Petska, driving the locally owned Stark car, will enter the week in good form after he was one of three ‘local’ drivers to finish inside the top 10 at the recent Max’s Race in Warrnambool that saw Glen Sutherland finish fifth and rising star parker Scott in 9th.

“To have three Mount Gambier cars in the top 10 out of a field of 52 competitors was a great result,” Jennings said. “We can’t wait to see them come and race here again.”

Then there is the three Americans – Chase Randall, Riley Goodno and Callum Williamson – adding even more star power to the Speedweek racing.

“We are also very, very fortunate to have Brandt come on board and sponsor the series and they will be complemented in Mount Gambier by OGR, The Distributors and SE Fire Extinguishers,” Jennings said. “These events just don’t happen without sponsors.”

The sprintcar racing already has more than 40 entries from all over Australia as well as the US trio and it will be a jam packed night of racing with the PMP Chassis Victorian Formula 500 Speedweek circus hitting the Borderline track as well, celebrating its 30th anniversary.

Jordan Mansell is the major sponsor and he has secured an American driver for this class as well – US veteran Formula 500 driver Stan Yockey.

The dust will barely have had time to settle when the wingless sprints arrive on January 3 with Round 2 of the Summer Slam.

Current Northern Territory champion Blake Walsh will be on of the many State champions lining up at the Borderline track, with Travis Miller, Tyson Martin, Jason Bates and Brad Warren also on track, as well as current Victorian champ and local hope Mitch Broome.

Welsh, Miller and Luke Weel are all past Summer Slam winners, with Broome and the other local competitors Kirby Hillyer, Kahn Aston and Matt Michelson all vying for glory, the racing is expected to be fierce.

That event already has attracted a field of 72 cars.

PHOTOS COURTESY OF GAVIN SKENE (THE ART OF SPEEDWAY)