Eureka Garages & Sheds Sprintcar Series R10 place getters 3rd Jacob Smith 1st Daniel Pestka 2nd Jeremy Cross - Photo by Cartlidge Photography
Pestka Mastered Trying Conditions to win Eureka Series Round 10
Author : Ian Vale
South Australia’s Daniel Pestka mastered the trying conditions at Heartland Raceway last night to take out the tenth round of the Eureka Garages & Sheds Sprintcar Series on a dry slick track from Dubbo racer Jeremy Cross with a impressive drive from Jacob Smith to finish in third place.
With the hot weather of over forty degrees during the days leading up to round ten of the Eureka Series at Heartland Raceway the job of giving the drivers a race track with some moisture was always going to be a tough task even with temperature down to around thirty degrees on race day, but this did not deter the twenty eight driver that attended the event.
Come A Main feature time and the race track was slick and wide, the winner of the top six shootout Jye Okeeffe lined up on the front row with Daniel Pestka for the start of the race, while rolling around for the start Okeeffe choose to start from P2 hoping that would win the race into the first corner for him. History will show that did not work as planned with Pestka taking command from the drop of the green flag and Grant Anderson thru into second place leaving Okeeffe in third with Jeremy Cross on his tail tank.
The race quickly settled down with the running order that had Pestka leading from Anderson, Okeeffe, Cross and Jacob Smith who was followed by Brett Milburn, Peter Milnes, Corey McCullagh, Matthew Reed, Darren Mollenoyux, Shaun Dobson, Glen Sutherland, Kristy Ellis, Jordyn Charge, David McKay, Adam King, Brayden Parr and Eddie Lumbar.
One third race distance and the moves were on, Okeeffe found a way past Anderson to close on the race leader Pestka while Smith and Cross were racing each other hard. Okeeffe was on a charge when on lap fifteen he made contact with Pestka going into turn three that crossed the V88 machine up, Pestka managed to save the car from spinning but not so for Okeeffe who spun and kept the car going after the contact to drop down the order to eight place. The next lap around and the caution lights were on when Matthew Reed spun to a stop.
On the restart it went no further that turn three before another stoppage when Sutherland made contact with Mollenoyux that would see both sprintcars out of the race. Take two and Pestka lead Anderson from Cross but the caution lights were back on a few laps later when Reed spun again that would see him sent to the infield.
Under way once again and Pestka had control of the race with Anderson have troubles that would eventually put him out of the race leaving Cross in second place ahead of Smith, from Milburn who was being pressured by Dobson and McCullagh with Okeeffe, Ellis, Charge, King, Lumbar and McKay following. As the caution light came back on again to get the slowing car of Anderson of the track Milnes also came to halt in the back straight that would send him to the rear of the field for the restart.
Three to go and twelve sprintcars running, Pestka lead away once again, now with the slick conditions many driver were getting tyre shake that was slowing the pace, Okeeffe was next to pull to the infield before Pestka received the white flag, heading into the last lap and Dobson spun going into turn one that would now see yet another caution, the restart would go to a green white chequer finish and thirty one laps. The question was now with two laps to go are the tyres going to hold out? it was not long before that question was answered when Pestka controlled the pace to go on and take a well deserved victory in the Eureka Garages & Sheds Main event.
Jeremy Cross finshed in second place with Jacob Smith hot on his tail for third place while Corey McCullagh took fourth place from Brett Milburn on the last lap who only just held out the fast finish young Jordyn Charge by .041 of a second, Kristy Ellis did another fine job to come from the B Main and finish in seventh, rounding out the finishing order was Adam King, David McKay, Eddie Lumbar, Peter Milnes and Shaun Dobson.
The six heat races were taken out by Jacob Smith, Peter Milnes, Grant Anderson, Jeremy Cross, Brett Milburn and Daniel Pestka. While nearly all the heats races went smoothly heat two was not so. Contact between Jeremy Cross and Dennis Jones sent Jones spinning that saw two innocent drivers, Robert Nicholas and Nick Lacey out for the night as was Jones, the lucky driver in the crash was Pestka who somehow weaved his way through the carnage without receiving any damage.
Other result on the night was the top six shootout that had all the top six positions shuffled around at the completion of the event, Fast time and pole position went to Jye Okeeffe from Daniel Pestka, Grant Anderson, Jeremy Cross, Brett Milburn and Jacob Smith.
With four drivers out early in the night there were only twelve drivers that faced the last chance B Main for one of the six vacant spots in the Eureka Garages & Sheds A Main. Both Luke Walker and Mick Saller were out on the first start leaving ten drivers to go the fifteen lap journey that went no stop. Kristy Ellis took the win from David McKay, Eddie Lumbar, Jordyn Charge, Adam King and Brayden Parr to advance to the main event.
Avalon Raceway Lara will present the next round (Round 11) of the Eureka Garages & Sheds Sprintcar Series round this Saturday night the 5th of March, this round and the final two rounds of the Eureka Series will pay $5000 to win each night.
Eureka Garages and Sheds Series nightly contingency awards: HOOSIER TIRE AUSTRALIA – 11th Place in the A Main at Each round. 11th place – V51 Peter Milnes (Second week in a row) D&F RACING PRODUCTS - Hard luck of the night – V26 Nick Lacey STEELPIPES PTY LTD - 1st competitor not to transfer from B to A-Main – S37 Terry Kelly.
End of Series awards: Eureka Garages & Sheds major sponsor of the Series overall prize money Poole. KTM Top Ten Motorbike award – Random draw at the Presentation Dinner. Camden Neon Signs – sponsors of the Series Prize Poole. Hoosier Tire Australia – sponsors of the Series Prize Poole. Essendon Ford Trip to Port Douglas award - for drivers finishing between 11th and 20th place in the Series. Random draw at the Presentation Dinner. METRIC MEN - End of Series most heat wins – (Overall) V68 Brett Milburn (6 wins). ESSENDON MITSUBISHI - most cars passed in A-Main on the night, V60 Jordyn Charge (10 Cars) (End of series award) cars passed overall – V67 Luke Walker. (25 cars each) ELIMINATOR RACE WINGS – for the driver that transfers the most from the B Main to the A Main events the most. Overall, V17 Dennis Jones, V42 Jye Okeeffe, V67 Luke Walker. (4 Times) (In the event of a tie the driver with the most points in the Series wins) PARR MOTORSPORTS –Drivers Driver award as voted on by the drivers in the Series.
Eureka Garages and Sheds Series – KTM Top 10: 1st – Brett Milburn - 3401 2nd – Corey McCullagh – 2922 3rd – Darren Mollenoyux - 2673 4th – Jye Okeeffe - 2590 5th – Adam King - 2527 6th – Shaun Dobson - 2404 7th – Glen Sutherland - 2372 8th – Luke Walker - 2088 9th – Dennis Jones - 2077 10th – John Vogels -2035
Essendon Ford – Trip to Port Douglas (End of Series random draw between 11th & 20th place) 11th – Jacob Smith - 2000 12th – Tim Hutchins - 1951 13th – Daniel Pestka - 1835 14th – Ian Loudoun - 1772 15th – Kristy Ellis -1760 16th – Peter Milnes - 1746 17th – Jordyn Charge - 1738 18th – Tim Van Ginneken -1728 19th – Nick Lacey - 1724 20th – Quentin Tanner - 1724
The Sprintcar Racing Association of Victoria thank the following Eureka Garages and Sheds Sprintcar Series & Season sponsors: EUREKA GARAGES & SHEDS, KTM AUSTRALIA, ESSENDON FORD, MD MOTORSPORT, HOOSIER TIRE AUSTRALIA, CAMDEN SIGNAGE & BUILDING SERVICES, PARR MOTORSPORTS, ESSENDON MITSUBISHI, ELIMINATIOR RACE WINGS, STEELPIPES PTY LTD, THE METRIC MEN, HICKMAN’S ENVITOMENTAL & TREE MAINTENANCE, MAXAM PRINTING, SPRINTCARWORLD, AUTOPREMIER FLEET MAINTENANCE, COREY GIBSON PHOTOGRAPHY, ASCOT VALE SPORTS & THROPHIES. D&F RACING PRODUCTS.
Eureka Garages & Sheds www.eurekagarages.com.au KTM Australia www.ktm.com Essendon Ford www.essendonford.com.au Hoosier Tires Australia www.mdmotorsport.com.au Camden Signage & Building Services www.camdenneon.com.au Essendon Mitsubishi www.essendonmitsubishi.com.au Steelpipes Pty Ltd www.steelpipes.com.au The Metric Men www.themetricmen.com.au Eliminator Race Wings www.crossmotorsport.com Parr Motorsports www.parrmotorsports.com Sprintcarworld www.sprintcarworld.com.au Corey Gibson photography www.gibsonphotography.com.au Ascot Vale Sports & Trophies www.ascotvalesports.com.au Hickman’s Environmental & Tree Maintenance www.hickmans.com.au Maxam Printing www.maxamprinting.com.au AUTOPREMIER Fleet Maintenance 03 9394 1901 D& F RACING PRODUCTS 03 9775 0558
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