Round one of the 2016-2017 Eureka Garages & Sheds Sprintcar Series at Heartland Raceway was torrid affair that would see some very hard, fast and exciting racing during the night but it was David Murcott that went on to take the Feature race win from Glen Sutherland and Jye Okeeffe and the hard charging current Eureka Series Champion Brett Milburn.
After some unexpected track preparations required round one of the Eureka Series got underway that would see some of the fastest laps and race times for some time at the Heartland venue that would excite the crowd.
Once again six heat races and a B Main was the order of the night for the thirty two drivers in attendance that would decide the top eighteen drivers to qualifying into the feature event.
After the heats race were run and done it was Grant Anderson the top point’s scorer who had the V37 in pole position with V2 Domain Ramsay on the front row with him, Anderson chose to start from P2. One the second row was Sam Wren V84 and Jacob Smith V72 followed by V36 Tim Van Ginneken, S20 Glen Sutherland, V91 Brad Warren, V42 Jye Okeeffe, V17 Dennis Jones, V48 Adam King, V88 David Murcott, V60 Jordyn Charge, V78 Chris Campbell, V90 Corey McCullagh, V40 Rusty Hickman, V68 Brett Milburn, V34 Brenten Farrer and V55 Ashley Scott.
Anderson chose to start from position two looking for a slingshot into the first corner of the Eureka Garages & Sheds A Main, that was a decision he may have regretted later. When the green flag dropped Ramsay jump straight into the lead and lead the first lap before the caution lights came for the stricken V40 car of Hickman who would be out of the race.
Back under way and Ramsay was setting the pace with a small gap over Anderson
from Smith in third place followed by Sutherland who was looking fast. It was not long before the leaders moved into lap traffic giving Anderson his first real chance to try and take the lead from Ramsay. Meanwhile Sutherland had taken Smith for third, down the field a bit and Murcott had moved up a few places but it was Milburn and Farrer that were working their way forward when Campbell rolled in turn four to bring on the red lights.
Anderson was ready to challenge for the lead at the restart, Ramsay went into turn one high on the restart leaving a gap for Anderson to move up the inside but it was all too much coming off turn two for Anderson who rolled to end his night. Jones also retired with a bent front end radius rod.
With Anderson out Sutherland would be the next challenger for Ramsay but Ramsay was not giving up on his chance of a feature win at Heartland Raceway, Sutherland looked the faster of the two but Ramsay somehow maintained a small gap to Sutherland.
Okeeffe had moved into third place just prior to half race distance with Murcott now looking for a way past him, Van Ginneken was next in line with Milburn up to sixth place bringing Farrer with him and Smith who had drop down the order, rounding out the running order just over half distance was Wren in 9th place then Warren, McCullagh, Charge, Scott and King who would retire to the infield on lap eighteen.
Warren and Wren were racing hard for ninth place and after contact in the main straight Wren rolled to the infield and out of the race with suspension damage.
Sutherland was hounding Ramsay at two thirds distance when a couple of laps latter Ramsay cut a left rear tire down going down the main straight that would send him into the turn one wall and also roll ending his charge for the night.
The top three order for the run to the flag was now Sutherland in the lead with Murcott in hot pursuit and Okeeffe who had Milburn on his case then Van Ginneken and Farrer who were the lead lap cars.
On the final restart Murcott made the move and grabbed the lead only for Sutherland to power back past and retake the lead once again before a slight mistake on lap twenty seven allowed David Murcott back into the lead that he would hold to take the win in a thrilling race from Glen Sutherland, Jye Okeeffe held onto third place ahead of Brett Milburn who was the driver of the night.
Milburn had come from the rear of the B Main to make the A Main after a flat tyre in a heat race put him behind the eight ball. Brenten Farrer also came from the B Main to finish in fifth place, rounding out the finishers were Tim Van Ginneken, Brad Warren, Corey McCullagh, Jordyn Charge and Ashley Scott, Jacob Smith pulled to the infield with only a few laps remaining.
The B Main was torrid affair for Tasmania’s Tim Hutchins, Hutchins seem the have the B Main win wrapped up when lapping another car that sent him into a big rollover that left second place driver Matthew Reed nowhere to go but underneath Hutchins while he was rolling, the end result was Hutchins was out but Reed was still mobile but with a badly crush top win.
Reed would restart in position one but the damage was too much and he dropped back thru the field to miss a transfer to the A Main.
Chris Campbell took the B main win from Corey McCullagh, Rusty Hickman, Brett Milburn, Brenten Farrer and Ashley Scott who would all transfer to the A Main.
Due to the lateness of the meeting the top six shootout was cancelled leaving the drivers to line in there points qualifying order.
Heat wins on the night went to V48 Adam King, V84 Sam Wren, V37 Grant Anderson, V72 Jacob Smith, V91 Brad Warren, and V36 Tim Van Ginneken
Avalon Raceway Lara will present the next round (Round3) of the Eureka Garages & Sheds Sprintcar Series round on Saturday night the 12th of November 2016.
(See Round two notice below)
Round two of the Series has been transferred to Premier Speedway for the 17/12/2016 which will also double as the Max Race, Eureka Sprintcar Series R2 / Max Race.
Eureka Garages and Sheds Series nightly contingency awards:
HOOSIER TIRE AUSTRALIA – 11th Place in the A Main at Each round.
11th place – V72 Jacob Smith
D&F RACING PRODUCTS - Hard luck of the night – V92 Matthew Reed
STEELPIPES PTY LTD - 1st competitor not to transfer from B to A-Main –
Act83 David McKay
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.
Western Nissan - for drivers finishing between 11th and 20th place in the Series. Random draw at the Presentation Dinner $1500 to the winner.
Lumbar Transport - End of Series most heat wins – V48 Adam King, V84 Sam Wren, V37 Grant Anderson, V72 Jacob Smith, V91 Brad Warren, and V36 Tim Van Ginneken. (1 win each).
Western Nissan - most cars passed in the A-Main on the night,
V68 Brett Milburn & V34 Brenten Farrer, (12 each)
(End of series award) cars passed overall – V68 & V34 (12 cars each)
ELIMINATOR RACE WINGS – for the driver that transfers the most from the B Main to the A Main events the most. Overall, V78 Chris Campbell, V90 Corey McCullagh, V40 Rusty Hickman, V68 Brett Milburn, V34 Brenten Farrer, V55 Ashley Scott.
(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 – David Murcott - 383
2nd – Glen Sutherland - 381
3rd – Tim Van Ginneken - 345
4th – Jye Okeeffe - 336
5th – Brad Warren - 331
6th – Brett Milburn - 315
7th – Brenten Farrer - 312
8th – Jordyn Charge - 302
9th – Corey McCullagh –300
10th – Jacob Smith – 295
Western Nissan
(End of Series random draw between 11th & 20th place)
11th – Domain Ramsay - 294
12th – Sam Wren - 280
13th – Adam King - 255
14th – Ashley Scott - 251
15th – Grant Anderson - 246
16th – Dennis Jones - 236
17th – Chris Campbell - 208
18th – Rusty Hickman - 206
19th – Matthew Reed - 197
20th – Tim Hutchins - 193
The Sprintcar Racing Association of Victoria thank the following Eureka Garages and Sheds Sprintcar Series and season sponsors:
EUREKA GARAGES & SHEDS, KTM AUSTRALIA, WESTERN NISSAN, MD MOTORSPORT, HOOSIER TIRE AUSTRALIA, CAMDEN SINGAGE & BUILDING SERVICES, PARR MOTORSPORTS, STEELPIPES AUSTALIA, LUMBAR’S TRANSPORT, AVALON RACEWAY, D&F RACING PRODUCTS, ELIMINATOR RACE WINGS, COREY GIBSON PHOTOGRAPHY, MAXAM PRINTING, SPRINTCARWORLD.
Eureka Garages & Sheds www.eurekagarages.com.au
KTM Australia www.ktm.com
Western Nissan www.westernnissan.com.au
Hoosier Tires Australia www.mdmotorsport.com.au
Camden Signage & Building Services www.camdenneon.com.au
Steelpipes Pty Ltd www.steelpipes.com.au
Lumbars Transport www.lumbars.com.au
Eliminator Race Wings www.crossmotorsport.com
Parr Motorsports www.parrmotorsport.com
Avalon Raceway Avalon Raceway Lara (New Web Site TBA)
Corey Gibson Photography www.gibsonphotography.com.au
Sprintcarworld www.sprintcarworld.com.au
Maxam Printing www.maxamprinting.com.au
Glen Sutherland challenges Domain Ramsay for the Eureka Sprintcar Series R1 One lead at two thirds race distance. Photo by Corey Gibson Photography
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