Glen Sutherland driving the Gambier Earthmovers S20 Sprintcar drove one of the best races of his life to defeat David Murcott and the current Eureka Garages & Sheds Series Champion Brett Milburn in front of his home crowd at Borderline Speedway Mt Gambier in round four of the Eureka Series last night.
Sutherland was one of the inform drivers on the night taking a heat win and a sixth place in his second heat to put him into the top six shoot for a shot at pole position for the Eureka Garages & Sheds A Main where he advanced to put the S20 GEM sprinter onto the front row alongside high points scorer David Murcott who also set the fastest time in the shootout. Brett Milburn lost out and dropped to third place, Rory Button claimed fourth place leaving last round winner Peter Doukas to start from position five along side of the John Vogels at the completion of the shootout.
Other drivers to qualify directly to the A main after the heat races were S15 Aidan Hall and Brad Warren in the V91 machine on row four while Corey McCullagh V90 and Jye Okeeffe V42 filled row five leaving Brock Hallett S13 and Dennis Jones V17 to take row six.
The B Main event was punctuated with a few caution periods but the end results it was run and won by lady racer Lisa Walker from start to finish although a little luck went here way. Lisa was in command of the race when after lapping a couple of cars coming off turn two the S4 machine pulled a big wheel stand that slowed Lisa’s progress momentarily that lost her a few positions, but a quick call by the stewards who thought the S4 car was coming to a halt put the caution lights a little early as she managed to keep the car going. On the restart Walker was reinstated to the lead that she held in fine style to go onto take the win and transfer to the A Main.
Joining Walker to advance to the A Main from the last chance B Main was V48 Adam king, V72 Jacob Smith, V14 Chris Rodda, V36 Tim Van Ginneken and V77 Brayden Parr.
The great weather that was a promoters dream had the Borderline venue in top condition right from the hot laps and throughout the night and into the Eureka Garages & Sheds A Main Event that would see both the front row sprintcars go down the main straight at the drop of the green flag wheel standing into the first corner.
David Murcott eventually won the battle for the lead exiting turn two on the first laps but Glen Sutherland followed closely for the opening couple of laps before Murcott opened a small gap. Brett Milburn, Aidan Hall and John Vogels were next in line.
Lap four and the race came to a halt to remove the cars of Tim Van Ginneken who rolled and Hall who sustained damage in the incident to put him out of the race as well.
The race only went another lap on the restart when Rory Button rolled in turn one as well that would see him and fellow South Australian Brock Hallett eliminated too.
Take three and Murcott lead the race away once again but Sutherland was not going to let him get away this time, Sutherland saw a chance down the main straight to drive deep into the turn under Murcott to take the race lead. Milburn was holding down third place in front of the duelling pair of John Vogels and Corey McCullagh followed by the Jye Okeeffe and round three winner Peter Doukas, Jacob Smith, Brad Warren and Dennis Jones rounded out the top ten placing’s.
A little further back following the top ten drivers were Brayden Parr, Chris Rodda,
Lisa Walker and Adam King when just over one third distance the red lights were for Walker when she rolled in turn three just in front of the leaders to end here night after some impressive driving.
Sutherland was on a mission, this is one race he was not letting get away, Glen had already set the fastest lap of the race on lap twelve with a 11.279 laps showing he was going to be hard to beat.
Heading into the final part of the race and Sutherland had opened a comfortable gap over Murcott who at one stage had Milburn challenging him for second place, Vogels, McCullagh, and Doukas were keeping each other company.
With three laps to run Murcott had picked up his pace to be the fastest car on the track gapping Milburn but more importantly he started to close the gap down to the race leaders Sutherland only for the laps to run out before he mount a challenge once again.
As the chequered flag fell for the thirty lap journey it was Sutherland that greeted that flag first to a big applause from the local community ahead of Murcott in second and the current Eureka Garages & Sheds Series Champion Brett Milburn who was enjoying his best run so far in the Series this season.
Vogels held out McCullagh to take forth place rounding out the finisher was McCullagh in fifth place followed by Doukas, Warren, Smith, Parr who passed the most cars in the race then it was Rodda from Okeeffe who had dropped down the field earlier on when he was the innocent party that saw him spin and relegated to the rear of the field.
Three rounds of the Eureka Garages & Sheds Sprintcar Series completed and three different winners so far this season, will we see yet another new name added to the winners list in just six days for round five the Eureka Garages & Sheds Sprintcar Series at Premier Speedway?
Heat wins on the night went to V91 Brad Warren, S20 Glen Sutherland, V98 Peter Doukas, V88 David Murcott, V70 John Vogels and V68 Brett Milburn.
Round five of the Eureka Garages & Sheds Sprintcar Series will be conducted at Premier Speedway next Saturday night the 26th of November 2016. This Event also doubles as the Victoria Open Sprintcar Title in memory of Graeme McCubbin one of the greats of Sprintcar racing and Speedway in general.
Eureka Garages and Sheds Series nightly contingency awards:
AVALON RACEWAY DRIVERS DRAW: $50 – V42 Jye Okeeffe
HOOSIER TIRE AUSTRALIA – 11th Place in the A Main at Each round.
11th place – V42 Jye Okeeffe
D&F RACING PRODUCTS - Hard luck of the night – V73 Charles Hunter
STEELPIPES PTY LTD - 1st competitor not to transfer from B to A-Main –
V84 Sam Wren
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 –V72 Jacob Smith and V36 Tim Van Ginneken, V70 John Vogels, V98 Peter Doukas. (2 wins each).
Western Nissan - most cars passed in the A-Main on the night,
V77 Brayden Parr, (9 cars)
(End of series award) cars passed overall – V90 ( 20 cars each)
ELIMINATOR RACE WINGS – for the driver that transfers the most from the B Main to the A Main events the most. Overall, V90 Corey McCullagh, V48 Adam King (2 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 – Glen Sutherland - 1098
2nd – Jye Okeeffe - 1024
3rd – David Murcott - 949
4th – Corey McCullagh - 946
5th – Tim Van Ginneken - 941
6th – Jacob Smith - 919
7th – Brad Warren -879
8th – Brett Milburn - 867
9th – Adam King - 775
10th – Jordyn Charge - 749
Western Nissan
(End of Series random draw between 11th & 20th place)
11th – Peter Doukas - 741
12th – Brayden Parr - 737
13th – Dennis Jones - 728
14th – John Vogels - 703
15th – Sam Wren - 644
16th – Terry Kelly - 588
17th – Ashley Scott - 579
18th – Charles Hunter -556
19th – David McKay - 538
20th – Scott Reilly - 499
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
Team Sutherland celebrate a great feature win inthe Eureka Series at Mount Gambier Photo by Corey Gibson Photography
.JPG)
