Eureka Series R9 Top three - Left to right - 3rd Brad Warren - 1st Corey McCullagh - 2nd Tim Van Ginneken - Photo by Corey Gibson
Corey McCullagh Dose it Again In Redline Eureka Series Round
Author : Ian Vale
Corey McCullagh has become the first driver in the Eureka Garages & Sheds Sprintcar Series to take two wins so far this season with a back to back win at Redline Raceway in round nine of the Series last night in front of a very big crowd that witnessed some great racing on the return for the Series to Redline Raceway.
While Corey McCullagh took his second win in a row that also moved him up the Series point’s table to second place in was Tim Van Ginneken’s second place finish that gave him enough points to take over the lead in the Eureka Garages & Sheds Series standings. Third place on the night went to Brad Warren after starting from pole position.
Once again there were a few hard luck stories, James Gardiner was enjoying a strong night of racing that saw him qualify for the top six shootout, James got one lap in the shootout that moved him up to third position for the Eureka Garages & Sheds A Main only for a mechanical problem to stop his second lap and put him out for the rest of the night. V32 Stephen Sparks and V61 driver Robert Nicholas also experienced mechanical issues that hampered their nights racing during the heats.
With the heat races over the last change B Main was conducted over a fifteen lap journey that was taken out by local driver Rod Matthews, joining Rod to advance to the A Main event would be David Aldersley, Matthew Reed, Jordyn Charge, Eddie Lumbar and another Ballart local Sam Wren. Act 83 driver David McKay suffered a mechanical issue that put him out of the B Main event before it started.
Tim Van Ginneken topped the points table after the heat races but a poor time in the top six shootout dropped him down to the third place stating position.
So the order for the Eureka Garages and Sheds A Main was set with V91 Brad Warren on pole position and V90 Corey McCullagh along side of him on the front row, row two was V36 Tim Van Ginneken then it was to be V23 James Gardiner who was out with a mechanical problem. V78 Chris Campbell and S20 Glen Sutherland were on row three to be followed by V88 David Murcott, W18 Scott Reilly, V77 Brayden Parr, V68 Brett Milburn, and V73 Charles Hunter, S37 Terry Kelly then the B Main qualifiers of Matthews, Aldersley, Reed, Charge, Lumbar and Wren.
With track conditions being very consistent during the nights events the drivers were ready for the A Main with a good idea of set ups that would be required.
Brad Warren took the lead on the first attempted start only for a spinning car at the back of the field to bring the yellow light on and create a complete restart.
This Time it was Corey McCullagh that took the lead going into turn one leaving Warren to fall back and have Van Ginneken also demote him another spot to third by the completion of lap one.
Campbell was holding down fourth place over the Eureka Series point’s leader Sutherland who was being challenged by Murcott, Milburn and Parr were next in line with a good race going on between them.
Up front and McCullagh was pulling away from the field, Warren was trying all he could to take second place back from Van Ginneken but with no luck, Campbell was holding station in front of Murcott who had made a pass on Sutherland. Milburn and Parr were still racing each other hard.
One third race distance and McCullagh was into lapped traffic but he held a comfortable gap over Van Ginneken and Warren, Murcott was challenging Campbell for fourth place to take the spot just over half race distance, Campbell was now back in fifth place ahead Sutherland from Parr who had won the battle with Milburn to be seventh ahead of Milburn, Kelly was next with Reilly in tenth place. Rounding out the field was Hunter, Reed, Aldersley, Charge, Matthews, Wren and Lumbar.
The Series point’s leader Glen Sutherland’s night came to and end with flat right rear tire that would bring on the only caution period for the race, Jordyn Charge had also pulled out of the race couple of laps earlier.
With the drivers in line for the restart Van Ginneken was ready to try to make a move on McCullagh for the lead but it was not to be with McCullagh just took quick, Warren now had Murcott on his case over the final few laps while Parr and Milburn re engaged there battle for fifth place. Reed was on the move after a slow start and had moved from fifteen to up to eight place behind Campbell.
Thirty laps down and in was chequered flag time for Corey McCullagh who had put in yet another flawless drive to win round nine of the Eureka Garages & Sheds Sprintcar Series from Tim Van Ginneken who had a moment with a slight loose on the second last lap on turn four to hold on for second place from Brad Warren in third.
David Murcott came home in fourth place ahead of Brayden Parr, Brett Milburn, Chris Campbell, Matthew Reed, Charles Hunter who took ninth place from Scott Rielly on the second last lap, rounding out the finisher were Rod Matthews, David Aldersley, Sam Wren and Eddie Lumbar.
Heat wins on the night went to S37 Terry Kelly, V36 Tim Van Ginneken, V73 Charles Hunter, V90 Corey McCullagh, S20 Glean Sutherland, and W18 Scott Rielly.
The Eureka Garages & Sheds Sprintcar Series heads to Western Speedway Hamilton for round ten on Saturday the eighteenth of February.
Eureka Garages and Sheds Series nightly contingency awards: AVALON RACEWAY DRIVERS DRAW: $50 – Act83 David Murcott HOOSIER TIRE AUSTRALIA – 11th Place in the A Main at Each round. 11th V9 Rod Matthews. D&F RACING PRODUCTS - Hard luck of the night – V23 James Gardiner STEELPIPES PTY LTD - 1st competitor not to transfer from B to A-Main – Act68 Jessica Moulden.
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 –V36 Tim Van Ginneken (5 wins) Western Nissan - most cars passed in the A-Main on the night, V92 Matthew Reed (7 cars) (End of series award) cars passed overall –V77 Brayden Parr (24 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, S20 Glen Sutherland and V84 Sam Wren (3 Times each) (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 – Tim Van Ginneken - 2763 2nd – Corey McCullagh - 2659 3rd – Glen Sutherland - 2635 4th – Brett Milburn - 2586 5th – Brayden Parr - 2192 6th – David Murcott - 2062 7th – Sam Wren - 1997 8th – Dennis Jones - 1939 9th – Jacob Smith - 1934 10th – Charles Hunter - 1894
Western Nissan (End of Series random draw between 11th & 20th place) 11th – Jye Okeeffe - 1868 12th – Jordyn Charge - 1843 13th – Brad Warren - 1802 14th – Scott Reilly - 1684 15th – John Vogels - 1665 16th – David McKay - 1562 17th – Adam King - 1513 18th – Terry Kelly - 1496 19th – Peter Doukas - 1393 20th – Chris Campbell – 1319
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
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