The Eureka Garages & Sheds Sprintcar Series ventured to Western Speedway Hamilton on Saturday night for round ten of the Series where Tim Rankin took out the feature race and became the eight different driver to take a feature win in the Series so far this season.
With very poor weather and rain in many areas around Hamilton during the day and a few light showers in the afternoon at the track the question was for the track curators what to do?
Well the weather cleared up a little with no more rain and the meeting got under way on a track that went slick early on but the drivers now knew in what direction to head for setups.
The format for the night was a random heat draw for the six heat races that saw six different heat winners. Corey McCullagh and Jordyn Charge were casualties in the first heat race and at first inspection of the damage on the V90 McCullagh car it looked as if his night was over, with Corey coming into this meeting in second place in the Series points this was a big blow. A further inspection would see it was possible to get the car repaired enough to compete again where he came out and won his second heat but he would still have to try to make the Eureka Garages & Sheds A Main via the B Main event.
A few other heat race casualties were Nigel Harding, Robbie Paton, WA’s Scott Reilly and Terry Kelly but the good news was all would return to compete in the last chance B Main event on the night.
Luck was not in for Robert Nicholas and Robbie Paton in the B Main event with both drivers out early in the race but there was no denying Mt Gambier’s Ashley Scott of taking the B Main win after leading all the way, Corey McCullagh advance to second place in the race to give him a transfer to the A Main with Ashley. The current Eureka Series point’s leader Tim Van Ginneken also had to come thru the B Main on the night but a third place finish was enough for him to head to the A Main as well taking with him Sam Wren, Chris Campbell and David Mckay.
So with the top six shootout run the top point scorer from the heats Brett Milburn set the best time in the Shootout to keep his pole position. The Order was set for the Eureka Garages & Sheds A Main, the front row would be V68 Brett Milburn and V91 Brad Warren, row two - V77 Braydan Parr and V47 Tim Rankin, row three – V9 Rod Matthews and S20 Glen Sutherland to be followed by V48 Adam King, V98 Peter Doukas, V73 Charles Hunter, V72 Jacob Smith, V70 John Vogels, V17 Dennis Jones and the last chance B Main qualifiers of V55 Ashley Scott, V90 Corey McCullagh, V36 Tim Van Ginneken, V84 San Wren, V78 Chris Campbell and Act83 David McKay.
After the four wide salute to the crowd it was race time for the Eureka Garages & Sheds A Main.
Well the first attempted start went no further than the first turn when there was contact between a few drivers in the jostling pack that would see Jacob Smith left sitting on the track with a flat tyre and his race seemingly over.
Take two and this time the cars got to turn two when drama at the front of the pack unfolded that would see some eight sprintcars involved in a pile up that resembled a wrecking yard. Out would be both Brad Warren and John Vogels, now the good news was a couple of the cars suffered only flat tyres that were allowed to changed them due to the race going back to a full restart and Jacob Smith would also be able to rejoin the race. Glen Sutherland was one of the drivers that rolled in the incident but he too was able to restart with considerable damage that would not allow him to race at full speed but racing for points was vital for Glen.
With Bard Warren out Tim Rankin would now move up to the front row to be alongside the current Eureka Garages & Sheds Series Champion Brett Milburn.
Take three and all was good with Tim Rankin racing Milburn hard on the first lap to be the leader on lap one, Brayden Parr slotted into third place. Both Dennis Jones and Corey McCullagh had moved up the order with a little help from the reshuffled starting order but both drivers were running strong in fourth and fifth place.
Rod Matthews had dropped down one place to be in sixth when the field settled down, Charles Hunter, Ashley Scott, David McKay and Tim Van Ginneken were all making good progress in the early stages of the race to be sitting inside the top ten.
One third race distance and McCullagh pulled to the infield and out of the race and on the next lap King also retired with front end damage that he received in the first lap pile up. These two drivers and the earlier retirements of Vogels and Warren would be the only drivers to not finish the A Main.
With the slick track conditions the pace was in the fourteen to fifteen second bracket but Rankin was in control with Milburn staying within a few cars length of the leader as was Parr to Milburn but neither of the these drivers could mount a serious challenge to Rankin. Half race distance and Jones was holding down fourth place but Hunter and Van Ginneken who had made a pass on Scott were now hard on Jones tail and looking for a way past.
Scott and Matthews were duelling for it out for seventh place all race long but up front heading into the final laps of the Milburn could close on the race leader but do nothing about mounting a challenge for the race lead.
As the chequered flag fell it would be Tim Rankin in the V47 Cool car to take the win with a flag to flag performance that also went nonstop when the race finally got underway. Brett Milburn came home in second place that would also give him enough points to move up to second place in the Eureka Garages & Sheds Series standings.
Brayden Parr was next home in third place ahead of Dennis Jones in forth while Tim Van Ginneken took fifth place after a late pass on Charles Hunter who finished sixth. Van Ginneken’s fifth place finish also gave him enough points to retain the Eureka Series points lead, Rod Matthews finished seventh, Ashley Scott took eight place, rounding out the placing’s in finishing order was David MacKay, Peter Doukas, Sam Wren, Chris Campbell, Jacob Smith, and Glen Sutherland who was the only car in the race to be lapped, but with the damage Sutherland had received earlier he managed to pick up a couple of spots and take some valuable points that has kept him in third place of the Series.
Tim Rankin was a pleased man after the thirty lap journey especial when a mechanical issue during hot laps appeared to put him on the back foot for the start of the night, but the end results was with the issue resolved Tim went to take another win at Western Speedway Hamilton where he also won the SRA Victoria Sprintcar Championship a few years back.
Heat wins on the night went to V55 Ashley Scott, V47 Tim Rankin, V68 Brett Milburn, V90 Corey McCullagh, S20 Glen Sutherland & V48 Adam King.
The next round, round 11 of the Eureka Garages & Sheds Sprintcar Series will be held at Avalon Raceway that will pay $5000 to win on the night. Saturday the 4th of March.
Eureka Garages and Sheds Series nightly contingency awards:
AVALON RACEWAY DRIVERS DRAW: $50 – V75 Nigel Harding
HOOSIER TIRE AUSTRALIA – 11th Place in the A Main at Each round.
11th V84 Sam Wren.
D&F RACING PRODUCTS - Hard luck of the night – V81 Robbie Paton
STEELPIPES PTY LTD - 1st competitor not to transfer from B to A-Main –
V60 Jordyn Charge.
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 & Corey McCullagh (5 wins each)
Western Nissan - most cars passed in the A-Main on the night,
V36 Tim Van Ginneken & Act 83 David McKay, (10 cars each)
(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 - 3081
2nd – Brett Milburn - 2997
3rd – Glen Sutherland - 2926
4th – Corey McCullagh - 2884
5th – Brayden Parr - 2585
6th – Dennis Jones - 2291
7th – Sam Wren - 2274
8th – Charles Hunter - 2227
9th – Jacob Smith - 2197
10th – David Murcott – 2062
Western Nissan
(End of Series random draw between 11th & 20th place)
11th – Brad Warren - 2039
12th – Jordyn Charge - 2022
13th – John Vogels - 1882
14th – Jye Okeeffe - 1868
15th – David McKay - 1858
16th – Scott Reilly - 1847
17th – Adam King - 1764
18th – Peter Doukas - 1686
19th – Terry Kelly - 1676
20th – Chris Campbell – 1540
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 www.avalonraceway.com.au
Corey Gibson Photography www.gibsonphotography.com.au
Sprintcarworld www.sprintcarworld.com.au
Maxam Printing www.maxamprinting.com.au
David Steadman from Eureka Garages & Sheds was on hand to present the top three with their trophies for R10 of the Series at Western Speedway Hamilton. Photo Corey Gibson
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