Race fans revved up for championship race

BACK FOR REDEMPTION: Troy Jenkins staged an epic showdown last season at the Borderline Speedway with current Victorian champion Travis Mills and will look to go one better than his runner-up position when the 69th South Australian titles head to the clay oval tonight. Picture: SR PHOTOS

BACK FOR REDEMPTION: Troy Jenkins staged an epic showdown last season at the Borderline Speedway with current Victorian champion Travis Mills and will look to go one better than his runner-up position when the 69th South Australian Speedcar titles head to the clay oval tonight. Picture: SR PHOTOS

THE Borderline Speedway roars back in to action tonight with the running of the 69th South Australian Speedcar Championships.

The titles will be well supported by round one of the Wingless Sprints Summer Slam, plus the Street Stocks Blue Lake Classic.

The Speedcar titles have attracted a wide field of drivers, with some of the best in the country nominated to run.

New South Wales driver Nathan Smee is a prime example of the talent which will be on display, with the ex-Australian champion, ex-NSW champion, ex-Victorian champion and multiple

Speedcar Super Series champion sure to be on the pace.

The 2017-18 SA Club champion, Victorian Harley Bishop is another who is certain the make his mark, with experience in both Speedcars and Sprintcars.

He also claimed the Clisby award for the highest points scorer and is a Blackjack series winner.

The reigning Victorian Speedcar champion and Speedcar Super Series champion, Victorian Travis Mills has shown an affinity for the Limestone Coast clay oval, with a Super Series win at the Borderline Speedway last season.

Another with a liking for the Borderline circuit is New South Wales Speedcar legend Troy Jenkins.

Jenkins has achieved a huge amount of feature and blue ribbon wins across the country and was runner-up in last season’s Speedcar Super Series round at the Borderline Speedway after a tough battle with Mills.

Add the likes of South Australian Brett Ireland, a former Wingless Sprint racer who claimed the Ultimate Pink Night and round two of the SA Blackjack Series at Murray Bridge a month ago.

Former Australian Compact Speedcar champion, Victorian Justin McMinn claimed his maiden Speedcar win in his rookie season in 2016 and has not looked back, with multiple wins and podiums, including third at Skip’s Race in December.

The list goes on, with one of the country’s longest running campaigners in South Australian Norm Moore, plus grandson of the legend Bill Wigzell, Todd Wigzell.

Borderline Speedway president Cary Jennings said he expected an entertaining night of racing in a big weekend for the popular category.

“We are running the 69th title for South Australia, then Warrnambool will follow on Sunday night with the 74th Victorian title,” he said.

“That will be good for us and the category.

“We have already locked in the South Australian 70th title for next year and Warrnambool has the 75th Victorian title, so we hope to create a bit of interest in Speedcars.”

Jennings said the Borderline Speedway had only recently brought the Speedcars back to the circuit after several years away.

“The last couple of years we have put them back on the program, trying to raise the profile a bit,” he said.

“A lot of people would have known them as Midgets years ago and they can put on some fantastic racing.”

Speedcars differ from Sprintcars and Wingless Sprints in their physical size and engine capacity.

They run high-revving four-cylinder engines with no wings, but Jennings said their pace was often similar to Sprintcars on a good track.

With the titles well supported by the Wingless Sprints and the Street Stocks, the night is sure to provide plenty of entertainment.

Gates open at 4pm, with action to kick off from 5pm.

Driver list.

Grant Patton, Vic; Norm Moore, SA; Harley Bishop, Vic; Lee Redmond, WA; Travis Mills, Vic; Clint Leibhardt, NSW; Justin McMinn, Vic; Nathan Smee, NSW; Andy Pearce, Vic; Mitch Whiting, Vic; Chris Nankiville, Vic; Adam Wallis, Vic; Joseph Lostitch, Vic; Matt Jackson, NSW; David Lambert, NSW; Gary Rooke, NSW; Glen Arnold, NSW; Rory Jackermis, SA; Robert Heard, SA; Mike Griffiths, Vic; Domain Ramsay, Vic; Troy Jenkins, NSW; Brett Ireland, SA; Todd Wigzell, SA; Brayden Willmington, NSW.