Kings Challenge abandoned early due to Mother Nature

FOOT TO THE FLOOR: Mount Gambier’s Rory Button lifts the front wheel as he works his way out of turn two at the Borderline Speedway Thursday night. Picture: SR PHOTOS

IT was a busy week for Limestone Coast sprintcar drivers and cars, with two big meetings – the Kings Challenge at the Borderline Speedway and the Grand Annual Sprintcar Classic over three nights at Warrnambool – keeping everyone busy.

Unfortunately the Kings Challenge was cut short after eight heats due to the persistent rain.

The night began with a fast track, with club members working hard to keep it up to a suitable standard.

The rain came and went and with each shower the track was reworked.

Steven Lines was on the pace early, with a third place in heat two, while Brooke Tatnell managed a fourth place in heat three.

With the rain falling again the racing was held up, with work continuing on the track.

The decision was made to cut the C Main and dashes out to save time and eventually the racing returned, with hot laps to test the surface.

With thunder roaring and lightning flashing around the sky, the reverse-grid heats began.

In heat five Lines finished in sixth from ninth on the grid, while Tatnell claimed the honours in heat eight.

However, that was all the fans would see, with the rain again causing an early end to the meeting.

Drivers then headed to Warrnambool for three nights of racing, with the finals on Sunday.

Eight heats were set down on the Sunday night, along with a D Main, a C Main Evens, a C Main Odds, B Main Evens and Odds, followed by the A Main feature event.

Tatnell had worked well across the weekend to qualify the Scott Motorsports number 55 from the front row in second position, while Lines had to settle for 15th place.

Both drivers lost positions over the course of the race, but Tatnell managed a fourth place, while Lines finished down in 23rd.