Picture: SAVAGE SHOTS PHOTOGRAPHY
AFTER a pressure-filled final, Penola’s Steven Gartner claimed back-to-back SA Street Stock titles at the Riverland Speedway on Saturday night.
Gartner started off the front row and was caught up in a heated battle for the lead with Rhys Heinrich throughout the 30 laps.
Sam Brumfield remained in contention, but was unable to make inroads into the lead, eventually finishing in third place.
Gartner was in the ideal position to defend his 2019 title, but fell into second place behind the fast Heinrich on the opening lap to put him on notice.
However, two cars came together early and forced a caution period and the two front-runners leapt away from the field again off the restart.
Slower cars came into play soon after, but Gartner saw an opening and claimed the lead up the inside with a gutsy move.
He held on from there, but not without plenty of pressure from behind.
More lapped traffic came into play and Gartner again headed up the inside, with Heinrich hot on his tail.
With a competitor in the wall another caution period saw the field again bunch up.
Heinrich seemed to have Gartner’s number for the following few laps, but was unable to make his move.
The pair came together as Heinrich’s patience wore thin, but Gartner held his nerve and pushed on, with the top four runners all in with a shot at the title should anyone make the lightest mistake.
Heinrich continued to harass the leader, when a multi-car incident brought out another caution.
Heinrich then headed for the infield with what appeared to be a problem, but was clear to go and rejoined the field in second place for the restart.
Just 19 cars remained with 17 laps to run and it looked anything but an easy run for the reigning champion.
When the carnage was eventually cleared the battle continued where it left off, with Gartner having to hold off a determined Heinrich.
The challenger threw everything at the leader, going high and low, desperately looking for a way around.
As the race progressed and the track slicked off it seemed to suit Gartner, who refused to give up his lead.
The race continued on unabated from there and Gartner picked his way through the lapped traffic, eventually opening a small margin which would see him clear to the chequered flag.
Gartner said he was rapt to claim back-to-back titles after some doubts about his chances at the Renmark circuit.
“I have never had much luck there so was doubtful about going back-to-back,” he said.
His chances were compounded as Heinrich did not give an inch until late in the race.
“I could feel him there the whole way, but I knew if I looked after the bottom he should not have been able to go around me,” Gartner said.
“There was not much up the top, so I was pretty confident I could hold him out.”
Gartner said the track became slick where the majority of the field was running, which seemed to suit his car.
However, he said he could not relax at any stage, even when he opened a small margin towards the end of the race.
“You just never know,” Gartner said.
“In your head you hope you can get the win.
“I knew not to move off the bottom because you just never know if anyone is going to be there.”
Lapped traffic certainly played a part, with Gartner unable to create a big lead, while Heinrich struggled to keep up in the dying laps.
Gartner said it was a matter of taking it how it came, sometimes steady and other times just going hard up the inside.
Once he greeted the chequered flag, Gartner said it was a relief, after taking close to 10 years to claim his first championship, then going back-to-back.
“It probably felt better than the first time, because I put so much pressure on myself to do it,” he said.
“It was a massive relief when we did get that chequered flag.”
