Borderline Speedway volunteers prepare facility ahead of National Super Sedan Title

Billy May, Bill Barrows, David Vears, Darryll Grant Dsc 8636  TBW Newsgroup
HARD AT WORK: Borderline Speedway volunteers, including Billy May, Bill Barrows, David Vears and Darryll Grant have been hard at work. Picture: THOMAS MILES

Billy May, Bill Barrows, David Vears, Darryll Grant Dsc 8636 TBW Newsgroup
HARD AT WORK: Borderline Speedway volunteers, including Billy May, Bill Barrows, David Vears and Darryll Grant have been hard at work. Picture: THOMAS MILES

BORDERLINE Speedway is in “picturesque” condition according to president Cary Jennings as it prepares to host the National Super Sedan Title this weekend.

The event comes two weeks after Borderline hosted the South Australian Super Sedan Title, which equates to a busy few weeks for all involved in preparing the venue.

A bumper field of 48 drivers have nominated for the feature event – the Super Sedans – with a list of current and previous state and national champions in the lineup.

The MJS Street Stock Series will be the support category on both nights of racing, with a strong 44 entries in the class.

Jennings said everything is in order for another successful event and he hopes to put on a big show for drivers and spectators from all over the country.

He said it is all possible thanks to the hard work of dedicated volunteers who put in “countless” hours to prepare the track and its facilities.

“We have a good group of maintenance people,” Jennings said.

“They are all volunteers – there is no one paid at our speedway.

“All the volunteers who do the maintenance, the president, secretary, treasurer – all of those are volunteers.

“The crash crew and the fire crew are volunteers too.

“We have a good team of people and we rely on everyone to do their bit.”

Borderline last hosted the Super Sedan National Title back in 1999, with Jennings also president at that time.

“Ron Pyne from New South Wales was the winner then,” he recounted.

“That was a good show and I think this weekend will be a better show.

“Our infrastructure out at the speedway and the complex has really come to life in the last 15 years.

“We now have corporate boxes, which we did not have back in those days.

“We had one back then, but now we have two major corporate boxes and 18 smaller boxes, which complements our speedway and puts us in the top five in Australia.”

Borderline Speedway was voted Australia’s track of the year in 2018, which Jennings said was a credit to the volunteers.

Bill Barrows is the ringleader in track maintenance, with the likes of Billy May, David Vears and Darryll Grant also involved in the constant upkeep of the track surface and surrounding facilities.

They have been hard at work over the past few weeks, along with everyone else who lends their time to making Borderline Speedway such a successful organisation, with the venue ready to welcome this weekend’s swarm of drivers and spectators.

“It is good to see we are going to get so many inter-staters coming here to Mount Gambier,” Jennings said.

“Some of them are coming (today) and are going to be here until next Tuesday.

“The town will thrive with motels and eateries.”

The marquee will go up at Borderline today, while Jennings hopes to have a car display at the Lady Nelson tonight, but was waiting to hear back in regards to a permit.

The weekend’s action then kicks off tomorrow with scrutineering from 9am to 3pm, with practice from 4pm to 6pm, followed by a welcoming tea and the calcutta.

Gates open on Saturday and Sunday at 4pm, with racing from 5pm on both nights.