MOUNT Gambier Wingless Sprint driver Mitchell Broome has returned from a big couple of weeks of racing with some mixed, but interesting results.
Broome first headed across the Nullarbor Plain to contest the Australian Wingless Sprint championships at Kalgoorlie, where a bit of bad luck ended his run at the title.
On his return he contested the third round of the Australian Super Series at Murray Bridge, where contact with another driver caused a big rollover and made the remainder of the event a battle.
However, he did claim a win in a feature race preliminary on the Friday night of the Super Series, which helped add to a big experience for the young driver.
Broome was on the pace early in the Australian title at Kalgoorlie.
“After the first night I was 11th on points out of 33 cars, then I made up a couple of spots in my heat race and was 10th on points going into the final,” he said.
“I got up to sixth when me and another driver came together and it put me in the wall a bit.
“I kept going and was catching fifth when there was a red light with five laps to go and my right rear tyre went flat.
“One of my tyre bleeders had snapped.
“I was looking good for a top five finish.”
Broome said it was good to know he was quick against the top drivers in the country.
“If we had a bit of luck go our way we could have been a bit higher,” he said.
“But that is racing.”
Along the way Broome said he enjoyed the tourist aspect of such a trip in his first time driving through that part of the country.
“Dad and I talked about doing one long trip for the year, maybe Sydney or Darwin,” he said.
“That wasn’t going to work out so we decided to head over to Kalgoorlie and see what we could do.
“We left a couple of days earlier and went along the coast, through Port Lincoln and up through Streaky Bay.
“I loved it.”
The Australian Super Series was an event started this year, with rounds in Toowoomba, Sydney and Murray Bridge.
Broome did not attend the first two rounds, but dropped in to Murray Bridge on his way back from Western Australia.
A win in the preliminary feature race was the highlight of the meeting, with bigger issues causing a premature end to his night.
“The preliminary night had no points or money, so everyone was trying different things,” Broome said.
“But we still won the feature so that was cool.
“I was fourth on points going into Saturday night and they inverted the top six in each heat.
“I started sixth in the fourth heat of the night, was passing for third, got cut off and ended up upside down.
“That ruined the weekend.”
It was then a matter of repairing the car before the feature races started, with Broome having to fight through the B Main.
He said after the repairs he struggled with car setup, with no real time to ensure it was all right to go.
As a result he failed to transfer through to the A Main and his weekend was over.
“If I stayed third in my fourth heat I would nearly have been on the front row for the feature race,” Broome said.
“It was $10,000 to win.”
Despite the setbacks Broome said he enjoyed the long trip to compete at such a high level and with “a bit of luck” it could all have panned out much differently.
