By Trevor Jackson
THE time-honoured Easter Sprintcar Trail kicks off tonight (Friday) at Avalon Speedway, before heading to the Borderline Speedway for a big Saturday night meeting, then moves onto Warrnambool to round out a huge weekend of racing.
More than 40 drivers will compete across the weekend, with the majority attending all three meetings.
Here at the Borderline Speedway a big night is expected for the final meeting of the season, which will end with a bang with the traditional fireworks display.
“We have approximately 40 Sprintcars here on Saturday night,” Borderline Speedway president Cary Jennings said.
“Australia 1 Jamie Veal will be there, Daniel Pestka comes off a Eureka Sprintcars series win and Scott Enderl and Glen Sutherland will have a crack.
“Matt Egel, who won here early in the year, will only race at Mount Gambier, not Avalon or Warrnambool, so overall we have a good lineup.”
Pestka has enjoyed a successful season of racing for the Port MacDonnell based Starks team and is keen to return to the Borderline and put on a show for the team’s supporters and Limestone Coast fans.
Jennings said some drivers had opted to compete at the 360 Sprintcars show at Mildura, while other will look to conserve tyres, which has become an issue in most forms of motor racing.
However, with around 40 nominations, four heats will run throughout the night, before the C, B and A Main feature events.
“That is a good number,” Jennings said.
“When you have the likes of Jamie Veal, Daniel Pestka, Matt Egel, Grant Anderson and David Murdoch, a former Australian champion, you know it will be a good meeting.”
Supports include Late Models and Super Rods, which Jennings said would amount to around 60-plus cars in the pits to end the season on a high.
“That is a good roll up for our Easter meeting,” he said.
“We will finish off with bang with the fireworks at the end of the night which is a tradition we have had for nearly 30 years.
“We have always had a fireworks display at the end of the night and we will keep that tradition going into the future.
“A lot of people hang around to watch the fireworks when the racing has finished and some will even bring the kids out and sit near the gate just to watch.
“It should be a good meeting.”
Gates will open at 4pm, with engine starts at 5pm.
Easter Trail Nominations
Sprintcars: Jamie Veal A1; Domain Ramsay V2; Darren Mollenoyux V3; Tim Hutchins T7; Bobby Daly V8; Scott Enderl S11; Dennis Jones V17; Troy Little N20; Jye O’Keeffe NT20; Glen Sutherland S20; Leigh Mugavin S20; Kale Quinlan NT25; Will Carroll NT27; Daniel Pestka S27; Andrew Hughes V28; Michael Tancredi V29; Michael Coad V30; Stephen Spark V32; Eddie Lumbar N36; Grant Anderson V37; Lachlan McDonough S38; Marcus Dumesny N47; Adam King V48; Matt Egel S52; Troy Hose V57; Daniel Burleigh V58; Tate Frost T62; Ryan Jones S63; Kevin Reeves V63; David Aldersley V64; Marcus Green V71; Jake Smith V72; Mitchell Smith V75; David Donegan VA75; Robbie Paton V81; Jamie Heyen V89; Corey McCullagh V90; Matthew Reed V92; David Murcott S97; Peter Doukas V98.
Super Rods: Jamie May W8; Billy Grist HA23; Meegan Payne W25; Michael Coad W25; Peter Duynhoven S53; Jason Kavenagh W55; George Woolstencroft S66; Stan Marco Snr AV75; Stan Marco Jnr AV77; Bailey Pitcher AV82; Jacob Pitcher AV83; Paul Verhoeven W84; Howard Stansfield W88; Dane Court HA96.
Late Models: Peter Nicola V2; Brad Smith T6; Fiona Verhoeven S8; Shane Belk V9; Matt Crimmins S10; Brock Edwards V12; Chevy Edwards V21; Brendan Hucker V23; Wayne Belk V32; Domain Ramsay V71; Jason Robinson S110.
