The home of the KINGS CHALLENGE in Mount Gambier
Sprintcar Title On The Line This Saturday
Author : Phil Michell Motorsport Media
This Saturday night (December 10) the South Australian Sprintcar Championship returns to the picturesque Borderline Speedway in Mount Gambier for the running of the 2022/23 edition of State’s longest running Sprintcar event. Since the Title’s inception in 1968 the South-East venue has only hosted the Title on 1 other occasion, back in 2003 when Luke Dillon, as a rookie, was victorious ahead of Brad Heywood and Darryl Downing.
Since then, victory in this race has eluded Dillon as he has finished on the podium a further four times and he will once again be in the 24-driver field and he will be one of three former South Australian Champions in action. Joining Dillon will be three-times winner, and local hero, Steven Lines and dual Champion David Murcott, who will be driving the Downing Brothers #97. Of the previous winners Dillon is the driver who has the most recent form on the board having already captured the Bill Wigzell Battle of the Bridge at Murray Bridge along with a third placed run at the latest Club Show.
Joining the drivers who are already on the winners list are a number of leading contenders all of whom are capable winning on their night, and with current Champion Matt Egel not competing due to racing commitments in Western Australia, the Title is there for the taking.
The list of potential winners, outside those already mentioned, is a long list headed by Portland based racer Brock Hallett, who is coming off his second career win at Eastern Creek last Saturday night. Tasmanian Jock Goodyer will be another who will have a great chance of victory and he always extremely quick around the Borderline clay. Murray Bridge racer Ryan Jones in his iconic #63 can never be discounted and he is a previous 410ci winner at the venue. He is also a three-time State 360ci Champion and dual runner-up in the 410ci Title. Joining Dillon, Lines and Jones as the major South Australian contenders will be Hayden Pitt, who always a wild card at local events, current SRA Series Champion Daniel Pestka, Chad Ely, Joel Heinrich, Lisa Walker, Max Vidau, Steven Caruso, Ben Morris, Ricky Maiolo, Brendan Quinn and Mount Gambier residents Glen Sutherland and Scott Enderl. Of the remaining locals Ely and Walker have enjoyed recent seat time in Sydney while Enderl has raced recently in Western Australia and competed at Horsham on Saturday night. For both Heinrich and Vidau it will be good to see them both back on the dirt after busy seasons on the National circuit racing scene, with Vidau racing in the Carrera Cup and Heinrich dominating at the Adelaide 500 last weekend in the Aussie Racing Cars.
Despite an event in Victoria being added a number of Victorian drivers will still make the trek across the border to contest the South Australian Championship including Grant Stansfield, who over the past couple of years has raced at a number of Sprintcars SA sanctioned events, Peter Doukas, who is another interstate driver who enjoys racing at Borderline, Robert Paton and Phil Micallef. Completing the interstate entries will exciting Tasmanian youngster Tate Frost, who will be keen to get a good result at Mount Gambier before he returns to the venue later in the month for Round 2 of Speedweek.
The format for the night will include hotlaps, two rounds of randomly drawn heats, a Last Chance Qualifier and the all-important South Australian Championship decider. Gates will open at 4pm with on track action from 6pm.
Nominations for the 2022/23 South Australian Sprintcar Championship, Borderline Speedway, Mount Gambier, December 20, 2022 – 23 Nominations: S3 Ben Morris, S4 Lisa Walker, Q5 Brock Hallett, S7 Hayden Pitt, S10 Steven Caruso, S11 Scott Enderl, VA11 Phil Micallef, S14 Brendan Quinn, S16 Joel Heinrich, S20 Glen Sutherland, T22 Jock Goodyer, S24 Ricky Maiolo, S27 Daniel Pestka, T62 Tate Frost, S63 Ryan Jones, S72 Max Vidau, S81 Luke Dillon, V81 Robert Paton, Q83 Steven Lines, VA88 Grant Stansfield, S97 David Murcott, S98 Chad Ely, V98 Peter Doukas.
Release by Phil Michell Motorsport Media
For Sprintcars SA
Ends Release…