If it is the roar of a V8 that you crave, then Archerfield Speedway is the perfect place to be this Saturday night (May 6) when Sprintcars and Dirt Modifieds tear up the track in a blockbuster double-header program. A combined 40+ Sprintcars will contest round eight of the East Coast Logistics Sprintcar Track Championship and the Petzyo Development Series, while a star-studded field has been secured for what will be the final ever Dirt Modified event to be contested at Archerfield. With Modlites and Formula 500 Juniors also on the program, another packed program of dirt track motorsport entertainment is assured.
Last Sunday night in round eight of the ECL Series, Luke Oldfield was breathtaking in his utter domination of the event from the start of the night until the final laps of the feature race. Having set KRE Quick Time in qualifying, Oldfield followed up with a win and a runner-up finish in his heat races before blitzing the field in the Boss Hogg’s Dash and then going on to lead all 35 laps of the feature race to further extend his lead in the championship standings. So far this season, Oldfield has finished on the podium at every event he has contested and it will be a remarkable achievement if he can maintain that record through the final few meetings and, given his form last weekend, it is not hard to imagine him doing exactly that. However, this weekend Australian champ Jock Goodyer is returning to Brisbane to take on Oldfield and the rest of the ECL regulars, the Tasmanian no doubt looking to fine-tune his preparations for the $15 000-to-win Last Race, the final race ever to be staged at Archerfield, which will be the culmination of two massive nights of racing on June 2 and 3 and a fitting farewell to a circuit that has produced countless unforgettable moments and many of the biggest names to grace the sport.
Taylor Prosser and Queensland champ Ryan Newton have both recorded feature wins in ECL competition this season, while Jy Corbet edges closer to his maiden ECL feature win. Having finished third on Sunday and with only three opportunities remaining for Corbet to find his way to victory lane, it is hard to imagine the young gun leaving anything in reserve over the next few weeks. A return to form from Brent Kratzmann saw him back on the podium last weekend, which puts him firmly in the frame for a similar, or better, result over these final few weeks. A big charge through the field from Aaron Kelly in Sunday’s feature race suggests that he may well be a contender in the weeks ahead if he can find that kind of speed earlier in the night to ensure he starts a little further towards the front of the field come feature race time. Having produced plenty of pace in his recent outings without any real results as yet, Darwin’s Ben Atkinson returns for another attempt to master the Archerfield circuit and, with the likes of Tim Farrell, Adam Butler, Kevin Titman, Mitch Gowland and Darren Jensen in the mix, along with the addition of Lachlan McHugh and the usual array of young guns and rookies such as Harry Stewart, Trent Vardy, Jack Bell and Tyler Stralow, the scene is set for yet another night of splendiferous Sprintcar action.
The Petzyo Sprintcar Development Series will no doubt see Libby Ellis garner plenty of support from fans, but it is Mark Manttan who might just be the one to beat. Manttan has been taking on the ECL series of late and, with the exception of Libby, he will come into the clash with more laps under his belt than his rivals, an advantage that should stand him in good stead.
Meanwhile, the Dirt Modified fraternity have gathered a very strong field to fight for the right to be forever known as the winner of the last ever Dirt Modified feature race to be contested on the hallowed Archerfield clay. No less than four national championship winners have nominated for the event, with Andrew Pezzutti, David Clark, five-time winner Kevin Britten and current titleholder Mitchell Randall amongst the 19 entries for their final fling. Nobody is more spectacular around Archerfield than Kevin Britten aboard his trusty #34 Troyer and there is no doubt he will be fixated on adding one final win to his litany of successes at the track on which he started his racing career as a junior in Sigma sedans. Randall, meanwhile, will have no qualms about denying Britten a fairy tale ending in what will be his one and only Archerfield appearance as the national champion, having claimed the title in Lismore just a few weeks ago. Of those entered, nobody has done more laps around Archerfield than Pezzutti and, having remained a popular figure across a lengthy and successful career behind the wheel, there are many who would delight in the final feature race falling his way. Clark, of course, will be a force as always and there might not be anybody more worthy of a success than Ray Klarich, a passionate advocate for the category as a racer and sponsor for many years.
When Modlites are on the program and Terry Leerentveld is amongst the nominations, history dictates that anybody who beats him will more than likely find themselves on the podium. A solid line-up of 23 competitors have accepted the challenge and there will certainly be some for whom reputation means little and will therefore be confident of upstaging the man who has been the category benchmark for almost 10 seasons. No doubt there are quite a few who fancy their chances though, so look for Sean Rose, Chris Fing, Dan Lewis, Tyson Snow, Kyle Honour, Callum Beerling, Gavin Thomas and NSW’s Trent McLean to be leading the way.
As the first Queensland track to embrace Formula 500 Juniors, it is particularly pleasing to welcome the latest batch of future stars for their final appearance as part of another huge program of events, which gets underway with early racing from 5.00pm and the main program from 6.00pm. Gates open for online ticketholders at 3.00pm, with general admission ticket sales from 4.00pm.
East Coast Logistics Sprintcar Track Championship round nine nominations: Aaron Kelly, Adam Butler, Ben Atkinson, Brad Ayers, Brent Kratzmann, Dan Murray, Daniel Bridge, Daniel Helmore, Darren Jensen, Harry Stewart, Jack Bell, James Matthews, Jock Goodyer, Jy Corbet, Kevin Titman, Kye Jensen, Lachlan McHugh, Liam Williams, Luke Dougherty, Luke Oldfield, Mitch Gowland, Nash Morris, Nathan Pronger, Peter Campbell, Ryan Newton, Tarhlea Apelt, Taylor Prosser, Tim Farrell, Tony Bridge, Trent Vardy, Tyler Stralow
Petzyo Sprintcar Development Series nominations: Anthony Vanderreyden, Carlo Moiola, Harry Dixon, Jared Desmares, Jason Rae, Libby Ellis, Luke Manttan, Noah Ball, Noah Ball, Steve Bateman, Thomas Clarendon-Blair, Todd Gaudry
Dirt Modified nominations: Andrew Pezzutti, Brayd Stephenson, Brendan Cherrie, Brenton Bennie, Brock Armstrong, David Clark, Kevin Britten, Kevin Stow, Luke Dunn, Mick Reid, Mitchell Randall, Phil McNamara, Phil Roberts, Ray Klarich, Ryley Smith, Scott Quirk, Seiton Young, Taylor Blanch, Trevor Wiley
Modlite nominations: Adrian Reinke, Alex Coward, Beau Laverty, Brendan Tucker, Brock Lehfeldt, Callum Beerling, Cameron Lamb, Chris Fing, Dan Lewis, Donika Gower, Fergus Coutts, Gavin Thomas, Jake McRae, Jordan Ferguson, Joshua Herne, Julian Olley, Kyle Honour, Mark Troth, Mark Webster, Scott Lehfeldt, Sean Rose, Terry Leerentveld, Trent McLean, Tyson Snow
Formula 500 Junior nominations: Axel Rudolph, Bailey Ferguson, Brooke Wilson, Charlie Bowen, Cooper Norman, Daisy Smith, Jack Walker, Jai Bateman.
For further information and event updates, please stay tuned to Facebook or the track website at www.brisbanespeedway.com.au
