Late Models to lay down the gauntlet to their Kiwi cousins.
The eagerly anticipated Australian driver roster for the history making Trans Tasman Sedan Challenge has been announced with an unexpected twist – the Aussies will all be driving Late Model Sedans not Super Sedans as previously announced.
Due to the near-sightedness of many within the Super Sedan ranks, and more importantly within its governing hierarchy, it was becoming increasingly more difficult to assemble a team of top class Super Sedan racers, much to the disappointment of series co-coordinator Wayne Belk who is himself a Super Sedan owner and competitor.
So the decision was made to offer the series to their Late Model rivals who jumped at the opportunity to be part of the historic series and to further push their case in the south east corner of the country.
The series has also been re-jigged to encompass six races over two consecutive weekends all within Victoria.
In terms of drivers, it will be a first class team of highly credentialed drivers from every mainland state that will contest the series headed by legends Darryl Grimson and Ross Nicastri, with Geoff Phillips, Blair Grainger, Lucas Roberts, Gary Bryans, Matt Crimmins, John McKay, Michael Holmes and Warren Oldfield. Neil Wallace, Adam Brook and Bill Mentiplay will be on standby as reserves should they be needed.
Grimson and Nicastri represent New South Wales and are heavily experienced. Both are throw backs to the Grand National Sedan days where Nicastri won an Australian Championship in the division that eventually morphed into Late Models. Both then tried their hands at Sprintcar racing before Nicastri headed off-road successfully in safari style events. Since returning to racing Grimson has been the winningest Late Model racer on the east coast.
Queensland is represented by “Flying” Phillips and “Curley” Grainger. Phillips won last season’s Queensland association “Hard Charger” award and Grainger was in fact the 2007 ELMA (Eastcoast Late Model Association) series champion. Grainger’s first race was as a 15 year old in New Zealand.
Victoria is represented by two Super Sedan racers in Roberts and Bryans. Roberts’ “The Moama Mauler” is a three time Victorian Super Sedan Champion and the son of Heartland raceway promoter David Roberts. Roberts is a real stand on the gas racer whose Super Sedan often performs like a late model with the left front wheel dangling in the air.
Bryans, on the other hand was a successful Super Sedan racer back in the late 90’s and early 00’s before retiring. Last season he made a return to super Sedan racing and will now saddle up in father-in-law Bill Mentiplays Late Model.
The Crow Eaters (South Australians) will have Matt Crimmins and John McKay upholding their honor. Both are former AMCA National racers with Crimmins peaking as the State Champion.
Making the trip from the worlds’ most isolated capital city (Perth) will be Michael Holmes and Warren Oldfield. Holmes, like Crimmins and McKay, is an AMCA Nationals graduate who was looking for a bigger challenge after winning his States’ Championship in 2007.
Oldfield is just one of the locally famous Oldfield brothers trio who will race anything with wheels just about anywhere at any time. The 27 year old has 14 years of experience under his belt and has a simple philosophy - to invert the work/racing ratio whereby you go racing 6 days a week and go to work just once a week. I think most of us would subscribe to that theory.
“It is disappointing to not be able to do this series with Super Sedans, but the Late Model guys have really grabbed this opportunity whole-heartedly and I really need to thank all those who worked so hard in the background to keep this event alive,” said Belk. “The tracks were also fantastic in their support of the change to Late Models and in reality, the specifications of the Late Models are closer to the New Zealand Super Saloons than the Saloons were to the Super Sedans.”
“It was alright for the Saloons to have a cubic advantage over the Sedans originally so I don’t see any reason they should be unhappy about the Late Models now having that honor,” Said Belk tongue in cheek.
Further changes to be announced for the series is the concentration of six races over consecutive weekends. The opening weekend will now be Mildura on Friday 22nd October followed by Swan Hill (23rd) and Moama (24th).
After a week of sightseeing around the picturesque garden state, the series will conclude in a flurry of activity with an RTR (Rolling Thunder Raceway - Bacchus Marsh - Friday 29th), Hamilton (Saturday 30th), RTR finale (Sunday afternoon - 31st).
Late Models made their Timmis Speedway (Mildura) debut there last season and will use this as a valuable hit out before the National Championship is contested there later this season.
Sonic Speedway Swan Hill is a leisurely drive south east following the Murray River and the club is eagerly looking forward to having the Late Models make their track debut. The track surface will ensure that horsepower is not the deciding factor in who will win here.
Heartland raceway in Moama on Sunday afternoon, is a relatively short driver further along the Murray where the race track was custom made for big sedan car racing and there is sure to be some vocal locals cheering on Roberts’ at his “home” track.
Like Heartland, RTR was also custom made for big sedans but is even bigger and wider again than the Moama venue. If ever an Australian track was made for big powerful V8 sedans, this is it. Late Models ran there some years ago in what was really a demonstration run and the thought of a full field of big bangers running door to door with international rivalry, has many salivating already.
For a change of pace the teams will hit up Hamilton’s’ tight little Western Speedway on Saturday 30th for the final night race before concluding the historic tour with a pleasant afternoons thrash around Rolling Thunder once again on Sunday.
