Just a fortnight after contesting the 2017 Powranna Plant Hire Australian Wingless Sprint Championship at Carrick Speedway, almost 30 drivers are set to return to the track this Saturday night to battle it out in the Tasmanian Title.
With 21 locals primed to utilise their Carrick Speedway track knowledge in the hope of banking on their home-track advantage to score a winning result, the Tasmanian Title will no doubt be a hotly-contested event. However, with seven interstaters having left their cars in the state following the Australian Championship event, clinching the Tasmanian crown will not be an easy feat.
The hot favourite heading into the event, following his stellar performance at the track a fortnight ago, newly-crowned Australian Champion Joel Chadwick will be very difficult to beat, with the lone South Australian entrant knowing exactly what it takes to win on the 460-metre clay surface and hoping to score back-to-back title wins.
Chadwick’s main rival will no doubt be Latrobe-based racer Luke Redpath, who recently took the fight to the Australian Champion, reeling him in during the latter stages of the feature race before being forced to settle for the runner-up position. Looking to go one better, Redpath will be firing on all cylinders this weekend.
Photo: Angryman Photography
Shooting for a Tasmanian Title three-peat of wins, defending and two-time Tasmanian Champion Brad Whitchurch has been hard at work on the Tim McKinnell-owned Tas # 24 machine, after a nasty crash during a heat race in night two of the Australian Championship. While last season’s Australia # 2 was thankfully unharmed, his Australian Championship hopes were dashed, so he will be looking to make amends when he returns to the Carrick Speedway track.
Former Tasmanian Champion Chris Breen will surely be a likely front-runner, as will regular podium-finisher Latrobe’s Jeremy Smith, whose solid Australian Championship performance saw him finish an impressive seventh, being the second highest-placed Tasmanian behind Redpath. Having picked up two feature-race wins this season, Smith will be one to watch, as will Josh Padman and Australian Championship B main winner and former Tasmanian Champion Brad Herbert.
Also not to be discounted is Launceston’s Wade Lello, who will hope to bounce back from a difficult Australian Championship campaign, along with Hadyn McBain, who finished third in the 2015-16 Tasmanian Title, Bradley Walkley, Jamie Rolls, Tim Herbert (Brad’s dad) and Jacob Goodluck.
Other Tasmanian racers include Joe Turnbull, D’Wayne Williams and the returning Ashley Walsh. The latter will be making his season debut, after his car so far this season has been campaigned by youngster Jack Crossin, who brought home a 13th place finish in the Australian Championship.
The small field of rookies consists of Jake Power, Troy Lewis and Ryan Harding, who will line-up in their maiden Tasmanian Title attempts and they are all hoping to gain more experience.
Flying the flag for Queensland will be two-time Queensland Champion Scott Thomsen, who is aiming to improve on his recent third-place finish in the Australian Championship to claim the top spot, and his dad Steve Thomsen, while Sam Borlini will be the lone representative for the Northern Territory, driving the Mike Borchardt-owned NT # 14 Total Tools supported car. While he showed speed during his recent visit to Carrick Speedway, Borlini will be hoping to improve in order to vie for a podium spot.
The Victorian contingent will be headed by Wayne Hurford, who was impressive throughout the Australian Championship, scoring a heat-race win on the opening night of competition and sitting seventh in points heading into night two, ultimately finishing 12th in the feature race, along with Glen Harris who is hoping to achieve a strong result.
The Tasmanian Title format will see drivers contest three rounds of 10-lap heat races, a B main and the 30-lap Tasmanian Title-deciding feature race.
For more information on the Tasmanian Title, contact Chris Breen on 0409 951 868.
To find out more about the Tasmanian Wingless Sprints, visit their website at www.awsr.com.au/tas or LIKE them on Facebook by searching Wingless Sprints Tasmania.
