Although the new partnership at Team32 wasn’t formed under the best of circumstances, the Dayn Bentvelzen and Adrian Densley duo have certainly started the 2016-17 season in strong fashion.
Contesting their first full season together with Bentvelzen behind the wheel, Team32’s results have improved with each race meeting. Driving the Pro Finish Concreting / Troy Smethurst Plumbing & Gas Fitting backed Billit chassis car in what is both Densley and Bentvelzen’s sixth season in Wingless Sprint class.
Team32 began their 2016-17 season campaign with a seventh-place finish in the Invitational event at Geelong’s Avalon Raceway and then went on to finish sixth in the opening Eastern Challenge Series round at Nyora Raceway. Stepping up once again in their next meeting at Mount Gambier’s Borderline Speedway, the team’s 29-year-old racer managed to crack the top five in the opening Super Series round and backed that up with strong form at Simpson Speedway in the second Super Series round most recently, when he finished second.
“It’s been a really positive start to the season for the team,” commented the Leongatha-based racer, who has scored a total of two feature-race wins over his five seasons in the class.
Photo: Robert Lake Photography
“While it definitely wasn’t the most ideal way to form a partnership, it’s working out great for us so far. I have to say a huge thank you to Adrian and his family for giving me the opportunity to race his car. Hopefully we can continue to improve and work towards feature-race wins.”
After suffering a spinal injury in a mountain bike accident mid last season, Densley was unable to race and asked long time competitor and friend Bentvelzen to fill his seat for the remaining three 2015-16 season race meetings. With Bentvelzen himself out of a drive after writing his own car off in a wreck at Avalon Raceway, he was only too happy to oblige and the team hit the ground running with a podium result in their first night of competition.
With Densley not fully recovered, Bentvelzen was invited back to steer Team32’s car for the duration of the 2016-17 season and bringing along with him his best mate and long-time crew member Anthony De Maria. The transplanted combination is further complemented by Densley’s vastly experienced father Greg, and Adrian’s mechanical background has no doubt come in handy for the team and is adapting well to the role of car owner and mechanic, while Bentvelzen is clearly capable of achieving the on-track results.
For their next appearance, Team32 will contest a double header commencing on Boxing Day (December 26) at Bairnsdale Speedway and concluding the following night (December 27) at Rosedale Speedway.
Bentvelzen and Team32 would like to thank the following sponsors for their 2016-17 season support: Pro Finish Concreting, Troy Smethurst Gas Fittings & Plumbing, Szabo Excavations, SG Exhausts, Inverloch Panel and Towing, C&L Stainless, Autobarn Leongatha, High Performance Coatings, and Valvoline Oils. Bentvelzen would also like to give special thanks to his wife Rachel, Anthony De Maria, Adrian, Kae and Greg Densley, Lauren and Gavin White, Mat Eastham, his dad Fred and his partner Terri, and his mum Kerri and her partner Neville.
To find out more about Bentvelzen and follow Team32’s results, search Team32 on Facebook.