SPRINTCAR RACING ASSOCIATION OF VIC

ANDERSON THE MAN TO CATCH AGAIN IN SRA CLASH AT HEARTLAND

By Jarryd Stokes

There have been two Sprintcar Racing Association of Victoria feature events at Moama's Heartland Raceway and Grant Anderson has been the victor on both occasions in dominating performances. Last night (November 11) Anderson was too classy for a strong A-Main field, leading the defending SRA Super Sprint Series Champion John Vogels and Brett Milburn across the line on a brilliant racing surface.

The track produced for the round two SRA Super Sprint Series A-Main event was undoubtedly the best Sprintcar racing surface in Heartland Raceway's short tenure, allowing multiple racing grooves which inturn allowed the A Main to experience just one stoppage over the 25-lap journey.

“The track came good I thought,” stated race-winner Anderson . “You needed to dust off on the bottom so you can run the top and pass cars. Sure enough you don't set quick times, but you need it to be racy otherwise it's follow the leader and it's boring for everyone, the track provided great racing.”

Anderson , driving the V37 Foster, was the third highest on points after heat racing, with a fourth placing and a win to his achievements. In the top six time trial, Anderson recorded a lap of 15.384, which was the second quickest behind Vogels (15.377).

Vogels elected the outside starting position for the final, but Anderson was the driver that sped into the opening turns in front and for 15-laps non-stop, Anderson controlled the pace of the race keeping a respectable lead over Vogels. The one heart fluttering moment for the Anderson team came on the 15 th lap, when Brett Smith, a slower car, spun in front of Anderson exiting turn four. However on the restart Anderson established another buffer for the remaining 10-laps to take his second SRA feature win at Heartland Raceway.

“It's turned out to be a good track for us, I just hope we can keep that form going into a few other bigger races here,” said Anderson while collecting his first place trophy.

Vogels was worn out after the race driving his Total Dairy Service V70 Cool Chassis, but he was also extremely satisfied with second placing which does ample of favours on the points tally in a series he is aiming to win for the third time in as many seasons.

“We're very happy, we tried a few different things and it sort of payed off,” said Vogels. “Congratulations to Grant (Anderson) and Brett (Milburn) for getting their positions, it was a great race on a very trying track. I'm a bit worn out but it was great.”

Milburn was highest qualifier after the heats, but failed to hold down what would have been a front row start in the A-Main after undergoing the top six-time trial. ‘The Jet' moved from position one to position four courtesy of the time trial, but the team still achieved their goal of finishing on the podium in the A-Main.

“We're stoked, we came here with high aspirations and myself and the all of the boys (crew) were all pretty fired up to try and start off on high points before the final, which we did and we were stoked with that,” Milburn said.

“But unfortunately I stuffed up the two-lap dash (time trial), which put us back to fourth to start the final. The car was good but it went away just a little quicker than I thought and third was as good as we could get.”

Finishing fourth in the A-Main was Mike Van Bremen and ‘The Flying Dutchman' was right on the pace all night. $400, courtesy of venue promoter Dave Roberts and a local sponsor, was up for the taking if a driver could break into the 12-second bracket. Unfortunately the money was not taken with Van Bremen setting the quickest lap of the night, a 14.003 in the opening heat race.

Local hometown favourite Travis Mills came from position seven in the final to finish fifth in a solid performance that will leave him brimming with confidence for future rounds. In sixth position was one of the three South Australian competitors in the 25-car line up, Wayne Rowett. The crow eater sat in third position and looked comfortable for a deserving podium finish, but the only restart caught Rowett napping.

Steven Lines was the big mover in the feature, coming via the B Main to claim seventh in the A-Main. Other B Main transferees failed to move forward in an equivalent manner to Lines, with Jamie Veal the storming winner in the last chance event finishing 12 th in the feature. John Baynes (13 th ) and Rod Matthews (14 th ) were the other B Main starters.

Ian Thomsen and Troy Shiells had a rock-solid night behind the wheel, finishing eighth and ninth ahead of Simon Amato, whom qualified in sixth position in the final but strained back to finish 10 th . Smith finished 11 th , with South Australian Glen Sutherland claiming 15 th behind the B Main transferees, Ron Dalton was in last position. Amazingly, all 16 cars that started the A Main finished.

Racing was at its fastest earlier in the evening with six heat races contested over 8-laps. Van Bremen , Shiells, Milburn, Mills, Sutherland and Anderson were all triumphant in the smoothly ran qualifying races, which seen minimal stoppages and no red light cautions.

The SRA Super Sprint Series will return to the growing venue of Heartland Raceway twice in March, but all eyes now turn to round three which will be held at Premier Speedway-Sungold Stadium on November 25.

SRA Super Sprint Series Round 2 Sponsorship Contingency Awards:

VALVOLINE AWARD: Top Point Scorer – V68 Brett Milburn

D&F RACING PRODUCTS AWARD: Hard luck of the night – V26 David Magilton

JOHN SIDNEY RACING AWARD: Most cars passed in the A Mains (end of series award). On the night most cars passed in A Main – S59 Steven Lines (8)

Overall - 1 st V92 Matthew Reed, 2 nd V70 John Vogels, 3 rd S59 Steve Lines

HIGH ACE WINGS AWARD: Most B Main wins (end of series award). B Main winner on the night – V35 Jamie Veal

REVOLUTION RACEGEAR AWARD: Most heat wins (end of series award). Winners on the night – V6 Mike Van Bremen, V74 Troy Shiells, V68 Brett Milburn, V10 Travis Mills, S20 Glen Sutherland, V37 Grant Anderson.

Overall - Equal 1 st - V68 Brett Milburn, V74 Troy Shiells, two heat wins each

SRA SUPER SPRINT SERIES TOP TEN AFTER TWO ROUNDS:

V70 John Vogels – 769

V68 Brett Milburn – 749

V6 Mike Van Bremen – 593

V39 Brett Smith - 589

V35 Jamie Veal – 554

S20 Glen Sutherland - 551

V44 Ron Dalton – 547

V10 Travis Mills – 526

V62 John Baynes - 511

V74 Troy Shiells - 501

The Sprintcar Racing Association of Victoria wish to thank the following Super Sprint Series sponsors:

HOOSIER TIRES AUSTRALIA, D&F RACING PRODUCTS, JOHN SIDNEY RACING,  SPRINTCARWORLD , REVOLUTION RACEGEAR, MAXAM PRINTING, PERFORMANCE RACING PHOTOGRAPHY, M D MOTORSPORTS, HI ACE WINGS, CAMDEN NEON SIGNS.         

SprintcarWorld – www.sprintcarworld.com.au
John Sidney Racing – www.johnsidneyracing.com.au
Camden Neon Signs – www.camdenneon.com.au
M D Motorsport – www.mdmotorsport.com.au

Revolution Racegear – www.revolutionracegear.com.au