After a day of trying weather conditions with temperatures around the forty degree mark there was no stopping Charles Hunter from taking his first Eureka Garages & Sheds Series feature win with Terry Rankin doing a great job to take second place leaving Brock Hallet to fill third place.
The venue operators had a few hurdles to conquer to try and give the competitors a suitable race track for the night’s events but the heat of the day continued into the evening to make their job that bit harder. While the track was relatively good during the heat races that produced good heat racing it was when the final two events of the night were run it was the drivers that would have look for the best setup and manage their tyres during these events.
Occasionally some drivers have one of those nights where everything seems to go there way and for Charles Hunter that was the case in round ten of the Eureka Garages & Sheds Sprintcar Series. Charles drove well during the heats races to qualify as the top point’s scorer and give himself the best change to a take a maiden win in the Eureka Series. As mentioned in the round 10 media pre release Charles has probably been the most consistent driver over the last few rounds and this round was no different.
While a few of the more fancied drivers the likes of Darren Mollenoyux, Brett Milburn and Brayden Parr had to come from the B Main event it was going to be tough job for these drivers to get near the front in the Eureka Garages & Sheds A main event.
The Main event stating order was set with V73 Charles Hunter and S13 Brock Hallet on the front row to be followed by the current Series points leader in the VA71 machine, Corey McCullagh with VA29 Terry Rankin along side of him then it would be V98 Peter Doukas, V35 Jamie Veal, V8 Bobby Daly, V25 Jack Lee, V19 Sam Wren, VA81 Rhys Baxter, V42 Jye Okeeffe and VA75 David Donegan along with the B Main transferring drivers.
Hunter won the start but is was Rankin that quickly made a move into second place that would see Hallet relegated back to third place and McCullagh back to forth by the completion of lap one. Mollenoyux was the big mover on lap one where he passed four cars on the outside only to have Milburn demote him back one spot on the next lap.
With the field running nose to tail in the early laps Rankin was keeping in close proximity of Hunter with Hallet, McCullagh, and Veal who was up one place ahead of Doukas but Doukas had other plans and blasted past Veal to fifth place on lap five.
Farrer also made a few moves in the early stages to move from eighteenth place to thirteen passing Mollenoyux for the spot, Mollenoyux was quick to respond and regain the position back on the next lap.
Up front Hunter had caught the tail end cars but catching was one thing and passing was another with the slick track conditions, the tail end cars were keeping a good pace where Hunter was playing safe knowing if the following driver (Rankin) caught him he would have to try to go to the outside and that would most probably have been a bad move.
Five laps to go and the cautions lights were on for Doukas who slowed with a flat tyre. Now with clean air once again Hunter was wasted no time to open a big gap back to Rankin who in turn put a good gap between himself and the perusing trio of Hallet, McCullagh and Veal who were fighting for the final podium spot, but up front Hunter sailed in to take the win with a comfortable margin over Rankin while Hallet held out McCullagh and Veal while Daly came home to claim sixth place.
Rounding out the finishing order were Lee, Okeeffe, Baxter, Wren, Mollenoyux, Milburn, Farrer, Parr, Donegan, Ellis and Paul Solomon.
With Charles Hunter taking the win and his good performances of late Hunter he has closed to the gap to the current Eureka Series point’s leader Corey McCullagh to just ninety five points and with two rounds of the Series still to go the Series is still wide open.
Heat wins went to, VA75 David Donegan, S13 Brock Hallet, V12 Kristy Ellis, VA71 Corey McCullagh, V73 Charles Hunter, V8 Bobby Daly, V35 Jamie Veal, VA29 Terry Rankin.
The B Main event was won by V68 Brett Milburn from V52 Darren Mollenoyux, V12 Kristy Ellis, V77 Brayden Parr, V7 Paul Solomon and V34 Brenten Farrer, these six drivers transferred to the A Main.
The C Main win went to V78 Chris Campbell, 2nd was V45 Mike Van Bremen, 3rd Dennis Jones and 4th place was taken by VA88 Grant Stansfield, these top four drivers would go thru to the B Main.
For the full race results go to the SCW web site www.sprintcarworld.com.au and then go to results.
The next round of Eureka Garages & Sheds Sprintcar Series returns to Heartland Raceway at Echuca / Moama Saturday the 23rd of February 2019.
Eureka Garages and Sheds Series nightly contingency awards:
AVALON RACEWAY DRIVERS DRAW: $50 – V98 Peter Doukas.
HOOSIER TIRE AUSTRALIA: 11th Place in the A Main at Each round.
11th V52 Darren Mollenoyux.
D&F RACING PRODUCTS: Hard luck of the night – V70 John Vogels.
STEELPIPES PTY LTD: 1st competitor not to transfer from B to A-Main –
VA4 Carly Walsh.
INDY RACE PARTS: Top Points Scorer ($100 voucher) – V73 Charles Hunter.
MR ELECTRIC – Winner of the B Main ($250) – V68 Brett Millburn.
End of Series awards:
Eureka Garages & Sheds major sponsor of the Series overall prize money Poole.
Indy Race Parts award – Random draw at the Presentation Dinner.
Camden Neon Signs – sponsors of the Series Prize Poole.
Hoosier Tire Australia – sponsors of the Series Prize Poole.
Western Nissan - for drivers finishing between 11th and 20th place in the Series. Random draw at the Presentation Dinner $1500 to the winner.
Lumbar Transport - End of Series most heat wins –VA71 Corey McCullagh
(5 wins).
Western Nissan - most cars passed in the A-Main on the night,
V34 Brenten Farrer (5 cars)
(End of series award) Most cars passed overall –V34 Brenten Farrer (20 cars)
ELIMINATOR RACE WINGS – for the driver that transfers the most from the B Main to the A Main event the most. Overall, V77 Brayden Parr (4 times)
(In the event of a tie the driver with the most points in the Series wins)
PARR MOTORSPORTS –Drivers Driver award as voted on by the drivers in the Series. (End of Series award)
Eureka Garages and Sheds Series – Indy Race Parts Top 10:
1st – Corey McCullagh - 2748
2nd – Charles Hunter – 2653
3rd – Bobby Daly - 2537
4th – Brayden Parr - 2468
5th – Terry Rankin - 2392
6th – Brenten Farrer - 2282
7th – Sam Wren - 2235
8th – Jordyn Charge - 2211
9th – Dennis Jones - 2178
10th – Grant Stansfield – 2062
Western Nissan
(End of Series random draw between 11th & 20th place)
11th – Brett Milburn – 2047
12th – Andrew Hughes - 1981
13th – Rhys Baxter – 1719
14th – Peter Doukas – 1709
15th – Paul Solomon - 1691
16th – David Aldersley - 1629
17th – Chris Solomon - 1588
18th – David Donegan - 1578
19th – Jamie Veal - 1475
20th – Matthew Reed – 1411
For a full list of all the 2018-2019 SRA of Vic Race dates go to www.sravic.com
The Sprintcar Racing Association of Victoria thank the following Eureka Garages and Sheds Sprintcar Series and season sponsors:
EUREKA GARAGES & SHEDS, WESTERN NISSAN, MD MOTORSPORT, HOOSIER TIRE AUSTRALIA, CAMDEN SINGAGE & BUILDING SERVICES, PARR MOTORSPORTS, STEELPIPES AUSTALIA, LUMBAR’S TRANSPORT, AVALON RACEWAY, INDY RACE PARTS, MR ELECTRIC, D&F RACING PRODUCTS, ELIMINATOR RACE WINGS, COREY GIBSON PHOTOGRAPHY, MAXAM PRINTING, SPRINTCARWORLD.
Eureka Garages & Sheds www.eurekagarages.com.au
Western Nissan www.westernnissan.com.au
Hoosier Tires Australia www.mdmotorsport.com.au
Camden Signage & Building Services www.camdenneon.com.au
Steelpipes Pty Ltd www.steelpipes.com.au
Lumbars Transport www.lumbars.com.au
Eliminator Race Wings www.crossmotorsport.com
Mr Electric www.mrelectric.com.au
Parr Motorsports www.parrmotorsport.com
Avalon Raceway www.avalonraceway.com.au
Corey Gibson Photography www.gibsonphotography.com.au
Sprintcarworld www.sprintcarworld.com.au
Maxam Printing www.maxamprinting.com.au
Indy Race Parts (Australia) 0438 819 444
Charles Hunter powering his way the the Eureka Series round 10 win and picking up $5000 for his efforts - Photo Corey Gibson
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