Farrer Defends State Sprintcar Title
BRENTEN FARRER blitzed the field to successfully defend his 360ci Sprintcars Victorian Championship sponsored by Mainline DynaLog Dynamometers at Heytesbury Stockfeeds Simpson Speedway last Saturday night .
From position two the Bendigo driver led all but the opening two laps of the 30-lap A-Main and lapped half the field with ease to defeat John Vogels and Chris Solomon.
Farrer’s evening began well as he set the fastest lap time of 13.084 seconds of the 42-car field in time trials and then recorded a first and a fourth in his qualifying heats.
It was the fourth time Simpson Speedway has held this prestigious event and in a blueprint of last year, Farrer negotiated the tight bullring speedway easily with perfect race conditions that enabled drivers to pass on either the top or bottom of the track.
Farrer has not been out of the placings in this championship since 2017 and was ecstatic with his efforts.
“I’m stoked,” Farrer said.
“When I got the lead, I thought I’m not giving anyone a sniff.
“I’m rapt to go back-to-back. It’s a big team effort and I couldn’t be happier right now.”
Polesitter and 2017 champion Jordyn Charge began in style to lead the field but would miss the placings and finish seventh while Vogels moved from fourth to second early and 2012 winner Chris Solomon drove strongly to grab third after starting ninth.
Reigning national 360 champion Brett Milburn was fourth and Dayn Bentvelzen again showed his liking for the class finishing fifth after winning the last chance B-Main and started 13th.
In The Tyre Factory Warrnambool Junior Formula 500s feature it was again Tyler Maggs who showed the way to comfortably win the 15-lap feature from pole position.
Maggs led every lap and defeated Max Bevan, Zoe Pearce and Rusty Ponting to add another Simpson victory to his growing list of wins in a career that looks set to flourish in the coming years.
In the Formula 500s final Brooke Buckingham held off regular sprintcar competitor Grant Stansfield to claim the 25-lap Formula 500 A-Main.
It was an inverted grid for the race with the top points scorer starting from the rear of the field but up front it was a solid battle for race honours throughout. Buckingham eventually did enough to win from Stansfield.
A determined Jett Bell was third followed by Terry Rankin and newly crowned state champion Jack Bell fifth from the back of the 19-car field.
The next race meeting at Heytesbury Stockfeeds Simpson Speedway will be on March 26, 2022, with the Victorian Speedcar Title, a round of the Modified Productions Series, Formula 500 Stampede Series round and Junior Formula 500s.
To support The Gillin Boys Foundation, Muscular Dystrophy Awareness Warrnambool and to celebrate Gavin White getting back into a formula 500 for the event, we are having “Green Night” and ask everyone to wear green. There will be a prize for the best dressed as well as donation tins and a raffle on the night that all proceeds will go directly to the foundation.
General Admission tickets are now available online.
Adults $25
Concession $22
Child 12-16 $10
Child 11 & Under Free
Photo taken by Geoff Rounds.