Pestka and Pitcher take big wins at Heytesbury Stockfeeds Simpson Speedway last Saturday
South Australian Daniel Pestka in the SPRacing Sprintcar was always in the hunt for the $10,000 first-place prize in the C&H Trucking 360/LS 10K Shootout presented by Apostle Signage Solutions & Wraps, and as the other serious challengers faltered under the pressure, Pestka gladly accepted the big cheque.
The other event of the night was the prestigious Snoopy Slam for the storming Super Rods, who similarly put on sensational racing, with Jacob Pitcher grabbing the win from Shaun Walsh and Stan Marco Jr. The latter pair had an especially torrid but clean battle for the minor positions.
While the sun and the flies were out in full force, it was the stiff breeze that kept the fans rugged up and ready for some hot action.
For the Sprintcars, the combined hot lap/qualifying session was a real winner, with Jake Smith setting fast time in Flight 1 and Brenten “Smooch” Farrer quickest in Flight 2 of the 49 cars that packed the pits.
Heat 1 saw rookie Rusty Ponting scorch to the win with a lap time quicker than those set during time trials.
First-time visiting American Hunter Schuerenberg in the Eastham V88 only made one lap in Heat 2 as he tried to adjust to the unique circuit.
“I’ve run tracks like this at home, but not as a combination,” he explained from the infield. “The two ends are so different and that’s the challenge.”
Local Matt Symons took Heat 2, and Farrer scored the victory in Heat 3.
Heat 4 saw Pestka score, while Steven Loader’s decision to leave Tolmer Speedway to race Simpson backfired when he went upside down.
The first of the reverse-grid heats went to Chris Campbell, and then Schuerenberg redeemed himself by winning Heat 6.
Heat 7 belonged to James Oliver and Shaun Lyness took the final heat.
A full C-Main field showed the strength of the 360/LS division down south, and it looked like veteran Phil Micallef was going to score the win until he went high to pass a lapped car only to find a lack of grip and was quickly passed by Luke Cole and Jack McCarthy. Sam Wren joined the group of transferees.
Up until this point things had been moving along relatively smoothly, but as often happens it quickly turned sour.
Micallef ended upside down after contact from Campbell, and then on the restart Jordan Rae destroyed a chassis in a coming together with Zack Rogerson. Eddie Lumbar rode the wall as he rode a wheel when the red lights came on. Lumbar was slightly injured but was okay to race the following night.
The 35-lap feature claimed its share of victims but was quite a spectacular race.
Farrer led away from the green and was instantly pressured by Pestka and Symons. With sparks flying from his red-hot rear brake rotor, Farrer punished his car until on lap 12 when fifth-starting Chris Solomon in the Brad Foster V11 hit the front and immediately opened a gap.
Solomon’s lead sadly only lasted three laps before a steering failure saw the car turn right into the wall just before Turn 3 in a wicked wreck that damaged the catch fence further after Lumbar’s earlier effort.
Solomon was quickly out of the car and related, “I was only at eight tenths as I knew we still had a long way to go.”
“The steering then got wonky,” he demonstrated with requisite hand movements. “Down the front straight the steering wheel was to the left, and down the back it was to the right!”
This was a lucky break for Farrer, who was back in the lead with the brakes momentarily cooled. It wasn’t long, however, before the sparks were flying off the rear brake as he gave his all to hold the lead in pursuit of the big money.
On lap 25 Pestka made his move into the lead and Farrer upped his aggression even further, but sadly a spin in Turn 3 on lap 27 killed his race, leaving Olive and Symons to complete the podium. Brett Milburn endured a late race challenge from Dane Court, who’d stormed from 19th to fifth and was alongside Milburn at the flag.
This event at the bullring is one that is going to keep on growing thats for sure, With News that C&H Trucking have committed to The 2027 C&H Trucking 360LS 10K Shootout, Heytesbury Stockfeeds Simpson Speedway were very excited to announce on Saturday Night
A slightly smaller-than-expected group of racers contested the premier Snoopy Slam, watched on by the man himself, John “Snoop” Verhoeven.
Imagine his glee when his eldest son Paul led the race early, but the ultimate joy was short-lived as Jacob “Back It In” Pitcher soon hit the lead that he would hold until the end despite a scare when he spun after getting caught up with a spinning back-marker.
“My heart was pounding in my chest as I thought, ‘Oh no, don’t get caught up in this!’” he explained. Despite his youth, Pitcher understands the importance of this race and the influence and stature of the man it honours.
Thankfully for Pitcher, the group’s rules of racing allowed him to restart back in the lead as he was the innocent victim of the incident.
From there he re-established a small margin of victory, aided in part by the duelling pair of Marco Jr. and Walsh, who were going at it hammer and tong nose to tail on the high line.
Walsh eventually secured the pass on the last lap despite an earlier issue.
“Did you see the lap where I wobbled down the back straight!” he exclaimed. “My steering wheel came off in my hands.” That was some quick and smooth (lucky) work to get it reinstalled at racing speed without having a wreck.
Consolation for Marco Jr. was the fastest lap of the race, while best buds Jamie May and Michael Coad filled out the top five.
An eleven-car field of Street Stocks was also in action, with some big damage in the final.
Ricky Throckmorton had a moment on the opening lap and the resulting contact destroyed the back of the car, almost pushing the battery into the fuel tank — which would not have been a good thing.
Dean Jenkins led home a Colac club trifecta, followed by Jacob Kelly and Jensen Wilson, with Chris Hay and Dylan Wilkinson next.
Next month will be an absolute feast for Speedcar fans with the country’s two biggest Speedcar events run a week apart, starting with the time-honoured Victorian Speedcar Championship on February 7, supported by the Trevor Podger Memorial for Super Rods and Wingless Sprints.
Then, just six days later, it’s the big one — the Australian Speedcar Championship on Friday and Saturday, February 13 and 14. Both events will be well supported as most teams will use the Vic Title as a shakedown for teams new to the venue, and of course they’ll all be there contesting for the ultimate crown in one of the world’s oldest events for Speedcars.
Support divisions will include Formula 500s on Friday and the 360/LS Sprintcars on Saturday