Pestka Makes the Quick trip to a Eureka Series Win

Hamilton, AU — (February 3, 2013) — Daniel Pestka’s late decision to make the trip to Western Speedway Hamilton for round nine of the Eureka Garages and Sheds Sprintcar Series after the long trip home from Western Australia earlier in the week paid off by taking a very well deserved feature win in the Eureka Series last night.

With a lower car count than expected the competition level was at a high with drivers racing hard throughout heat races looking to qualify in the A Main on the newly prepared racing surface at Western Speedway. As the Eureka Series heads into the final few rounds this was going to be a very important night for the both Darren Mollenoyux and Brett Milburn that pose the biggest threat to Series Leader Matthew Reed to close the gap in the championship. Well history will show that that this was a tough night for the main challengers that would see both Mollenoyux and Milburn having to transfer to the A main via the B main giving them a tail end start and a chance to try and close the gap the Reed.

The six heat races produced six different winners, with the points added up and the grids for the final events set, the top six qualifiers went to the top six time trial for final shot at improving there starting grids while the next six qualifiers in positions seven thru to twelve locked into the Eureka Garages and Sheds A Main leaving the rest of the field racing from the B main for the last six transfer spots.

First up was the Top Six time trial which once again produced a mixed results, first out was the sixth highest qualifier Daniel Pestka, Daniel set the time to beat that was not bettered by the other drivers taking him from sixth on the grids to pole position, at the completion of the time trials the order was now Daniel Pestka, Brad Warren who was enjoying another good nights racing, John Vogels, then the top points qualifier Matthew Reed who drop down the table from Mike Van Bremen and Darren Hickman.

With the new Western Speedway racing surface settling down nicely the times were starting to tumble during the night and a second grove was now available for outside passes, it was time for the final races of the night.

Brett Smith lead the field home in the B main to transfer to the A main taking with him Brett Milburn, Darren Mollenoyux, Eddie Lumbar, Luke Bowey and Brendan Balcombe to join the other qualifiers from 7th thru to 12th Michael Cunningham, Glen Sutherland, Will Carroll, Tim Van Ginneken and Dennis Jones.

Eureka Garages and Sheds Final time, with time ticking away it was proving to be a marathon to get the first lap recorded with four attempts for spinning cars and two separate roll over’s. Sitting on the infield with their night over was Adam Sealey, Dennis Jones, Series Championship contender Brett Milburn and Darren Hickman.

With the race eventually under way it was Pestka to show a clean pair of heals from Reed and a charging Vogels, who demoted Warren down to fourth place, it was not long before Pestka moved in on the lapped traffic gapping himself from Reed with a couple of laps cars between them. Warren, Van Bremen and Cunningham were busy racing just behind the leaders leaving Carroll to fend of the challenges from both Van Ginneken and Mollenoyux who was having a rare night down the field by his standards.

Pestka was in scintillating form moving through the field lapping all before him up to eight place, Reed could not close the gap down as Pestka kept two lapped cars between himself and Reed with Vogels a little further back. Lap sixteen and disaster stuck for Cunningham while having one of his best runs for the season, after tagging the turn four wall Cunningham Rolled his machine down the front straight to finishing his run for the night. Now with the curfew only a few minutes away the stewards were left to meet the curfew time and it was now a run to the flag with a green white checker to finish the race, Pestka immediately open a gap on Reed at the restart to go on and take a comfortable win from Reed and Vogels then a very happy Brad Warren in fourth from Van Bremen, Carroll and the last car on the lead lap Mollenoyux. The other finishers were Sutherland, Balcombe, Lumbar, Smith and Bowey.

Daniel Pestka was the man on the night taking his first Eureka Garages and Sheds Sprintcar Series feature win in fine style, while Matthew Reed had no answer for Pestka it was still a good night for the Eureka Series points leader who opened the gap on his nearest rival a little further to just under two hundred points with three rounds to go. John Vogels showed the form of old with another good showing that keeps him in the chase for a mathematical chance of the Series Championship or a more realistic shot at a top three place.

Heat race wins on the night went to:
V74 Michael Cunningham, V6 Mike Van Bremen, V92 Matthew Reed, V29 Will Carroll, V70 John Vogels, V54 Brad Warren.

The Long weekend is the next two rounds of the Series with $5000 to win at each round of Eureka Garages and Sheds Sprintcar Series to be conducted on Saturday the 9th of March 2013 Round 10 at Simpson Speedway, Simpson followed by Round 11 the next night Sunday the 10th Of March at Avalon Raceway Lara . On track action will commence at approximately 5.30pm.

Eureka Garages and Sheds Series nightly contingency awards:

(ELF RACING FUELS top point scorer – V92 Matthew Reed
HOOSIER TIRE AUSTRALIA random draw between position 6th and 18th –
8th place – V77 Darren Mollenoyux
D&F RACING PRODUCTS hard luck of the night – V68 Brett Milburn
AMERICAN TIRE & RACING SERVICE a $100 product voucher for the most cars passed in the A Main at each round of the Series – V24 Brendan Balcombe (8 cars)
(This award will go to the driver that finished the higher if any ties)
CASCADE NATIONAL P/L 1st competitor not to transfer from B to A-Main –
V51 Peter Mines

End of Series awards:
Eureka Garages & Sheds major sponsor of the Series overall prize money poole.
KTM Top Ten Motorbike award – Random draw at the Presentation Dinner.
Camden Neon Signs & Hoosier Tire Australia – sponsors of the Series Prize poole.
Essendon Ford Trip to America award – for drivers finishing between 11th and 20th place in the Series. Random draw at the Presentation Dinner.
METRIC MEN End of Series most heat wins – Overall V77 Darren Mollenoyux (8)
JOHN SIDNEY RACING most cars passed in A-Main (end of series) cars passed. Overall – V54 Bradley Warren (24 cars)
Parr Motorsports –Drivers Driver award as voted on by the drivers in the Series.

The Eureka Garages and Sheds Sprintcar Series top twenty drivers in the standings:

Eureka Garages and Sheds Series – KTM Top 10:
1st – Matthew Reed – 3140
2nd – Darren Mollenoyux – 2945
3rd – Brett Milburn – 2831
4th – Michael Van Bremen – 2748
5th – John Vogels 2595
6th – Bradley Warren 2339
7th – Darren Hickman 2179
8th – Dennis Jones 2065
9th – David Murcott 1992
10th – Glen Sutherland 1991

Essendon Ford – Trip to America
(End of Series random draw between 11th & 20th place)
11th – Stephen Bell 1966
12th – Will Carroll 1954
13th – Tim Van Ginneken 1942
14th – Domain Ramsay 1887
15th – Michael Cunningham 1773
16th – Steven Lines 1762
17th – Eddie Lumbar 1702
18th – Peter Milnes 1646
19th – Brendan Balcombe 1560
20th – Jack Lee 1529