Australian Midget Championship Form Guide
Author : Archerfield Speedway
The Australian Midget Championship to be held at Supercheap Auto Archerfield Speedway this weekend has drawn the interest of not only three of the country's best in Nathan Smee, Mark Brown and Troy Jenkins but also five-time New Zealand Midget Champion Michael Kendall and America's Dave Darland who will jet into Brisbane later this week for the event. Here's a quick look at the form of some of the drivers who will be competing in the Championship.
Smee and Brown have outstanding credentials and combined, their list of wins are the envy of many. Smee, a winner at the famed Western Springs Speedway in Auckland NZ earlier this month, returns to Brisbane where he has won numerous Features including last season's American Tire And Racing Services Fifty Lapper while Brown is a five time Super Series Champion, multiple State Champion and recently wrapped up his fourth win in the Australian Grand Prix event in NSW.
Jenkins heads to Brisbane with form on his side after winning Round 3 of the Super Series in Victoria on Saturday night and will be confident of his chances in the Championship after posting a number of podium finishes in both Super Series events and other races in Qld in recent years.
Kendall, who now calls Qld home but still flies the Kiwi flag proudly and with distinction, will rightly go into the Championship as one of the hot favourites given his form over the past twelve months or so at Archerfield. Michael has already claimed three Polar Ice Series Feature wins at the venue this season plus the Danny Davidson Memorial at Toowoomba and has rarely been off the podium in other events he has contested.
Dave Darland, known to his legion of fans around the world as "The People's Champ", has answered the call from Jack Berry Racing to pilot the #29 Polar Ice Esslinger in this weekend's Championship and will leave cold of his Kokomo Indiana home behind for the warm sunny climes of Brisbane and a chance to add an Australian Championship to his list of racing achievements. The winner of USAC National Championships in all three major divisions - Midget, Sprintcar and Silver Crown - Darland competed in the recent International Midget Series events in Auckland finishing fourth in the Fifty Lapper behind compatriot Kyle Larson.
Of the Qld-based drivers in the field, Anthony Chaffey and Brendan Palmer stand out as two of the best local hopes. Chaffey won the opening Round of the POWRi Super Series in October and Palmer is the defending winner of the Polar Ice Qld Midget Car Series so both have the credentials to be contenders for the win.
Matthew Greenwood won Round 3 of the Polar Ice Series At Archerfield in December, Troy Ware owns a POWRi Super Series Fast Time Award and former Qld Club Champion Brock Dean cannot be counted out either despite running limited events in the Midget ranks this season.
The quest to crown the 2013 Australian Midget Championship winner starts in earnest on Saturday night with Time Trials, three rounds of qualifying Heat races and a Preliminary Feature while Sunday night's programme finalises the grid through another round of Heats, the Shootouts and B-Main before the field lines up for the forty lap Championship Final.
Both night's programmes include the Australian AMCA Nationals Championship and support class racing with Sunday night's show also featuring a Caravan, Boat And Dunny Race and a special Australia Day Fireworks spectacular. Tickets are available online through the track website at brisbanespeedway.com.au
Australian Midget Championship - Nominations:
Adam Wallis (NSW), Andrew Sid Whitaker, Anthony Chaffey, Bill Foreman, Brendan Palmer, Brock Dean, Chris Singleton, Darren Vine, Darryl Bonell, Dave Darland (USA), Donald Mackay, Jason Bell (NSW), Khaz Fahy (NSW), Mark Brown (NSW), Mark George, Matthew Greenwood, Matt Hefford, Michael Harders, Michael Kendall (NZ), Mitch Whitaker, Nathan Smee (NSW), Robbie Stewart, Robert Mackay, Rodney Harders, Steve Swingler, Trent Usher, Troy Jenkins (NSW), Troy Ware.
Event Information:
Date: Saturday/Sunday, January 26/27, 2013
Venue: Supercheap Auto Archerfield Speedway
Location: 63 Colebard Street West, Archerfield Qld
Adults: $25.00/$27.00
Pensioners & Students (with Photo ID): $20.00/$22.00
Teens: 13 - 15 yrs: $13.00/$15.00, Children: 3 - 12 yrs: $6.00/$8.00
Family Passes: $50.00/$60.00 (2 adults + 2 children 12 yrs or under)
General admission gates open 4:00pm, early racing from 4:30pm, main programme from 6:00pm.
Parking is available at the track for $3.00. Racing finishes by 10.30pm.
Programmed events include: Australian Midget Championship, Australian AMCA Nationals Championship and support class racing both nights plus a Caravan, Boat And Dunny Race (Sunday), Fireworks (Sunday).
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