KEN JENKINS NAMED NATIONAL MIDGET TITLE GRAND MARSHAL

Feature photo by: Glenn Gorham.

Story by Dennis Newlyn.

Speedcar Association of New South Wales life member Ken Jenkins was officially announced Thursday, March 2, as Grand Marshal for the 81ST running of the Australian Midget Championship at Eastern Creek Speedway March 3-4.

In front of a packed function room at Liverpool Catholic Club in western Sydney, he was given the honour following a life time devotion to speedway as former pit crew member, driver, club administrator and operator of the Speedcar Super Series for 14 years.

Jenkins, 79, is also a life member of the Sprintcar Association of NSW.

During his time in club administration he has been president, as well as filling other executive positions, and a long serving committee member.

He raced Super Modifieds in the ‘sixties and was one of the first drivers to bring an imported American Sprintcar to Australia in the mid-‘seventies. 

He came in on the ground floor at association administrative level when Sprintcars were introduced into Australia in the early 1970s. He also did a stint as chief steward for Sprintcars.

During the 1990s he worked as advertising manager at Sydney’s former Parramatta City Raceway. 

His sons Darren and Troy have made a name for themselves in national Midget-Speedcar racing and both are winners of the prestigious Australian Grand Prix.

His dedication and devotion to the sport is admirable and he is as keen on all sections of speedway today as he was when he started following the sport in the early ‘sixties.

“I am overwhelmed,” Jenkins said. 

“It means so much to me in this great sport and I want to thank Speedcars Australia and also the Speedcar Association of NSW  for this wonderful honour.

“This will be a great championship in the fabulous tradition of Midget-Speedcar racing going back decades. I am sure we will see a wonderful spectacle over the next two nights.”