EASTER TRAIL TO FINISH SPRINTCAR SEASON WITH A BANG

By Thomas Miles (courtesy Auto Action)

Another huge summer of speedway will conclude with a bang with the traditional curtain closer, the three-night spectacular that is the Easter Sprintcar Trail.

Some of the sport’s biggest names will send off the season in style by giving it everything to get the chocolates across three races at Geelong’s Avalon Raceway, Mount Gambier’s Borderline Speedway and Warrnambool’s Premier Speedway.

It all kicks off on Good Friday at Avalon before the roadshow moves across the border to Mount Gambier for a Saturday night spectacular.

As always, the finale will be at the historic Warrnambool venue where trail bragging rights are on offer.

Across all three nights Super Rods will be on show where an exciting JD Race Parts Premier Speedway Track Championship will be decided with Jamie May only leading Shaun Walsh by four points having been the pace setters all year.

At Premier Speedway Sports Sedans and Street Stocks will also entertain the crowd.

The Easter Sprintcar Trail has been a fixture of the Sprintcar calendar ever since 1980 and has grown quite the legacy over the last four and a half decades.

Mount Gamber and Warrnambool have always been part of it with races initially held at Bendigo, Portland and Melbourne Speedbowl before Geelong/Avalon became a fixture in 1989.

All the big names have been successful in the Easter Sprintcar Trail from Tim Moncreif winning the inaugural race in 1980 to Garry Rush, who dominated the decade, to Max Dumesny winning regularly into the 2000s before James McFadden and Jock Goodyer took triumphs in recent years.

Last year Tate Frost prevailed after dominant wins at both Mount Gambier and Warrnambool.

He will be back trying to secure the title again and prove himself as one of the leading rising talents.

Also up for grabs on Easter Sunday will be the Total Tools Premier Speedway Track Championship where Jamie Veal is the man to beat.

Veal has been on fire whenever racing has been held at Warrnambool, winning the last two races to enjoy a commanding 116-point advantage over Peter Doukas.

Entries are still rolling in with around 30 cars anticipated, but Frost is definitely coming back to attempt the double, while Ian Madsen is coming from interstate and there will be plenty of South Australians determined for some home success led by Daniel Pestka, who was last season’s runner-up.