Big names ready for Brandt Sprintcar Speedweek
A big field is ready to take on the first round of Brandt Sprintcar Speedweek at Murray Bridge Speedway on Thursday night.
The first round of the five-race season is on Boxing Day at Murray Bridge before Bordertown and Mount Gambier complete the South Australian leg.
A total of 14 PRO Contracted stars and 14 SEMI PRO stars will take on local and travelling cars listed as “Casual” with all venues expecting fields of a minimum of 38 and in excess of 50 in some instances.
Both PRO and Semi PRO teams have enjoyed stellar form since the season began and the late entries of Supercars star Cam Waters and 2023 Grand Annual Sprintcar Classic Champion Brock Hallett has further built anticipation.
Aussie champ Lockie McHugh. Image: The Art of Speedway – Gavin Skene
South Australian Daniel Pestka celebrates some 16 years in the sport and after his stirring win in “Max’s Race” last weekend the Strathalbyn pastry chef and signwriter is keen to continue that winning form in the SP Racing #27.
American trio Chase Randall, Riley Goodno and Garet Williamson all have varying build-ups to their Speedweek assault with Goodno only arriving on Victorian soil last week to get acclimatised with his Maxwill Engines/J&J packages owned by David Challons.
Randall competed with distinction at last month’s “NAPA Speedway in the City” event at the VAILO Adelaide 500 with a runner-up spot on Night One in the Brandt USA9 and he’ll be determined to repeat that form at Murray Bridge where he starred in Speedweek last summer.
Garet Williamson will be buoyed by the news that he’s signed as a 2025 World of Outlaws NOS Energy Drink Sprintcar Series having endured some bad luck at Premier last weekend.
Garet Williamson. Image: The Art of Speedway – Gavin Skene
Current Australian champion Lockie McHugh brings the SRV #A1 into battle with sizzling early season form and most recently a win in Night One of the Super 8’s at Murray Bridge.
McHugh has openly said he wants the lap record and A-Main win in particular at Tolmer and he’s certainly up for that challenge.
Former Australian Champion Marcus Dumesny has shifted his race-base but not his focus as he continues with a bigger emphasis on the Rowett Motorsport #47 in Bordertown South Australia driving for Wayne “Snow” Rowett.
Marcus Dumesny Image: The Art of Speedway – Gavin Skene
“Back in black” with the car and the hauler the third generation racer knows that it’s time to get the job done – particularly at ‘home’ – Tolmer.
Tasmanian Tate Frost and Queenslander Jy Corbet are similar in many ways – they’re fast, they’re aggressive and they’re very familiar with the bottom of the throttle.
Frost in particular has some A-Main win cred to his name and Corbet wants some of that action for himself.
Jy Corbet. Image: Dumesny
It could be argued that Mount Gambier’s Glen Sutherland and Bendigo’s Rusty Hickman are in the best early season form of their careers with Sutherland regularly running top five or podium and recently crowned SA Champ Hickman helping himself to some donuts after the chequers much to the delight of the fans.
South Aussies Brendan Quinn and Parker Scott are contrasting in their racing budgets and their experience yet both will represent SA with pride.
Chase Randall
Quinn is a proven top ten performer and many of Scott’s rivals rate him as a real star of the future.
Warrnambool’s Peter Doukas knows that the time is now to step up and show that he’s capable of running with the big dogs off the Allansford porch in the immaculate V98.
Luke Dillon is out to prove that these kids are just an inconvenience and that years of experience, a still very heavy right foot and the resources of Perrett Family Racing with crew chief Michael Miller will be his inspiration for Speedweek victory.
Jordyn Charge. Image: The Art of Speedway – Gavin Skene
Jordyn Charge brings a wealth of geography and experience into Speedweek driving an iconic car for an iconic pair of brothers in the Downing #97.
After changing rides only a few weeks ago moving into the ‘Downing orange’ S97 (which Kerry Madsen won in on the final night of the NAPA Speedway in the City event) Jordyn has had an unlucky run but he’ll be looking to turn all that round on home turf for Darryl and Mike for the first three events in particular.
Brock Hallett only recently decided to run Speedweek and that’s a big announcement for fans of “B Rock” as the well resourced and always rapid GW Racing Q5 comes into the game with speed and victory under his belt.
Cameron Waters will be one to watch for Supercars fans.
Waters realises that ‘it’s time’ (as car owner Col McQuinn says) to ‘have a real crack’ after serving a few years now of his apprenticeship in Sprintcars.
Known for his stout qualifying and his ability to qualify up the front Waters needs to consolidate one win and the whole world will change.
‘Learning to win’ is a major force in any newcomer’s career.
Wild cards competing in multiple rounds include Warrnambool supremo Jamie Veal and Albury’s “The Gun” Grant Anderson in particular entering from Round Two at Tolmer Speedway onwards.
Tasmanian veteran Tim Hutchins is fresh off his A-Main win at Mount Gambier and stars on the rise Ethan Wyllie and Chad Gardner add a fresh “Apple Isle” vibe to the field as Semi-PRO.
South Aussie veteran Ryan Jones adds sparkle to any line-up and he’ll be joined by fellow SA gasser Hayden Pitt who makes a welcome return to the open road as Semi-PRO.
Victorians Will Carroll (Warrnambool) and ‘Mildurians’ Terry Kelly and Jay Brown represent the “Garden State” in addition to Hallett and Waters competing in all rounds.
Broken Hill second generation throttle man Brendan Guerin and the smiling assassin Jackson Delamont represent NSW in the Semi Pro ranks with both hoping for career best results.
Semi-Pro Queensland class act Randy Morgan makes the long haul south east and joins PRO Contract stars Lockie McHugh and Jy Corbet from the Sunshine State.
Brandt Sprintcar Speedweek drivers
PRO (in no particular order):
Marcus Dumesny NSW
Jy Corbet QLD
Lockie McHugh QLD
Peter Doukas VIC
Chase Randall USA
Riley Goodno USA
Glen Sutherland SA
Tate Frost TAS
Rusty Hickman VIC
Brendan Quinn SA
Jordyn Charge VIC
Luke Dillon SA
Daniel Pestka SA
Parker Scott SA
SEMI PRO (in no particular order) competing in all five rounds includes:
Garet Williamson USA
Cam Waters VIC
Brock Hallett VIC
Tim Hutchins TAS
Brendan Guerin NSW
Will Carroll VIC
Randy Morgan QLD
Hayden Pitt SA
Chad Gardner TAS
Jackson Delamont NSW
Ryan Jones SA
Ethan Wyllie TAS
Jay Brown VIC
Terry Kelly VIC
Drivers competing in a minimum of one-two rounds include:
Chad GardnerT45
Rounds: 1-5
Luke Storer VA3
Round: 4
Scott Enderl S11
Rounds: 2, 3, 5
Jake Smith V72
Rounds: 2-5
Grant Anderson V37
Rounds: 2-5
Ben Morris S3
Rounds: 1-3 & 5
Keke Falland S78
Rounds: 1-2
Bobby Daly V8
Rounds: 2-4
Corey SandowS43
Round: 1-2
Michael Tancredi V29
Round 4
Andrew Hughes V28
Rounds: 4-5
Ricky Maiolo S24
Rounds: 1-3
Steven Caruso S10
Rounds: 1-2
Grant Stansfield VA88
Rounds: 3-5
Jordan Rae D7
Rounds: 2-5
Mitchell SmithV75
Rounds: 2, 4, 5
Jamie Veal V35
Rounds: 2-5
Dylan Jenkin S50
Rounds: 1-3
Joel Heinrich S16
Rounds: 1-3
Ashley Cook VA36
Rounds: 2, 4, 5
Lachy McDonough S38
Rounds: 1-3
Jack LeeV25
Rounds: 4-5
Dane Court V96
Round 2, 3, 5
Dennis Jones V17
Rounds: 2-5
Domain Ramsay VA71
Rounds: 4-5
Jamie Heyen V89
Rounds: 4-5
David Dennison V15
Rounds: 5
Brett Milburn B68
Rounds: 2, 4, 5
Corey McCullagh V90
Rounds: 2, 3, 5
Steven Loader V10
Rounds: 2-5
Jason Wilson S6
Rounds: 1-3
Max Vidau S72
Rounds: 1-2
Chad Ely S22
Rounds: 1-2
Chris Solomon V11
Rounds: 2, 4, 5
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