ISSUE 5 OCTOBER
2014
USA USA Sedan Sedan Driver’s Driver’s That That Toured Toured
a i l a r t s u A
GEERING GEERING
SPEEDCAR SPEEDCAR ACTION ACTION
Editorial Who is Highline Magazine Editor: Brett Swanson Contributors; Brian Van De Wakker, Grant Woodhams, Artist/layout; Andy Ticehurst / PRM Publishing Photographers: Brett Swanson – Pirate Media Kieran Swanson – Pirate Media Matt Hines – Jigsaw Photography Andy Ticehurst – AndyTicehurst.com Rachel Cooper - Inaction Photos Leigh Reynolds - Inaction Photos You – The Speedway fans Facebook
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ell the new season is finally here at last after what seems like a long and
slow winter hiatus. The good news is that the new ownership at Sydney’s Valvoline Raceway has created a real buzz amongst com-
Contributions / Criticism welcome. High Line Magazine Brett Swanson 0410 198 138 brett@piratemediaservices.com.au
Front Cover, Speedcar “Spanner Man” #N4 Paul Murphy puts one on Braydan Willmington. Late Model Action from the USA. Silver Dollar Speedway grandstand. Images: Jigsaw & InAction Highline Magazine
Sydney Speedway’s new Turn One Bar being constructed
petitors and so far the signs are that Barry Waldren’s huge investment has been worthwhile. It sure has been worthwhile for Victorian racer Jamie Veal who after a successful campaign through Ohio and surrounding regions has won both of the opening Sprintcar features run at the time of writing. Veal, whose crew was
d just days after the new owner took over.
led previously by former SRA Series champion driver Jeff Judd, was pretty sharp but is now even sharper thanks to the addition of Glen Beaton. Beaton is a relative newcomer to our sport and a great success story, getting his induction through Ballarat racer Rod Mattews. Beaton was one of Mathews’ Moto-X riding buddies but was obviously a quick learner and was soon part of Jason Meyers’ dual World of Outlaws Championship winning team. After some visa issues forced him to return home he hooked up with Team 25 and James McFadden and together they won more than their fair share. Beaton is now with the Veal team and the results continue to come his way. Veals’ Sydney success however may be Victroria’s loss as rumour has it that Veal will now chase the Sydney track championship rather than the SRA Eureka Series. Already the buzz is continuing to build around the 2014/15 version of the Lucas Oils Grand Annual Sprintcar Classic. Defending champion Tim Kaeding is back with the Sean Dyson team and Trey Starks, Danny Holtgraver and Brad Sweet are also confirmed. Terry McCarl has let it be known that he is looking for a ride and as the weeks roll-on the announcements will no doubt come thick and fast. The other big and recent off season story is that of the huge shake-up at Speedway Australia (SA). Something of
Image: Wade Aunger
a coup by the majority of the Shareholders has seen a big change to the composition of the board with specific members removed and others installed. Speedway Australia was a contentious vehicle right from the get-go when it was known as NASR (National Association for Speedway Racing) and a group of concerned people tried to set-up an alternative option without a privately owned company sitting behind and parallel to the Incorporated association that we all thought we were members of. But the average competitor “just wanted to race� and didn’t want to get involved in the politics and so the unusual structure was established and allowed to exist unfettered. Recently however, the majority of the shareholders of the Proprietary company (which included individuals and speedway divisions such as the Sprintcar Control Council of Australia (SCCA)), decided that things needed to change and the process has started with the old chairman being removed and Ross Allan in-
stalled. Other members of the board were also removed and some didn’t go quietly believing they couldn’t be removed. Gary Winter, the lawyer who allegedly was instrumental in setting up the unique structure, has also hit on some hard issues having been forced to resign his legal position after it was found he had lied on court. Many issues with the day to day running of the organisation have been uncovered and the new board are determined to be open and transparent and to fix things so that it is the association members that reap the rewards of their own membership and licence fees. One of the first casualties was the recently appointed general Manager Jeff Krebbekx who replaced Dale Gilson.
In a briefly worded statement SA simply stated: The Board of Directors of Speedway Australia have released General Manager, Jeff Krebbekx. The decision was not made lightly, and the Speedway Australia office and associated activities will carry on as per normal. Big things were expected from Krebbebx (pictured left) due to his motorsport background (unlike Gilson) but it seems the new board didn’t hold the same enthusiasm as the previous board. While there are still many issues to be sorted out at least it appears to be a step in the right direction. Let’s hope the enthusiasm and impetus of the board remains strong and that the shareholders behind the decision to open up the company to broader scrutiny don’t waiver in their resolve. Cheers Brett Swanson Pirate Media
On the road.....
INACTION “in action“ in the US Story, Images, Rachel Cooper & Leigh Reynolds
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fter talking about it for so long & hearing all the stories from fellow travellers – it was time for Inaction to experience American Speedway & what the USA has to offer. Highline Magazine
28 hours & 3 flights and we landed in Des Moines, Iowa. After securing our sexy black Dodge Charger for us to race around in, we headed to our first point on the Inaction map, Oskaloosa Speedway.
On the way, we discovered Doug’s 4 Wheelers on the highway just outside Pella, a Panel beater & repair shop which was more like a graveyard for classic American cars. Ranging from Studebakers, Mustangs, Impala’s,
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Dodges and much more. Doug was more than happy for us to have a wander around. We were blown away by the paddocks full of everything from 1960’s cars, buses, trucks & bikes to the new. Not a lot of the new as Doug’s motto is ‘crush the new, keep the old’. And he is more than happy to help you organise to take one home. We could have stayed for hours but Oskaloosa and our first glimpse of speedway was waiting. Our first taste of Sprintcars & Speed-
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way in the USA was Oskaloosa and what an introduction. First heat, first lap, first corner saw Sprintcar driver Cody Ledger up & over the fencing and out of the track. The track is big, fast and these Americans sure can race. What a show – and it was a show. From the singing of the national anthem, giveaways, music, people sitting on the roofs of their houses to watch, to the grandstand full of passionate fans – this was a pretty cool intro to speedway US style.
Oskaloosa or Southern Iowa Speedway. Co-promoted by Terry McCarl where they throw a party and a race breaks out.
Next day had us driving about 2 hours east to West Liberty Raceway for the Coors Light Open Late Model Shootout. 48plus Late Models took to the huge ½ mile track. This was the best Late Model Sedan racing we have seen yet anywhere. 4 wide at over 120mph had us snapping pics faster than we have ever before. Sitting in the grandstand for the final, we were on our feet cheering with the rest of the crowd watching the action packed 50 lap final. So far – this was pretty awesome stuff.
54th
KNOXVILLE Nationals
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alking onto the hallowed ground at Knoxville, you kind of held your breath as you took in the massive stadium and the history of the place. Hero’s of your childhood past and current champions had churned the soil you were walking on. You couldn’t help but reach down and rest your hand on the dirt. (Come on Leigh - Rachel wouldn’t want to get dirt under her nails would she – ED). The 4 day scheduled event reduced to 3, due to a rainout on night one, certainly didn’t dampen the spirits of fans or two starry-eyed Aussie photographers. Everywhere we went there was something to see or do at Knoxville. Each day had plenty of programmed things to go see and experience all that is Sprintcars and racing.
Donny Schatz in his Knoxville Nationals Special STP Racer was again dominant taking his 8th win in the past nine years.
The walking, talking, living, breathing Knoxville legend Steve Kinser – What more can you say.
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lideways Outdoor Karts played host to Nascar champions Jeff Gordon, Tony Stewart, Kyle Larson and Kasey Khane as they raced each other and fans to raise money for the Jeff Gordon Kick-it for Kids Foundation.
Knoxville Baseball field held the Knoxville Nationals Sprintcar drivers soccer game again to raise money for Kick-it for Kids Foundation. The Sprintcar Hall of Fame showcases the rich history of Sprintcars in America and is one place you have to put on the list. For a small country town with a population of just over 7K, the quiet country streets transform into an amazing sea of people from all over the US and the world come Nationals time. The main street of Knoxville turns into a carnival of merchandise & foods where you can experience everything from a funnel cake to a deep fried Oreo to a Highline Magazine
cold Bud Light at the infamous Dingus Lounge. Then there was the racing. 100 plus entries had the 54th Nationals as one of the biggest events so far.
With the likes of Kinser, Brown, Schatz, Stewart & Madsen screaming past you at over 120mph, it was like nothing we had seen back home. We put the camera’s down for a bit and just watched. This is incredible.
fantastic. And you can see why they have it with the amount of media from all over the world that attend. They embrace the media and accommodate their needs to do their job knowing that we will all promote Knoxville & the Nationals. Hats off to Brian Stickel and his entire team at Knoxville for a great event and amazing venue. We couldn’t have been made to feel more welcome. You will be seeing these Aussie photographers back there again soon.
Superstar Schatz proved once again why he is considered to be one of the best in the world as he took home his 8th Knoxville win after a great battle with Brown. The Media Centre at Knoxville was
Before heading off across the US, we heard the Iowa State Fair was on and was advertising the Iowa State Fair Speedway on Monday night – well, that was all we needed to jump in the Dodge and head on over. After wandering around for the day and not seeing half of the fair due to the massive size of the place, it was time to chill in the grandstand and watch some sedan racing. With all the deep fried everything that is availa-
ble at the fair it was hilarious to see a bloke wearing a t-shirt that proclaimed “I visited the Iowa state fair and left with type 2 Diabetes”. Another ½ mile track that has a tunnel that goes underneath the track to the Infield. Slightly banked and perfectly groomed – we knew this would be another great show. And we weren’t disappointed. Late Models, Street Stocks & IMCA’s put on some brilliant racing and had us on our feet again cheering come finals time. With the Dodge all loaded up and Aussie flag hanging from the window, it was road trip time Griswold Inaction style.
KERRY MADSEN By Brett Swanson
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4th Knoxville Nationals.
What a historic event it was from an Aussie point of view with our first ever podium finisher in Kerry Madsen crossing the line third behind the battling pair of winner Donny Schatz and quasi-local hero Brian Brown.
Brown threw out a challenge for the lead with just a few laps to run that really got the fans excited but sadly he couldn’t maintain the position and Schatz slipped back under to secure win number 8. Pre event we as a nation were buoyed by Madsens recent success which included wins in two of the biggest lead up events – The Kings Royal and the Iron Man 55. The excitement continued when Madsen finished his qualifying night as the top point scorer but in the main event he was either bidding his time waiting for an opportunity that never came, or he was just off the pace by a whisker. Either way his result was the best ever by an Aussie and is something that he, his Australian team owners, and we as a Sprintcar loving nation can be very proud of.
A huge heat field led by Randy Hannagan (11n) and our own Ian Madsen in the Retro liv
veried 55 roll past the huge National Sprint Car Hall of Fame & Museum and VIP Suites.
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irst thing we noticed was that it didn’t matter what the speed limit was just as long as you were doing the same as everyone else. Sometimes this meant 15-20 miles over (24 – 32kph). Oh well, when in Rome they say …. or USA for that matter. We were loving the concrete roads and minimal signs. The country roads were perfect to get used to driving on the wrong side of the car and on the wrong side of the road. We cruised on thru Kansas, Wichita, Dodge City, Santé Rosa, Albuquerque, taking our time and enjoying the Corn-fields, people and small towns along the way. Want a great steak? Make sure you stop in Dodge City. Beef capital of the world and one of the best steaks we have ever had. Picking up the original Route 66, we discovered a very cool Auto Museum in Santa Rosa. Filled with immaculately restored cars from Thunderbirds, Mustangs, Camaro’s, Impala’s, Plymouths just to name a few. Stunning bunch of cars that you just wanted to take home. Leigh had some serious car-love for a certain Thunderbird on display. There are some typical tourist things you have to do when you go to the US and The Grand Canyon is one of them. No picture or words can really describe one of the most amazing wonders of the world. Can’t describe it - Just go. It’s definitely worth the trip out to see. As we headed off the main roads and freeways, we discovered so much more about America and the hidden gems it has. One such place was called Seligman in Arizona. Quirky little town almost lost to
the freeways but thriving on the travellers on Route 66. A trip down the main street is like a trip back in time to when Route 66 was the main road of America. This place and a few others along Route 66 is what Radiator Springs from the movie Cars is based on. And the town have embraced this new found fame by decorating the local vehicles & stores as such. Make sure you stop off at the famous Snow Cap Drive-in while you’re there and grab yourself an ice-cream. Guarantee you will go back for a second one. Vegas – Neon City in the middle of the Nevada desert. It boasts itself as the entertainment capital of the world. Think it may be right. Anything & everything goes in the desert city that rarely stops. 24 hour anything amongst the huge resort casino’s down the infamous Las Vegas Strip. We based ourselves here for 5 days and took in the sites. Vegas shows, Freemont Street, Fountains at the Bellagio, DFO Shopping, beautiful Highline Magazine
food, gaming machines and the Hoover Dam which is just half hr down the road. Just to name a few things. We then headed for the coast to the City by the Bay, San Francisco. Here for 3 days, we settled into a quaint 5-story hotel where the corridors had an eerie likening to the Shining movie and an elevator that was trying to kill us. On a bus the next day and took in the sights, sounds and smells [some not so good] that were San Francisco. While here you must do Alcatraz. Awesome place and The Rock certainly lives up to its reputation. Rode the historical Cable Cars and took in lunch at Bubba Gump Shrimp at Pier 39. Lombard Street made famous by what I think is the best old school car chase in a movie yet, Steve McQueen’s ‘Bullit’ is a definite must see. The Dodge handled it like a pro.
Nice shot of San Francisco bay with the Golden Gate bridge in the background.
The old school cable cars are a neat way to get around, but when the conductor winds on the auxiliary brake at the top of some of the steep descents and you realise the brakes are only made from timber you do get a little nervous.
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peedway withdrawal symptoms kicked in so we headed for Silver Dollar Speedway in Chico, California. 410 Sprints, Street Stocks, Modifieds, Wingless Sprints and Limited Late Models were on the menu and again we were not disappointed. We headed infield, cameras in hand and they certainly delivered a sensational night of racing on this ¼ mile track. Late Models & Street Stocks were throwing themselves up and over the high-banked track giving us some of the best airborne shots yet. Not to be out done, Rico Abreu’s win in the feature had him riding it on the back wheels just a metre in front of Jonathon Allard to take the chequered flag. This was a very cool track. Ocean Speedway was next on our Inaction map and was also our final night of Speedway in the US. Tucked away in Watsonville at the Santa Cruz County Fairgrounds, was another of America’s top ¼ mile fast-banked tracks. The place was packed with driv-
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ers & fans all here to see & compete in the 54th Johnny Key Classic. Cameras in hand, we headed infield to capture some of what Ocean had to offer. Atmosphere was electric as we saw some incredibly close racing during the night. Rico Abreu was flawless over the final three laps of the feature and he came home to pick up his second consecutive Johnny Key Classic win. We loved this place. Again we were made to feel so welcome. John Prentice & crew have a great track, which is promoted & run very professionally. And all the while never forgetting the fans and the show they have come to see. Los Angeles was our final stop before we headed back to the Land of Oz. 5 days of exploring the 2nd biggest city in the USA. And explore we did with Hollywood Walk of Fame, Universal Studios and 6 flags Magic Mountain which has some of the craziest rollercoaster’s in the world. Lunch at Santa Monica Pier, a trip to the
Simpson race gear factory and dinner at Hooters in Long Beach finished up our month long trip as we headed for the airport and back home. How would we summarise our trip, we loved it all. The people we met, places we went, things we saw. loved it.
From our love of speedway, what stood out the most for us was the interaction that the tracks & drivers have with the fans. The way they embraced the fans with a whole show and made you feel like “we have to go back there! “ We loved how they allowed the fans to come onto the track and meet the drivers after the event.
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Something about seeing people in awe of the hero that just won, their favourite driver and being able to step out on the hallowed turf. Old school stuff …. Very cool. Think that is what they have so right over there that works – old school stuff. We couldn’t have been made to feel more welcome anywhere we went – as a Tourist, as Media or as a speedway fan sitting in the grandstand. We are already planning the next trip and to all our new found American friends – cya in the dirt !
Geering’s Are Flying High Story & Images By Brian Van De Wakker In the competitive world of Motorsport, it is often hard to spot bright, new, young talent. However, when a family travel around the country week in week out, achieving goals and emulating stars they admire, talent is not hard to find. Luke and Mathew Geering are two of the most passionate young racers in the country, hoping to one day, fly the Australian Flag in Motor Racing events overseas. At just 11 Years of age, Luke has achieved something that not many people have done. At the start of the season he set himself a goal to win 5 state titles and to be the Australian Champion in both the AKA and SKAA in the one single season. Luke has achieved that in July when he travelled to Katherine in the Northern Territory and capped of his season by winning the Australian Title and Northern Territory title. Luke said, “Titles are special because it’s something that no one can take away from you.” Travelling around the country and racing new people presHighline Magazine
ents itself its own challenge, but a challenge that Luke thrives on, “Racing against new people makes you a better driver, and you’re more with your family when you travel around, so it also make it a lot more enjoyable as well.” If there is one event in the world Luke wants to win, it’s the Chili Bowl, the biggest Speedcar event in the world. Two Hundred plus drivers from around the world attend this event in Tulsa, Oklahoma in the United States. No Australian has ever won the event, however Luke is hoping to change that. At the start of next year, he will be travelling over to America with his father Craig Geering to watch the race, as a bit of a present after doing so well and achieving his goals throughout the past racing season. However at the same time, Luke will try and find a ride within Speedway Karting that might lead him to his optimum goal.
Luke mentioned, “I’m very excited about heading over there next year. My older brother Mathew got to go there last year, so next year it’s my turn and I can’t wait.” Luke is in negotiation talks with Ira and Gator Mattice, and Pink Magic Racing. Gator, young American Speedway Karter, came to Australia in May of this year to race at Mildura as apart of the Allpower Nationals, Australia’s biggest Speedway Karting event. Gator did a brilliant job and now wants to bring the Geering family into their world and give Luke his big break at the World Championships of Speedway Karting.
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“I’ve had my childhood, it’s time for my sons to take over now and I get more enjoyment Mathew says, “I love racing and comwatching them race. You’ve petition, because you are able to push only got your kids for a short yourself and challenge yourself against amount of time so you’ve others.” got to make the most of it for For Mathew, winning the Australian Title up in Katherine Northern Territory this them.” year was a huge achievement for himself. Craig Geering It was his first event in the senior ranks,
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“Hopefully, if I’m given the chance, I can go and catch Gator. It will be a lot of fun to race him and all the other drivers from around the world.”
Mathew is currently concentrating on the tar side of karting, competing in the National Rotax Pro Tour and Tag Series, and club rounds at Lithgow and Eastern Creek. He currently sits eighth in points for the Junior Max Trophy class within the Rotax Pro Tour. Mathew also competes in Speedway Karting whilst racing the tar side. His achievements in the dirt are remarkable. He has one Australian title and two state titles to his name, including the famed Mildura Allpower Nationals in the Junior Standards class just this year.
Mathew, 16, has been racing tar Go-Karts and Speedway Karts since he was only 14, but his achievements already in his short career have blown people away.
(16 or over) and not only surprised himself, but the rest of the field with his raw speed and sheer competitiveness, “Winning the Australian title in my first race in seniors was huge. That has to be my highlight of my career so far, hopefully there is plenty more to come.”
Mathew is still undecided as to which path he will take later on in life, whether that is Circuit Racing or Speedway. At the moment he is gaining experience in both fields and hoping to move up the ranks later in the year. “Later on this year, I am going to have a drive in a Litre Car and Wingless Sprintcar. Depending on how I like them, I might decided to take it further, but I want to keep racing the tar Go-Karts to keep my level of experience up.” Said Mathew. Luke and Mathew’s father Craig Geering has been around the Speedway circles for a number of years. He used to race bikes before going on to race in Speedway divisions such as Litre Cars and Sprintcars. Craig mentioned, “I’ve had my childhood, it’s time for my sons to take over now and I get more enjoyment watching them race. You’ve only got your kids for a short amount of time so you’ve got to make the most of it for them.” “We are in the final stages of planning at the moment in trying to get Luke to race over in America. We are just sorting out race dates at the moment to tie in with the Christmas/New Year period.” The Geering family continue to throw a lot behind the sport and are hoping that their new adventure overseas next year will be the kick-start to both boys’ careers. Highline Magazine
US SEDAN DRIVERS IN AUSTRALIA... By Grant Woodhams
Is it all one way traffic? When it comes to being spoiled for sedan racing, Australia has had some of the best of the best in the US come to visit for around fifty years, Remarkably the first US sedan driver to visit Australia was a woman, New York based Barbara ‘Bobbi’ Borghese. A good lookin’, fast driving Powder Puff Queen who could really serve it up on the race track. She came to Adelaide to race at Rowley Park courtesy of promoter Kym Bonython during the 1960’s. It would be reasonable to say she arrived before the Australian sedan scene hit the big times. That isn’t to say that there wasn’t plenty of hard, fast and exciting sedan racing happening. Truth is though she was probably ahead of her time, in Australia at least. There’s a good chance then that you’d never heard of ‘Bobbi’ Borghese, but
what about the following drivers? I reckon you might struggle with some of these too. Who remembers Garry Scott, Jim Hopkinson, Don Graham, Tom Rossati, Ben Hess, Aaron Miller or Andy Genzmen? If you do then take a bow you are a big time follower of sedans.
And here are some more from the past that I think will stump most of those who think they know their sedans: Richard Buback, Steve Hendron, Terry Thenford, Steve Shive, Lee Olibas, Chrissy Oliver and Don Shelton. You might also be forgiven if you can’t remember that batch But if you can’t remember Gene and Mark Welch, Mike Klein, Ed Wilbur, Wayne Sue, Jack Hewitt, John Pearson and Mike Andreeta then this article is not for you. Those guys really made a mark on the Australian sedan scene. In many ways the US teams often headed up by Gene Welch (Mark is his son) helped shape the future of Australia sedan racing.
We’ve had over sixty US sedan drivers race in Australia. In addition to those already mentioned the following also spent some time racing ‘Down Under’: Johnny Anderson, Joey Ruttman, Jimmy Clarkson, Steve Lance Jr, Charlie Schwartz and Charlie Schwartz Jr (father and son), Rodney Coombs, Don Tilford, Ray Godsey, Kenny Brightbill, Donny and Devin Moran (father and son), Denny Chamberlain, Larry Moore, Chuck Waddell, Steve Beitler, Bert Cheatham, John Gill, John Soares, Scott Bloomquist, Clint Smith, Shawn Holliday, Steve Francis, Shane Yoder, Dan Schlieper, Shane Stewart, Ronny Adams, Scott Slay, Dave Brueckner, Ron Miller, Shawn DeForest, brothes Roddy and Todd Schroyer, Doug Drown, Jeep VanWormer, Steve Shaver, Steve Casebolt, Jeremy Payne and Jimmy Owens. I really don’t know if that is the complete list, there may have been others who have come down to race who have slipped under my radar. I know that the great Bob Tattersall, the US speedcar star also ran in a sedan.
But that is one impressive list containing some of the very best sedan drivers in the past fifty years. Some of them also did double duty also racing Sprintcars, but in the main the majority of the list were sedan drivers. I had the pleasure of seeing quite a few of them run too. Lucas Oil Late Model Champion Jimmy Owens is set to run in Tasmania in a Super Sedan again early next year, when he takes part in two of Australia’s biggest Super Sedan shows, the Bendigo Bank Grand Prix and the Tasmanian Grand National. Owens is so far the only known sedan import of the summer. But there are more to come as the line up hasn’t been finalised for the West Australian USA Invasion tour but I hear they are working on four prominent US drivers. Those who’ve seen action in recent time in Australia include Steve Francis, Steve Casebolt, Jeremy Payne, Jeep Van Wormer, Doug Drown, Devin Moran and Bert Cheatham.
Their presence creates a promotional opportunity that we still don’t fully appreciate and what they bring in terms of technical ability and on track know how is an incredibly valuable lesson for Australian speedway drivers. I remember a season or so back seeing Steve Francis at Goulburn Speedway about 200 kilometres south of Sydney for the New South Wales Late Model Title. Goulburn is not ideally suited to big V8’s of any description. Now that isn’t a criticism of Goulburn, I love the place but I’ve seen Late Models and Super Sedans really struggle there to get the right set up. Now Steve Francis did two things I will remember, no make that three. Firstly he was in the pits helping to get an Australian competitor’s car running. He was actually doing all the engine work himself and he had a good crowd around him. Secondly he brought the experience of many years on different US dirt tracks with him and was able to dial in very quickly to the Goulburn track and thirdly he won the NSW Late Model Title. All great stuff and he went up in my estimation because of what he did on that night.
Steve Hendren runs hard at the big 5/8ths mile Granite Park Speedway in Seymour, Victoria.
Now I named more than sixty US drivers who have been down to race in Australia. But I know there haven’t been sixty Australians who have been up to the US to race, but I’d suggest our standards in every respect would lift if more
Australians had a racing look at the US Late Model scene. Current West Australian drivers Jamie and Jason Oldfield, Craig Vosbergen, Michael Holmes and Brad Blake have all
spent some time there in recent years. Going back awhile the now retired Ben Ludlow and Ivor Ladwig also spent some time racing in California. New South Welshman Ross Nicastri and Nathan Disney have made the trip recently. Nicastri infact attempted to qualify for this year’s World 100, the greatest dirt track sedan race in the world. While Queensland’s Nic Girdlestone, Jamie McHugh and Paul Carlish went over a few years ago. That’s not a lot, in fact it is a disappointingly small number. Its something I find curious because the racing opportunities in the US are immense and it’s relatively easy to run up the three nights a week…and it’s the ideal way to learn more about the craft of sedan racing.
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Bobbi’s Boy Benny Rizzo
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here are plenty of sons who follow their fathers’ into the realm of speedway racing but not many that can say they followed their mum’s footsteps, but that is the case for Benny Rizzo. Benny is the son of Barbara “Bobbi” Borghese, the now 74 year old who is still going strong after starting her racing career
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Bill McGaffin Photos
1981 and in 1992 he started building metal bodies for the karts as an added safety measure and also a way to advertise sponsors. Benny still races the kart he built back in the nineties and it was still a race winner as recently as 2012 when he won the Novemberfest in it. Benny also races a sprintcar adorned with his familiar at his local 5/8ths mile Orange County Fair Speedway in upstate New York. in a male dominated sport back in the 1960s. “When she raced, she raced like a man,” Benny told Donna Kessler of the Times Herald-Record back in 2013. “But once she got out of the car it was back to the heels. She never wanted to lose that femininity.” Bobbi (above), who now resides in Florida and is still working, started her career at Freeport Raceway in Bellmore on Long Island. She met her husband Ron Schwendenmann there and even spent her honeymoon at the track after getting married. Bobbi was no token racer either having also won a track championship at Freeport. For Benny though it all started in go-karts back in
“This is my life’s passion. It always has been and I have given up a lot in my life for it,” he said.
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