Forty-Eight Sprintcars have now nominated for round five of the season premiership at Eastern Creek Speedway, Saturday night, November 26.

The entry numbers have steadily increased at recent appearances and it's an impressive line-up headed by Australian Champion Marcus Dumesny this weekend.

Supporting the Sprintcars will be racing for Late Models, Compacts Speedcars and Legend Cars. Interest in the Late Models focuses on the return of Ryan Fenech and Ben Nicastri while the Late Models' nominations also has an interstate flavour with drivers from Victoria and Tasmania entered. For the Compacts it's round five of their NSW Club Championship in a strong list that includes last start Eastern Creek main event winner Mark Heaton.

The pursuit continues in search of a home town Sprintcar feature race victory which has been a complete shut out since day one when the track opened in March as the interstate invaders have stolen the lime light and taken the glory. With the cancellation of Mount Gambier's Borderline Speedway earlier this week, Brock Hallett is now a definite ECS starter this weekend. A late entry also has been received from Mount Gambier's Steven Lines to represent another very strong interstate challenge looking to continue out-of-town dominance over the locals.

The regular Queenslanders are back in Sydney – Aaron Kelly Randy Morgan and Ryan Newton, while Paul Solomon will drive the V7 entry from down south.

Sydney's Sam Walsh has enjoyed some relatively good recent years – courtesy of his season premiership successes – and main event victories – at the former Parramatta City Raceway, but he just cannot make that breakthrough for a main event win at the new Eastern Creek Speedway facility. He feels the NSW cars are still “playing catch up” after Parramatta Raceway closed and a two year stint on the sidelines followed without on-going Sydney racing. He puts that down to one of the reasons why Sydney and NSW drivers have found the going tough in the early days of Eastern Creek Speedway. There was a time when Sydney was a Sprintcar fortress, but that has been knocked down and those days have long gone.
“One of the reasons, I believe, is due to the amount of racing we have missed over the past couple of years,” Sam explained. “The NSW drivers are still playing catch up and I have no doubt about that.” Walsh also has had a frustrating run of outs due to mechanical issues which didn't help his cause. “I believe we are just as fast as anyone, but we've had things go wrong,” he admitted.
“One time a uni-exploded, we've had flat tyres, a bleeder pulled out of the tyre and let the tyre down, so we've just had a horrid run lately. We have been good enough to be close.”

Former Australian Midget Champion Kaidon Brown, an impressive winner in the Midget ranks last weekend, will be a Sprintcar starter this Saturday night.
Marcus Dumesny will be better for his recent later start to the ECS season, likewise Matt Dumesny, while the regular fast runners, Lachlan Caunt, Troy Little, Jordyn Brazier, Mark Blyton, Warren Ferguson, Alex and Jessie Attard – head up an all star cast of the fast looking to end the Sydney drought. After a big crash several weeks ago, Grant Tunks returns after waiting on parts to get back on the track.

Round three of the United Reality – Acreage Marketing and Residential & Prestige Late Model Racing Series at ECS will go under the flag this weekend. Tasmanian Brad Smith again races at ECS and he has been one of the very strong performers at the new circuit. Two Victorians, Shane Belk and Tim McPherson are amongst the nominations, but interest also will focus on the return of Ryan Fenech and son of a gun Ben Nicastri.

Throw into the mix Lachlan Onley, Todd Bayley, Ed Borg, senior statesman Darryl Grimson,, Daniel Cassidy, Joel and Robert Carrig and there's the ingredients for a night of intense competition.
Seventeen entries have been received for the Compact Speedcar action with dominant runner – and last start feature race winner Mark Heaton – in the line-up. After running a Midget last weekend, Alan Day backs up again Saturday night in the Compact division.
Legend Cars are back and this division, in many ways, represents a page from the past via their eye catching cars which represent an era of auto makers and body styles from the 30s and 40s.

Adults only $35, Children (5-12yrs) $10, Teens (13-15yrs) $15, FT Students & Pensioners $30 and a Family Pass is just $80 and includes two Adults and two Children.

Get your General Admission tickets online now from our website:
www.easterncreekspeedway.com.au/events.htm and get early bird entry from 3pm. Or you can purchase your tickets from the gate on the day. Pit tickets only available from ticket box.
Main Program from 6pm, early racing from approximately 5pm.

Story by Dennis Newlyn.
Photo courtesy of: ZP Images