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Farr wants Jackpot loot
21 OCTOBER, 2013
by Geoff Rounds
ROBBIE Farr is coming back to Avalon Raceway this weekend and is desperate to reverse his finish in one of Australia’s more unique sprintcar events.
The 40-year-old hard charging Western Australian-based driver is looking to haul home the $10,000 first prize in the fifth annual Combined Waste Sprintcar Jackpot Invitational this Saturday night.
Avalon track specialist, David Murcott of Point Cook showed a patient drive and took advantage of lapped traffic to snooker race leader Farr and win last year’s race. Farr is desperate to reverse the scenario in Victoria’s opening sprintcar event of the busy 2013-14 season.
“Last year I should of won the race. Most definitely I want to win it this weekend. I do with every race I go in. I want to tick it off the list and win the ten grand. This is an event that can help us as a team lay a good foundation for the whole season,” Farr said.
“A race which has $10,000 to win this early in the season is really worth chasing and to win.
Farr’s record at Avalon during his 20 years in sprintcars is plentiful and has included a jaw-dropping tie for victory last season with Warrnambool’s Stephen Bell in the Victorian Sprintcar Championship, Farr is also one of only three drivers to win both a national sprintcar and speedcar championship, the latter at Avalon in 1998.
His start to this current season has seen the East Coast Pipeline Racing Team on the podium in all features but an A-Main win has proved elusive for Farr.
“We should’ve of won at Mackay but the motor stopped with a magneto problem and we were leading on a yellow-caution with 10 laps to go, so that was little disappointing,” Farr said.
“Then at Toowoomba and Brisbane we’ve had three seconds in the features, so the car speed is there and we’ve had some little issues with tyres and then sometimes you just run second.
“We’re certainly coming to Avalon to not only support the race and the Drew Family but to win, we’re certainly overdue.”
Murcott’s win last year is alongside inaugural winner Max Dumesny’s in 2009 and they are the only two to win the Jackpot as the other two years have been washed out.
This format for this unique event has every heat race and feature race winner from last season’s Sprintcar events invited to Avalon to race, which features 32 drivers which includes wildcards.
The “lottery” of the event then begins, with each driver’s crew chief invited to draw a sealed envelope to determine starting positions for the pair of 25-lap qualifiers where one must finish in order to advance to a semi final. From there, the top 12 across the line in the Semi race off against the clock with only the fastest 10 taken to a mad 12-lap dash for cash.
2013 Grand Annual Classic winner Steven Lines will be here to contest the Jackpot Invitational 
As will current Australia #1 James McFadden
Of this year’s wildcards is Warrnambool youngster Will Carroll who is ecstatic to be invited to race in the lucrative Jackpot.
”I’m looking very forward to this, a lot more than other seasons. It’s because it’s what I love to do, that’s race,” Carroll said.
”This event I hope will help my aim and that’s to run well, try for a top five in SRA Series and to get on the podium. I also want to prove I can run really well with some of Australia’s best.”
*Avalon Raceway will hold a pit walk between 3-4pm, admission gates will open at 3pm and engine starts are from 6pm and racing from 7pm.
The always entertaining V8 Dirt Modified’s will support the sprintcars in what will have the national spotlight firmly on Geelong with Australia’s finest sprintcar racers in town for one of the country’s more unique events.
Admission:
Adults $30
Child 12-16 $10
Child Under 12 Free
Website: www.avalonraceway.com
For more info contact Jeff Drew 0418 160 985 / Geoff Rounds 0413 024413.
Superb Murcott at Avalon Raceway
10 MARCH, 2013 BY GAVIN WHITE
Last night’s performance from Murcott was simply brilliant as he drove a second A.R.T car for the PRP
Engineering team and duly made every move count as he raced onto the front row following a stunning lap in the top 6 pole shootout. From there Murcott made every move count with a superb drive on an excellent racing surface that the Drew family produced.
Runner up Darren Mollenoyux rolled the last 12 laps of the final without breaks as the Eureka Garages and Sheds Sprintcar Series contender and defending champ duly did enough to fend off his rivals despite his obvious challenges. ‘Molly’ was earlier the highest pointscorer at the conclusion of the heat races however would start the 30 lap final from the second row courtesy of the lower than expected top 6 pole shootout time.
The lively Warrnambool star’s runner up finish was good enough to take the lion’s share of the $3,000 that was on offer for the aggregate winner across the two night Great Southern Showdown that also saw Mollenoyux finish runner up behind Matthew Reed on Saturday night at Simpson Speedway.
Mollenoyux, Reed and Brett Milburn now look forward to this Saturday night at Warrnambool’s Sungold Stadium when the Eureka Garages and Sheds Sprintcar Series will be decided with Reed holding a commanding lead although not unbeatable.
Third home in last night’s final was impressive Californian ‘gasser’ Geoff Ensign behind the wheel of the Smith brothers #60 who started from eighth on the grid. Ensign thrilled the Avalon faithful with some amazing outside passes on his way to a podium finish as he rounded up some quality opposition. A popular addition to the end of the current season, Ensign will be in action at Warrnambool this weekend while he will also contest the Easter Trail round at Avalon on Good Friday.
Chasing the American home was Eddie Lumbar, who for a majority of the race was in second place following a stunning qualifying effort that saw the likable transport operator start on the front row alongside Murcott. Always an excitement machine, Lumbar’s strong finish was a popular one among fans.
The ever consistent Matthew Reed finished fifth after he earlier got upside down in a heat race that he managed to restart and finish, banking valuable points. Reed was playing for more than most as he won at Simpson and was in the mix for the overall Great Southern Showdown payout while the Essendon Ford Sprintcar track championship and the Eureka Sprintcar Series are all events that he will have a major say in over the coming weeks.
The speedy Dennis Jones impressed on his way to sixth as he managed to fend of the increasingly racy 18 year old Will Carroll who finished seventh.
Jamie Veal subbed in the Victory Lane Racegear #88 and finished eighth while Brett Milburn and Darren Hickman rounded out the top 10.
Rounding out the finishers was Kris Lacey, Mike Van Bremen, Brett Smith, Peter Milnes, Mitch Foster, Domain Ramsay, Quentin Tanner and Carl Ludeman.
Mitch Foster won the B-main ahead of Mike Van Bremen, Domain Ramsay, Darren Hickman, Carl Ludeman and Jamie Veal who all advanced to the A-main.
C-main winner John Vogels failed to advance any further than the B-main despite his best efforts, others to transfer included Michael Tancredi, Rhiannon Burleigh and Jamie Heyen.
Murcott won the opening heat race of the night while Milburn and Ensign were the other first round winners as Mollenoyux, Mike Van Bremen and Dennis Jones saluted in the second round.