Three Street Series' champions set to be crowned this weekend
The Street Sedan, Street Bike and Powder Puff champions for 2014 will all be crowned after shootouts at this weekend’s Street Series finale at Queensland's Willowbank Raceway.
24 racers across the three categories are in contention for the respective titles, with the shootouts starting from this Wednesday for Powder Puff, and Saturday for Street Sedan and Street Bike.
Leading the Street Sedan field is Josh Fletcher, who will be joined in the chase by Ray Ross, Brett Paige, Russell Sticklen, Gerard Horne, Richard Maddern, Bruce Casos and Gordon Larfield.
“It is always nice to have your name on top of the points, I have clinched back to back titles before so I am hopeful I can do it again,” said Fletcher, who with four Street Sedan titles, is the most successful racer for the bracket over the Series’ 20 year history.
“The car is 40 years old this year, so that would be a great celebration for that milestone to bring home another Street Series title, but it doesn’t matter where you are in the top eight heading in to the shootout – anyone can win on the night.
“While the shootout is a different format to the rest of the season I will just be doing what I have been doing for many years now by taking it one race at a time, that is all you can do!”
In Street Bike, 2011 champion Paul Astridge will lead Denis Ryan, Stuart Macmillan, Craig Banks, Ken Rice, Michael Beaton, Peter Harper and Wendy Whatley to battle.
“The first stage of this challenging series is complete with my top eight qualification and my points lead, which was retained all season long, but the prestige of that will be quickly over-shadowed now as we head to the more challenging stage of the shootout for the title,” Astridge said.
“While this may be a grassroots type series, it isn’t an easy or so called ‘fun’ series as far as what it takes to win – the reaction times alone reflect the intensity of racing seen in group one, it is tough!"
In the ladies-only Powder Puff bracket, Rhonda Larfield leads fellow title contenders Susanne Fletcher, Jody Wentworth, Belinda Brockhurst, Tammy Goldthorpe, Deb Mackay, Carol Rauchle and Nikki Horne.
“It is very exciting to be on top of the leader board, usually I only just make the top eight, so to be leading is just great,” said Larfield, who is one of a family of drag racers alongside father Gordon, mother Maureen and sister Michelle.
“All of the competitors are talented racers and each race is different, so the title could really go to anyone – I would love to clinch it of course, that is what we are all racing towards and it would be just awesome, certainly something to tick off the bucket list, and then I could tell Dad that I am number one!
“This season has been a very good one for me, with eight rounds of racing including three runner-up results and one win, I couldn’t be happier with how things have gone so far and I just hope the car and I can do what we’ve done all season long.”
For more information, head to:
http://www.willowbankraceway.com.au/events/detail.aspx?EventGroupID=20
Image Supplied © dragphotos.com.au
