EKINS AGAIN ON TOP IN THE TOP END

 
Release - Matt Naulty Media - Tuesday August 12 2008

Warrenne Ekins sent a blow to the interstate opposition with a comprehensive win in round 1 of the 2008 Chariots of Thunder Sprintcar Series at the Ostojic Group Northline speedway in Darwin on Saturday night.

Ekins started the twenty lap feature from the pole with West Aussie, Luch Monte, who was having his best series round since it began in 2006. He got the jump on Ekins at the start and led the race comfortably until the leaders hit the back markers. This was when Ekins pounced, placing the #11 Peter Kittle Motor Company Murphy on the high side of the track passing both Monte and a lapped car in a three wide, nail biting move.

Monte fought back and repassed Ekins until the race was stopped when Jamie O’Neill got tangled with Wayne Bridgeford and completely destroying the #24 Boss Fluid entry in turn four, O’Neill miraculously walked away unhurt, the same could not be said for the car.

At the restart, Ekins made the move on Monte and started to stretch the lead until another caution period came out for a spun car. So the field bunched up once again and Ekins led at the restart. Further back in the field, Adrian Maher was streaking through the field to latch onto the back of team mate, Ian Loudoun. Maher started in eighth place and was up to fourth from lap three. On lap sixteen, Loudoun’s race would end with a rollover in turn one, the car suffering a broken front axle from a front wheel which parted ways.

So at the chequered flag, Ekins would hold on for his first win of the series and seventh feature race win in the series history from Monte, Jason McIver had a fantastic night in the Harbor Haulage #66 triple x chassis in third place, Maher finished fourth from eighth. Allan Barlee made the most of the Chev engine placed between the down tubes of his Totalweld #61 Eagle for fifth and West Aussie Scott Milling completed the top six.

Outside of the top six was Ben Atkinson, who had a quiet night in his Titan Plant Hire #3, Brooke David finished in eighth after starting fourth and Damien Thorne was the last classified finisher in ninth place. Of the retirees, West Australian’s Allan Nash and Scott Reilly both failed to start the feature event. Daniel Goldoni was the races first retirement followed by Wayne Bridgeford and Jamie O’Neill. Matt Brown got tangled with Keith Phelps on the thirteenth lap, Phelps later retired on lap fifteen. Ian Loudoun was the last retiree.

In the heat races, Adrian Maher started as he did in 2007 with a first up win in the Bevelite Glass Maxim from Monte and Jamie Maiolo, the latter not returning for the night after damaging the engine bolted to the Ausquip Eagle #99.

 Heat two was arguably one of the greatest heat races ever run in the series with Ekins and young gun, Jason McIver, the two engaging in a thrilling battle where the lead was swapped numerous times and often while lapping other cars. Ekins held on but McIver certainly won the crowd over with his performance, Atkinson finished in third place.

The third heat belonged to Scott Reilly who passed local rookie, Wayne Bridgeford on lap three and was never threatened Barlee finished in second, Luch Monte third.

Warrenne Ekins again won in heat four from Daniel Goldoni, both coming from the fourth row, McIver completed the top three. Heat five belonged to Brooke David while Luch Monte finished in second place after roaring through the field from the rear of the field; Scott Reilly filled the third position.

The sixth and final heat race was won convincingly by Matt Brown; the former Formula 500 champion was a clear winner from Ian Loudoun and Ben Atkinson who started from sixth.

Luch Monte was awarded with the Action Print Time Assault after setting the fastest time in the qualifying session.

The West Aussie came out in the final group of four including Ekins, Atkinson and Adrian Maher all of whom shared the top spot during the frenetic last session. Monte was the only driver in the twenty car field to go sub twelve seconds in a time off 11.996 seconds ahead of Ekins, Maher, Atkinson and Brooke David.  

The next round of the Chariots of Thunder Sprintcar Series will be held at Northline Speedway on Saturday August 23.

For more information please visit www.darwinspeedway.com

Release – Matt Naulty Media – www.mattnaulty.com.au