The Polar Ice Midget Series continued at the Ausdeck Patios Archerfield Speedway on Saturday March 11 with Adam Clarke (NSW) winning Round 6 and his second feature win of the season at the Brisbane venue.

Chris Gwilliam (Boss Chassis Aust. Boss/Esslinger) sat on pole for the 20 lap main and led the opening lap before Adam Clarke, who started in the second row, took control. Rusty Whittaker (Ti Bolts & Race Partz King/Esslinger) also surged ahead of Gwilliam into second with the New Zealander dropping back and then out with an engine not running on all cylinders.  Behind Whittaker was a battle royal with Troy Ware, Mark George, Rodney Harders, Adam Wallis in a tight group until Ware spun and was sent ROF.  On the restart, Brock Dean (All Car Engine Reconditioning Services Breka/Hawk) was running the high line with Reid Mackay (Direct Plasterboard Outlet CP3/Gaerte) and Scott Doyle (Boss Hogg’s Steak House Beast/Gaerte) in tow as they worked their way forward.  Dean secured third on lap 6 with Mackay still right on his tail.

Rob Stewart (Spike/Brayton Ford) spun as the race approached the half way point closing-up the field for the next start. Clarke (Jack Berry Racing Spike/Esslinger) continued to maintain his lead while Whittaker was now under attack from Dean who was persisting with the high line.  Lap after lap Dean tried to secure a pass but just couldn’t make it stick.  With the laps running out Reid Mackay came up on the inside of Dean and was ahead as they took the white flag.  Clarke went on to collect the points for the win ahead of Whittaker while Dean fought his way back to grab third in the run out of the last corner.  Troy Ware (Ware Constructions Spike/Mopar) worked very hard to get back to fifth by the end of the race.

At the drivers briefing Rusty Whittaker drew the double points marble which meant that everyone on the night earned double the normal Polar Ice Series points. It was critical for Whittaker to finish ahead of Troy Ware and Brock Dean in the feature to maintain his lead in the Polar Ice Series. With just two rounds remaining there is only a very few points separating the top three.

The ‘draw and invert’ format was used for the qualifying heats with Ware and Gwilliam the winners in the opening round with both races going non-stop. The reverse grid heats began with Adam Clarke claiming the win from Whittaker and Darren Dillon (Supercharged Graphics Eagle/Gaerte) after Reid Mackay was spun around and collected by Cal Whatmore who had nowhere to go.  Mark George looked to have heat 4 locked in until Gwilliam came on the scene late in the race to collect his second win of the night.  Gwilliam finished top of the qualifying points ahead of Whittaker, Clarke, Ware, George and Rodney Harders.

Mackay and Whatmore were parked side by side in the pits and with the latter suffering a lot of front end damage in their skirmish looked to be out of the feature. However, the Mackay team came to the rescue providing a couple of shock absorbers for Whatmore to use to get him back on the track.  Mark George nearly missed the meeting when a blown head gasket was discovered when his car was started late on Saturday morning.  He and car owner Chris Foreman raced home and set about replacing the gasket which is no easy task with a DOHC engine.  They finished just in time to arrive at the track for the drivers briefing.

With Brad Young out with an injured wrist suffered during the international meetings he offered the drive of his car to his crew man, Tony Eickenloff. Eickenloff was due to debut at Toowoomba but the rain delayed it for a week.  At Archerfield, he stayed out of trouble and apart from a minor spin kept his car owner from reaching for the valium.  New drivers Kristy Bonsey and Brad Harrison continue to run up plenty of laps with both finishing the two feature races they have contested.  Bonsey, the more experienced of the two, has finished in the top ten on both occasions.

The next outing for the Brisbane speedcars is the 2017 running of the Queensland Speedcar Championship at Archerfield on Saturday March 25.  This time-honoured event has a rich history dating back to 1946 with some of the sports greats amongst the winners.  Will Michael Harders successfully defend the title he won in Bundaberg last season?  Will former winners Adam Clarke (2013) or Rusty Whittaker (2015) add another title to their resume?  Will Chris Gwilliam take it back to New Zealand?  Be at Archerfield on March 25 and find out who will be the 2017 Champion.

Heat 1

1          Troy Ware                   2          Rusty Whittaker          3          Adam Clarke (NSW)

Heat 2

1          Chris Gwilliam (NZ)    2          Rodney Harders         3          Mark George

Heat 3

1          Adam Clarke (NSW)  2          Rusty Whittaker          3          Darren Dillon

Heat 4

1          Chris Gwilliam (NZ)    2          Mark George              3          Brock Dean

Feature

1          Adam Clarke (NSW)  2          Rusty Whittaker          3          Brock Dean

4          Reid Mackay              5          Troy Ware                   6          Adam Wallis

7          Darren Dillon               8          Mark George              9          Kristy Bonsey

10        Scott Doyle                 11        Rob Stewart                12        Rodney Harders

13        Brad Harrison

Brock Dean came into Round 5 of the Polar Ice Midget Series following a win in the previous round back in early January and went back to back with a convincing win at the Ausdeck Patios Archerfield Speedway on Saturday February 25.

The heat races proved troublesome for some with a couple of fancied runners crashing out but through it all Dean (All Car Engine Reconditioners Breka/Hawk) kept scoring points which enabled him to start from pole in the 20 lap feature. He led from the outset with Reid Mackay, Rusty Whittaker, Darren Vine and Mark George hot on his tail.  Whittaker (Ti Bolts & Race Parts King/Esslinger) used the top of the track to surge to second after a handful of laps and began to close on Dean until the leader changed his line to the top of the track and again pulled away.  Then began a torrid encounter between Mackay (Direct Plasterboard Outlet CP3/Brayton Buick), Whittaker with Vine (Mike Vine Turbos Spike/Esslinger) also in the mix.  At one stage Mackay drew level with Dean in the main straight but Dean found some extra speed and pulled away.

Whittaker would get ahead of Mackay going into the corners only to see Mackay, who was using the low line of the track, to repass him exiting the corners. Vine managed to advance to third on a couple of occasions only to be shuffled backwards again.  Troy Ware (Ware Constructions Spike/Mopar) also threatened to get amongst the leaders until his engine began to back fire and he settled in sixth position.

The group of drivers behind the lead bunch were also dicing backwards and forwards with Cal Whatmore (Speedy Air Conditioning Spike/Gaerte), Dallas Sharp, Dan Biner (NSW) and debutants Kristy Bonsey and Brad Harrison enjoying some close racing. The race went through without a caution period with Dean the winner ahead of Mackay and Whittaker.  Chris Gwilliam’s car was repaired for the feature but obviously had further problems and only last a few laps.

Whittaker came into the round leading the PIMS points and just 25 points separating the Top 5.  The Top 5 drivers probably remain the same but the positions would have been juggled around after Saturday night.  Whittaker should still lead but with Chris Gwilliam a non-finisher Dean will have moved up to third.

Darren Vine started his night the way he wanted with Quick Time in hot laps timing in with a 13.907 with Troy Ware next on 13.951 and Brock Dean 14.149. Dallas Sharp (EastLink Air Eagle/Gaerte) scored his first midget win in the opening heat holding out Vine and Mark George (Flashlube Breka/Porsche).  Gwilliam (Boss Chassis Aust/Esslinger recovered from a spin to finish fourth.  Rusty Whittaker pulled in with a missing engine but the problem was sorted for his second heat.  Mackay won the drag race to the first corner to lead heat 2 until Ware rode a wheel during the second lap and rolled a couple of times finishing against the fence.  Mackay had the trio of Cal Whatmore, Dean and Dan Biner (Syndicate Communications Boss/Esslinger) battling for position behind him with Dean coming through for second ahead of Biner.  Dallas Sharp was pitted beside Troy Ware and the two crews worked together to get Ware’s car repaired in time for the second round of heats.

Mackay, using his Brayton Buick after damaging his good engine during the international meetings, was too good again in heat 3 with Whittaker and George in the minor places and Ware fourth. The last heat didn’t complete a lap before mayhem broke out when Sharp spun and Gwilliam caught his wheel and rolled a couple of times.  All the drivers behind had to take evasive action with everyone coming to a stop.  Gwilliam, Sharp and Whatmore all missed the restart.  On the next start, Vine and Dean came together with Vine taking a tumble.  The race eventually started with just four cars with Dean the victor.

It was unusual to see the Sydney based Syndicate Racing Team, Jamie Hall and Dan Biner, in the Archerfield pits with the New South Wales title on at Parramatta the same night. The weather in Sydney had been poor all week and with rain predicted for the week-end they opted to get their racing fix in Brisbane.  It looked like they had made the wrong choice when the Sydney meeting went ahead but when rained washed out the show before the title race could be run their decision had been vindicated.

Two new drivers made their midget debut on the night, Kristy Bonsey and Brad Harrison. Kristy has been racing sprintcars for a few seasons and had been offered the drive of the former Tony Michell GRP/Gaerte while Harrison comes from Lightning Sprints and has purchased Micheal Wilson’s King/Mopar.  Both finished the feature and showed with more laps they will be providing plenty of opposition for the front runners.

Prior to January Brock Dean hadn’t won a feature race in four years. With the former Jack Berry/Brett Thomas Hawk engine fitted to his Breka and some new CSI shocks , Dean has again found his mojo and is confident of a good run in the second half of the season.

There is another major speedcar meeting next week-end, March 4, with Round 5 of the Diamond Air Group Speedcar Super Series at the high banked Hi-Tec Oils Toowoomba Speedway. The round will be called the Jim Holden Classic to honour the late Jim Holden who was the last Queensland driver to win the Australian Championship over thirty years ago.  Holden passed away last year from leukaemia.  Adam Clarke (NSW) won the last round at Murray Bridge and currently leads the points and with this being the penultimate round is keen to continue his winning way.  In an illustrious career, Clarke has never won the Speedcar Super Series and wants to change that situation in 2017.

Hot Laps

Darren Vine – 13.907

Troy Ware – 13.951

Brock Dean – 14.149

Heat 1

1          Dallas Sharp               2          Darren Vine                 3          Mark George

Heat 2

1          Reid Mackay              2          Brock Dean                 3          Dan Biner (NSW)

Heat 3

1          Reid Mackay              2          Rusty Whittaker          3          Mark George

Heat 4

1          Brock Dean                 2          Jamie Hall (NSW)       3          Kristy Bonsey

Feature (Provisional result)

1          Brock Dean                 2          Reid Mackay              3          Rusty Whittaker

4          Darren Vine                 5          Mark George              6          Troy Ware

7          Cal Whatmore             8          Kristy Bonsey              9          Brad Harrison

10        Dallas Sharp               11        Dan Biner (NSW)        12        Jamie Hall (NSW)

13        Corey Stothard          14 Chris Gwilliam          15 Gavin McDowell          16 Shane McDowell

This weekend race fans the Polar Ice Midget Series returns to Archerfield Speedway with another round.

Sprintcar Sensation Kristy Bonsey makes her Midget debut in the Ex- Tony Michell GRP/Gaerte 23Q along with the regular series stars, Vine, Whittaker, Dean and Ware to be joined by jet setting Kiwi Chris Gwilliam to name a few.

This Saturday! Archerfield Speedway! Don’t Miss This!

6Q Darren Vine

16Q Mark George

23Q Kristy Bonsey

36Q Callum Whatmore

40Q Dallas Sharp

44Q Corey Stothard

76Q Reid McKay

71Q Troy Ware

78Q Rusty Whittaker

TBA Chris Gwilliam (NZ)

95Q Gavin McDowell

96Q Shayne McDowell

99Q Brock Dean

Polar Ice top 10 points so far

1 120      Rusty Whittaker

2 117      Troy Ware

3 105      Chris Gwilliam

4 99        Brock Dean

5 95        Darren Vine

6 75        Reid Mackay

7 63        Brad Young

8 54        Callum Whatmore

9 48        Rodney Harders

10 42      Corey Stoddard