• MODIFIED PRODUCTION SEDAN RACE DATES IN VICTORIAIN VICTORIA

   The Victorian Modified Production association have released its supported dates for the coming 08/09 season which includes the VMPA ‘Bass Highway Waste’ series dates which once again will be 7 race meetings, along with a number of race dates the VMPA have encouraged it’s drivers to support by not scheduling meetings against those dates.

  For drivers looking to get an early start to the season the re-vamped Drouin Speedway fresh from track works and an influx of new committee and volunteer members is holding a feature race on Sunday 9^th November in which all drivers are encouraged to support. This will be an ASCF sedan feature race including drivers from around the area such as Andrew Blackwell, Bryan Galley, Russell Bent, Darren Pottage , Russell Hill , Kenny Griffey, Nick Hill and Ian Ingham .

   Drivers are then encouraged to support long time VMPA campaigner Ron Watts by attending a feature race at Leeton in NSW on the massive 900 metre + race track before starting the ‘Bass Highway Waste’ series at Nyora on December 6^th.

  December the 20^th is the NSW Modified Production title and due to the support Victorians have given this event in recent years the VMPA left the date off their calendar to allow drivers to chase this event. The traditional two days for the ‘Bass Highway Waste’ series at Mildura and Swan Hill over Boxing Day and the following day are once again on.

  The West Coast Classic at Avalon is the next event on January 10^th before the VMPA follows up at Avalon a week later on the 17^th January for round 4 of the association series supporting the National Super Sedan Series at Avalon. Then on the 24^th its upto Moama’s Heartland Raceway for round 5 on Australia Day weekend with a $1000- to win feature at Mildura being programmed on the 25^th of January. As usual the ‘Mildura Mob’ of Robbie faux, Martin Hawson, Jeremy McClure, Matt McClure and Peter McCarthy.

  February 21^st all roads lead to a feature event at Mount Gambier where regular VMPA drivers from the Southern State in Terry Brown, Mark Symonds & Chris Hayden get to defend their turf a week before the Victorian Title at the hallowed Premier Speedway in Warrnambool on February 28^th. We roll back into the 6^th and final ‘Bass Highway Waste’ rounds at Horsham and Hamilton on March 7^th and 8^th.

  In March its back to Nyora Speedbowl for the Alan Ramsdale Cup won last season by Mark Carlin before the last major event on the calendar in Easter at Albany , WA for the Australian Title and indications are that like last season the event will be well supported by the Victorian member drivers.

   Written by Dean Thompson

  DMT Media

  0412061208

  dmtmedia@speedway.net.au

   

The Victorian Modified Production Association recently held their annual season presentations at the magnificent Dingley International Complex in Melbourne to end another fantastic year for the ‘Bass Highway Waste’ VMPA series. The event was well attended and a most enjoyable night for all who were there as the results of the Best Presented Crew, Sportsman’s Award and Point Score champion became known to all.

The event was well ran with Conrod the Clown and Ash Parkinson providing plenty of laughs during the evening including a lovely little poem Ash wrote about Tasmanian # 4 Mark Carlin.

Russell and Glenda Bent who handed over their Business ‘Bass Highway Waste’ during the season to Andrea and Rusty Felsovary were recognized and honoured for their 10 year sponsorship involvement with the V.M.P.A along with Ken Alberni who had a season out of racing however attended every round assisting the V.M.P.A and it’s drivers with anything they needed.

Carol Grist, Ern Overall, Lisa Galley and Grant ‘Grubby’ Bird were also thanked for their tireless efforts through the season much to the appreciation of the V.M.P.A family.

Some 40+ drivers took part in rounds through the season starting with round one at Alexandra Speedway. Looking back at the season here is a recap of how things went during the year with the round results.

Round 1 Alexandra Speedway
Feature Result – Not run due to weather
Round Winner – Russell Bent
Best Presented Crew – Darren Pottage

Round 2 Rosedale Speedway
Feature Result 1) Justin Drew 2) Ash Parkinson 3) Darren Cockerill
Round Winner – Ash Parkinson
Best Presented Crew – Darren Cockerill

Round 3 Swan Hill Speedwa
Feature Result 1) Ash Parkinson 2) Mark Carlin 3) Anthony Wilson
Round Winner – Ash Parkinson
Best Presented Crew – Andrew Blackwell

Round 4 Mildura Speedway
Feature Result – 1) Mark Carlin 2) Andrew Blackwell 3) Peter McCarthy
Round Winner – Andrew Blackwell
Best Presented Crew – Mark Carlin

Round 5 Wangaratta Speedway
Feature Result – 1) Ash Parkinson 2) Graham West 3) Andrew Blackwell
Round Winner – Ash Parkinson
Best Presented Crew – Rodney Burr

Round 6 Hamilton Speedway
Feature Result – 1) Andrew Blackwell 2) Mark Carlin 3) Ash Parkinson
Round Winner – Andrew Blackwell
Best Presented Crew – Justin Drew

Round 7 Mortlake Speedway
Feature Result – 1) Andrew Blackwell 2) Mark Carlin 3) Anthony Wilson
Round Winner – Andrew Blackwell
Best Presented Crew – Mark Carlin

Mark Carlin and his team took out the prestigious ‘Best Presented Car & Crew’ award for their continuous standard throughout the season of attending each race meeting with a clean and straight race car. The award sponsored this season by ‘Thrifty Car Rentals’

All the Victorian crews did an outstanding job presenting themselves to and at race meetings during the season as was evident by the way they presented themselves at the Australian title at Maryborough in Queensland with some 17 V.M.P.A member teams attending the race meeting.

The next major award was the ‘Sportsman Award’. This award is held in high regard as it’s the drivers themselves that make votes through out the season at each round as to whom they feel was the most deserving Sportsman at the meeting. This award takes into consideration such things as the driver’s behaviour towards each other, acceptance stewarding decisions, interactions with the fans and hosting club and the assistance they are willing to give to each other during the race meeting, be it for parts or assisting in fixing a competitors racecar or any other situations that may arise.

After the votes were tallied Pakenham driver Andrew Blackwell had won the ‘Coastal Access Elevator Platform Hire’ Sportsman’s award by 5 votes ahead of Ash Parkinson and Mark Carlin.

The award everybody races for during the season is the VMPA Point Score Champion. The ‘Green Machine’ driver Mark Carlin, was Mr. Consistent throughout the season and came home with the win ahead of a late starting, but fast finishing Andrew Blackwell and Graham West in that little Torana that keeps on keeping on.

The tally looked like this:
1) Mark Carlin 764
2) Andrew Blackwell 727
3) Graham West 687
4) Ash Parkinson 682
5) Anthony Wilson 678
6) Darren Pottage 462
7) Peter McCarthy 393
8) Martin Hawson 385
9) Russell Bent 368
10) Kellie Atkins 338
11) Neil Watson 294
12) Fiona Verhoeven 277
13) Dale Morrison 272
14) Rodney Burr 268
15) Mick Wolbers 267

The VMPA would like to acknowledge the season sponsors for the past season and look forward to having them and new sponsors onboard for the 07/08 season

Bass Highway Waste (Series Sponsor)
Ramsdale Wreckers (Trophy Sponsor)
Pakenham Crane Trucks (Sash Sponsor)
Ipta Fibreglass (Sash Sponsor)
Thrifty Car Rental (Best Presented Sponsor)
Coastal Access Elevator Platform Hire (Sportsman Sponsor)
Ern Overall Quality Used Cars
Hotondo Homes Torquay
Bergmeier Engineering
American Racer
Hardys Mitre 10 Mega
Allcare Exhausts
Horvath Transport Services
AMW Building Services
Norman Street Automotive

A special thanks also to Lifetime Trophies Ballarat for the fantastic trophies supplied, RMI Print for their work on the presentation souvenir booklet and Dingley International Complex for their hospitality.

Media Release by
Dean Thompson
DMT Media
0412061208
dmtmedia@speedway.net.au