After a whole heap of waiting, the 2023/24 Esslinger Engineering Speedcar Triple Crown finally gets underway this Boxing Night at the Perth Motorplex thanks to The Pool Shop Group.
Coming into the show Tom Payet (Bennett Motorsport) has a slender lead in the overall Perth Motorplex Track Championship and will be hoping to extend that lead with his second win of the season. He grabbed two podium finishes from two starts in last year’s Triple Crown series, but missing the second round cost him dearly overall and he will be keen to rectify that this time around.
Kaiden Manders was running strongly in the John Day Classic before succumbing to a flat tyre, so this week’s show will not just be about the win, but also revenge.
He already has two wins to his name in season 2023/24 aboard the Golding Motorsport #71 machine and should be right towards the pointy end of the field come feature race time. Manders is the defending champion of the series, having claimed a win, a second and a third last time around, so would love to add another Triple Crown trophy to his cabinet.
Lee Austen was the model of consistency last season, an eighth, a ninth and a tenth seeing him finish third overall in the Triple Crown. This season aboard the Wayne Cover #9 machine, Lee has been ever improving and could well sneak through for an even stronger result this time around.
As has been the case for a number of years now, American Alex Bright is also back in the field, again driving for the Graham Jones Racing team. Last season he opened his account with a fourth in this very show, before breaking through for a win in the second round. However, last season, just like this season, Bright was unable to attend the final night, seeing him outside the top ten overall, but that certainly won't stop him going for the top prize in the opening two rounds starting Boxing Night!
Cody Nash (Redmond Racing 52) is second overall currently in the Track Championship, having garnered three podium results so far this season from four feature events. He is close to breaking through for a feature win and with a bit of luck, could well achieve that goal on Boxing Night.
Glen Mears (Mears Racing) is just behind him in the overall standings and the veteran racer will be hoping to build on his four results so far this season: fourth, two sixth’s and an eighth.
Keenan Fleming (ASTEEL Racing) and Patrick Watson (Watson Racing Team) have both finished on the podium already this season and will be looking to grab another one this time out, while others including Alfonso Guadagnino (Guadagnino Racing Team - GRT), Jake Robinson and Cory Smith will be hoping to not just take out the Triple Crown for themselves, but in the process move further up from their current top ten rankings in the overall Pool Shop Group Track Championship.
Adding a little bit extra to the field is the addition of Brodie Minchin as he joins the Speedcar ranks like brother Declan has previously done, while we also welcome back to the field Bart Curnow, who after a long absence will be strapping back into the seat.
Boxing night is sure t be yet another awesome display of Speedcar racing and we can’t wait to get back underway!
The 2023/24 Esslinger Engineering Triple Crown is proudly presented by Esslinger Engineering, The Pool Shop Group, Coverall Sheetmetal, Air Control Transport Refrigeration, Transwest WA, American Racing Tyres, RPM Race Products and Asteel Powdercoaters.
Release by DTN Media.
Official Nominations – 20
3 Nick Rowe
USA4 Alex Bright
7 Tom Payet
8 Jake Robinson
9 Lee Austen
11 Bart Curnow
15 Rob Golding
16 Alfonso Guadagnino
21 Brodie Minchin
23 Glen Mears
26 Keenan Fleming
30 Aron Sharp
32 Stuart Yates
44 Tyson Bryden
52 Cody Nash
71 Kaiden Manders
75 Joel Watson
76 Patrick Watson
89 Cory Smith
97 Gary Mann