The Esslinger Engineering Speedcar Triple Crown has been hotly contested again this year and this weekend will see the 2023/24 version come to its epic conclusion at the Perth Motorplex.
A solid twenty one nominations have been received for the show, and with the field looking slightly different to that of which we have seen contest the opening two rounds, it will certainly be an interesting one to watch!
Coming into the show Manders holds a handy lead, having won both of the main events so far for a perfect score of 300 points. After winning last year by twenty-eight points, Manders is in the box seat to go back to back, especially considering his closest rival, Alex Bright who currently sits second overall, will not be contesting the show.
This also means Keenan Fleming is well placed to improve on his position, sitting third just fourteen points behind Manders. After a fourth and then a third in the series so far his trajectory is going up exponentially and this could be the weekend he breaks through for his first win at the Motorplex since March 2019.
Nick Rowe is fourth overall coming into this show, with a fourth and a fifth so far, while Joel Watson is fifth courtesy of his seventh and eighth place finishes. Both have been big improvers so far this season and with a bit of luck, could show even more of that improvement come feature time on Saturday night.
Patrick Watson is sixth overall, a fifth place at the last show giving him plenty of confidence, while just behind him in the standings is Tom Payet, a DNF at the last show proving costly after coming home second in the opening round of the series.
Alfonso Guadagnino, Cory Smith and Rob Golding round out the top ten in points coming into the final round, while rookie Brodie Minchin, veteran Glen Mears and next generation driver Jake Robinson are just outside the top ten looking in and will be hoping a good result gives their point score a healthy nudge.
The field is also boosted this weekend by a number of returns, Cody Nash fresh off his Pro Speedcar Week over East where he certainly turned some heads, while Daniel Harding also returns to the seat of the second Dan Golding machine after being out of the seat the whole season. Both of these drivers are gassers and either one of them could be standing atop the podium after the feature event.
As if this wasn’t enough, we also welcome former Australian Champion and recently crowned Pro Speedcar Week Champion Kaidon Brown back to the West. Receiving the call up to drive the Graham Jones Racing #4 machine after regular driver Alex Bright headed back to the States to contest the Chili Bown, Brown jumped at the opportunity.
His most recent race meeting was when he claimed the Victorian Championship for the first time in his career and he will be hoping to carry that form over the Nullarbor with him and finally break through for his first ever feature race win at the Perth Motorplex.
All the regular stars and their cars are also in the field, meaning the action will surely have you on the edge of your seat as we crown a winner of the Esslinger Engineering Speedcar Triple Crown!
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 – 21
3 Nick Rowe
N4 Kaidon Brown
7 Tom Payet
8 Jake Robinson
9 Lee Austen
11 Bart Curnow
15 Rob Golding
16 Alfonso Guadagnino
V19 Steven Henderson
21 Brodie Minchin
23 Glen Mears
26 Keenan Fleming
27 Vaughan Manders
44 Tyson Bryden
52 Cody Nash
71 Kaiden Manders
71W Daniel Harding
75 Joel Watson
76 Patrick Watson
89 Cory Smith
97 Gary Mann