After months of build-up, Championship week is finally here, kicking off tomorrow night with the Magic Man Prelude to the Championship at the Perth Motorplex!
The bulk of the field that has nominated for the weekends 82nd annual Mobil 1 Australian Speedcar Championship are in the field for tomorrow night’s show, with thirty-one competitors keen to hit the track and get themselves into the best possible form ahead of the Championship officially beginning.
There are just two previous Magic Man Champions in the field, with former teammates Alex Bright (Graham Jones Racing) and Kaiden Manders (DGR - Dan Golding Racing) each keen to make their way back onto the top step, and considering the form both have been in, a second win could well be on the cards.
Coming into the show WA has three wins in the event, New South Wales has one and the USA has six, so there is plenty of pride on the line in a race that everyone wants to win in memory of Figs.
Certainly, none of the drivers will be taking it easy with a big winner's cheque and an important trophy on the line!
New Zealand has never won the Magic Man race before, but with Kiwi Michael Pickens (Michael Pickens) in the field and aboard the potent second Graham Jones Racing #4 machine, one would be foolish to count out his chances despite the quality of the field.
Americans Jade Avedisian (Aved Racing - Jade Avedisian) and Daniel Whitley will have their first ever hit outs on the Motorplex track, while fellow countrymen Logan Seavey (Logan Seavey Racing), Justin Grant and Alex Bright will relish the chance to get reacquainted with the high banks of the ‘Plex, all five drivers a real threat of taking out the win.
Zoe Pearce (Zoe Pearce Racing) from Victoria will also cut her first laps at the Motorplex venue, while Robert Heard and Kaidon Brown (Kaidon Brown Racing) will return once again, Brown in particular keen to bounce back after rolling over in his last attempt at the track.
The final interstate visitor, New South Welshman Matt Jackson, will be driving a locally based car and although he will be utilising an engine he doesn’t normally use, he is familiar with the chassis and shouldn’t take long to adapt.
Perhaps to the local drivers winning this race will mean more than form ahead of the Australian Championship, names like Tom Payet (Bennett Motorsport) and Daniel Harding (DGR - Dan Golding Racing) keen to join Manders as a winner of the event.
There are plenty of other drivers who have been right on the pace throughout the season, names like Tyson Bryden (Tyson Bryden Motorsports), Nicholas Rowe, Keenan Fleming (ASTEEL Racing) and Cody Nash (@Redmond Racing) all keen to make an impact.
Ross Heywood makes his first appearance of the season whilst we also welcome back Beau Doyle (Beau Doyle Motorsport) who has sat out much of the season with engine dramas and is chomping at the bit to get back behind the wheel this week.
There is a whole stack of other drivers who are looking for their best result of the season and as we know, anything can happen in Speedway and usually does!
The Prelude to the Magic Man would not happen without the support of our amazing sponsors: Di Candilo Steel City, Rent WA, Unique Metals Laser, Figs Garage and RPM Race Products.
Release by DTN Media.
Pics Courtesy JSP and Peter Roebuck.
Official Nominations – 31
2 Ross Heywood
3 Nicholas Rowe
NZ4 Michael Pickens
USA4 Alex Bright
7 Tom Payet
8 Jake Robinson
USA9 Jade Avedisian
9 Lee Austen
11 Bart Curnow
V15 Zoe Pearce
15 Rob Golding
16 Alfonso Guadagnino
V19 Steven Henderson
23 Glen Mears
26 Keenan Fleming
N27 Matthew Jackson
30 Aron Sharp
USA38 Logan Seavey
44 Tyson Bryden
USA47 Daniel Whitley
51 Beau Doyle
52 Cody Nash
S57 Robert Heard
71 Kaiden Manders
71w Daniel Harding
73 Declan Minchin
75 Joel Watson
76 Patrick Watson
89 Cory Smith
N97 Kaidon Brown
USA99 Justin Grant
Magic Man History
2007/08
Mark Brown (NSW)
2nd Todd Waddell, 3rd Dene McAllan
2008/09
Dene McAllan
2nd Mark Brown (NSW), 3rd Scott Glazebrook
2009/10
Davey Ray (USA)
2nd Nathan Smee (NSW), 3rd Scott Glazebrook
2010/11
Davey Ray (USA)
2nd Rick Geneve, 3rd Todd Wanless (Qld)
2011/12
Davey Ray (USA)
2nd Scott Glazebrook, 3rd Kevin Swindell (USA)
2012/13
Davey Ray (USA)
2nd Steve Buckwalter (USA), 3rd Scott Glazebrook
2013/14
Alex Bright (USA)
2nd Casey Shuman (USA), 3rd Mark Brown (NSW)
2014/15
Kaiden Manders
2nd Lee Redmond, 3rd Dayne Kingshott
2015/16
Neville Lance
2nd Austin Brown (USA), 3rd Lee Redmond
2016/17
Zac Daum (USA)
2nd Neville Lance, 3rd Chris Telenta
