WARRNAMBOOL SPEEDWAY PRESS RELEASE DECEMBER 16

Format Change for Max’s Race, Entry Conditions Change

Saturday night’s return to racing at Sungold Stadium, Premier Speedway, Warrnambool comprising the opening night of the Total Tools, Warrnambool Track Championship which doubles as Max’s Race as presented by Chittick’s Bakery, looks like being a night of high-class action, with an eleventh-hour format change set to be implemented. 

In recent weeks it has become apparent the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic, are far wider reaching than simply getting the competitors and race fans back to the track, turning on the lights and dropping the green flag.

Supply issues, in particular with tyres, have and continue to impact the suppliers. While stock is currently being freighted by air and sea at considerable cost whenever possible, the quantity of tyres currently available is below where it would normally be at this time of the season.

With this in mind, and with a desire to see our competitors on track right through until the Easter Trail in April, the Premier Speedway Club has made the decision to change Saturday night’s program to a one heat format.

The program will consist of time-trials, one heat per car, a Gold-Silver-Bronze shoot-out, twin 20 lap B-mains and the 35 lap Max’s Race final.

Points will be allocated from qualifying and the heat races to seed the Main Events later in the program.

Support divisions, Late Models and Junior Formula 500s will not be impacted by this change.

Competitors and race fans alike are advised that the racing program will now commence with Sprintcar Engine Starts from 5.45pm.

“We apologise to those competitors and race fans, which were expecting to come along and see eight heat races, but we feel in the current climate that this is the right call,” Premier Speedway General Manager David Mills said.

“We would all like to see as much racing as we can, but from the public’s point of view, we are fortunate to have such strong car counts, that we still get five heats, two B-Mains, a Dash and a 35-lap A-Main”, Mills added,

“For the competitors, the guys looking for laps, will basically get the same as they usually would if they ran two heats and a C or B Main, so I think, like the parts and tyre suppliers we all need to take our little hit with this one.

“By starting later, we can also hopefully get a handle on our new surface, which is largely an unknown to us at this stage, which in once sense is exciting as well, so we encourage all race fans to get along on Saturday night,” Mills concluded.

For the fans wishing to attend Sungold Stadium, changes or updates to the Victorian Government’s COVID-19 restrictions, means that anyone under the age of 18, attending the venue on Saturday no longer needs to show proof of their vaccination status.

Anyone attending over the age of 18 is still asked to show proof of this prior to entry.

All interstate visitors, both competitors and race fans, will need to have downloaded the Service Victoria App (Orange in Colour) to their smart phone for ease of access to the venue.

Under the new Trybooking On-Line Ticket Booking System, public admission tickets can be purchased on-line up to and after gate opening, with walk up sales available on the Warrnambool side and from the Pit Ticket Box from 4pm.

Pit entry ticket sales will commence at 1pm from the Pit Ticket Box.

Tickets and more information can be found at www.premierspeedway.com.au