IMPRESSIVE AUSTRALIAN MIDGET CHAMPIONSHIP ENTRIES FOR MARCH 3-4

Story by Dennis Newlyn.

Feature photo: Flashback to the 2017-18 season and Kaidon Brown is met in national title victory lane by multi Australian Grand Prix winner, his dad Mark Brown. 

 History already has been made at Eastern Creek Speedway even before the 81^st running of the Australian Midget Championship at the venue March 3-4 is run and won.

It’s the first national title for the venue and Australian Midget-Speedcar racing adds another track to its impressive list since Melbourne hosted the first national title in 1935.

But more than statistics, the 2023 edition of the prestigious event has all the ingredients and potential of going down in history as one of the best with a number of major contenders in the field.

The defending titleholder Matt Smith has not entered following his alleged retirement so a new champion from the previous running will definitely be crowned.

Over 43 nominations have been received and, carrying on the rich title tradition, there’s not only strong representation from throughout Australia, but also New Zealand and America. 

The three nations have shared bragging rights in national title victory lane for many years.

New Zealand Midget Champion Hayden Williams, a regular visitor to Australia over recent years, has entered driving a Breka chassis car for NSW car owner Jason Bell. 

Kaleb Currie and ex-pat Kiwis Michael Kendall and Scott Farmer also are amongst the nominations. 

California’s Thomas Meseraull and Oklahoma’s Brady Bacon hope to add another American to the Yanks’ winners list. 

They plan to continue their slashing performance from last week’s NSW Championship. Both at one stage looked likely winners of the state title. Meseraull, 41, made the most of his first appearance at Eastern Creek Speedway and drove the Jordan Brothers Racing Bullet/Esslinger

into the runner-up position.

Bacon, 33, is a four times United States Auto Club National Sprintcar Champion and only recently moved into equal third position in the all time USAC Sprintcar career main event victory rankings with 47. With age on his side, he is within striking distance of equalling USAC’s Sprintcar all time career winner Dave Darland (62 victories).

Sydney’s two former national title winners Nathan Smee (2009/10 season) and Kaidon Brown (2017-18) have nominated. 

Smee, driving the Eagle/GRD entry, came from deep in the field in last week’s state title for a very deserving fifth placing while Brown was third placegetter.

Brown’s Australian Championship win was one of the most emotional in the event’s history as his long time racing family embraced the sensational victory at SA’s Murray Bridge Speedway.

Two times West Australian Midget Champion Kaiden Manders heads east as one of the guns out of the golden west. He’s enjoyed considerable success in recent years driving for car owner, former National Champion Graham Jones. Manders also is a WA 410 Sprintcar Champion and two times winner of the Australian 360 Sprintcar Championship.

Michael Stewart is definitely the form driver of the local ranks after his victory in the 2023 NSW Midget Championship last weekend when he became a part of history as a hat-trick winner. Stewart, who also has won the Queensland and ACT Championship, is current points leader in the Speedway Classics magazine ECS season feature race pointscore.

Victoria’s Zoe Pearce, 16,  is on the nomination list after losing an engine at ECS last week. The team are racing a Spike/Esslinger car and will take their place in the starting line-up this weekend. “She has run this car before, is comfortable in it, and we are hoping to put on a show,” her dad Andy Pearce said.  

Speedway Classics magazine has come on board as sponsor of the Pole Shuffle with a $500 bonus going to the driver who starts from the pole position in the Australian Championship final. 

SUPPORT DIVISIONS  Lightning Sprints’ Gold Cup

Friday, March 3 also is highlighted with the 26th running of the Lightning Sprints Gold Cup supported by ARM Industries Hire Pty Ltd.

A 4K prize pool is on offer, along with a range of awards. The field includes four previous winners of the event – Pete Styles, Chris Davis, two times victor AJ McTaggart and four times Gold Cup Champion Sean Barrett. Defending titleholder Tyler Stralow is missing from the entries and is recuperating on the sidelines following a recent crash in the Motorguard Motorsports Sprintcar. 

On March 3, Midgets and Lightning Sprints are supported by Legend Cars, while Saturday March 4 Wingless Sprints, Formula 500s and Formula 500 Juniors are on the support card for the Australian Midget Championship.