TOOWOOMBA SPEEDWAY: UPCOMING BIG SHOWS

UPCOMING BIG SHOWS AT TOOWOOMBA’S HI-TEC OILS SPEEDWAY

The big events continue at Toowoomba’s Hi-Tec-Oils Speedway bringing the best Sedan and Sprintcar teams to the Garden City over the Christmas-New Year period commencing December 26 (Boxing Night).

The venue has broken records as far as car counts and lucrative prize money attracting the biggest names in Australian and American Speedway circles and the trend continues.

Late Models arrive in town for their summer Speedway series on December 26 opening round before headin to Carina (Bundaberg) and Gladstone Speedways on December 27 and 29 for the second and third rounds respectively.

A quality field featuring Australia’s best Late Models will roll into town along with two American drivers, Jeff Roth and Devin Moran who just finished runner-up in the Lucas Oil Dirt Late Model Series in America this season – arguably the biggest Late Model series in the world.

Darren Kane also tops the nomination list. The two time Australian Champion is looking forward to the challenge, saying “it’s been a little while since I have driven the Late Model but it’s time now to focus on the Queensland and Australian title in Toowoomba over the ANZAC Day weekend and get a few quick laps down and a few things sorted before then.” Kane won his first Australian Late Model Championship in Kingaroy during the 2014/15 summer season and backed it up again in Murray Bridge in 2017/18  winning his second. The four-time Queensland Champion also holds the track record at Toowoomba Speedway of 12.3 seconds. He certainly knows the fastest way around Hi-Tec-Oils Speedway and will be the one to watch on Boxing Night as will Tasmanian Callum  Harper. Harper also a former National Champion who has his sights firmly set on the Australian title late in the season. Carter Armstrong is the current club champion along with Todd Bayley who won the Tango in Toowoomba in September.

Kane was second that night recording his 50th career podium, while Pittsworths Zack Hudson made a welcome return to Late Models on Boxing night.

Speedcars return for the opening round of the GSA Advanced Machining Ultimate Speedcar Championship. Twenty-six drivers and teams from Queensland and NSW have expressed an interest. 

This is the second season of this series and it has seen a huge increase in interest by competitors. There are many drivers in good form who will be vying for the $3000 winner’s purse. Scott Farmer, Charlie Brown, Rusty Whittaker and Michael Kendall are the drivers to watch.

Queensland Champion Dylan Menz and Troy Ware, both lining up for the first time in the 2023-24 season, will drive Toyota powered cars.

Sydney driver Nathan Smee will be looking for better luck than the last show when motor problems forced him out without racing a lap. Young gun Boyd Chaffey will be joined by another talented youngster in Harry Stewart who is also showing good form in a Sprintcar this summer. Stewart has raced a Speedcar on and off over the last couple of seasons. The current Australian Compact Speedcar Champion is certainly not daunted by the high-banked high-speed Toowoomba track. If you like racing that is close, fast and action-packed. Speedcars are for you on Boxing night. 

A few nights later (December 30 and 31) Devin Moran returns to Toowoomba in a Super Sedan to contest the $10,000-to-win Ian Boettcher Classic alongside the $10,000 to win Toowoomba Steering and Suspension T-Bar Nationals for Modified Sedans that’s already got a field of 72 nominations from across the country and 42 Nominations for the Super Sedans.

Brisbane’s JJ Hamilton will do double duty at the Ultimate Sedan weekend after winning the Super Sedan feature race at Toowoomba’s Ultimate Pink Night. He also will get the exciting opportunity to do double duty, racing a Modified Sedan. He will race the second Peter Smith owned CR66 Nissan 300zx. 

NuTrend Quality Homes has put their support behind the Sprintcar Red Hot Summer shootout which gets under way on January 5 with the preliminary night, before night’s one and two on January 6 and . This event has attracted plenty of interest from all over Australia and America which offers a whopping $100,000 pay day over the weekend with $5,000 to win on Friday night , while Sunday’s feature race pays $30,000 to win and $1,000 to each car that starts the feature race.   Never before have we seen 6 Americans in Toowoomba on the same night. Aaron Reutzel from Clute, Texas is the first international driver confirmed for the upcoming NuTrend Homes Red Hot Summer Shootout. Coming off another standout season in America capturing 13 wins, 26 Top 5s and 39 Top 10s from 75 starts including winning the preliminary night at this seasons 360 Knoxville Nationals. Reutzel will once again team up with Saller Motorsport who will run a two-car team. Reutzel has been in Toowoomba twice prior with Saller Motor Sport the first time winning a World Series Sprintcars round in January 2020. 

Joining him on the Australian Tour is World of Outlaws sensation Sheldon Haudenschild and is again driving for Jack Lee Racing based in Terang Victoria. Haudenschild finished second to Brock Hallett at last year’s Warrnambool Classic and it will be fantastic to see them both in Toowoomba in January.

Chase Randall is one of America’s rising stars and looking for Speedway success on Australian soil.

The talented 18-year-old earned United States Auto Club (USAC) National Midget Rookie of the Year honors in 2021. Chase spent his first year as a Knoxville regular in spectacular fashion, finishing third in the point standings at Knoxville, posting three quickest times, four podium finishes in the 360 class.

Kalib Henry is heading back Down Under to drive for the JMS Motor Sport Team for the month of January doing various races in Victoria, South Australia, Toowoomba and Lismore. The team is excited that the 24-year-old from Sacramento, California has already raced in Australia previously for Trevor Green and had a number of successful nights. Trevor will be the crew chief on the car so hopefully they can pick up right where they left off and get some great results over the month of January.

Justin Peck will make his Australian Sprintcar racing debut over January. The 25-year-old from Monrovia, Indiana, is heading Down Under fresh from signing a deal to race full time in the High Limit Racing Sprintcar Series in 2024.

Peck will drive for two teams while in Australia. During his Victorian schedule he will run for Domain Ramsay’s team based in Geelong and for the Red-Hot Summer Shootout at Hi-Tec-Oils Speedway Toowoomba driving for Corbet’s Group Racing. Peck comes with a strong resume impressing in the #13 Buch Motorsports Sprintcar. A highlight of his career was his win over Kyle Larson on home turf at Kokomo Speedway in August this year.

Carson Macedo from Lemoore, California is the sixth American Sprintcar driver confirmed as one of the starters, Macedo once again teams up with Sean Dyson and comes into the Australian summer off the back of finishing third overall in the World of Outlaws Series after seven wins and 42 top 5 finishes during the 72-race series in America.

Almost 50 Sprintcar teams have already been nominated for this exciting event which will also feature Australia’s best. 

Tickets for these events are on sale now and are expected to sell fast. So to secure your seat it’s advised to purchase them as soon as possible to avoid disappointment .