This Saturday night the A1 Welding 2020 South Australian Sprintcar Championship will be held in the “Steel City” (February 14) as the Whyalla Speedway hosts a field of 14 drivers, who will battle it out for the $10,000 winners cheque and the SA #1. The field includes drivers from three Australian states including five drivers who have previously captured a State Sprintcar Championship. The event will also double as Round 2 of the Sprintcars SA Tri-Series, with the final round to be held at Murray Bridge in early April.

Leading the entry list is 2003 South Australian Champion Luke Dillon in his Action Line Marking #81. Although it has been a while since he won the State Title, he has also recorded a pair of runner-up finishes in 2006 & 2012 Titles along with a pair of 360ci SA Titles and an Australian 360ci Championship. Luke is already a dual feature winner this season along with picking up a runner-up result in the opening round of the Tri-Series at Murray Bridge.

Murray Bridge standout Ryan Jones will make the trek once again to Whyalla in his Murray Machining and Sheds #63 Triple X and he will be hoping to join Dillon as a State Champion in both Sprintcar classes. Having won the SA 360ci Title on three occasions and four Australian 360ci Championships the 410ci Title has eluded him. He has found the podium in three previous attempts, second in 2014 & 2017 and third 2010.

Brendan Quinn is the third local driver who is a former State Champion as he has previously found success in the 360ci Title and despite a tough run this season in his Tony Quinn Accounting #14 he is more than capable of running up front.

Aidan Hall is another driver who will be one to watch and he knows how to win a State Sprintcar Championship having won the 2016/17 Victorian Sprintcar Championship at the Premier Speedway at Warrnambool. Aidan has a best result of 8th this season at the World Series Sprintcars opener in his immaculate Automotive Onsite #15 and he is one driver who can’t be counted out this Saturday night.

The local entries also includes the likes of Strathalbyn’s Daniel Pestka (Devil Race Karts #27), Luke Bowey (Showtime Signs #55), Lisa Walker (Action Line Marking #4), Joel Heinrich (Check It Out Graphics #16), Ben Morris (Maxwill Race Engines #3) and rookie Daniel Smith (Redback Express #23).

Gold Coast racer Lachlan McHugh has received the call to drive the local Whyalla Earthworks #52 due to their regular driver Matt Egel being unavailable due to a prior engagement. McHugh spent the early part of the season driving the W60 but since returning to his familiar Family owned #23, he has been on a hot streak winning his last start at Archerfield and finishing second at Toowoomba.

Joining McHugh from interstate will be a trio from the Northern Territory including Darwin racers Chace Karpenko and Jamie O’Niell and Alice Springs resident Lenny Cole.

Karpenko raced at Whyalla last season for the Whyalla Earthworks Team but he returns this weekend in his own Top End Access #21. Over the past few season’s he has proven to be one of the best local drivers throughout the Chariots of Thunder Series in Darwin and he is a former Northern Territory State Sprintcar Champion in addition to his Western Australian Late Model Championship. Karpenko is more than capable of upstaging the locals in the State Championship.

Jamie O’Niell has contested several races at Whyalla over the past couple seasons in his beautiful Austec Irrigation #24 and he 8th in last year’s South Australian Title. Finally, Lenny Cole, in his Cole Refrigeration #17, will make a return to South Australia after contesting the Speedweek component of World Series Sprintcars over Christmas.

The format for the night will include hot laps, Time Trials, two rounds of heats, a pole shuffle and a 30 lap A-Main.

The 2020 A1 Welding South Australian Sprintcar Championship at the Whyalla Speedway will be supported by Modified Sedans, Junior Sedan and Modlites.