Super Trucks return to Winton

The spectacular Super Trucks will return to Winton Raceway this weekend, as the feature category in Round 2 of the Victorian Motor Racing Championships.

This weekend marks the second round of the Australian Super Truck Championship, with Frank Amoroso leading the standings after his opening round victory at Wakefield Park in May.

Amoroso will be hotly pursued by the Paul Reyntjes and also reigning champion Steven Zammit, who won the weekend’s opening race at Wakefield before being eliminated from proceedings with mechanical problems.

Another addition to the field will be former New Zealand champ Shane Gray, who has shipped his Kenworth across the Pacific to join in the action.

The trucks will be joined on the program by the ever-growing Modern Sports Car Series, which will hold a pair of one-hour endurance races.

The Modern Sports Car Series is currently led by Brian Anderson/Wayne Twist, after their consistent performance in the opening round. At Winton, Anderson will be challenged by former Winton 300 winner Shane Otten, young-gun Richard Allen and previous Formula Vee national champion Daniel Reynolds.

The Penrite Oils Victorian Sports Sedan Championship has attracted another strong field, with Shane Woodman leading the series after a stunning start to the season aboard his V8-powered BMW M3 GTR.

Woodman’s closest rivals are likely to include Dean Camm in his Chevrolet Corvette, the Holden VZ Commodore V8 Supercar of Paul Pennisi and the stunning ex-Patrick Dempsey Grand-Am Mazda RX8 of Benalla Auto Club member Bruce Henley.

The BMW E30 Series returns to Winton for the second time in 2014. During the series’ last visit in March, Sean Bell and Alan Saint shared round honours with two race wins apiece; Saint has since sold his car and Bell has established himself as a genuine title contender, but he will come under fire from David Levy, who dominated the previous round at Sandown.

Brian Bourke has risen to third in the series standings following a string of consistent performances; Bourke won a race in the wet at Winton last year and can again be expected to hover around the top three.

The Pulsar Challenge has been one of the success stories of 2014, the entry-level category attracting consistently strong fields at each event. Defending champion Max Healy leads the points but the man with recent form on the board is former HQ Holden racer Peter Green Jnr, who has won the last two rounds.

Green Jnr and Healy should again battle at the front of the field, along with Victorian drivers Keven Stoopman and Matt Thewlis.

In the Australian Swift Racing Series, Allan Jarvis, Callan Sayers and Andrew Price are the likely front-runners along with local driver Katilyn Hawkins.

Another entry-level series on the program at Winton this weekend is the Victorian Excel Racing Championship Series. Although in its infancy, the series is poised to grow to the same level as its NSW counterpart.

Finally, the ever-present Super TT class is back at Winton, featuring an assortment of tin-top race cars.

Spectator admission is $20 for Saturday, $25 forSunday and $40 for a two day pass, with children under 15 free.

Series Points – Winton VMRC Categories

Super Trucks
1. Frank Amoroso – 57
2. Paul Reyntjes – 53
3. Craig Yardy – 43
4. Fletcher Christian – 42
5. Kevin Anderson – 40

Modern Sports Cars
1. Brian Anderson/Wayne Twist – 34
2. Richard Allen – 30
3. Russell Harris/Andy Harris – 28
=4. Daniel Reynolds – 24
=4. Nick Martinenko/Matilda Mravicic – 24
=4. David Viner/Rob Viner – 24

Penrite Oils Victorian Sports Sedan Championship
1. Shane Woodman – 189
2. Paul Pennisi – 134
3. Bruce Henley – 132
4. Dean Camm – 122
5. Steve Howard – 102

BMW E30 Series
1. Sean Bell – 60
2. David Levy – 56
3. Brian Bourke – 52
4. Alan Saint – 50
=5. Garry Pearce – 46
=5. Michael Stillwell – 46

V.E.K. Tools Pulsar Challenge
1. Max Healy – 280
2. Trevor Keene – 272
3. Matt Thewlis – 228
4. Peter Green Jr – 222
5. John Markwick – 215

Victorian Excel Racing Championship Series
1. Jarrod Tonks – 110
2. Nathan Blight – 66
3. David Bailey – 63
4. Wayde Griffiths – 48
5. Bruce Phillips – 42