Ben fires up Top End power
Ben Atkinson is excited about returning to Premier Speedway. Picture: STILLSHOTS.COM.AU
The 28-year-old is on a reconnaissance mission ahead of The Standard Grand Annual Sprintcar Classic in January.
Atkinson confirmed his talent at the 2006 Classic when he sensationally won the opening night feature and topped the points standings entering the final. But rain intervened and the 40-lap feature was never run, leaving Atkinson and fans pondering what might have been.
Soon after, sponsorship dried up and Atkinson was forced to cool his heels for a season. He returned late in 2007, enjoying a few races in Darwin and a few in Sydney.
But he is back full-time this season. While he remains based in Darwin, his team will be based in Sydney with renowned mechanic, Tim “Moth” Gleeson, formerly of Warrnambool, running the operation.
Atkinson said he was excited about returning to Premier Speedway, one of his favourite tracks.
While he had Saturday night’s round of the Sprintcar Association of Victoria series pencilled in on his calendar, two missed flights to Sydney a fortnight ago, confirmed his trip to Victoria.
Atkinson, who is planning to run 40 events in New South Wales and Victoria, was targeting the Parramatta track championship but he missed his flight from Darwin two weeks ago and then hastily booked another, only to select the wrong day.
He said the structure of the points meant he had no chance of success, having missed one race.
It also meant he had added speedweek, a series of World Series Sprintcars rounds across the Christmas/New Year period to his schedule.
“We haven’t been there for three years and want to roll back down there,” he said.
Reacquainting himself with the track ahead of the January 1 World Series round and the Classic were motivating his return.
“That feature race had people like Donny Schatz in it and it was always going to be a big ask to beat people like it,” he said of the unraced 2006 Classic final.
“It would have been a hard race for me to win with them in it, because for those guys it doesn’t matter where they start.
“I am looking forward to coming back.”
He returns in good form, having won at Parramatta last weekend.
He said he had struggled for results in his opening few shows but a series of changes to the car by Gleeson had turned his form around. “Having Moth work on the car makes it a little easier for me,” he said.
Atkinson said he had signed Gleeson to be his crew chief on a three-year deal.
Gleeson, who has crewed for stars like Brooke Tatnell and Skip Jackson, said he was excited to be back with Atkinson.
“It will be good to get back home. I haven’t been there for a while.”
Atkinson heads an impressive entry list of more than 30 drivers. He will be joined by last season’s SRA series winner Matthew Reed, who missed round two at Borderline Speedway, Simpson hard-charger John Vogels, series leader Mike Van Bremen, young gun Steven Lines, last-round winner Brett Milburn and Deniliquin’s Eddie Lumbar.
Warranmbool’s Tim Morse will open his season, having missed the first two rounds of the series. He will be joined by fellow locals Carl Ludeman, Darren Mollenoyux and Jamie Veal.
