Jamie Veal.
WARRNAMBOOL’S Jamie Veal is looking to add a feature race victory in a third state to his growing list of achievements when he contests the Australian Sprintcar Championship in Brisbane tonight.
Veal, a multiple winner in Victoria, enters the title in good form, having claimed a $10,000-to-win feature at Sydney Speedway on January 1 — his first in New South Wales.
The 24-year-old was a notable absentee from the recent speedweek series in Victoria and South Australia during the festive season, taking a drive with New South Wales car owner Dave Doherty.
He is planning to drive for the team at Warrnambool’s Grand Annual Sprintcar Classic on January 26 and 27.
Veal said former Warrnambool mechanic Tim “Moth” Gleeson, the crew chief of the Doherty-owned car, had called him earlier in the season about joining the team.
The opportunity to race regularly at the renowned Sydney Speedway at Parramatta had appealed to Veal, culminating in his recent triumph against a class field which included Americans Joey Saldana and Jason Sides.
But Veal knows this weekend’s title will be a big challenge. He raced at Brisbane — the venue for the title — on Tuesday night and missed a start in the A main, finishing 12th in the B main.
“We’ll just have to see how we go,” Veal said. “We are a bit behind. We ran the other night and we weren’t flash. We couldn’t get the set-up.
“Sitting up on the hill you are getting covered in dust and then when you get down to the track it is still real tacky and not as slick as it seems.”
Veal will carry the region’s hopes in the title at Brisbane tonight being the only south-west based driver to contest the three-meeting title, which started last night.
The title concludes tomorrow night with the 40-lap A main.
Veal rates Brisbane-based James McFadden a hot favourite.
