THIS month’s Easter Sprintcar Trail will have an American flavour, with Californinan hot shot Geoff Ensign one of the first to enter.
The trail, which begins at Avalon on Good Friday and goes to Mount Gambier on the Saturday before culminating at Allansford’s Premier Speedway, rarely attracts overseas drivers because it clashes with the US season.
But Premier Speedway general manager David Mills yesterday announced Ensign would make his first trip Down Under.
“We had Shane Stewart last year but only seem to get one or two Americans occasionally,” Mills said.
Ensign, known as the ‘‘human highlight reel’’, mixes his time between sprintcars, non-wing sprintcars and pavement racing in America.
Last year he only finished out of the top 10 five times in more than 30 races driving for four different car owners at different tracks.
Mills said a $10,000 bonus for the driver who performs best across the three nights had lifted the trail’s profile.
He said he hoped newly-crowned World Series Sprintcars champion James McFadden and Grand Annual Sprintcar Classic champion Steven Lines would also commit to the three nights.
Regular winner Max Dumesny is also entered, along with Grant Anderson and former Classic winner Trevor Green.
The trail has traditionally signalled the end of the sprintcar season in Victoria and south-east South Australia.
grbest@fairfaxmedia.com.au