NATIONAL champion Jess Moulden is hoping her run of bad luck will end in time as she prepares for three formula 500 titles in four weeks.
Moulden, of Cobden, heads a 32-car field for tomorrow night’s Victorian championship at Darlington’s Mid-Western Speedway.
But the 25-year-old, who sat out races in February in a bid to save some dollars for the four-week stint, said she was far from confident entering the Victorian title.
During the formula 500 speedweek series over the Christmas/New Year period she suffered a horror run. Her first night was ruined with chain issues and she didn’t finish a heat, she blew a motor one night and in a third night she “crashed out”.
“Hopefully all the bad luck is out of the way,” she said.
Moulden raced at Laang last week where she finished second in something of a fortune-changing night.
But she finds herself at a venue tomorrow and Sunday nights which hasn’t been kind to her as she chases her second Victorian title win in five years.
“It would be nice to go well,” she said.
“Darlington hasn’t been a favourite track for me. I don’t have high expectations given how bad we have gone there other than finishing and keeping the car straight.”
Part of her reason for keeping the car straight is she has the Tasmanian title to contest on March 23, followed by the defence of her national crown at Easter, also in Tasmania. The Cobden Fonterra employee won’t be having a holiday on the Apple Isle, contesting the title and then flying back to work before returning the following week.
The nature of the Darlington track meant heat draw luck was important.
“It’s going to be tough,” she said.
“I’m not overly confident. We just need a bit of a luck. You can have the fastest car out there but just not win because you are drawn at the back.”
She rated reigning champ Jye O’Keeffe, of Warrnambool, Australian number two James Aranyosi and Brock Hallett among the main chances.
About half the field are south-west drivers, including Warrnambool’s Dylan Willsher, Terang’s Dale and Ash Sinclair, Purnim’s Chris Bellman and Simpson’s Matthew Symons.
Racing at Darlington, north-east of Mortlake, begins tomorrow night with heats and a preliminary feature, with another round of heats on Sunday followed by the title-decider.