ROB Trewartha can remember when he was a budding spectator watching formula 500s race around Laang Speedway on Sunday afternoons.
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He’d be behind the catch fence as the best drivers the south-west had to offer would take to the clay, one day hoping he could do the same.
“You’d run around as a little kid looking up to people like Stephen Bell, Ken Willsher. Jack (Willsher) was even racing back then,” he said.
“Every weekend we’d go to Laang and the whole family would be out there. We’d have a ball.”
The 24-year-old Warrnambool racer is on the other side of the fence these days, piloting the V92 on tracks in Victoria and interstate. Bell is one of reasons why.
“I bought my car off him and motor through him. He’s always given me advice from the start, still to this day. It’s pretty crazy looking back.”
Trewartha is one of 36 drivers who have nominated for Speedweek, the annual formula 500 showcase which starts at Hamilton’s Western Speedway tonight.
The series heads to Darlington’s Mid-Western Speedway for round two on Monday, which doubles as the $5000-to-win Stony Point 5000.
Portland’s Southern 500 Speedway, Allansford’s Premier Speedway, Simpson Speedway and Laang Speedway also host shows. Trewartha enters the hectic week having placed third in the Jack Willsher Cup. A top-10 finish is realistic, although cracking the top five is a burning ambition.
“Darlington has been the track I’ve been most successful at. That’s the main one I look at and think I’ve got a real good chance at,” he said.
“Even Simpson and Laang I’m usually pretty quick at. Up to date, I’ve been not that flash at Premier, but I’ve turned that around. I should be up there most nights.”
Curbing his optimism is the inclusion of interstate drivers in the fields.
Western Australian pair Mark House and Andrew Priolo, who filled the podium behind Brock Hallett at the 2014 Australian title, headline the raiders.
Queenslander Cody Maroske is also back after placing fourth in Speedweek last summer, although defending champion Charlie Brown has not nominated.
“It definitely boosts the class when you’ve got blokes from Western Australia and Queensland coming down. It does make it tougher,” Trewartha said.
Trewartha was a motocross rider for much of his childhood before turning his hand to formula 500s at age 20.
His father Peter contested the class for years and his son “always said to myself that’s something I’m going to do eventually”.
The best results of his career came two seasons ago — third in the Tasmanian title and victory in a Speedweek round at Darlington.
Beyond Speedweek, the Australian title at Rockhampton and Queensland title at Brisbane are on his radar, along with Victorian features.
“I’m pretty confident now I can get a decent win at some stage in one of the bigger races,” Trewartha said. “I don’t think a state title is out of the question at all. It’s a matter of having a bit of luck on the night.”