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AUS: ECLM Kwinana Beach preview

Four East Coast Late Model Pilots Ready for Australian Title Four leading drivers from the East Coast Late Model fraternity have ventured West for this weekend's Brownes "Licensed to Chill" Australian Late Model Championship, due to be conducted ...

Published: Jan 21, 2005, 7:09 PM

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Four East Coast Late Model Pilots Ready for Australian Title

Four leading drivers from the East Coast Late Model fraternity have ventured West for this weekend's Brownes "Licensed to Chill" Australian Late Model Championship, due to be conducted at the Quit Motorplex, Kwinana Beach on Saturday night, January 22, the fourth Annual title.

Spearheading the East Coast charge in 2005 will be Michael Hebditch. Hebditch has been a revelation this season, taking a number of feature race victories at Parramatta City Raceway, he was the highest placed East Coast runner at the recent Farmers Union Fireball Derby in Adelaide and, having picked up support from Repco at the beginning of the season, last weekend took out third placing in the West Australian title, held at Northam, just outside of Perth.

Joining him will be Canberra's Scott McPherson. The proprietor of Better Trailers in Canberra is one of the more aggressive competitors in the country. McPherson, after a disappointing result at Speedway City, finished fifth last weekend at Northam and will be looking for more of the same on the wide-open spaces of Perth's Quit Motorplex.

Driving the Hess Building/KDM Industries car will be Warwick Hessenberg. Hessenberg has been a solid runner during his time at Parramatta City Raceway and although looking good in hot laps at Northam, broke the differential on the car, unfortunately bringing his West Aussie Title charge to a halt before it had begun. He will be looking to make amends this weekend.

Completing the Eastern States quartet is Bruce Mackenzie. The North Curl Curl Beach-based IT Company Director is the only one of the four who have competed at Kwinana previously. Whilst unable to compete in the WA Championship last weekend due to being kept in Sydney with business commitments, his TimeTarget/Venom Racing Monte Carlo has seen no expense spared and is one of the better-presented cars in the country.

Historically, East Coasters who have ventured to the hotbed of Australian Late Model competition have performed exceptionally well, with Queensland veteran, Allan Butcher taking out the inaugural Title in 2002, upstaging the local stars.

This year, the East Coast competitors will have to halt the charge of the mighty Brad Blake. The Bunbury resident and defending Australian Champion, known as 'The 0 Show,' went an unprecedented 16 races without defeat in the early part of the season, before Brad Ludlow beat him in a heat race in Adelaide, however Blake recovered to win the feature that night and also take the West Australian Championship last weekend in a customary dominant display.

Other threats will come from Brad Ludlow, last year's second place getter, his teammate, former Northern Territory AMCA Nationals Champion, Chace Karpenko, and former Australian Champion, Ryan Halliday. Ludlow's father, Ben, was one of the pioneers of Late Model racing in Australia and although having over 30 years in the sport, has never seen the top step of an Australian title podium, despite coming close on numerous occasions. On the other end of the age spectrum, 19-year-old twins, David and Matt Nylander are expected to feature prominently, so too 20-year-old Esperance based pilot, Matt Goodlad and his 22-year-old Crane's Livestock Transport team mate, Jaron Crane.

-am-

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