Farr grabs another title Darwin’s Porter third as local Sprintcar hopes falter

THE BEN’S Tree Service NT Sprintcar Title saw local contenders Chace Karpenko and Ben Atkinson Jr succumb to punctured tyres, while Australian champion Robbie Farr seized victory.

Alice Springs-born driver Danny Reidy steered his way into second place, also setting the fastest lap by four hundredths of a second over Farr. Third position was claimed by Danny Porter, the first Darwin driver to cross the line.

The prime track surfaces prepared at 7mate Northline Speedway provided racers with multiple line selections on the night, with several passes for the lead between Farr and Atkinson Jr, before his tyre trouble, and fourth-placed South Australian Ryan Jones.

Northline Speedway sport manager Jason McIver said that the win for Farr was just “another notch on the belt” for the Australian Classics Champion.

“He’s a very accomplished racer on the national scene,” he said.

“He’s got multiple state titles from all over the country.”

Qualifying at the lead of the pack, all Farr had to do was hold down the fort from the front.

“He qualified pole position and he had a really good race with Ryan Jones,” McIver said.

“Ben Atkinson Jr was coming into form, he got into the lead a couple of times, racing really hard. The lead exchanged about five times between Jones, Atkinson Jr and Farr, it was full on.”

Unfortunately for Atkinson Jr and Karpenko who qualified midfield, their night drew to a close early.

“Atkinson Jr and Karpenko cut their tyres down, ending the race,” McIver said.

“Unfortunately for Karpenko he was having an average night, he got up to fourth after qualifying mid-pack and got behind the top three guys battling it out, but him and Atkinson Jr must have hit some debris on the track.”

Misfortune also befell Jamie Veal who was also picked as an interstate favourite.

While the racers were forming up to start the feature, Veal’s sprintcar had a motor malfunction, putting him out of the race.

Chariots of Thunder commences this week starting with the Chariots Motorcade on Thursday.