Avalon Raceway, Geelong, Victoria, Australia – 1/11/14
Geoff Ensign just keeps on winning. On a beautiful Australian night at Avalon Raceway in Geelong, Victoria, The Human Highlight Reel added Victorian State Sprintcar Champion to his growing list of accomplishments behind the wheel of a sprint car. Ensign, wheeling the Jason Smith owned Master Fitout Solutions/Konnected Clothing Shaver/Maxim v60, topped a 26 car field beating defending state champion Matthew Reed and former champion Brett Milburn to the checkers in a masterful performance at the beautiful Avalon Raceway.
Ensign qualified in a flat footed tie for 3rd during time trials, then transferred that speed to a second place finish in his heat race. 2nd was also the finishing spot for the pole dash, in which the way you finish is the way you start the A Main Event.
Starting outside pole, Ensign wasted little time getting to the point of the 25 lap final in the car he and car owner Jason Smith affectionately call “Seabiscuit”. Ensign and the biscuit pulled away to a near straightaway lead early on before a yellow flag stalled his march to the checkers. With former state champion Matthew Reed on the prowl, threading through traffic, Ensign stayed patient on the top side of the Avalon surface, clicking off laps, unchallenged until another yellow slowed the v60 once again. This next restart would prove crucial, as both Reed and Milburn emerged as possible suitors for the point and they both would engage in a fierce duel to prove just who was worthy of chasing after a flying Ensign in front. Reed would emerge from the rubble and chase Ensign through traffic, but Ensign, with a down low move on two lappers on lap 23, put two cars in between Reed and himself and gave himself enough of a cushion to flash under the checkers to become Victorian State 360 Champion, and earn the prestigious v1 number for the next 365 days.
“I just tried to stay patient on top and never saw a wheel on the bottom, so I just stayed up there.” Ensign explained. “We were fast all night long and Jason and everyone in the pits are to thank. They worked hard all night long to get us here.” Ensign beamed from victory lane.
Ensign adds win number 29 to his main event total in just over 4 years behind the wheel of a sprint car and now joins the rarified air of enjoying multiple wins on two different continents. This would mark the first state championship for the 24 year old Sebastopol, CA native in addition to two USAC sprint car championships.
Ensign and Smith will pack up and head to Simpson Speedway next weekend for the Mainline DynoLog Dynamameters All Stars Challenge.
To contact Geoff Ensign, search Geoff Ensign Motorsports on Facebook, find him on Twitter @ensignmotorspts or email The Human Highlight Reel at geoffensign@rocketmail.com.
- Ron Lingron on Jan 13, 2014
- Article Date: 1/14/2014 by RJM Promotions