With self determination being one of his biggest assets, Ben Butcher has once again proved his standing in the sport of WA Sprintcar racing.
With full confidence in his ability, and knowing that a 360 motor against a classy field of 410 open cars, he went into the night with an open mind.
The time trial proved a positive result for the W42, placing 13th out of the 22 car field which set the night off to a great start for his team.
The objective to move forward or at least even hold position in his heats was achieved with almost ease. He moved the car forward from a 7th place start to finish in 6th. Starting from 4th in his second heat, he pushed the car forward to finish in 2nd place.
This gave his team an enviable 10th place start in the A Main which was an achievement in itself. The goal now set to finish where he left off at the recent WA Sprintcar Championship in 8th place.
The feature was full of stoppages in the first 15 laps and Butcher was holding his own dicing with a couple of drivers several times before a another stoppage and the exit of a couple of cars in front of him, saw him creep up in the field.
He pushed past Daniel Keen and finished a credible 6th place out of the massive field. With this amazing feat achieved he was all smiles at the conclusion of the race, being happy with the result.
“We’re really stoked with the finish, although I’m buggered now,” he smiled. “To bring the car home again in the top ten and just shy of the top five, it’s awesome.”
The track was inviting for the drivers and tyre wear was minimal all night allowing for slide jobs and making the racing inviting to the spectator eye. Butcher more than held his own in the race and proved once again he has what it takes, even with a smaller engine, to finish strong, a credit to his sheer driving skill.
“We’ll have the 410 back in the car soon,” he said. “World Series is when we really get on it and we’re looking forward to our next challenge.”
Speaking of next challenges, the WA 360 Sprintcar Championship will be his next immediate target to put away. Happening at Collie Speedway on February 1st, he will aim to bring the car home on top of the podium.
After a podium at the Australian Championship earlier this year in Kalgoorlie, he is more than confident he can achieve the ultimate and claim a major title to his name.
With the ongoing support of his band of followers and fans starting to get on board the Butcher racing bandwagon, it will be no surprise to them, to see Butcher step up to the plate and take some well deserved silverware.
- administrator on Jan 07, 2020
- Article Date: 1/7/2020