Australian Superboat Championships – possibly the race of the decade

by Sean Henshelwood on 26 Oct 2010 Temora’s Hi-Tec Oils Park will play host to quite possibly, the best Superboat event that has ever been contested in the relatively short history of the sport when Australia’s best drivers descend on the venue for the final round of the Continental Tyres Australian Superboat Championships over the October 30-31 weekend.

Never before has a championship battle been so close, with the two elite classes – International Group A and Unlimited Superboat both coming down to the wire at Temora where record entries will only add to the pressure for the title contenders.

In the hotly contested Unlimited Superboat class the championship will again come down to the final round, and again, ex-pat kiwi Daryl Hutton is a contender. This time though, it’s not arch-rival Mick Carroll hot on his heels, but Wagga’s very own world champion, reigning Group A title holder, Slade Stanley. For the locally based builder, 2010 hasn’t exactly gone according to plan. With a new engine scheduled for later in 2010, Stanley’s plans were to campaign his Group A powerplant in slightly modified format for the bulk of the five round season and ‘just put some points together’, whilst not expecting to challenge for outright victory.

Sadly, or in this case, fortunately for Stanley, the driver widely regarded as the best in the world, suffered engine issues at the opening round of the 2010 season at Temora (March) and reluctantly retired his boat. Within hours he was offered a variety of drives and ultimately accepted the ‘B’ drive in Canberra Floorcraft, a boat with outstanding reliability, but never considered a serious outright challenger; all that was about to change…

Insert one world champion, a dose of ambition, and hey presto, Stanley has proven not just a contender, but an outright contender. He finished runner-up to reigning champion Hutton first time out at Temora, then annihilated him just weeks later at Griffith during round two, by an incredible 1.7 seconds – light years in Superboat terms.

Since then Hutton has had the advantage, and last time out at Maryborough Stanley was forced to turn to another boat to keep himself in the championship after the Canberra Floorcraft machine failed to make it after undertaking time consuming mechanical modifications. At that event, just to make things interesting, Hutton himself suffered engine failure in the final, limiting a potential advantage over Stanley heading to the final round by just a handful of points.

With just seven points separating the pair, former champion Dean Finch returning for the first time since the opening round, 2008 400 Class champion Phonsy Mullan trying something radical in his 1800 horsepower behemoth, Mick Carroll coming good at the right time of the year, and former 400 class AUS number two Greg Mercier getting faster with every outing, the championship is by no means over, and could yet provide even greater hope for the local fans of a debut Unlimited class championship victory for what would be a very surprised, Slade Stanley..

Whilst the action at the front of the Unlimited class - which will feature one of the best fields ever assembled outside of a world championship – will be outstanding, it is the fight for championship honours in the International Group A class which will be the big talking point at Temora.

Incredibly after four rounds of some of the most intense racing in years, five drivers are separated by just six points on adjusted totals (drivers amass points from the four best point scoring rounds of five), and with 60 points on offer at Temora, you could not put odds on a favourite.

For locals though, the favourite would have to be the darling of V8 Superboats, 22 year old Brooke Dixon, daughter of Phil and Louise, the promoters of the Hi-Tec Oils Park at Temora.

Always a contender, Brooke, much like Stanley and Hutton, has suffered from mechanical dramas during the year, but so too have some of the championship favourites.

Widely tipped to take a comfortable title victory this season, Melbourne’s Ted Sygidus and younger brother Darek were the pacesetters during the early rounds, but their championship assault has started to fray at the edges as the title deciding round looms. The younger of the two Triple X drivers, Darek shares the championship lead with Dixon, with brother Ted just four points behind equal with 2002 champion Rohan Smith. The final of the five is Mildura’s Robert Colman, a former 350 class champion, the laconic car salesman is casual about where he thinks he will finish, but is no less committed than his opponents.

In the 350 class the championship is all locked up in favour of Melbourne’s Daniel James, although he can expect Deniliquin’s returning David Blake and Queensland’s Daniel deVoigt to push him hard over the course of the weekend.

Whichever way it works out, it will be the fans that will be the big winners, with some of the best racing ever seen expected and quite likely, the odd out of water experience..

Admission at Hi-Tec Oils Park (Barmedman Road, two kilometres north of Temora) for Saturday is $10 for adults, with children under 14 admitted free, Sunday is $20 for adults with kids under 14 $10. Gates open at 11:00am Saturday and 10:00am Sunday.

As ever, you can catch all the action from the 2010 Continental Tyres Australian Superboat Championships on SBS Speedweek and FOX Sports 'Inside Speed'.

For more information, please go to: www.v8superboats.com.au