A SPECTACULAR accident only laps into the feature race
at the GP Midgets Championship brought the event to a premature end and left spectators and drivers
mulling over technicalities.
Though trophies were handed out a protest over the March 5 result left all positions
in doubt. Marulan driver Cory Tatarko was leading the race after the Australian number one car
driven by Geoff Meyers spun out. However on the next corner the car in third spot rode up the rear
wheel of Tatarko’s car and launched itself into the air. This ended in a collision involving all but
one car.
“There were cars going everywhere,” Tatarko said.
“However we were all really lucky we walked away with just bruises.
“It was just
bad luck and one of those things that happen when everyone is trying so hard to win.”
Tatarko has been racing for four years in a Midget he picked up quite cheaply.
“I replaced the engine last year with a Kawasaki 1100cc motorcycle motor I picked up on Ebay,”
the 37-year-old mobile mechanic said.
“It only cost me $250. We use methanol as
fuel but it is savage on components so after each meeting I flush the fuel system out with petrol so
it does not corrode the cylinders and hoses.”
Goulburn is the home track for the
GP midgets but they travel to Victoria to compete and are looking to race at Nowra next year as
well.
“We compete in 12 or so meetings a year in NSW and Victoria. The
Victorians also come up here to compete, except when we have a clash of dates like happened at our
championships. This is because they were postponed because of bad weather, Tatarko said.
“I got into GP Midgets because I used to go to the speedway with my dad in Sydney and used to
enjoy watching them.
“It is a pretty cheap low maintenance open wheeler class to
get into and with a well set up car, even an older one you can be quite competitive. “Some of the
chassis are around 20-yearsold.
“For the championship meeting I got some help
from Fred Seery with my set up and the improvements worked really well.
“I have
quite a bit of work to do before the next meeting in a couple of weeks because of the crash last
meeting though.”
“Until that point the meeting was running really well from our
point of view. “The track itself was in fantastic condition, probably the best racing surface we had
raced on all year. It was a real credit to the Goulburn Speedway they had done a lot of work to get
it ready for the meeting,” Tatarko said.
“We all support each other and if
someone’s car breaks down during a meeting try to help them get back on the track again.”
