VAN BREMEN DEBUTS MAXIM IN SRA SEASON OPENER
MVB Racing posted Monday October 30, 2006.

Mike Van Bremen made his return to Victorian Sprintcar racing on a full time basis on Saturday night (October 28) at Geelong’s Avalon Raceway in the opening round of the SRA Super Sprint Series. The two-time SRA Series Champion debuted a new Maxim Chassis after racing with a Foster Chassis in previous years and he found it a challenging night, failing to qualify the Action Blast Cleaning V#6 into the main event.

The opening night of the 2006-2007 speedway season was always going to be a trying night for the MVB Racing team and it proved that, as they became accustomed to new territory in a Maxim Chassis.

“We were happy with the Maxim Chassis, but obviously we have to have more race time with it and continue to learn,” said ‘The Flying Dutchman’.

“Everything we have learnt over the last 11 years with the Foster Chassis we have thrown out of the window and we have to start from scratch with the Maxim.”

The Lilydale flyer said it was exciting to race with something that they were unaccustomed with and it gives them a different focus to improve on in a race-by-race situation throughout the season.

“The Maxim frame feels nice, it feels balanced and we should be able to get on top of it in coming races,” enthused Mike.

On Saturday night, the MVB Racing team were up against some stiff competition with a 38-strong car line up which included Sydney’s Troy Little and Victorian rivals John Vogels, Matthew Reed and David Murcott.

With bitterly cold conditions, the track was fast and it was important to get up to the front early in the 8-lap sprint heats, as passing was minimal. In the opening heat, the Action Blast Cleaning V#6 Maxim of Van Bremen secured a third placing. In the second and final heat, Van Bremen crossed the line in sixth, which subsequently forced him to have a B-Main birth.

After the qualifying heats, Van Bremen said that the set up on the car was not where he wanted it due to engine troubles in the first heat.

“We had a little bit of trouble with the set up and in the opening heat we also had trouble with the engine, we fixed that up after the first heat and consequently we probably spent more time fixing the engine rather than the car set up prior to the second heat,” he explained.

With the 25-lap A Main event taking the top five drivers from the B Main, Van Bremen still had a superb chance to qualify for the main show with a starting position of six in the B Main.

During the 15-lap event, Van Bremen was on the edge of qualification as he battled with Troy Shiells and Reed for fifth spot. Unfortunately for the MVB Racing team, Mike narrowly missed out on an A Main start by one solitary position.

“It didn’t quite come together for us on the night, but I have no doubt we will get better at it and be up the front very soon,” said Van Bremen.

Van Bremen also praised the level of the SRA Super Sprint Series, saying it is clearly the strongest he has seen it.

“There is no doubt the SRA level of competition has stepped up quite a few levels and we found that out on Saturday night,” he said.

“One of the reasons why I was so keen to race full time in Victoria again is because the SRA Series is one of the strongest in the country and on every night we will simply have to be at our very best to be at the front.”

The next event for the MVB Racing team will be at the wide-open spaces of Heartland Raceway in Moama for the second round of the SRA Super Sprint Series on November 11 and Van Bremen is looking forward to letting loose on one of the bigger tracks in the series.

“Heartland Raceway is a wide-open track and if the track is hooked up, I think every driver looks forward to giving it everything and reaching some speed. We will also be slotting in our killer Maxwill engine for this next race in the hope of finding some real serious top end speed,” said Mike.

The MVB Racing team would like to thank the following sponsors for season 2006-2007:
Action Blast Cleaning
CSR Methanol
Wholesale Automatics
National Rod Ends
Speedway Motors Australia
www.sprintcarworld.com.au


Release by Jarryd Stokes
0400 912 581
stokesy24@hotmail.com

Mike battles for the transfer spot with Matthew Reed

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