MACS’ Fall Fest Takes on International Flavor as Aussie Dirt Late Model Racer Ventures to Challenger

MACS’ Fall Fest Takes on International Flavor as Aussie Dirt Late Model Racer Ventures to Challenger

posted by Admin on 02/03/08

Thid-Atlantic Championship Series sanctioned Fall Fese Mt XII, at Jack and Donna Lentz’s Challenger Raceway, Indiana, PA takes on an international flavor this year as Australian Dirt Late Model Champion Craig Vosbergen invades to do battle against some of the best in the nation on Friday through Sunday, October 13-15. The total purse for the weekend has grown to over $175,000.

Doc Lehman, Lehman Motorsports, extended the invitation to Australian west coast dirt late model ace Vosbergen several months ago and Craig readily accepted. Craig and former MACS Series regular Doug Drown will be at the Indiana Mall, Indiana, PA, on Thursday, October 12 at 5:30-6:30 for a press conference immediately followed by an autograph session with both drivers participating. The autograph session will be in the main Mall concourse from 6:30 -8:30 p.m. Bother drivers will have memorabilia and apparel available for autograph seekers. Additionally, Craig will have on display the Drown Motorsports #8 Rocket Monte Carlo that he will wheel all weekend at Challenger. Craig is the Rocket Chassis dealer for the entire country of Australia.

Craig accomplishments including coming off a huge Australian season winning more races than any Dirt late Model driver at his home track, the Perth Motorplex. The Aussie isn’t putting any big expectations on himself for this trip to Challenger; it is mainly a learning curve towards maybe venturing to the USA to race more often in the future. Craig will drive for Wooster Ohio’s Doug Drown who is supplying him with a car very similar to the one he pilots in Australia.
Craig Vosbergen

Speaking with MACS Public Relations Director, Jeff Geesey he said “we are very excited to have Craig visit us and race at Fall Fest. It truly makes this an International event. I know speaking to some of the drivers in the series they are all looking forward to meeting Craig as he is a very popular and well known racer from Down Under”.

Chalmers asked Vosbergen a few questions about his upcoming trip to Fall Fest and these were his replies: BCM: What does it mean to you going to the USA to compete in Fall Fest? Vosbergen: One thing I have always been told that to compete at one of the MACS events is something. I have been involved in speedway (racing) all my life and followed the US late model scene over many years; eventually heading over there for the Million Dollar Dream at Eldora with Steve Shaver. That’s where I really caught the bug and ever since then have been waiting for this opportunity. One thing I always said to myself was that if was going to go and race in the US it would be against the guys we read about "some of the best in the US". If we get our doors blown off by these guys at least it gives me a true indication of were we stand and I have no shame about getting beaten by these guys.

BCM: Who and what has been the major factor getting you to make this trip? Vosbergen: It has been brewing for some time now. Originally my former crew chief Cy Wilson, who was working for Eric Jacobsen (CA) at the time, suggested we try and set up a deal with EJ's Team to race his backup car for a few shows and possibly purchase his car and then bring EJ out to OZ to drive it at Perth. Cy was confident that we could be competitive if we had the right equipment which encouraged me to pursue my interest of racing in the US. Unfortunately Cy moved on to run his own business and we never got to secure this deal and I thought it was over; but, then Doc Lehman and Brian "Bear" Chalmers, two super enthusiastic late model marketing guys that through hours of internet chat and phone calls finally put a deal together that involved Doug Drown Motorsports out of Wooster Ohio www.dougdrown.com . After several lengthy discussions with Doug we were both comfortable with the arrangements and "The Deal was done".
Craig Vosbergen In his Rocket at Bunbury

BCM: Do you plan on making the visit to the USA a regular thing? CV: It is a huge financial commitment to say that I will be doing this on an annual basis. I have been very lucky this time to be involved with the Drowns as this deal wouldn't have come off without them. I guess a lot depends on how competitive we are during the few races we are competing in this year and the amount of interest having an "Aussie" racing in the US generates. I would certainly love to do this regularly if all the cards fall in the right direction for us. With our growing racing parts business here in Perth, Western Australia from which we source all our parts & chassis from Rocket Chassis, Poske's Performance Parts, CAMAIR & Genesis Shocks & Hoosier racing tires who have been a major contributor towards this trip and have helped me by giving us a good racer deal for my tyres while we are there & it is also a combined business trip. My family are very supportive of me travelling to the US even with all the stuff going on around the world at the moment, I would love to bring them all back with me next time and hire an RV and travel around racing for a full month (or should I say shopping & sightseeing??). My 15yr old son Brent thinks he should be coming with me this time and probably would be if he was in a very important part of his schooling (10th grade). He is a keen photographer who has his own photography business Xtreme Pix www.xtremepix.com.au and would do anything for the opportunity to be able to take some action shots of the guys he views on the net everyday. My 12yr old daughter Brooke just loves the way the American’s talk and would be a great help selling our T-shirts, handing out posters and cleaning my race car. My wife Nicola is always there to support me in what ever I do and I'm sure she would get a buzz of seeing me race with the "Big Boys"....although maybe not to often!!! HAHA.

With the trip now locked in place Craig Vosbergen will venture out of Australia early October for what will be a huge step in his racing career, and who is to say this hard charging Aussie competitor won’t leave his mark on US soil this coming October.
He will travel with his own crew of Adam Lockhart & Graham Mills one other person that will travel with Craig is his father “big Bad Bert” Vosbergen himself a 40 year veteran of Australian Dirt Track racing winning a record 8 Western Australian State Titles.