Sprintcar driver Andrew Priolo’s car after the crash at Perth Motorplex
By Ajay Jones
Young Sprintcar driver Andrew Priolo provided the crowd with a jaw biting, triple-flip crash in the second heat of his first meeting at the Perth Motorplex on Saturday night.
“It definitely wasn’t the warmest welcome I was looking for but at the end of the day I knew what I was getting myself into,” said Andrew.
“Let’s hope this crash was my first and last one.”
Andrew rolled three times in his second heat at the Super Speedway Grand Opening Showdown when he hit a large rut coming into turn three.
Luckily he jumped straight out of the car with no injuries, minimal structural damage and an eager attitude to get back on the track for the feature race.
The Motorplex was lit up with fireworks throughout the night for the start of the 16th speedway season.
Along with Sprintcars, Formula 500’s, Late Models, Speedcars and Wingless Sprints delivered show-stopping entertainment for the thousands of spectators who made the trip to the Motorplex.
The transition from Formula 500’s to 410 Sprintcars was a huge step up for Andrew.
With speeds of up to 170kph, the night was certainly a milestone for the young driver.
“The best part was the rush and excitement I got from being in a car with so much more power than what I had in a Formula 500,” said Andrew.
“I wasn’t nervous at all, I was more excited than anything.”
Andrew had a spectacular feature race, finishing in 11th place after starting from the rear of the field in position 22.
The damage to Andrew Priolo’s car.
Perth Motorplex officials were also excited to be back at the track on Saturday night.
They give up their time to volunteer for the sport they love and to ensure safety standards are always very high.
“410 Sprintcars are very dangerous, but also very exciting to watch,” said Perth Motorplex official Trevor Johnson.
“We get the biggest crowds for the Sprintcars.”
Andrew will be back at the Motorplex on November 7th for the Magic Man 34 and Demo Derby event.
You can view images and videos from Saturday night below.
[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UixXSPrriuk]