Despite being forced to qualify for the recent Australian AMCA Nationals Title-deciding feature race via the B main, Peter Markulin certainly proved that he was up to the challenge after coming away with a satisfying top-10 finish.

In what was his sixth Australian Title attempt, Markulin well and truly beat the odds to achieve his best result yet, with his previous best result being ninth place in the 2014 running of the event at Carrick Speedway in Tasmania, but he certainly didn’t do it the easy way.

Forced to contest each of his four heat races on Saturday night, due to Friday night’s schedule being postponed due to rain, Markulin experienced mixed results, placing third, eighth, first and sixth, which ultimately put him off the outside of the front row in the B main.

Utilising the high line and making the best of each of the restarts during the 14-lap distance, Markulin continued to hit his marks, retaining his position through to the fall of the chequered flag to earn his transfer spot into the Australian Title-deciding feature race.

Lining up in 18th place amongst a formidable field of drivers, Markulin did his best to stay out of trouble, with the 40-lap feature race being littered with stoppages. Maintaining his composure throughout the duration, the NSW-based racer continued to move forward, making his way up to sixth place before dropping back to seventh, where he remained through to the completion of the race.

 Photo:Rock Solid Productions

“So much hard work went into the setup of the car and engine prior to the event, and to have been able to fight for such a competitive result was a great confidence boost for the whole team,” said Markulin, who was running his brand-new 350 Chev engine for the first time during the Australian Title, with fellow racer and four-time Australian Champion Shane McKinnell having provided significant advice which ultimately made all the difference to Markulin’s results.

“I can’t thank Shane (McKinnell) enough for all of his help and assistance. Without his help, along with the efforts of the entire team and the support from our sponsors, this result wouldn’t have been possible.”

For his next appearance, Markulin will be racing at Sydney’s Valvoline Raceway on the Saturday night of February 17, followed by a round of the Country Cup series at Narrabri Speedway. He is also planning to contest the doubleheader at Mildura’s Timmis Speedway over Easter, which consists of the South Australian Title on March 30 and a round of the Victorian Action Series on April 1, along with the NSW Title at Valvoline Raceway on April 14 and the Queensland Title at Brisbane’s Archerfield Speedway on May 6.

Markulin would like to thank the following 2017-18 season sponsors for their support: Daracon Group, Buck Engineering, Burson Auto Parts - Broadmeadow, Hi-Tech Electrical Services, Markulin Consulting, Powerplus Race Fuels, East Coast Protective Coatings, G Force Performance Centre, and No Limit Digital.

Special thanks go to Shane McKinnell for his help and assistance, mum and dad (Lyn and Danny), brothers Paul and John, and his girlfriend Heather.

To find out more about Markulin and his team, LIKE them on Facebook by searching Markulin Racing.