TWO runner-up finishes in his past five races is all the encouragement budding sprintcar driver Tate Frost needs as chases a maiden victory.
The Tasmanian-based teenager has started his third season mixing it with Australia's best, finishing second to Warrnambool's James McFadden at Max's Race on December 18 and chasing Corey McCullagh, another from driver from the south-west, to the chequered flag at Simpson on Monday night.
Frost, 19, is crediting his performances to a newfound level of consistency and hopes it will reap solid results at Premier Speedway on New Year's Day.
"I'm breaking the night down and we're qualifying good and (if you) start at the front of your heat races, you put yourself in a good position for the feature," he told The Standard.
"I am getting my head around the car more, knowing what changes change what. I am more mechanically-minded with the car. It helps a lot."
Frost hasn't had it all his own way during his most recent trip to Victoria.
He was forced to overcome a self-inflicted poor start at Avalon Raceway - a meeting which attracted 55 drivers - on Thursday night.
"We dug ourselves out of a hole," Frost said.
"We struggled in the time-trials and started at the back our our heat.
"We won the C-Main and started at the back of the B-Main and earned a transfer position to the A-Main and came from 18th to finish 10th.
The apprentice mechanic will return to the Apple Isle on January 3 before jetting back to the mainland for a meeting in Horsham.
The South West Conveyancing Grand Annual Sprintcar Classic. from January 21-23, is his main focus and he's grateful he's had a chunk of racing to prepare for Australia's most prestigious race meeting.
"We were lucky to get to Darwin (in August)," Frost said.
"I kept getting flights cancelled when everything was going crazy but I was able to get up there and do four nights' racing.
"Everything then sort of stopped (due to COVID-19 restrictions), borders closed and it put the season on hold for a few months and this is the longest run we've had (in the car for a while).
"It's been nice to do some racing and improve on my results."
Saturday's traditional New Year's Day meeting at the Allansford circuit doubles as the Victorian sprintcar championship.
Spectator gates open at 3pm with racing from 5.30pm.
Justine McCullagh-Beasy
Sports journalist with an interest in feature reporting. Email: justine.mc@austcommunitymedia.com.au
Sports journalist with an interest in feature reporting. Email: justine.mc@austcommunitymedia.com.au
