THE harness spotlight in Tasmania will focus on some of our best young drivers next m month when they contest the annual Bullock Consulting Youngbloods race series.
The 10 drivers selected to participate in the six heats are Alex Ashwood, Nicholas Brockman, Dylan Ford, Lyarna Graham, Justin Howlett, James Johnson, Jaimie-Lee King, Todd Rattray, Bradley Wise and Braydon Withers. The emergencies are Braden Howlett and Beau Luttrell.
The field of drivers to contest the series was determined by their standing on the state drivers’ premiership table, which is why Victorian reinswoman Jamie Lee-King will contest the series as she drove in the state for some considerable amount of time early in the season.
Todd Rattray will be attempting to join Tammy Mollross and Nathan Garwood as a three-time winner of the title.
Rattray won the series in 2009 and last year. Illness prevented him from contesting the 2010 series.
The series, which has been held annually since 1986, kicks off in Hobart on July 1 and moves to Devonport the following night with the last round of heats to be held in Launceston on July 8.
Previous winners:
1986 Richard Housego and Leigh Dornauf
1987 Scott Ford
1988 Leanne Barker and Nathan Postlethwaite
1989 Darren Jacobson
1990 Darren Withers
1991 Tammy Mollross
1992 Tammy Mollross and Tamra Fawdry
1993 Tammy Mollross
1994 Darrin Denny
1995 Phillip Ford
1996 Matthew Dwyer
1997 Phillip Ford
1998 Heath Szczypka
1999 Nathan Garwood
2000 Nathan Garwood
2001 Nathan Garwood
2002 Andrew Rawlings
2003 James Rattray
2004 James Rattray
2005 Brendan Gebel
2006 James Austin
2007 Mark Yole
2008 David Medhurst
2009 Todd Rattray
2010 Amy Crossland
2011 Todd Rattray.