Sawyers Gully street stocker racer Kiona Sunerton has been crowned "Queen of the Mountain" after winning the all-female invitational event at Ballarat’s Redline Raceway in Victoria.
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Sunerton overcame all sorts of obstacles to take the title, including driving “backwards” in a borrowed car at a track she had never raced at before.
“I had never been to the track or driven the car before. All that was new. They also run both directions, which we don’t do up here, so that was new to me as well,” she said.
“They toss a coin and tell if you are running clockwise or anti-clockwise.
“I had two heats racing backwards for me. The second heat and feature were anti-clockwise which worked out OK. To be in a field of 32 women and win was pretty amazing.
”Once the green light goes you don’t have time to think, but you have to be very aware of your car’s placement as normally you are driving beside the fence.”
Sunerton was the only interstate entrant in the exclusively ladies only race, which pitted Victoria’s best female drivers from various divisions together.
“It’s completely different to anything I’ve been involved in as there are not that many women up here racing,” she said.
”Some of the women were racing their own cars, others were in borrowed cars.
“It was what they call a street stock category in Victoria. There are a few different modifications but in general I was driving a similar car to my regular vehicle.
“The car owner had heard of me and wanted me to drive. He wouldn’t take no for an answer. He has booked me already to defend my title next year
Sunerton said she was delighted to get back in a car and have success after a disappointing NSW and Australian season in the street stockers category after taking out the 2016 NSW title.
“I didn’t finish in the NSW championship race. My car had mechanical troubles. It was disappointing not to be able to defend my title,” she said.
“I was in America on holiday with my family and wasn’t able to make the Australian title.
“I struggled to get on the track with several events cancelled due to rain and then being away.
“The Queen of the Mountain was my first race in a number of months. Because of scheduling I couldn’t even get a practice session in.
“But it was amazing how it all worked out on the night. I had a ball and will definitely go back next year to defend my title.
“It’s got the buzz back and I can’t wait to have a big year when the season kicks off in the summer.”