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BFR EXPANDS - posted 25 June, 2009

Introducing the newest member of Broadwood Family Racing - Tahlia Fae Broadwood, born 11th June, 2009 at 15.04

weighting 7lb, 6oz at Kaleeya Hospital in East Fremantle.

Mum and Bub are doing well.

Dad Todd must now get some super - small sized crew shirts made for his little girl!!!

BROADWOOD FAMILY RACING PRESS RELEASE – A CLARIFICATION - posted 15 May, 2009

Following our press release earlier this week in relation to the Bunny Burrowes race meeting and the events that occurred at that meeting that was held at the Makit Narrogin Speedway on May 2, contact has been made with the team in regard to the content of our press release from the Narrogin Speedway committee.

If anyone from Narrogin Speedway or the Perth TQ Car Club feels aggrieved by the contents of our press release, we offer our reserved apologies. We do not believe that the contents attributed blame or slander, nor was this purpose of the release.

Whilst we do not hide our disappointment in the events that took place, we do urge the relevant people make the necessary changes to ensure that what happened to us, and the other competitors and crews, does not occur again.

The content of our press release is designed to inform our sponsors, supporters, family and the speedway community of our progress and most importantly provide the valuable exposure of our partners and sponsors. It is not designed to instigate arguments or cause problems.

Todd Broadwood

Broadwood Family Racing

BFR' s DISSAPPOINTING SEASON END - posted 12 May, 2009

Last weekend, May 2, Broadwood Family Racing (BFR) rounded out its racing calendar at the Bunny Burrowes Memorial at Narrogin

Speedway – in less than memorable circumstances.

The team put in a solid two weeks leading up to the event, looking for improved performance out of the Empire Graphics Murphy.

And the changes made paid dividends, with the car proving faster and far more consistent over the night, the highlight of the night

being a solid heat race win over eventual event winner Steven Ellement.

But unfortunately, that’s where the good news ended. Preparing to begin the feature event from seventh place, the team was

inexplicably locked out of the circuit and forced to watch the race from the sidelines. To say the team was fuming is an

understatement. The team is awaiting responses from the relevant committees and clubs as to how on earth this could happen. Not

only did BFR miss out on competing, but a quarter of the field!

While this leaves a sour taste in our mouths, the team will now re-group and look forward to next season. Our season calendar will be decided in the coming months. Hopefully a trip to the east coast will again be included.

A sincere thank-you to our partners who have been consistent supporters of the team. We look forward to their involvement with BFR next season.

BFR'  WRAPS US 'PLEX SEASON - posted 20 April, 2009

Broadwood Family Racing (BFR) has wrapped up it’s Perth Motorplex season campaign with a hard fought three race effort in the

running of the Gold Cup event. The team worked hard on car balance over the course of the night, again with a multitude of changes

to the Valvoline Murphy throughout the evening. The three races brought mid-pack results on an extremely muddy and slippery

one-lane track.

The team is now looking forward to a change of scenery as we head to Narrogin Speedway on May 2 for the Bunny Burrowes Memorial.

The event carries over 25 years of history and is a sought after blue ribbon event on the Formula 500 calendar in WA. The team has

had good results at Narrogin in the past, most recently when the team graced the podium dais in last year’s edition of the classic.

Here’s hoping for some similar fortune this year!

BFR' TO RETURN TO MOTOPLEX FOR GOLD CUP - posted 7 April, 2009

Broadwood Family Racing (BFR) will this weekend make a long awaited return to the track at the Perth Motorplex over the Easter long

weekend. The Valvoline Murphy has had cosmetic surgery effected after our wall-crunching State Title way back in February at the

‘plex, and the team is looking forward to some fun and some better results.

The team did also compete one week ago at the Perth Motorplex for the running of the Silver Cup with mixed results, setup on the

tricky Motorplex clay sometimes difficult to nail for the team. The team made wholesale changes over the night and are looking for

an improved performance come this weekend.

Following the Motorplex outing, the team will gear up for the prestigious Bunny Burrowes Memorial at Narrogin Speedway on May 2.

BFR'S WA F500 TITLE ATTEMPT  - posted 9 February, 2009

Broadwood Family Racing returned to the Perth Motorplex this past weekend for the running of the 2008 Western Australian Formula

500 Championships – albeit briefly, held in conjunction with the Australian Sprintcar Championships.

The Global Transport Logistics Murphy started from position five in our first heat and before the first lap was complete, the BFR car

found the turn three concrete fence after steering failure. The car was badly damaged and although all bolt-on parts can be replaced,

the chassis was bent badly, ending our weekend rather prematurely. 

This week the chassis will return to Geoff Murphy for a ‘nose job’ and hopefully we will return to rejoin the action soon.

Congratulations to Steven Element who was a well deserving winner of the State Title.

OVAL EXPRESS SERIES WRAP  - posted 11 January, 2009

Broadwood Family Racing (BFR) has rounded out it’s first ever Oval Express Series with a hard fought 24th position at the completion

of the six night tournament. The competition was simply the best in the country and the racing format even tougher – and the team

had an absolute ball competing in the series.

The team opened it’s account at Murray Bridge Speedway, SA for round one on December 27th and drew a back row start for our only

heat. We started well, and faded at the tail of the race with a fuel gremlin which consigned us to a C-Main start. We progressed from

the C with a tight racecar into the B-Main where the car ran awesome to progress only a few places short of qualifying for the A-Main.

Round two saw us travel 5 hours, prepare the car and race all within 18 hours of competing at Murray Bridge – down the road at

Borderline Speedway, Mt Gambier SA. We had a second row start in our heat and transferred directly to the A-Main with a fourth place

finish, all despite a huge vibration in the front end of the car. The A-Main was the most enjoyable time we’ve ever had, racing hard

with the best competition on a racy, two lane track and registered a 12th place finish. The team was well satisfied with the result.

Round three was at Western Speedway, Hamilton in Victoria after a one day break. Hamilton is a fast, flat and hooky clay surface which reminded us initially of some tracks at home in WA. How wrong we were. We missed the gearing on the Valvoline Murphy for our first of three heats and had drawn pole position. We led the first lap before amazingly the driver running second spun us out going down the back straight! Not impressive driving and it hurt our points tally badly. We recovered some point in our two remaining heats and qualified for the B Main. We managed to get the car running well and passed some cars with some help from carnage ahead in the pack to finish in 8th, a few spots short of qualifying for the A-Main.

Round four was at the famed Sungold Stadium, Warrnambool, Victoria. Our ace car builder Geoff Murphy gave us some tips after a chat during the one day break between rounds and they made a big difference to the car. We started on the front row in our first heat on the clay, high banked track and came home fourth. We started from the back in our second and final heat and had progressed well to fourth when another car just managed to squeeze by. It took a lap to regain our composure and in the meantime four other cars got past. The tiny mistake cost badly and we were sentenced to a mid pack B-Main start which was cancelled due to impending rain – night over.

At this point the team had progressed well to an overall 11th place in the points tally. Just goes to show that finishing every single race is important and the team was keen to consolidate our position.

The final round at Laang Speedway was held over two nights on Jan 3 & 4. Laang can best be described as racing in a soup bowl. It is a traditional race track surface (not clay) and is only 285m long. The track was heaps of fun to race on and a ten lap heat race went very quickly. We set a lap time inside the top ten in hot laps so we were ready to go. We collected some valuable point in our first heat but it all went pair shaped in the second and final heat for the night. While racing hard for position inside the top three we got into turn one a little too hot and got sideways and were collected by Steve Caunt – all our own fault. The impact broke the steering on the right front however we tried to roll around to get points for finishing. This went well for about a lap when the steering stopped and we found that the Laang concrete wall isn’t very soft – our first DNF of the season. We fixed the car for the C-Main and got out but the driver was all over the place and we didn’t even transfer to the B-Main. Easily the worst the driver has driven in a long time.

We bounced back for the second night of the final round at Laang with renewed optimism. Our three heat races brought some half decent results and we managed to keep some big names behind us. With points for the weekend contributing to your starting positions for the final night (and no C-Main) we scraped into the back of the B-Main thanks to our DNF and poor showing in the C-Main the night before.  We dodged some accidents and passed a couple of cars along the way en-route to a 13th place finish. The team worked on setup the entire weekend trying to get around the tight Laang circuit as best we could. Some more laps there will be beneficial.

Double points on the feature races for the final night at Laang meant it was crucial to make the A-Main to help your points tally. Having not qualified, we dropped down the order and finished up in 24th place at the completion of the final night. We had expected strong competition and tough racing, and we got every bit of that. What we hadn’t expected was to be so disappointed with some results, even though we knew that sometimes you were going to be beaten by better opposition. But driving against the best, and being beaten by the best will make you a better driver, team, and crew to get the best out of yourselves. And that’s what we will look for during our racing at home and next time we compete at the Oval Express Series.

Congratulations to the Oval Express Series winner Travis Senter, who was simply the man to beat, as well as Mick Pronger who was the runner-up and Ben McLeod who finished third. The Victorian Formula 500 Association, Ken & Cheryl Wilsher, Chris Olsson, and all the officials and volunteers should also be congratulated. As newcomers to the series, we were made to feel welcome right from the beginning. The series was run well, professionally, and despite one hiccup that was beyond anyone’s control, I think most had a great time competing at the series.

Thanks also to my team and family who put in a huge effort to make the logistical nightmare work. Everyone pitched in and completed their role. They also put their hands in their own pockets to come across to help even though they knew it was going to be no holiday – hard work and late nights.

Next up for BFR, we return to Northam Speedway on January 31 for the third round of the Terry Haulage West Coast Series.  Then it’s time for a return to the Perth Motorplex for the State Formula 500 Title, run in conjunction with the Australian Sprintcar Titles. Stop by to grab a poster and also a free hat courtesy of our marketing partner, Valvoline.

OVAL EXPRESS SERIES UPDATE  - posted 2 January, 2009

Night Four

The fourth round of the Oval Express Series led us to Premier Speedway, Warrnambool. With only two heats and no C-Main the pressure was on. We started off the front row in our first heat and after a good battle with Kristian Kelly for Tasmania we settled for 4th on a very fast and drivy track.

The second heat saw the Valvoline number 5 from position 11 and we quickly found us battling for 5th position. After a passing move from Wayne Moller, we had to drive the highline for a lap unable to get back to the curb and in result of that moved back through the field to eventually finish 8th.

The weather, which had intervened a couple of times during the night, had resulted in the meeting being cut down, unfortunately that means our B-Main was cancelled and were given points for what out starting positions. After four rounds we are still in 11th position on points as the last round of the series, run over two nights, takes us to Laang on Saturday and Sunday night.

OVAL EXPRESS SERIES UPDATE  - posted 1 January, 2009

Night Three

The 3rd round of the Oval Express Series led us to Western Speedway, Hamilton. It was a challenging night on a track that was unlike

anything we had raced on before.  Starting from pole position for our first heat, we led the pack through the first two turns but were

sent spinning by another competitor going down the back straight, we continued in last as no caution came on. A few laps later a

caution was brought on for another incident, we caught back up to the field and the car that turned us around was sent to the rear of

the field. Even so, we could only muster up 9th in a dissapointing race for us.

After a few changes to the set up we started out of position 9 in our second heat and struggled with a track that was deteriorating

rapidly and ended up, finishing were we had started. Our third and final heat race for the night, we were placed 6th and once again,

while battling well against quality competition, could only finish were we had started.

The heat races had left us in the B-Main starting in 15th position. It turned into a race were all you had to do was avoid the carnage

to finish. After several red light stoppages we finished in a credable 8th position. With a lot of cars not finishing the night we are sitting

an astonishing 11th in points out of 48 after 3 rounds. The next round we head to Warrnambool Speedway.

OVAL EXPRESS SERIES UPDATE  - posted 30 December, 2008

Night One

Broadwood Family Racing (BFR) opened its inaugraual round of the Oval Express Series with a rewarding and challenging round in Murray Bridge on a muggy Saturday night. With a massive crowd on show and another 47 competitors nominating the stage was set for our team to show the countries, and international stars, what we could achieve.

With no qualifying, all the heats are drawn for the night, with the Valvoline number 5 entry starting from position 14 in our one and only heat with the top 4 transferring to the A-Main. By the first corner the BFR Long Range Automotive machine had powered up to 5th and running nice and fast on a freshly graded track. Three laps in though, two fellow West Australians tangled and brought out a red light while running in 6th position. After the restart the car gained a fuel problem that slowed us down quite considerably and still not noing what exactly caused the problem it pus us into the C-Main with a lot of work ahead of us.

We started out of three for the C-main and in an unevenful but fast race we transferred through to the B-Main. With only an 8 lap race in between the two races it was a splash and dash to get out for the next race where we started off the back row. We had loosened the car up from the previous race, and after rounding up a couple of slower cars round the outside we headed for the curb and picked up another 6 spots to finish in twelth position, only 4 outside to transfer to the A-Main.  

The next night we head 4 hours South East to Mt Gambier and Boderline Speedway for round 2 of the Oval Ezpress using our experience from the night before to make our way to the A-Main.

Night Two

Broadwood Family Racing (BFR) has finished their second round with a fantastic and hard fought 12th place in the A-Main at Borderline Speedway, Mt Gambier on a chilly and rain threatning Sunday night.

Starting out of position 3 in our one and only heat race, the pressure was on with only the top four cars across the line transferring into the A-Main. The car started great and just got better and better as we found out niche on the curb on a slick, fast track. After a good battle with fellow West Australian Jason Priolo we crossed the line in fourth position to transfer straight into the A-Main.

Starting out of 11 in the main show, the race started off at a fast pace. We ran the high line and the car was brilliant, fast, and able to go wherever we needed it to go. With only a couple of cautions, the laps tumbled quickly we found ourself battling for postion with Chris Alcorn and Brett Wilshire to finish the 20 lap race in 12th position.

With a day off we have time to rejuvenate and get the car set up for round 3 at Western Speedway, Hamilton.

IT'S OVAL EXPRESS SERIES TIME FOR BROADWOOD FAMILY RACING  - posted 22 December, 2008

It’s Oval Express Series time! Broadwood Family Racing (BFR) is loaded up and ready to head over the Nullarbor in readiness for the

first round of the series at Murray Bridge Speedway in South Australia. Just about everything conceivable has been packed and loaded

and the team is looking forward to the trip.

The team rounded out its preparation last weekend (December 13) for round two of the Terry Haulage West Coast Series at Margaret

River Speedway. The team picked up a top ten result aboard Ash Marriott’s Murphy R6 – the former BFR machine, after a second,

fourth and sixth in our three heat races. Thanks to Ash for the offer of the drive.

A big thanks must go to a throng of people who all pitched in and made our Oval Express trip possible, and to my family and crew

who have put their hands in their own pockets to take part and help out. So in no particular order sincere thanks to the following for

their contributions:

Rob & Jan Brown

Jim Hopper

Craig Bottrell

Brad & Bec Parkin

Jamie & Peter Sumpton

Ash Marriot

Mike Evans

Richard Williams

Craig Vosbergen

And all my family.

Oval Express Series Dates

December 27  Oval Express Series Rd 1 Murray Bridge, SA

December 28  Oval Express Series Rd 2 Mount Gambier, SA

December 30  Oval Express Series Rd 3 Hamilton, Vic

January 1Oval Express Series Rd 4 Warrnambool, Vic

January 3Oval Express Series Rd 5 Laang, Vic

January 4Oval Express Series Rd 6 Laang, Vic

Keep in touch with www.broadwoodfamilyracing.com for all the latest news and results for the team and who the winners and grinners are (hopefully us with some luck). We will be updating the site with our results after each and every round.

Merry Christmas and a prosperous new year from all at BFR.

BROADWOOD FAMILY RACING CONTINUES LEARNING CURVE AT THE MOTORPLEX  - posted 25 November, 2008

Broadwood Family Racing has finished its first real hit-out of the season with an overall 12th place at the Perth Motorplex over the

past weekend. Racing in conjunction with World Series Sprintcars, the Motorplex offered up contrasting track conditions on each

night bringing about different challenges, while the weather also threatened to intervene.

Our first race on Friday Night saw the team starting from the rear. The track was rather demanding from the get-go and we claimed

a mid-pack finish in an un-eventful race. Our second race again saw us left with a rear-of-the-pack starting spot, and we got moving

from the start and had climbed to sixth in only a couple of laps when a red flag was brought out for a crash which began right in

front of our  Valvoline Murphy R6. On the restart, a car just ahead slowed right at the witches hat, and we were forced to take evasive

action and drive on the wrong side of the hat. Game over, as our sixth place finish turned into a 20th place relegation. Just what

we needed on top of starting from the rear all night.

This all turned into yet another rear start for the last race of the night. The car didn’t seem to handle the rough conditions as well,

and after the race a deflating tyre was found to be a contributor to the lack of pace. We again made up some spots and finished mid-pack.

The gods must have been smiling on us, as we drew a front row start for the first race on night two of competition. We settled into a half track high groove and ran second most of the way until we battled with Mark House, ducking and diving for position. He pinched the spot from us on the last lap and we took third in our best finish at Kwinana for a while.

Our second race, and again consigned to a rear starting spot, we moved forward well on a now extremely slick surface.  We claimed 9th, charging through from the rear with only one real racing line on the kerb to work with.

Our final race of the weekend saw us start from position 12 and we struggled on a racetrack that more resembled a freeway than a speedway, with hardly any dirt to be found. We fell back as the race wore on, but finished to accumulate points.

The team was pleased with the overall performance of the car over the weekend, even though some of the results didn’t show with the team a little short on luck. Some tweaking is still needed on our motor program and some fine tuning on the slick track setup will also improve things.

The teams new crew shirts were also debuted at the Motorplex over the weekend and were a hit. Our yellow team to match our yellow car stood out great and will hopefully also be a hit with the fans. A limited number of shirts are still available so grab one while they’re still in stock.

Next up for BFR is the opening round of the Terry Haulage West Coast Series at Geraldton Speedway on December 6, a track the team hasn’t been to in a season or two. After that, the team will prepare for our first crack at the Oval Express Series.

Make sure you drop by the team and grab a poster or just to have a chat when we’re at your local track next time!

21st CENTURY AUTOGAS RECOMMITS TO BFR IN 2009/09 - posted 4 November, 2008

In another coupe for Broadwood Family Racing (BFR), the team is pleased to announce that another long-term sponsor in 21st

Century Autogas will be behind the team this summer season.

21st Century Autogas are leaders in the automotive industry.  With petrol & diesel prices not looking to go down any time soon,

now’s the time to convert your car to LPG and SAVE. Both Western Australian & federal governments offer rebates on gas conversions

so make sure you go down & see Peter and his team for all the information you need on converting your car today.

The team at 21st Century can also carry all types of mechanical repairs & maintenance to all makes and models. With over 30 years

in the automotive industry and performance tuning experience, who better to look after your pride & joy for the best performance

it can achieve. 21st Century are Ford specialists, MTA Approved and are licensed Valvoline stockists. Located in McCamey Avenue

just off Day Road in Rockingham, 21st Century is amply located for all petrol heads with the workshop located ten minutes from the

Perth Motorplex.

Broadwood Family Racing is excited to continue yet another partnership with a long term sponsor in 21st Century Autogas.

GOBAL TRANSPORT LOGISTICS SIGNS ON AS PRIMARY PARTNER FOR BFR - posted 22 October, 2008

Broadwood Family Racing (BFR) is proud to reveal that international freight forwarders and customs brokers Global Transport

Logistics will again headline its group of partners for the 2008/09 season. The transport firm will return as the teams leading partner

for their third straight season.

Global Transport Logistics is an internationally renowned freight forwarder, customs broker & transport logistics specialist, and can deal

with anything from local road transport to international logistics. Global Transport Logistics is based in Perth, and has representatives

and agents in all major cities not only in Australia but all around the world. Global Transport Logistics has the ability to offer specific

solutions to suit any individual or business needs.

BFR is set to kick its’ summer season off on November 1 at Northam Motorsports Park for the running of the Bob Adams Memorial.

The teams all-new team shirts are also currently in production and will be available soon. For just $100, you too can be part of the

team with your own authentic BFR team shirt, which are available through the team website – www.broadwoodfamilyracing.com.

A limited number are available in varying sizes, so be quick while they last!

Broadwood Family Racing is thrilled to continue its partnership with Global Transport Logistics and again thanks them for their ongoing support of the team.

PITARO HOMES RESIGNS WITH BFR  - posted 22 October, 2008

Broadwood Family Racing (BFR) is proud to announce that Pitaro Homes has re-joined the team for its’ second year. Formerly

known as Generation Homes, the family owned company led by proprietor Paul Pitaro has taken on a new transformation, forging

an impeccable reputation in the construction of fine quality homes.

Pitaro Homes can undertake projects ranging from double storey extensions, narrow lot designs as well as catering for an array of

individual needs such as accommodating the needs for people with disabilities. Pitaro Homes are also Greensmart accredited builders

and members of both the Master Builders Association & the Housing Industry Association.

Pitaro Homes can provide an uncompromised attention to detail with the highest of quality, all set to a time frame with value for

money.  For more information on Pitaro Homes and to view examples of their work, please visit www.pitarohomes.com.au. Pitaro

Homes – where style & substance meet.

BFR is set to kick its’ summer season off on November 1 at Northam Motorsports Park for the running of the Bob Adams Memorial. The teams all-new team shirts are also currently in production and will be available soon. For just $100, you too can be part of the team with your own authentic BFR team shirt, and are available through the team website – www.broadwoodfamilyracing.com. A limited number are available in varying sizes, so be quick while they last!

BFR are proud to continue our association with Pitaro Homes and values their continued support.

LRA EXTENDS PARTNERSHIP WITH BROADWOOD FAMILY RACING  - posted 23 September, 2008

Broadwood Family Racing (BFR) is pleased to announce an extended partnership with one of its long-standing supporters, Lilydale,

Victoria-based Long Range Automotive. Business proprietors Roger & Anthony Biemers have serviced the car industry, based around

the four-wheel drive market for nearly twenty years and have recently been loyal supporters of BFR.

Long Range Automotive manufacture replacement and auxiliary fuel tanks, as well as water and custom made tanks aimed

predominantly at the four-wheel drive market. Using the highest quality materials and the latest state-of-the-art machinery including

computer controlled profile cutting technology, their tanks could prove to be the difference when touring the outback because if

trouble comes, EVERY drop counts! Such is the quality of their product; you can now find their tanks underneath vehicles in several

locations worldwide.

BFR is currently continuing its preparation for the summer season ahead, which includes two journeys across the Nullarbor Plain east-

bound to contest the Oval Express Series and the Australian Title, as well as competing in the West Coast Series around regional W.A.

where available. The team will also include a limited schedule at the Perth Motorplex in its racing calendar. The next race meeting for BFR will be the Bob Adams Memorial on November 1 at Northam Motorsports Park.

BFR is grateful for the continued support from LRA and we look forward to our continued partnership. For more information on Broadwood Family Racing & it’s partners visit www.broadwoodfamilyracing.com or visit www.longrangeautomotive.com.au for all there is to know about LRA.

BROADWOOD FAMILY RACING TAKES FOURTH AT KELLERBERRIN  - posted 10 September, 2008

Broadwood Family Racing has kicked off it’s 2008/09 season with a fourth place finish at Kellerberrin Speedway on September 6 as

part of Perth TQ Car Club’s $1000 to win race meeting. The team was keen to start the season early to fine tune the teams

Valvoline Murphy in preparation for a big season ahead and ready to experiment with setup over the course of the day.

Our three heat races were largely uneventful on a dry & slick Kellerberrin surface, recording two second places and a fifth to qualify

fifth overall and into the top-six shootout. We defeated two other teams and had eventual winner Brad Chapman beaten before a

simple mistake entering turn three gave it all away and left us starting from position four in the feature.

We got an ordinary start in the feature and then began moving back through the field to take the positions back and came home in

fourth place right behind Chris Alcorn from NSW over the 15 lap race. The low-key event was the perfect way to start the season for

the team and enjoyed the days racing. We experimented with a few new things on the car, which worked well and the information will

hold the team in good stead later in the season.

Broadwood Family Racing now looks forward to the beginning of the summer season proper, likely to begin in October.

designed & maintained and proudly sponsored by david batten - (c) 2006 - 2009