Brock Zearfoss has been named as the second American driver to contest the U.S.A. vs WA Speedweek series.
Zearfoss joins Rico Abreu for the competitive six-round West Coast feature events.
Commencing at the Perth Motorplex on Dec. 26, the series includes four rounds at the Perth Motorplex and two at Bunbury.
This will be the third season for Zearfoss in Western Australia.
Signed by veteran team owner Sean Carren, the Jonestown, Pa., driver first competed in the series in 2021-’22. It was a winning combination. Zearfoss won three of the six races and finished on the podium in every feature, taking the series from Aussie drivers Robbie Farr and Callam Williamson.
“It’s very special,” Zearfoss said after winning his first Speedweek series. “I didn’t expect to go over and win the Speedweek championship. The competition in Australia is just as tough as it is over in the U.S. It’s just like when you go to a race track and you race against the locals there. They have the advantage. They race there every week. You’re at a disadvantage. But we had really good equipment and the people that were involved, they gave me a good car every time.
“Everybody that helped on the car, they were really nice and made me feel welcomed,” Zearfoss said after his first season down under.” We just all worked together, which made life easier. We all had fun racing. We knew what we were there to do. That made the whole transition of coming over and racing easier, I would say. I had no clue who any of them were and they thought I was just some Yankee.”
The first visit has led to repeat engagements. The former refrigeration mechanic had a mixed tour the following year. Two podiums, including a second placing a Bunbury, were his best results.
The 33-year-old who became hooked on oval track racing after attending a speedway meeting with his cousin in Pennsylvania hopes to repeat his 2021 success this season.
This season will be the 10th that the Carren team has contested the prestigious series over a 25-year period.
The owner had little involvement in the sport for a number of seasons following the death of his former driver, Darryl Krikke, and Krikke’s cousin in a car crash on their way to the race track in 1997.
Carren had not raced a car for a few years before returning with Zearfoss three seasons ago.