Veivers follows in older sister's footsteps with Australian Female Drivers crown

By Jordan Gerrans

Leading Queensland reinswoman Dannielle Veivers has rated her 2021 Australian Female Drivers Championship series as the greatest honour in her career so far.

In the process of Veivers taking out the top individual award from the championships on Sunday in Launceston, Queensland also retained the title with Veivers and older sister Narissa McMullen leading the way for the Sunshine State.

McMullen entered the weekend as the defending champion, having won the prize two years ago at Brisbane’s Albion Park, and her little sister Veivers added the silverware to her resume in Tasmania.

The Sunday meeting from Launceston brought together a dozen of the nation’s leading ladies, who competed across six heats in Launceston.

Veivers started and finished the heats in perfect fashion, taking out the opener and the sixth event, with consistent drives through the middle four heats landing her the victory.

She racked up 71 points to seal the win while defending champion, McMullen, finished second on 56 points, giving Queensland the prized quinella.

Having also won a junior driver’s series earlier in her career, Veivers thinks Sunday’s performance is the best of her life so far in the harness driving game.

“It is really good for Queensland,” she said.

“It was very special.”

Veivers did not do it easy either, driving home a $15 outsider in the opening heat, before sealing the deal with a $3.50 triumph in the sixth and final heat.

She also collected a runner-up in the second race and drove two fourth-placed finishes to add to her points total.

“It was really exciting,” she said.

“There was a couple who did not look like real good chances, but I drove for points and got a couple of handy fourths and that kept me ahead.

“I had a bit of luck.

“Obviously it is a really good cause being for ovarian cancer raising awareness and money for that.”

In 2017, Veivers drove one winner and finished second in the overall Championship on the back of a number of consistent efforts that saw her pick up points across the heats.

It was a massive few days for the sisters, driving in the opening night of ‘drivers colours’ on Saturday night at Albion Park before staying in a hotel near Brisbane airport on that night.

They were up before the crack of dawn, flying to Sydney from Brisbane, then on to Launceston for the big race card that celebrating women in racing.

The Championships follows on from the successful Team Teal campaign in Queensland, with over $15,000 donated to raise funds for ovarian cancer research last Saturday night at Albion Park.

It was the third running of the Australian Female Drivers Championship series.