Saturday night (28th of February) at Bairnsdale Speedway was attended to by over eighty race drivers with three big events highlighting the evenings racing after over fifty mils of rain had soaked the track prior to race day. Damien Miller from Melbourne’s southeast took the win in the JP Asphalting Extreme Sports Sedans Series round after his brother lost a wheel whilst leading, causing the final stoppage of the race handing the win to big brother Damien. Mal Siely from Bairnsdale won yet another King of the Rock final for Limited Sportsman, Ella Sheedy from Bunyip won the latest Ladies Standard Saloon series round, whilst Josh Thomas and Tyson Cull were winners also.
With forty Sports Sedans on hand for the state series round, they arrived to see earth moving equipment busily trying to provide some sort of racey clay topped track for the nights events. Volunteers had been working since 7am, and up to 5pm to provide a racing surface. During the night, the grader came out twice more after a round of racing to continue to clean it up. Drivers were passing on a track that was two lane, however it was a bit of a rough ride with so much water in and under the clay.
Andrew Mitchell a winner in a Junior title event less than twelves months earlier at Bairnsdale had a thrilling close victory in the first of twelve qualifying races for the Sports Sedans. Mitchell inherited the lead from David Donegan after his car shut down, with Mitchell holding out Jason Berger for the win. Heat two was difficult for many with Robert Garlick, Danny Cox, Josh Service, Shane Simpson, Michael Maninix and Broderick Stray amongst those that broke something during the race. Ian Thomsen went on to win. Rhys Meakins made exciting high side passes to win heat three and Brendan Miller smashed the field in heat four by more than eight seconds.
Shane Simpson a casualty in round one losing a wheel with a broken front right end, came out to win heat two in a close one with a terrific smile on his face. Jack Brennan not so smiley after a gentle rollover, where great effort from competitors in the pits helped get the car back on track for round three. Matt Shankland won a great battle next up with Harry Cecil, Damien Miller ran away from the field in the third heat of the round before his brother Brendan won a second time in qualifying.
Donegan then won a the opening heat race in round three in front of Cecil, Bredan Miller became the only driver to win all three of his qualifiers, and Dale Smith picked up a close victory ahead of Shankland. Rounding out the third round of racing, was Damien Miller winning his second qualifier. Bradin Claridge, Danny Cox, Tamika Simpson, and Marucs Griffith all made the transfer from the last chance qualifier into the feature race.
Twenty drivers from as far as Rutherglen, Dederang, and Bendigo were involved in the feature event scheduled for thirty laps. When the green flag dropped, It was Damien Miller out of the blocks quickest and into the lead. The pace from front to back was frenetic with Bradin Claridge way back in fourteenth already three cars ahead of where he began. On lap eight Brendan Miller made the pass on his brother assuming the control of the race.
Shankland was the first of the front runners to exit to the infield race car graveyard, and at lap fifteen the Miller brothers sat first and second with Cecil, Donegan and Thomson in tow. Cars were being lapped continuously, and others were breaking just as fast and with Brendan Miller losing a wheel on lap twenty the officials pulled the pin with Damien Miller the winner form Cecil, Donegan, Smith and Nathan O’Brien.
Miller thanked his family, friends, and supporters later at the presentation and he and his brother both look to be the ones to beat at the Victorian title coming up at Bairnsdale for Sports Sedans. Cecil, Donegan, Shankland, Thomsen, Shane Simpson are all in that conversation as will be Jamie Lock a two-time state champion who is entered for the race.
Competition in the Bairnsdale Trophy Centre supported King of the Rock for Limited Sportsman, an event that has been held for more than thirty-five seasons, Darren Adams would get the first win of the nights racing when he out gunned Victorian champion Craig Ansell. Tannah Lee would in his rookie season of open wheel racing then took the next two heat race wins firstly ahead of Katelyn Worthy and then a last lap turn four pass on Mal Siely in succession.
It then looked very likely Lee would go on to win his first ever King of the Rock in his first attempt. He led the first eight laps, however started slowing a little a couple laps before. Siely went on to take the lead as Lee pulled infield and out of the race leaving Siely to defeat Adams and Worthy.
In the Victorian Ladies Standard Saloon Shake and Bake state series, Bunyip woman Ella Sheedy had the best night possible. She clean swept the with three heat race wins and the feature win to top it all off. She was to good for Bree Walker in heat one and two and Ally Morrison in heat three. Sheedy then won the fifteen-lap final in front of Walker, Caroline Allen, and Breanna Lee from Bairnsdale.
In support class racing Tyson Cull won all three races the Open Standard Saloons finished. He beat Brendan Sheedy in heat one and two before winning the final by a massive margin ahead of Kieran Mills, Brodie Ardley, Blake Smith and Gus Argoon. Whilst in Division 2 Hot Rods, Trent Wilson won the first heat in his freshly purchased race car, Beau Stuchbery won the second heat after his best mate Kyson Liversidge on his debut made for certain he got a mention in media by rolling his car over in turn one. In the final Stuchbery and Wilson were both leaders before suffering mechanical issues leaving Josh Thomas to battle with Keven Stoopman. Stoopman after being sent rear of field for causing a stoppage, charged through the field to finish just behind Thomas with Andrew Cormack third in front of Craig Cormack.
Racing is on again this Saturday night with the Victorian SRA 360-LS Sprintcar title supported by Limited Sportsman, Division 2 Hot Rods, and Junior Standard Saloons.
Bairnsdale Speedway Association wish to acknowledge and thank these wonderful supporting businesses.
A1 Building Designs
Active Sound Services
Assist A Lift
Aussie Septic Solutions
Bairnsdale Automotive and Transmissions
Bairnsdale Bearings and Industrial
Bairnsdale Radiator
Bairnsdale RSL
Bairnsdale Trophy Centre
Bridgestone Service Centre Bairnsdale
Buchan Towing
Bunnings Bairnsdale
Burson Auto Parts Bairnsdale
Club Eastwood
Cranes Civil and Surfacing
Dahlsens
Dennison Quality Roof Restorations
Eastern Signs and Designs
East Gippsland Lock and Keys
East Gippsland Shire Council
East Vic Hydraulics
EGEE Printers
Eureka Garages and Sheds
Eye Care Plus
Gippsland Critical Mines
Gippsland Grain Store
Gippsland Treated Pine
Gippsland Truck Centre
Goodman’s
Granite Rock Quarries
Hine Transport & Stock feeds
JD Automotive
Kennedy Trailers
Lake Land Ice
Lakes Hydraulics
Lakes Tile and Carpet
M & S Laity Hay Contractors
Mitchell Valley Excavations
Paint Right Bairnsdale
Patties Food
Phaselink Electrics
Razor Images Print. Sign. Clothing
Repco Bairnsdale
Riviera Automotive
Riviera Concrete
Riviera Trailers
SS Auto Wholesalers
SSM Asbestos
Starys Earthworks and Landscaping
Tambo Waste
Tim Bull MP
Todd Plumbing Supplies
TRFM and GOLD 1242
Wayne Trinder Plumbing & Gasfitting
Westpoint Motors
WGI Earthmoving and Heavy Haulage
Written by
Dean Thompson
Dean Thompson Media
For Bairnsdale Speedway Association