Drouin Speedway put on another terrific motorsport show in West Gippsland with lots of variety and lots of records set on the day amongst the race action. Wingless Sprints competed in their final Eastern Series round of the season, Unlimited Sedans competed in their state series, Hot Rods from the Speedway Drivers Association of Victoria held an aggregate event for their class and local heroes in their Standard Saloons also entertained.
Winners included Chris Temby from the Southeast in Wingless, Kali Hovey from Greater Geelong in her Hot Rod, Chris Miles from Catani in Standard Saloons and Corey McDonald from Wodonga in his Unlimited Sedan.
Wingless Sprint competitors arrived with the biggest field they had assembled at Drouin for some time with three heats per round. Ricky Mills, Jack Regan and Esther Thomson began the day as the top three drivers in with a chance of winning the series and by days end, the result was decided by less than ten points between two of the three.
Bairnsdale racer Dillon Siely began the qualifying leading all the way in the first heat to win. Andrew Coon then set a new ten lap record eclipsing a record Siely set in February this year, his new record stands at 2:48.712 as he won by seven seconds. Series leader entering the day Traralgon based racer Ricky Mills, then won his first race of the day leading from start to finish. In the second round,
Wayne Logue whom had finished last in his first heat then won during his second heat whilst Marcus Fraser finishing in second booked a new one lap record for himself briefly. Chris Temby then won after he led from the green flag to the chequered and he too set a new one lap record that would be beaten again before the end of the day. Closing out all the qualifiers Thomas McDonald from Koo Wee Rup reclaimed his one lap record that he held at the start of the day.
On his way to qualifying for the feature event, Glen Harris then set a new six lap track record In the last chance qualifier. His time of 1:57.545 may sit for a while as it is rare that the class ever runs a six-lap race.
Peter Logue and Andrew Coon then began the twenty-five-lap feature event at the front of the field with Fraser, Siely, Temby, Scott Cole, McDonald, Thomson, Jake Warren, and Regan the top ten of twenty finalists. Coon led the field at the wave of the green. Temby moved to third on lap one as Fraser went high and lost position dropping down to eleventh. On lap seven Temby moved into first, and on lap nine Siely passed Coon into second. Peter Logue moved back into the top three on lap fourteen passing Coon.
The field went seventeen laps without a stoppage before Wayne Logue’s race ended when stewards noticed his side nerf bar broken and sticking out dangerously. Logue moved into second on lap twenty-one and Siely’s run in a podium position ended on lap twenty-two with mechanical issues. Temby would rip around Drouin Speedway smashing the one lap record previously set earlier this season by McDonald before being reset numerous times during this race meeting with a 15.641, that is a massive .776 of a second difference. Temby finishing first ahead of Logue, Coon, Fraser who stormed through the field back to fourth and McDonald.
The series championship came down to just seven points difference between first and second. Ricky Mills winning ahead of Regan with Thomson dropping back through table somewhat after a stoppage for her during the final dropped her to the back of the field. Jake Warren finished in third ahead of Ben Hodge and then Thomson.
In Hot Rod series action, the visiting Speedway Drivers Association of Victoria competed on transponders at Drouin Speedway for what historians are saying was the first time. The fastest heat race of the day was the first in which Drouin racer Andrew Kemp defeated Victorian champion Shannon Meakins. Meakins then won heat number two with Brendan Roberts winning in the third and Daniel Chesterfield also from Drouin making it four winners across four qualifiers when he won the last. Kali Hovey who started on the front row with Meakins, then led every lap of fifteen to win the feature event, her first feature win of the season. Meakins finished in second with Kemp, Roberts and Chesterfield the top five.
Also competing in series action was the Unlimited Sedans. Drouin club member Daryl Nicolson started the day off with a win in the first heat establishing a new eight lap record for the class at 2:54.350. Corey McDonald from Wodonga then won the next two qualifiers setting a new one lap record in the final qualifier of 15.818, before setting a new twelve lap record in the final of 3:25.314. Nicolson finished in second with Anthony McKean third in front of Peter Farley.
Open Standard Saloon competition provided three new records of their own, with a former class Junior from last season, showing the elder statesman the way for two of them. Kane Gibson, and Mark Miles won the first-round qualifiers. Ella Sheedy then defeated her buddy Bryce Leek, both drivers competing in Juniors together until early this season.
Chris Miles won in the second of round two then won again in the first heat of the final round before Sheedy not only set a new ten lap class record, she set a one lap record also on her way to winning a second time in qualifying. Her ten-lap mark set at 3:19.397 and the one lap record at 19.145, putting the young lady in the books as the fastest ever Standard Saloon racer around Drouin recorded on transponder.
Chris Miles then led every lap in the final as he got the better start between, he and Sheedy. The distance of fifteen laps was set about in record pace with Miles having lost the one lap record during the qualifiers claiming a new fifteen lap mark in the final. Mark Miles passed Sheedy on lap thirteen to move into second and at the chequered flag Chris Miles beat Mark Miles, Sheedy, Jeff Blencowe and Jay Miles.
In Junior Standard Saloon racing, the future heroes of the sport were as usual very enthusiastic with Nikolas Pritchett starting his day off strongly in taking victory in heat race number one. Nathan Miles then won the next two, breaking the six-lap track record both times, with a time of 1:57.566 settled as the best, he then went on to win the final by a four second margin ahead of Pritchett and along the way set a new class one lap record of 19.138 with Grace Evans finishing in third place.
Thirteen race records were set include the following.
WINGLESS SPRINTS
1 LAP – CHRIS TEMBY – 15.641 – 4/5/25
6 LAPS – GLEN HARRIS – 1:47.545 – 4/5/25
10 LAPS – ANDREW COON – 2:48.712 – 4/5/25
SDAV HOT RODS
1 LAP – ANDREW KEMP – 16.846 – 4/5/25
10 LAPS – ANDREW KEMP – 3:14.876 – 4/5/25
VSC UNLIMITED SEDANS
1 LAP – COREY MCDONALD – MOUNT BEAUTY– 15.818 – 4/5/25
8 LAPS – DARYL NICOLSON – DROUIN – 2:54.350 – 4/5/25
12 LAPS – COREY MCDONALD – MOUNT BEAUTY – 3:25.314 – 4/5/25
VSC STANDARD SALOONS
I LAP – ELLA SHEEDY – DROUIN– 19.145 – 4/5/25
10 LAPS – ELLA SHEEDY– DROUIN – 3:19.397 – 4/5/25
15 LAPS – CHRIS MILES – NYORA – 4:58.377 – 4/5/25
VSC JUNIOR STANDARD SALOONS
1 LAP – NATHAN MILES – NYORA– 19.138– 4/5/25
6 LAPS – NATHAN MILES – NYORA – 1:57.566 – 4/5/25
Drouin Speedway returns on 25th of May for a Demolition Derby, Ramp Racing and club classes to end the season.
Drouin Speedway Club acknowledge and thank these wonderful supporters.
Alberni Engineering
Ampworks
ARP Earthworks
Bass Coast Boat and Tackle
Baw Baw Shire
Bowens Pakenham
Bunyip Motors
Bunyip Tyre Service
CBM Media
Compact Drums
Diverse Accounting Service
Drouin South Excavations
Drouin Tyre and Battery Service
Elite Auto Care
Elite Cranes and Transport
Image Worx Photography
KF & CO Hair Studio
Keena Fencing
Latrobe Waste and Recycling
Leigh and Anne Gooding
Mepstead Lawyers
Miles Mechanical
Norstar Steel Recyclers
Old School Super Store
Pakenham Radiators
Plendrive
QuickTime Automotive
Railway Hotel
Robin Hood Inn
Scott Irons
STR8 Bricklaying
Soul Wax
TJE Fabrication
TNT Autos
Total Autos Pakenham
Town & Country Tennis Courts
Visual Signage Solutions
Wilkar Constructions
Written by
Dean Thompson
DMT Speedway Media
For Drouin Speedway Inc