Bairnsdale Speedway Associations first event of the season has been run and won by competing drivers with an enthusiastic crowd enjoying the evening. As there is with each race night, there was thrilling racing, driver penalties, crashes, and spins and lots of smiles and laughter.
Winners included Bairnsdale man Trent Wilson in the first round of the Division 2 Hot Rod Victorian series, Tannah Lee in Limited Sportsman, Jacob Vuillermin in Standard Saloons, Jayden Curtis in Junior Standard Saloons and Bree Walker in Ladies Standard Saloons.
In Limited Sportsman, Ash MacKay and Breanna Lee both joined the class for the first time in their racing careers. Heat wins went the way of Jayden White, then Darren Adams in the next two, whilst returning competitor Adam Greenwood shook some gremlins out of his car hoping to come good by the time of the feature event. Come the final Adams led early as he was chased and then rounded up by White who hit the front. Tannah Lee who had earlier that day from 3am in fact travelled from New South Wales back into Victoria in a Tractor pulling a Silage Wagon at 80 kilometres per hour to reach the Speedway fourteen hours later to go racing, moved into third and then put pressure on the lead two drivers as they weaved in and out of traffic.
A racing incident with a couple laps to go where Adams made contact with White as they both were trying to get passed a lapped racer allowed Lee to hit the front, White and Adams cars went skewing across the track and out of the race, Greenwood and the field also passed, the caution flag came out. Damage to White’s car seen it head to the infield crash zone, Adams was given a rear of the field penalty, which in Speedway is rear of the lap they were on. There was no restart and with White’s car not in a condition to restart, Lee became the race winner from Greenwood, Mackay, Adams, and Breanna Lee.
In Junior Standard Saloon competition, Jayden Curtis and Alex Van Duren resumed their battles they were having late last season. Penny Mills and Mason Beattie joined the category as rookie race drivers for the very first time and Tailen Wells continued their development from last season. Curtis was able to win all three heat races in front of Alex Van Duren, who kept the pressure on and found some momentum around the middle of the racetrack and just could not convert it into a passing manoeuvre. In the final, Curtis and Van Duren went at it again and despite almost being challenged for the lead, Curtis was able to get his season off to the perfect start with a clean sweep of qualifying and feature race wins. Wells finished third with Beattie and Mills completing the top five.
Sharni Wells started strongly in the Ladies Standard Saloon race competition; She won the first heat after Bree Walker was penalised due to racing contact and then picked up a win in the second with Walker in second. Walker finally recorded a victory in heat three with Wells behind her whilst Kate Stuchbery recorded her second third placed result. In the feature event after moments earlier finishing a very strong fourth in the open category Standard Saloons against the men, Walker recorded a win over Wells, Stuchbery, Michelle George and Brooke Mills who last season got a taste of racing and now has her very own car she will share on occasions with daughter Penny.
Division 2 Hot Rod competitors were competing for round one series points for a new Victorian series that has been put together by race drivers for themselves. Keven Stoopman from Sale and a former Bathurst circuit class winner in the six-hour event completed victory in heat first race of the series in which he looked very strong.
Victorian Champion Beau Stuchbery and Trent Wilson then had a terrific battle in heat two where after the finish broth drivers were spoken to by the Steward. Stoopman then outgunned Troy Wilson (no relation to Trent) in heat three with Victorian title runner up Josh Thomas in third. Trent Wilson and Beau Stuchbery reversed their first-round results in the fourth heat of the night, and Wilson greeted the chequered flag first.
Into the final round of racing former Victorian title champion Jordan Haley who had been suffering mechanical and tyre issues to this point, was awarded the win after Thomas was dished a two-spot penalty for a race restart infringement. Trent Wilson then went up against Stoopman for the first time of the evening in the final heat and Wilson had to use all his race craft to head off Stoopman and Troy Wilson for the final qualifying points on offer.
In the feature event a great start to the race by Stoopman and Wilson with turn two proving pivotal in regard to who took control of the race. Bairnsdale’s turn two will either see a car close and tight to the pole line or out wide with space for an inside pass for those behind depending on how the racers get through turn one. Wilson used turn two to his advantage and took off down the back straight with Stoopman in tow. Troy Wilson, Chris Greaves, Beau Stuchbery and Jordan Haley were amongst the pack close behind.
Spots between Troy Wilson, Stuchbery, Haley and Greaves swapped on occasions, whilst Trent Wilson and Stoopman controlled the race. Eventually Stuchbery closed in on the Stoopman/Wilson battle and Haley made his way forward from the Troy Wilson/Greaves battle he was in. In trying circumstances with what was found to be a waterlogged timing loop the next morning, track officials completed the night using manual lap scoring, with one volunteer official and pen and paper and the white flag was held out twice. During the second holding of the white flag Stuchbery started to slow down on what had become the chequered flag lap. Whilst the occurrence was unfortunate, drivers are always encouraged to race through until the green lights are turned amber and you have crossed the finish line. Trent Wilson finished with the win, Stoopman second, Haley third, Troy Wilson fourth, and then Stuchbery in fifth.
Rounding out all the classes figuring in racing and club points events were the Standard Saloons. Starting off the new season impressively was Tyson Bretherton and he pulled off his biggest result so far by defeating class champion at Bairnsdale, Gus Argoon. Two-time former Victorian state champion Jacob Vuillermin then won heat number two in front of Colin Connolly a mad Irishman who has fallen in love with Speedway racing, Australian style. Connolly then won the third heat race in front of Ballarat visitor Jacob Head who had travelled the second furthest of anybody to racing when you consider Tannah Lee’s Tractor sojourn. Vuillermin won his second heat race finishing in front of the busy Bree Walker who through the night would wind up racing in six heats and two finals competing in her two classes.
Connolly finished ahead Argoon in their final qualifier with Vuillermin then winning his third heat race from as many starts. In the feature event Vuillermin and Connolly began from the front row of the field with Bretherton, Head, Walker, and Argoon all in the next two rows. Vuillermin would lock down the lead with Connolly the closest chaser whilst Argoon had to figure his way through into the third spot getting past Walker who held the spot for a number of laps. Bretherton, Kieran Mills, and Head had to fight their way for position amongst each other whilst Vuillermin, went on to win from Connolly and Argoon, with Walker finally securing fourth and then Mills fifth.
Fans were also treated to the first ever V8 Non-Wing Sprintcars Australia track time. The new venture led by Gary and Sean Fitzpatrick will see 410ci, 360ci and LS engined Sprintcars racing on a controlled tyre compete with each other on track this season. Christopher Temby and Bairnsdale man Dillon Siely put cars through their paces with both showing impressive handling, Temby in particular flicked his right rear tyre to the right and was trending sideways from the starters stand heading into turn one. Temby getting around in laps around 15.5 seconds. Bairnsdale fans are excited that they will see the class racing late in the season.
Local businessman Shane Steenholdt also hit the track to test his winged Sprintcar and promote 360-LS racing from the Sprintcar Racing Association of Victoria. Shane and his son Cade had turns with Shane on a track not quite the best conditions to set lap records recording 14.2 via watch and Cade a 15 flat. Look for the Winged Sprintcars after Christmas at Bairnsdale.
Bairnsdale Speedway will return on November 17th with all the local classes plus the addition of the Speedway Karts adults and Juniors. Last time the Karts were at Bairnsdale, they got around the racetrack considerably faster than the Sedans classes two and a half to three seconds quicker, they should be an enjoyable addition to the programming.
The Bairnsdale Speedway Association committee wish to thank these following supporters for their continued commitment to this not-for-profit sporting clubs endeavours.
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Written by
Association
Dean Thompson
Dean Thompson Media
For Bairnsdale Speedway