Sprintcars hit Mount Buninyong on Saturday and did not disappoint as they put on a terrific nights action with Victorian Chris Solomon picking up the big win in front of a packed house of motorsport fans. Austin Chivers, Steven Watts and were winners.
On a super smooth and racy track put together by the hardworking track team at Redline Raceway the drivers dished out some unbelievable action to thrills the fans.
In Sprintcar action keen to go back-to-back after his last start Redline victory was Josh Buckingham and in heat racing, Buckingham put everybody on notice with a new Sprintcar Racing Association quick one lap time for Pro Sprints of 12.013 for a single lap.
In the same heat race, the first of the night, he notched up a new ten lap record also of 2:01.979 on his way to defeating Matthew Symons and Michael Cunningham.
Not far off the new ten lap time was Chris Solomon as he smashed the field in heat two winning by almost five seconds ahead of Luke Cole and Steven Loader.
Zac Farrer was a winning in the third heat race and once again Loader was in the thick of it crossing for second ahead of Redline member Sam Wren. Former Modified Sedan star Justin Drew then picked up a win in the fourth and final heat race in front of Dennis Jones and Symons.
Topping the qualification points was Solomon from Symons, Loader, Farrer, Cole and Jones and they filled the top six places in the starting line up for the feature event with Buckingham back in eight spot and Wren in tenth.
Solomon jumped out to the front of the field from the drop of the green flag and led Symons, and Jones early. Jones and Symons were both in the season long points battle for the series championship as was Wren back further. At the ten-lap mark Solomon still commanded the race lead from Symons Jones, Farrer, and Cole. Wren was suffering mechanical issues which would put a stop to his chances of a series win, however he battled on to ensure claiming a podium spot in the championship. Buckingham made his way into the top five in the closes stages of the race and as the chequered flag unfurled Solomon raced across the line almost six seconds to the good in front of Jones, Symons, Buckingham, and Farrer.
In Street Stock action lap times from Scott Purdie, Steven Watts, Morris Ahearn, and Tim Hutchinson were just .200 of a second off the fastest ever lap time at Redline for the class.
Purdie won the first heat race of the night ahead of Ahearn and Peter Kinnear. Watts then claimed a win in front of Redline member Scott Secombe, and Hutchinson. Kinnear then won the third race from Hutchinson and Purdie before Watts beat Ahearn and Nathan Fawns another Redline member.
Purdie was on track for a career best night with another win this time in front of Fawns and Watts before Ahearn beat Hutchinson and Kinnear to set the feature event line up. Purdie, Watts, Kinnear, Ahearn, Fawns and Hutchinson would start in the top six spots after dominating the heat race action between themselves.
Watts immediately hit the front of the field at the unfurling of the green flag with Purdie on his tail in the Family patriarch Mick Purdie’s car.
At the five lap mark Watts, Prudie, Ahearn, and Kinnear were a clear top five running nose to tail with Fawns In fifth. By the tenth lap, nothing had changed except for Kinnear moving ahead of Ahearn as the top four flew around Redline, whilst Purdie tried everything to unsettle Watts and take advantage.
At the fifteen-lap finish mark, Watts claimed the win by just .290 of a second from Purdie, Kinnear, Ahearn, and Fawns. The top four split by just .924 of a second.
An unfortunate ending to the Standard Saloons feature event ended any chance of the Unlimited Sedans having a feature event with Ballarat local Lachie Chivers knocked out after he picked a fight with the never beaten concrete wall.
Battling for a race victory with his brother Austin and great mate Jacob Head, Lachie’s car hit the turn four wall severely hard and just in the wrong spot to knock him out cold behind the wheel.
As Chivers car rolled through the infield Bailey Sinclair noticed that his mates head was not upright and raced over to gain control of the car and raise Lachies head as paramedics arrived at the car to check on Chivers. Chivers would be transported to a local hospital for care and the race was declared with twelve laps completed.
Austin Chivers claimed victory ahead of Jacob Head, Ashley Cormack, Zac Barwise and Patrick Walsh. Earlier Dean Pedersen, Jacob Head, Sinclair, Joel McInnes, Austin Chivers, and McInnes a second time were winners of qualifying heat races.
In Unlimited Sedans Steve Hodder a local Ballarat man claimed a huge win in the first heat of the night in front of Super Saloon stalwart Ian Page. Jimmy Harris then won heat two from Gavin Ough who was having a consistent night to this point before Harris won the third and final heat race. On points due to no final Harris was the winner ahead of Ough, Hodder, Page, and Tim Williams.
Redline Raceway will return to competition in two weeks’ time for the final event of the season.
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Written by
Dean Thompson
DMT Speedway Media
For Belmont Speedway Drivers Club