A large field of competitors competed in two heats per round at Rosedale International Speedway on Saturday night for the fourth round of the Victorian Ladies Standard Saloon Series supported by Visual Signage Solutions. Latrobe Valley competitor Bree Walker left the venue with the victory after a terrific night of racing showing the best of Ladies racing.
With six heat races ran all supported by Visual Signage Solutions and two to each competitor Bree Walker began the night with a terrific win in the first. After an early burst from Bronwyn Miles to get herself up into second spot from the fourth position, Walker held her out to go on to win an eight-lap race ahead of Bronwyn Miles, Elise Halliday, Kath George, Lea Judd, Kate Stuchbery, Caroline Allen, Breanna Lee, Bree Campbell, and Airielle Wollmer.
Winning the second heat race was Simone Taylor in a terrific drive from the rear of the field. Leading early was Maddison Miles however circulating mostly at half a second a lap quicker and eventually with a fastest lap a second quicker than anybody else was Taylor and she assumed the lead on lap four. Taylor went on to defeat Maddison Miles, Tahlia Campbell the winner of the previous two rounds, Michelle George, Maddison Logue, Melissa Van Strien and Leticia Williams. Taylor finished six seconds before anybody else.
Taylor backed up with a second victory in heat three making the most of her front row. Taylor took the lead early in the race and went on to defeat Stuchbery making it a Bairnsdale one – two result with the two Ladies members of the East Gippsland club. Halliday finished third, Maddison Miles, Michelle George, Bree Campbell, Van Strien, and Williams rounded out the field.
Lea Judd driving for the Miles Motorsport team chased Walker all the way in the fourth heat race crossing the line in second spot only to be awarded the victory due to a Steward penalty on Walker for contact earlier in the race with Tahlia Campbell.
Judd finished ahead of the series leader Tahlia Campbell after the penalty was installed. Walker in third was faster than anybody else in the race whilst she was out in the clear air at the front of the field. Kath George finished in fourth, Bronwyn Miles, Allen, Logue, Lee, and Wollmer.
The track was getting faster and faster as the night wore on and in the fifth heat race Halliday would lead all the way to claim victory by less than a second over Tahlia Campbell. Back in the pack newcomer to Standard Saloon racing Kath George set the fastest one lap time of the race half a second quicker than others. Halliday, Tahlia Campbell, Allen, Kath George, Maddison Miles, Bree Campbell, Van Strien and Williams.
Walker made sure there was no penalty forthcoming in the sixth and final heat race when she finished just .044 in front of majority race leader Bronwyn Miles. Miles had led seven of the eight lap before being picked off on the final circuit. In third was Stuchbery, Taylor, Michelle George, Judd, Logue, and Wollmer. During the race Breanna Lee was flagged to the infield with fuel leaking from her boot. Later it turned out it was not the fuel tank, it was excess fuel sloshing around in the boot.
With twenty laps on the lap sheets for the ‘Visual Signage Solutions’ feature race and Tahlia Campbell trying to win three series round in succession seventeen drivers hit the track for the feature race. Walker from the front row led Taylor, Tahlia Campbell, Halliday and Stuchbery around the large Rosedale track on lap one. Five laps later nothing had changed at the pointy end of the race except for Bronwyn Miles moving into the top five and Stuchbery slipping back to sixth.
Judd, Stuchbery, Maddison Miles, Allen and Michelle George were running sixth to tenth at around the ten-lap mark with Walker still out in front of Tahlia Campbell and Taylor. A lap twelve red flag situation due to an accident
On lap twelve a race incident seen the field lose three competitors. Initially there was contact between Williams and Bronwyn Miles. Miles car as a result of the contact went spearing towards the wall requiring quick action to stop the car from hitting the concrete. As the car steered away from the wall, Halliday had nowhere to go nor did Williams. Halliday sustained front end damage collecting Miles car and Williams car was damaged hitting Halliday’s.
With Halliday and Miles out of the race the top five on lap thirteen was Walker, Tahlia Campbell, Taylor, Judd and Stuchbery. Judd soon passed Taylor and slotted into third place.
After twenty fast paced laps Walker finished six seconds in front of Tahlia Campbell, Judd, Taylor, Stuchbery, Maddison Miles, Allen, Kath George, Michelle George, Logue, Bree Campbell, Wollmer, Lee and Van Strien.
Halliday led the field in the fastest heat race of the night that took 3:10.818 to complete, whilst Walker completed the fastest one lap of the night with a 22.202 in the feature race event.
The current series top five after round two stands at
1 – Tahlia Campbell of Rosedale Club
2 – Bree Walker – of Rosedale Club
3 – Caroline Allen – of Nyora Club
4 – Maddi Miles – of Nyora Club
5 – Kate Stuchbery – of Bairnsdale Club
Next race is at Nyora Raceway on April 20th..
The Competitors of the VSC Ladies Standard Saloon Series thank these supporters;
Pakenham Radiators
Gippsland Metal Recyclers
Miles Mechanical
Miles Motorsports
The Shed Company
Ultimate Outdoor
CNL Paint and Panel
AME – Ace Marine Electrical
AMPworks Sound and Electrical
Written by
Dean Thompson
DMT Sports Media
For Victorian Ladies Standard Saloon Series