It was a unique for the Kings Challenge, which saw hot laps double as qualifying, drivers’ qualifying group then determined by their heat race.
Two sets of heats were ahead for them, with the first grid set by qualifying position and the second heats a full invert of the grid.
Heat winners in the first set included Jordyn Charge, Carson Macedo, Chase Randall, Kerry Madsen, Grant Anderson and Luke Dillon.
The biggest shock on the first round of heats was the contact between US Star Rico Abreu and Lockie McHugh, with the vicious crash for McHugh bending one of the support poles for the catch fencing.
Neither driver took any further part in the night’s racing.
The second flight of heats were won by Jock Goodyer, Taylor Prosser, Jamie Bricknell, Randy Morgan, Brock Hallett and Ben Morris.
Matt Egel and Cody Maroske suffered major damage after a crash in one of the inverted heats, with Maroske making his displeasure with the inverted format known in no uncertain terms in an interview afterwards.
The C Main saw Lisa Walker run a solid race with Daniel Pestka and Jamie Bricknell in pursuit until a small mistake from Walker opened the door and dropped her to third, with Rusty Hickman also muscling his way past for third with a two laps to go.
All four would final transfer to the B Main.
The B Main was stacked with talent including James Inglis, Jy Corbet, Jessie Attard, Matt Dumsney and Australian champion Jock Goodyer and with only four positions transferring to the feature it was going to be a tough race.
Goodyer was methodical in his execution on the slick track, rounding Dumsney within three laps and setting his sights on the leader Morris and within eight laps had made the pass for the lead.
The race went flag to flag and Goodyer, Corbet, Dumsney and Ben Morris all moving to the night’s feature race with Chad Ely missing the transfer by 62 ten thousandths of a second.
Chase Randall and Grant Anderson started the A Main off the front row, with Kerry Madsen in his first appearance for the Krikke Motorsport team alongside Luke Dillon on the second row.
With Callum Williamson, Carson Macedo, James McFadden, Jamie Veal, Haudenschild, Brock Zearfoss and Cameron Waters also in the field it was by far and away the most star studded A-Main in the country so far this summer and is a fitting lead up to the Grand Annual Sprintcar Classic which begins with qualifying night one at Warrnambool’s Premier Speedway on Friday Night.
With 30 laps on the boards, car set-up would be critical.
Randall and Dillon streaked away on the green, but further back in the pack it was three and four wide as the battles raged.
Goodyer signalled his intentions early and had moved inside the top 10 within eight laps.
Haudenschild was running the top of the racetrack and was clinical in rounding up Dillon, and mounted a challenge on his countryman until lap 14 when a monster crash involving Anderson, Goodyer and Carson Macedo brought out the red flag.
The impact was enough to completely rip the right rear out of the Goodyer car, breaking the axle housing, while Anderson’s car was virtually destroyed with the entire front axle coming out of the car as it tumbled down the back straight.
Randall was unable to take to the track for the re-start with a broken front brake calliper the culprit, continuing what has been a wretched run of luck for the American teenager.
Madsen had his race face on, starting from second on the re-start and trying a pass immediately but Haudenschild was wise to it, staying high on the track and putting as much distance on Madsen before traffic would play a part.
Haudenschild took the win in the Lee Contracting #25 over Madsen and Jy Corbet who had a masterful drive from the rear of the field to take a podium position.
With the win he became the first American to win at the Kings Challenge since 2012, when the Late Jason Johnson took the victory.
“Pretty wild, we’ve been struggling a bit getting me comfortable in the car,” said Haudenschild.
“It was a fast track, up against the wall, I banged the wall pretty hard in two so I couldn’t be doing that again.
“We’ve been working hard on this, and I’m excited to get to the Classic after this!”
The Classic week now moves to Warrnambool for Night 1 of the Grand Annual Sprintcar Classic on Friday night, the first of three nights of racing at the historic venue.
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