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Round two of the Ladies Standard Saloon state series has been run and won at Bairnsdale Speedway with nine drivers in the seat for competition on Saturday night with Tahlia Campbell from the Rosedale Speedway Club roaring to victory on a perfect night of racing for her as she tasted success in all three qualifier heats and then in the feature event of the evening.
Supported by local Bairnsdale business AME Ace Marine Electrics competing in the second round with Campbell was South Australian Sarah Gartner, early season victor at Bairnsdale Bree Walker, Elise Halliday, Kate Stuchbery representing the host club Bairnsdale, Michelle George from South Gippsland, Caroline Allen, Tasharni Murray and Bree Campbell.
The first eight lap qualifier was held whilst the track was still settling down. Victoria had been splashed with rain for the day proceeding the second round and at stages during the day, however the Bairnsdale track preparation team had done and amazing job judging how much rain was going to occur and how much water outside of that rain the track required. After taking the lead on lap four Tahlia Campbell took her first victory of the night by over five seconds from Gartner and headed out to the pits to be photographed with the Visual Signage Solutions winners board whilst she was followed across the finish line by Walker, Halliday, Stuchbery, George, Allen, Murray, and Bree Campbell with the latter two each a lap down on the field. Whilst Campbell was the winner Allen was well back in the field as she started rear all night due to timing of her nomination being late, yet she was second fastest.
Circulating approximately a second faster per lap, the second heat race had four drivers with faster lap times than the winner Tahlia Campbell. Stuchbery, Walker, Gartner and Allen all recorded faster lap times with Stuchbery on her own home track fastest at 21.105. Leading from the start Campbell though held her nerve in a barnstorming finish taking victory by just 0.677 of a second from Stuchbery again sending her to the photographer for a photo with the Visual Signage Solutions sign board. Walker, Gartner, Allen, Murray, Halliday, and Bree Campbell all followed the winner to the finish whilst Michelle George was unable to finish with some engine troubles causing her to park infield. It turned out that after some contact a coil had become loose.
In the third and final heat race and final chance to secure qualifying points which ultimately decided starting positions for the feature event, once again the drivers were faster than the race before. This time two drivers back in the field were faster than the heat race winner Tahlia Campbell, Allen, and Gartner with a 20.467 to Gartner who crossed the finish line in seventh place. However, after taking the lead on lap five, Campbell at the front of the field was strong in securing a win by almost four seconds in front of Walker resulting in another visit to the Visual Signage Solutions victory lane. Halliday, Stuchbery, Allen, George, Murray, and Bree Campbell. Officials had disqualified Gartner from the race meeting after racing incidents brought her to their attention, it appears Gartner’s reaction to the Stewards opinion might have been the reason Gartner took no further part in the meeting.
A fifteen-lap feature event was set for the Ladies in the AME Ace Marine Electrics Ladies Standard Saloon series round two with Tahlia Campbell from the front of the field looking to secure that perfect night that drivers rarely achieve in strong fields. For sure the talent in the field was indeed strong with the likes of Allen, Walker, Stuchbery and Halliday all capable of winning.
With the track having had twenty-three races on it by the time the Ladies final had started, the times slowed down a little in the final. Both Tahlia Campbell and Allen set lap times under the twenty-one second mark with Allen recording a 20.550 lap as the fastest. Campbell though was consistent lap after lap, and she hit her marks at each turn gradually pulling out distance between herself and Allen in second spot. Bree Campbell exited the race after contact damage on lap ten whilst the remaining seven Ladies continued strongly with Walker and Stuchbery in a battle and Halliday and Murray in stoush not to far back from the two ahead of them.
At the chequered flag Tahlia Campbell recorded a win by a huge eight and half second margin from Allen, George, Walker, Stuchbery, Halliday, and Murray. George was relegated a spot by the Stewards for contact during the race sending her back to a fourth-place result. Officially the top five was Campbell, Allen, Walker, George, and Stuchbery.
For round two the competitors of the Victorian Ladies Standard Saloon series with to thank AME Ace Marine Electrics for their support of women’s racing and Visual Signage Solutions for supporting victory lane.
The current series top five after round two stands at
1 – Tahlia Campbell of Rosedale Club
2 – Caroline Allen – of Nyora Club
3 – Bree Walker – of Rosedale Club
4 – Kate Stuchbery – of Bairnsdale Club
5 – Elise Halliday – of Rosedale Club
The next round is round three at Drouin Speedway on January the 14th.
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
Visual Signage Solutions
DMT Sports Media
Ends release.
Written by Speedcafe contributor DMT Sports Media – Dean Thompson
