Nyora Raceway held not one but two days of racing across to start there season with a early evening start on the Sunday and a mid-evening start on the Monday to allow Monday workers to get to the track, with a very decent crowds on both days getting dished up plenty of action to send them home happy.
On the Sunday, Simon Bent one Victorian Speedway Council Sedans, Travis Millar won the Gippsland Wingless Sprint series opening round, Bree Walker won the Ladies Standard Saloon feature event and Leanne Young took the win in the Ladies Crash and Bash.
In Victorian Speedway Council Sedans action Simon Bent showed he still has a lot for the youngsters to learn. One of the most winningest drivers at Nyora in the various Sedan classes he has competed in, Bent defeated Chris Aarts, Troy Hutchison and Albert Fell.
Bree Walker took victory in the Ladies Standard Saloons with a big win over Felicity Roycroft driving in Shane Ardley’s race car. Roycroft the current Victoria two in the class finished ahead of Caroline Allen, Maddi Miles, and Bronwyn Miles. It was Walker’s biggest victory so far in her career with the calibre of the field.
Wingless Sprints competed in the Gippsland Wingless Sprint Series first round of the season with Travis Millar from Wandin North taking the win over Chris Temby from Narre Warren South, South Gippsland local Thomas McDonald was third and Aron Lawrence and Scott Irons declared fourth and fifth after a late race incident ended the race.
The Crash and Bash class according to the fans and the race announcer, where at their most exciting for many years as the inclusion of a Spinners Award with prizes up for grabs encouraged race drivers to entertain the crowd. Whilst there is rules to how you should spin an opponent that many of the fans do not understand, the award in the Ladies Crash and Bash was won by Sharon Morrison for the spins she correctly performed. Felicity Roycroft made a number of spins across the night and seemed to be in the thick of everything. State champion Leeanne Young went on to win the Ladies Crash and Bash ahead of Sharon Morrison, Romney Stirling-Anderson, Lea Judd, and Emily Foster.
On Monday the Dirt Modifieds concluded two nights racing with Daryl Hickson taking the win, the Victorian Speedway Council Sedans winner on night two was Troy Hutchison who crossed the finish line before slamming his car into the wall at the top end of the track requiring a victory lap on the back of a tractor and hook.
Peter Logue at just over seventy years of age won the Wingless Sprints Club show event, Brad Warren from Longwarry won the Crash and Bash Opens and Andrew Miles from Pakenham took victory in the second annual Dougo 44 event for Standard Saloons in honour of Stephen Douglas formerly of Poowong.
Hickson set a new twenty lap record in the ML Automotive 5000 on his way to defeating Marcus Reddecliffe, Matt Reddecliffe, Michael Ardley, and Bobby Baxter a rookie driver. Ardley set the fastest feature event lap at 14.814 and was one of three competitors with lap times under fifteen seconds. Hickson won the race by less than a second with Marcus Reddecliffe pressuring him.
Hutchison won the Victorian Speedway Council sedans on Monday with the most unique victory lap of the two-day weekend, Hutchison crashed after passing the chequered flag in between turns one and two. Hutchison was dragged around on the hook of the tractor to acknowledge the crowd after defeating Shona Bent, Matt Shankland, Rob Tatterson and Peter Disher, Hutchinson won by .322 of a second.
Seventy-four-year-old Peter Logue from Morwell took the victory in Wingless Sprints on Monday in a club points event for the class. Logue respected and looked up to by so many defeated Todd Hobson of Clyde who had just returned from racing in the USA. Kai Malley with a handful of events to his name in Wingless Sprints finished third and was the fastest in the race with a 15.117 lap time. Temby and Kim Gosling finished in fourth and fifth and Logue won by just .368.
Across the two days of racing Standard Saloons were accumulating points in the ‘Dougo 44’ Memorial with each driver competing in three heat races and a Gold and Silver feature on night one if they wished, before what was to be a forty-four-lap feature competing in twenty-two laps in each direction of racing. A number of stoppages and crashes including one where Shane Ardley’s brakes failed him, and he crashed into his own son Brodie marred the race. However, at the front of the field Andrew Miles who had been at the front of the fields all weekend, kept his composure and won the race which means very much to his family through their friendship with the late Stephen Douglas.
Miles beat older brother Mark Miles from Catani, Kacey Ingram, Owen Cecil from Poowong, and Jack Braz from the Latrobe Valley.
The Men competed in Crash and Bash on Monday night and there was some absolute wicked hits. The Stewards found the suspension pad and the crowd had a blast. Brad Warren took victory ahead of his mate Chris Aarts, with Mark Taylor, Jackson Basten and Anthony Sharam at the line. The positions may not be official due to the immediate aftermath of the event with the penalties being served.
Nyora returns on December the 2nd with a Beyond Blue cause race night. The Street Stocks will be featuring in an event where awareness is to be raised for Beyond Blue. The Junior Sedan Promotional Association will compete also with their up to 1500cc race cars. Santa Claus will be at Nyora Raceway and there will be a Fireworks show.
Nyora would like to thank their supporters all very much.
B & B Retainer Walls
Burson Autoparts
Cecil Cartage
Earthlink Electrical
EZ Print
Gippsland Metal Recyclers
Highline Racewear
IDIGIT
John Duff & Co – Shell
Magnet Towing
Membrey’s Transport
Miles Mechanical
Miss Embroider
ML Automotive
Mornington Motors
Napier Photography
Ramsdale Wreckers
Redde Detailing
Redde Window Tinting
Rip It Up Earthworks
Ripper Sticker
Russell Steel
Shannon’s Insurance
Victory Lane Racegear
Ends Release.
Media written by Speedcafe contributor DMT Sports Media – Dean Thompson