Drouin Speedway action on Sunday the 14thof January was headlined by the second round of the Gippsland Cup for Ladies Crash and Bash and great action from all the support classes with a number of them competing through the dog leg circuit.

Bianca Brown was a big winner in the Ladies Crash and Bash after disposing of defending Victorian champion and first round Gippsland Cup winner Leanne Young into the concrete on her way to the win.

Lennie Bonnici won the Unlimited Sedans, Lewis Williams the Junior Standard Saloons, Allan Ardley the Ladies Standard Saloons, Jeff Blencowe the Sports Sedans, Scott Angus the Division 2 Hot Rods and Leigh Gooding the Standard Saloons.

In Crash and Bash action, everything was happening so quickly with spins and push and shoves and fast action as leaders worked their way through the field and for a moment when the initial race shenanigans were over, Young was in the lead with Bianca Brown chasing.

Bianca Brown - Photo courtesy of Random Panda Photography
Bianca Brown – Photo courtesy of Random Panda Photography

Brown caught Young in the later stages of the race and tapped her rear bumper assisting Young who went crashing into the concrete wall and out of the race much to the delight of the Crash hungry crowd baying for action. Brown went on to win from Alyssa Montebello, Maleah Brown, Lea Judd and Sarah Price.

Scott Angus was a pleasant surprise in the Division 2 Hot Rod final. Up to this point the likes of Ricky Connor a heat winner, Rob Tatterson, Paul Camm and Daniel Stewart also a heat winner had found themselves battling for wins at the front of the field, Stewart though didn’t start the final.

Angus was sensational with passing moves and car control and came through and led Connor to the finish line to pick up a win. Tatterson was third and then Daniel Angus who was another heat winner earlier in the day and Drouin’s own ‘King of the Kids’ Stuart Barkway.

Lewis Williams (A heat winner) and the two Team Yeomans cars of Jack Yeomans (2 heat wins) and Deegan Benson swapped positions throughout the day as they competed in the last event before their Victorian title. Benson held the final race lead, Yeomans took that lead, Benson got penalised for contact with Yeomans and Williams made some great passing moves moving higher up on the track for a fine win in the final from Yeomans, Benson and Cohen Kleeven with his bent up race car after earlier trying to remove the purple paint scheme by running along the concrete wall.

Allana Ardley proved to be just that little bit smarter than Hayley Hutchins through the Dog Leg during Ladies Standard Saloon racing and went on to win. Bairnsdale Speedway racer Kate Stuchbery finished third ahead of Vicky Price after pulling off a neat little pass in the dog leg and Erin Mitchell.

Leigh Gooding was very strong in the Standard Saloon Dog Leg action and Leigh Mitchell was his main threat. Gooding took a comfortable win from Mitchell, Mark Borkowski Justin Hutchins and Mick Coomer. Borkowski was lucky to finish as he engine became a barbeque during the race, the snags were well and truly cooked by the time he passed the finish line.

Jeff Blencowe then won a one on one battle with Gavan Dorain in the Sports Sedans.

Lennie Bonnici - Photo courtesy of Random Panda Photography
Lennie Bonnici – Photo courtesy of Random Panda Photography

Finally, the action in the Unlimited Sedan final was sensational with Peter Cox who had been the strongest racer in heats winning all three of them starting well. Johnny Young then made a passing move on him to take the lead before Bonnici wound up his big machine and passed Cox and then soon after Young in turn two on both occasions. Bonnici went on to win from Young, Cox, Daryl Nicolson and Daniel Angus.

Racing returns to Drouin on February the 11th with a Sports Sedan feature in the state point score and Wingless Sprints returning to the venue.

Drouin Speedway Club would like to thank their club supporters:
Active Graphics – Alberni Engineering – Ampworks Audio – Baw Baw Shire – Berwick Legal – Boost 2 Drive – Random Panda Photography – Haze Hair by Design – Keena Fencing – Laser Electrical – Latrobe Waste Recycling – Leigh & Anne Gooding – Longwarry Hotel – Longwary Meat Safe – Miles Mechanical – Monckton Concrete – Norstar Steel Recyclers – Onsite Rentals – Pakenham Tilt Tray – Polish & Shine – Prorent – Ramsdale Wreckers – S.S Plastering & Painting – TNT Auto Parts – Victorian Crane Trucks – Wilkar Construction

Written by
Dean Thompson
DMT Sports Media

For Drouin Speedway Club