Rushworth Speedway club enjoyed a successful second race meeting of the season with a terrific crowd enjoying the visiting Street Stock and Compact Speedcar classes complimented by all the local heroes in their Sedans. The Goulburn Valley Auto Club volunteers prepped a terrific track and worked brilliantly to combat the drizzle and the threat of a downpour to get the show completed with results for all classes.

Jamie Lock – Photo courtesy of Vern and Jackie Parker Photography

Bendigo racer Jamie Lock took the big win in Street Stocks Rushworth Hotel 1000, the first of two feature events this season for the class at Rushworth. The feature event was entertaining with lead changes, penalties and fast laps. Lock led Ballarat racer Mick Clark around the circuit on lap one with Dann, local racer Shane Roycroft and Jordan.  On lap six of thirty, Clark assumed the race lead and that is the way it stayed for the next ten laps.

Lock wrested back the lead on lap sixteen with Clark, Dann, Jordan and Roycroft the running order, it immediately changed the next time around with Clark and Dann ahead of Lock. Six laps later Lock moved back to second and then to the front again on lap twenty-four. Things shook up and around a from there as Clark’s car drifted backwards in the battle and Dann and Roycroft moved into podium places two and three. A lap twenty-nine pass into second by Roycroft and a final lap pass into third by Jordan meant Lock, Roycroft and Jordan were first to third at the line until the chief steward handed a two spot penalty to Roycroft for a passing move they didn’t agree with. The results were Lock, Jordan, Dann, Roycroft and Warrick Howie from Chiltern.

Lock was delighted to win in front of local supporters from the Bendigo and Goulburn Valley area. “It is awesome to win here. This is our closest track however our class races right around Victoria with features almost every week, so we travel a lot. I enjoyed the battle with Clark, Dann, Jordan and Roycroft, it was great competition. Thanks to the GVAC and Justin Hampton for organising this event for us. The track was great, we look forward to our series round here after Christmas.”

In qualifying Lock won the first heat race to start the nights racing off for the class, Jordan the second, Lock the next, Dann and Lock rounded out the five qualifiers.

Justin Paull – Photo courtesy of Vern and Jackie Photography

Justin Paull the former Compact Speedcar national champion driving in a loaned vehicle took the win in the feature event from Butch Hutchinson, Louis Rodriguez, Jack Day and Daniel James.  Paull led every lap in the twenty-lap final whilst Shepparton racer Rodriguez was the fastest car for the race with a 16.593 in the lightweight 1000cc powered category. Hutchinson was the best in qualifying action winning two heats and Rodriguez the other.

In Production Sedan racing a couple of Rushworth’s new members played tit for tat with the results through the night with Bendigo racer Lennie Clark claiming the nights win from Michael Boyle who won the first meeting of the season. In a terrific feature event Boyle lead Clark from the start of the fifteen-lap final for twelve exciting laps before Clark moved into the lead. With great early race speed Clark clocked an 18.505 lap time on lap four of the final. He defeated Boyle, Ian Wilson, Neil Johnson and Leigh Jeffery the class champion. Heat wins went the way of Boyle, Clark and Boyle earlier in the night.

Bradin Claridge – Photo courtesy of Vern and Jackie Parker Photography

In Junior Sedans making it two wins in two race meetings Bradin Claridge won both the heats before taking the result in the final setting faster race laps in the heats and then again in the final with a best of 19.163. He defeated Jordan Simmonds, Connor Claridge, Keiden Britton and Zach Martin in the final.

In Ladies Saloon racing Felicity Roycroft was on track for a clean sweep having won all three heat races by a considerable margin with a best time of 19.126. She was circulating in the final half a second a lap faster than her competitors before her car broke down (tailshaft) whilst out to a significant lead. Kelly Lamb the class number two ranked driver assumed the lead and crossed the finish line just a small margin in front of new club member Zoey Salau with Nicole Gapes, Roycroft and Rhiannon Alexander rounding out the top five.

Adam Box came out on top in the Open Saloons making it two meetings from two for the season this time picking up a hard-fought victory over Peter Welch who was just over a second and half back at the finish in the fifteen-lap final.  Box did not have things all his own way and instead of being challenged by the car of Paul Lamb, it was Welch who challenged him and took the lead from him on lap eleven before Box assumed the front position the next time past the starter.

Box won from Welch, Braiden Simmonds, Garry Gapes and Jaidyn Dredge. Lamb won the first heat of the night, then Box, Lamb again this time ahead of Box, Simmonds, Gapes and Box. In heat three Box set the fastest time of the night for Open Saloons of 17.881.

Goulburn Valley Auto Club is proudly supported by:
Super Balance Automotive, Shepparton – Aerodrome Automotive, Kialla – Autobarn, Bendigo – Bendigo Powder Coating – Bendigo Timber Products – Bourke Fencing, Bendigo – Budget Trophies, -Kyabram – Burson’s Shepparton – Jackal Fencing Manufacturers, Bendigo – Kyabram Bearings – Leed Engineering & Construction, Kangaroo Flat – Maxam Printing, Shepparton – Metalcorp Bendigo – Mental Racewear  – Pearce Concrete, Golden Square – Mooroopna Passenger Services – Ross Adams Cartage Contractor, Nanneella – Rushworth Bakery – The Rushworth Hotel – WG Panels, Rochester – Windridge Security Doors & Fences, Bendigo

Written by
Dean Thompson
DMT Sports Media
For Goulburn Valley Auto Club