Drouin Speedway despite the repeated attempts of rain to close down the show, managed to put on a great event on February the 12th as the Division 2 Hot Rod class, crowned their class champion for the next twelve months when Scott Laidlaw from Morwell went back to back following up last season’s win.

Also on the program the ‘Boost 2 Drive’ Junior Standard Saloons held another round of the Drouin and Rosedale series and Tegan Bullard secured the win in the latest ‘Haze Hair by Design’ Ladies Standard Saloon track championship round.

Rain dumped a bucket load on top of the freshly manicured and beautifully prepared race track, not once but twice dragging out President Larry Evans on the Grader to try and fix it to go racing and eventually at 1pm, the rain clouds had buggered off and allowed racing to begin.

Division 2 Hot Rod competitors competed in three of the four heats with Gordon Angus picking up the heat one win a head of Daniel Angus, Laidlaw and Jamie Angus, at one stage the race was a commentators nightmare with Peter Angus, Gordon, Daniel and Jamie running as the top four and the commentator advising the crowd its ‘Angus, from Angus, then Angus and would you believe it another Angus’ before Laidlaw passed Jamie and Peter dropped out of the race due to mechanical concerns.

Broderick Stray won the second heat from Rob Tatterson and Ricky Mills stepping back into a sedan after competing in a Wingless Sprint for the early part of the season, Gary Uprichard then won the third heat race and Laidlaw finally took a heat race win in the last, however had been consistent enough to secure the pole position for the thirty five lap title race.

The line-up to start was Laidlaw, Rob Tatterson, Mills, Stray, Uprichard, Troy Tatterson, Peter Angus, Gordon Angus, Jordan Haley, Daniel Angus, Jamie Angus, Johnny Young, Brett Ciantar and Ricky Low.

Laidlaw assumed command at the drop of the green flag, Rob Tatterson began the chase with Mills in tow. A number of cars started to drop out Ciantar was first, then Jamie Angus with a fuel leak, Peter Angus was next to go followed by Daniel Angus and the race announcer’s tongue was a little more relaxed.

Johnny Young creamed the concrete wall and he was next to go followed by Stray and Gordon Angus, whilst Laidlaw continued to lead Mills who had earlier got past Tatterson. The top three drove very sensibly indeed and whilst they were still trying to maintain a pace, it wasn’t over done as the track had dried out due to wind and late afternoon sun.

Laidlaw was never in trouble though and he cantered to the title win from Mills, Rob Tatterson, Haley who had started rear of field in all his heats, Troy Tatterson, Uprichard and Low.

All other classes had their heat races cut back as the club tried to make up for lost time, Jack Yeomans and Lewis Williams won the two heat races in the Junior Standard Saloons before Adrian Lawrence and Yeomans battled in the final. Yeomans led well early, the pace was quick. Adrian Lawrence eventual positioned himself alongside the leader and after a couple of laps of nose to tail and side by side racing, Lawrence drove past Yeomans down the back straight and took the lead into turn three.

Lawrence would go on to win the final from Yeomans, Rhys Lansdown, Williams, Ambah Fythe and Riley Lawrence the younger brother of the winner.

Both Tegan Bullard and Shannon Lovell took heat race wins in the Ladies Standard Saloons before Bullard proved too strong in the final with the win over Lovell and Courtney Sherry then in the Standard Saloons with the blokes behind the wheel, Leigh Gooding looked the goods before his car broke down and put him out of the race and Travis Evans who had been pressuring him moved into the lead and ran away with the win from Jeff Blencowe.

Third place was all sown up for Ricky Connor however on the last turn of the last lap he ended up facing the wrong way and Garry Charles had nowhere to go and hit the Connor car head on. Neither of the cars passed the finish line, Connor only had to roll backwards two metres and he was third, Victor Benson in fourth drove straight past them to glory ah la Steven Bradbury, accept for third place. Andrew Morris and Leigh Mitchell rounded out the top five.

 

Drouin returns on the 19th of March with Street Stocks the feature class and club classes in support.

 

Drouin Speedway club thank the 16/17 season supporters:
Active Graphics – Alberni Engineering – AmpWorks Audio – Baw Baw Shire – Berwick Legal – Boost 2 Drive – CBM Photography – Haze Hair by Design – Keena Fencing – Laser Electrical – Latrobe Waste Recycling – Leigh & Anne Gooding – Longwarry Hotel – Longwarry 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 Constructions

 

Written by
Dean Thompson
DMT Sports Media

For Drouin Speedway Club