Drouin Speedway entered into 2023 with their first race meeting of the new year with the Junior Standard Saloons the main event of the day and it would be Catani based racer Nathan Miles who would take victory ahead of the fancied Harry Cecil who finished back in third. Other winners on the day included Jaiden Santin from Lismore New South Wales winning the Top Star 1500cc Junior Sedans Tyson Heaphy won the New Star 1500cc Junior Sedans, Johnny Young the Unlimited Sedan’s, Lea Judd the Ladies Standard Saloons and Andrew Miles the Open Standard Saloons.
Miles began the race day with a win in the first of four qualifying races for the Junior Standard Saloons whilst Poowong racer Harry Cecil won the second and the third. Jack Braz from the Latrobe Valley then won the final qualifier setting the fastest one lap time for the class up to this point of 19.973. A fifteen-lap final for the ten- to sixteen-year-old race drivers produced a tremendous three-way battle between Miles, Cecil, and Braz at the front of the field and it would be Miles to win from Jack Braz who passed Cecil in the latter stages of the race to secure second spot. Cecil then finished third with Breanna Walker and Dyclan Sweet in fifth.
The night before the Speedway Sedan’s Australia Junior’s competed in their Victorian title at nearby Nyora Raceway in South Gippsland, from there nine Top Star competitors made the trip across to Drouin Speedway with Arthur Hutchinson from the Western Suburbs of Melbourne winning the first heat race. Lismore racer Jaiden Santin then won the next two heat races with a fast time of 19.749. Santin then controlled the feature event leading Logan Mair and Cruz Farrell who had a great battle with Mair until dropping back in the field. Santin won the race in front of Mair, Harry Cecil, Cruz Farrell, and River Spitzbarth from the Northern Territory. Santin clocked a 19.351 fast lap of the day in the final.
South-East racer Tyson Heaphy had a great day in the Speedway Sedan’s Australia New Star class. Heaphy won all three races in the class to qualify for the final. Heaphy from pole position then defeated Chase Doherty for the win with Steane Cosson third in front of Jaylen Knight and Benji Henskens. Heaphy’s fast time of the final of 20.401 was the fastest for the class for the day.
Unlimited Sedan competition returned for the second time this season to Drouin Speedway with Daryl Nicolson a Drouin club member winning the first qualifier. Victorian champion Johnny Young then won the second heat and Warrick Taylor the third qualifier. In the final Young from Sale clocked a 17.076 fast time on this way to winning ahead of Ian Page, Kane Gibson, Nicholson, and Hans Lovski.
Jeff Blencowe from Bunyip started the Standard Saloon competition strongly with victory in the first race of the day before Matt Leek won the second and Andrew Mile from Pakenham won the third qualifier. Andrew Miles hustled Blencowe in the battle for the early race lead for the final and following a recent win by his brother Mark at Drouin it would this time be Andrew Miles recording a fast time of the race at 19.627 to win from Mark Miles, Leek, Blencowe, and Jay Miles.
Winning three qualifying races from three, Lea Judd from Pearcedale proved a formidable opponent in the Ladies Standard Saloons as she went on to also win the feature event from Maddison Miles, Michelle George, Tasharni Murray and Dette Miles.
Drouin Speedway returns with racing on the 18th of February for a Saturday afternoon twilight show with Crash and Bash the headline event of the afternoon/evening.
Drouin Speedway Club acknowledge and thank these wonderful supporters.
Alberni Engineering
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Castrol
CBM Photography
Elite Cranes & Transport
Keena Fencing
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Latrobe Waste & Recycling
Leigh & Anne Gooding
Mepstead Lawyers
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Nar Goon Automotive
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Written by
Dean Thompson
DMT Sports Media
for Drouin Speedway Inc
