LANSDOWN WINS ELIMINATOR CUP AT DROUIN, FARRELL WINS JUNIOR 500S
Drouin Speedway was able to kick off its season on Sunday (December 14th) with the popular annual Standard Saloon Eliminator Cup event headlining a day that included the introduction of Junior Formula 500s to Drouin fans along with a series round for the Ladies Standard Saloons and the Unlimited Sedans series also. Rhys Lansdown from Koo Wee Rup won the Eliminator Cup whilst Cruz Farrell from Pakenham Upper won the Junior Formula 500’s, Corey McDonald the Unlimited Sedans, Ella Sheedy the Ladies Standard Saloons and Nathan Miles the Junior Standard Saloons.
Competing across six heats and a feature event in the Eliminator Cup, Standard Saloon drivers included the likes of Kacey Ingram, Owen Cecil, Jack Braz, Jack Yeomans, Matt Leek, and the eventual winner Rhys Lansdown.
Braz would take the win in the opening heat race after starting on the third row and getting the better of Ingram and Cecil in turn two on a couple of occasions to move to the lead and the eventual win. Yeomans then had a huge win in the second heat race before he again won the third, however in a much closer margin coming from the back of the field to take the lead on lap six of ten.
Lansdown then won in heat four leading all the way before he also won in back-to-back races winning heat race five. Kacey Ingram from Warragul then won the last of the heat races by a large margin over Travis Evans a volunteer at the Drouin Speedway when he is not behind the steering wheel to race.
A twenty-eight-lap final with eight laps in one direction, then eight in the opposite, before switching one last time to run the final twelve laps was then next up to crown a winner in the Eliminator Cup. Along the way through the race drivers are eliminated at each switch to get to the final eight drivers.
When the green flag dropped Yeomans moved to the lead of the race with Lansdown in second followed by Braz and Ingram. It took only until lap two for Lansdown to claim the lead. Evans, Brendan Sheedy, Logan Mair and Mick Neumann would be the first drivers eliminated with Lansdown the race leader at the end of segment one from Ingram, Matt Leek, Yeomans and Cecil.
Segment two seen James Brown, Mitchell Ling, Anthony Murray and Ella Sheedy out of the race as Lansdown continued holding the lead from Ingram and Leek. Braz one of the front runners was soon out of the race also as the final switch began. Kacey ingram continued to hassle Lansdown at the front of the field with Brodie Robertson and Chase Ingram also in the final segment having had good runs to avoid elimination. Lansdown was able to withstand the pressure and went on to win from Kacey Ingram, Leek, Cecil, Robertson, Yeomans and Chase Ingram.
The Junior Formula 500s thrilled the spectators who had not seen them compete at Drouin ever before. Back in the days of TQ Midgets in the sixties and seventies were most likely the last time anything from what is now known as Formula 500s, had competed at Drouin.
Codey Malley won heat race number one, Malley coming into the race meeting was one of the favourites and would prove to be during the feature race battle. Cruz Farrell from Pakenham Upper in heat two set a track one lap record for the class of 15.079 on his way to a win whilst Roc Hughes would tip upside down in between turn three and four. Malley then won the third and final heat as the positions for the feature race were determined with Malley and Farrell off the front.
Farrell assumed control of the race on a track that proved to be equally as fast as it was in heat two. Drivers were able to use a distinct rubbered down portion of the track for traction and Farrell set a best lap time of 15.151 during the feature. Malley chased early however Farrell was able to break away from the field and extend his lead lap after lap. At the chequered flag Farrell with over eight seconds between himself and Malley claimed victory. Behind Malley was Toby Cook. Chase Van Ginneken, and max Cook from South Australia.
After winning the Ladies state series round for Standard Saloons the night prior at Nyora, Ella Sheedy from Bunyip then set about the task of going back-to-back with a win in heat one ahead of Tasharni Murray, both Ladies from the Drouin club. Caroline Allen then had large margin of victory between herself and Murray in heat two as Sheedy crashed out in turn three backing into the wall. Sheedy’s crew quickly fixed any damage her race car had, and she returned to win heat three with a large margin back to Vicky Price. Sheedy then went on to win the feature from Murray who had a terrific day to grab second in the final ahead of Bree Walker, Allen, and Price.
New Unlimited Sedan racer Riley Taylor having just become two old for Junior 1200 Sedan racing then won his first Drouin race in an Unlimited Sedan, he was able to defeat the defending series champion for Unlimited’s Corey McDonald, by ten seconds. McDonald then won heat race number two by .354 of a second from Taylor and then the third heat ahead of Josh Barber. In the feature race McDonald led every lap with Taylor really sticking to him as he tried to win his first feature as an Unlimited racer. McDonald would creep out to a little gap and over the twelve laps winning from Taylor, Barber, Stan Brown and Dale Mead.
Rounding out the racing was Junior Standard Saloons as they prepared for the upcoming state title race for the class. Nathan Miles from Catani would win heat one of three in front of his teammate Hunter Carey. William Hickey then took victory in heat two in a terrific race for him, clearly putting his name in the top few for the upcoming title. Hickey defeated Ty Claridge from Bendigo by a large margin. Miles then won the third and final heat once again in front of Carey before the twelve-lap final.
Miles assumed the race lead with Carey in second early in the feature race with the likes of Cooper Irons, Ethan Start and Ashton Joynson battling further back for position. Nikolas Pritchett and Irons and Start sorted out their positions in third to fifth. That all changed on lap eleven as Carey spun himself out of contention for the podium and Miles went on to win ahead of Pritchett, Irons, Start and Joynson.
Racing returns to Drouin on February 21st with the Junior Standard Saloon state title, SINCS FMX freestyle MotorX, Standard Saloon feature event Drive for Dougo and Street Stocks.
Drouin Speedway Club acknowledge and thank these wonderful supporters.
Alberni Engineering
Ampworks
ARP Earthworks
Baw Baw Shire
Big Ben
Bowens Pakenham
Bunyip Motors
Bunyip Tyre Service
CBM Media
Compact Drums
Drouin South Excavations
Drouin Tyre and Battery Service
Elite Auto Care
Elite Cranes and Transport
Image Worx Photography
KF & CO Hair Studio
Keena Fencing
Latrobe Waste and Recycling
Leigh and Anne Gooding
Local Print
Miles Mechanical
Napier Photography
Norstar Steel Recyclers
Orton Motorsports
Pakenham Radiators
Pakenham Towing
PGR Group
Plendrive
QuickTime Automotive
Railway Hotel
Richard & Ron Owen
Robin Hood Inn
Scott Irons & Family
Sky High Media
STR8 Bricklaying
Soul Wax
TJE Fabrication
TNT Autos
Total Autos Pakenham
Triangle Trophies Moe
Pakenham Town & Country Tennis Courts
Visual Signage Solutions
Wilkar Constructions
Written by
Dean Thompson
Dean Thompson Media
