Race fans could not have left Blue Ribbon Raceway on Saturday night without a smile after witnessing an action-packed meeting with fast stars in their speedway cars and victories to Horsham racers Jeremy Beddison and Wes Bell amongst the various victors that included Tim Rankin in the Formula 500s by a massive ten seconds or three quarters of a lap.
The feature class was the Stampede Series Formula 500s for the senior category of the class and Tim Rankin known for Sprintcar racing along with his Formula 500 racing started the night with a win in the first of four heat races. Four different winners showed the competitiveness of the line-up with Alex Ryan, Brooke Buckingham, and Liam Russell the other winners.
Rankin then went on to dominate the feature event clearing out to a ten second margin to defeat Ryan, Buckingham, Declan Robinson, and Dale Sinclair.
V8 Trucks provided the biggest entertainment with the massive machines driven by Wimmera competitors. Luke James and Jaryd Carman shared the heat race wins before Carman led the feature event until lap eight when Wes Bell took control of the lead spot. Bell went on to hold off Carman by just .155 of a second at the finish with Fletcher Mills, Nathan Bird and Donald Timmins rounding out the top five spots.
Father and son club Horsham club members Shaun and Ryan Queale shared the two heat race wins in Production Sedan competition with the two drivers ahead of the field in the final for a brief moment before Jamie Pumpa from the Portland club drove past both the early race leaders and on to the victory which was also his first senior victory with Ryan Queale and his father Shaun, Dean Hughes and then Haydn Riley completing the top five results.
Limited Sportsman competed in a series round with Horsham heavily represented in the entrants. Jock Baker the state champion won the first of three heat races with Nathan McDonald and then Tom Baker all winners. In the feature race Hamilton’s Andrew Wilson claimed the lead from Jock Baker and in a turn up given the form of Baker behind the wheel this season, Wilson went on to claim the win from Jock Baker, Tom Baker, McDonald, and Craig Ansell.
Junior Sedan competition in the Junior Sedan Promotional Association Top Stars category began with Jayden Lock looking every bit a winner for the night when he took the first two heat race wins before Bacchus Marsh youngster James Oliver won the third qualifier and then led the feature event for all fifteen laps to defeat Pary Das, Lock, Will Fallon and Blake Glynn.
New Star category Juniors for developing drivers also competed with James Peacock, Max Leersen and then Peacock once again sharing the heat race wins. Peacock then went on to win from Portland youngster Jackson Warrener, Steane Cosson, Leersen and a second Portland youngster Tyler Wilson.
Juniors were also on track in the Formula 500 class with Zac Stevens and Rusty Ponting sharing the qualifying wins on the way to the final. Koby O’Shannassy though would come through for the feature win defeating Ponting, Aston Rodriquez, Hugo Chivell and Chevette Muir.
Rounding out the action was the Wingless Sprints and fans were delighted with a locally based driver taking the victory. In heat racing Ricky Bailey and Steven Hateley, a Horsham businessman won the two heats before a second Horsham businessman Jeremy Beddison took the feature race win over twenty-five laps from Nicholas Ryan Hateley, Robert Whiteside and Bailey.
On May 13, Blue Ribbon Raceway returns with the annual Wingless Sprint Classic, Kev Baker Challenge for Limited Sportsman, AMCA Nationals and Vintage support classes.
Horsham Speedway Club would like to acknowledge the following club supporters;
Ace Radio Network
Burson Auto Parts Horsham
Bondy’s Contractors
Bigham Truck Repairs
Carman’s Towing and Windscreens
Crop Opti
Dooen Hotel
Horsham Auto Wreckers
Horsham Injector Service
Johnsons Merchandise
Mick Harrison Signs
Millers
Petrogas Horsham
Simpson Fire Motorsport Safety
Westonvic Waste
Wilken Group
Wimmera Bakery Dimboola
Wimmera Bearings
Wimmera Mail Times
Wimmera Security Service
Ends Release.
