Daylesford Speedway Drivers Association has hosted its first race meeting since the Covid 19 pandemic closed down the Speedway Industry in March and on the back of brilliant public support the two-day race meeting was a huge success for Daylesford. The major event of the weekend was the Caravan Race, and it was won by Jaidyn Dredge completing the fifteen laps ahead of everybody else to earn himself $1000-.
There was also two days of racing for all Daylesford club classes plus the visiting Standard Saloons and the Sports Sedans to entertain.
Daylesford Modified Sedans continues to grow in numbers and was well supported with new member Jay Nicolaisen and Jackson Basten having a weekend long stoush, where the former won all four heat races before finishing off with a feature race win from Jayden Humphrey, Basten, Cody Shmal and Steve Warlond. Daniel East rolled his race car on day one destroying it. A few mates have offered to pitch in and try and get a new car built before the next race meeting.
The Street Stocks for most of the weekend was a father and Son battle between Des Robinson and Stuey Robinson with Graham Miller in the thick of the action waiting to pounce. Miller with one, Junior Robinson with one and Senior Robinson with two heat wins lead into the feature event before a popular club member Miller took a feature win after a battle between, he and the two Robinsons.
Stuey Robinson finished second after coming from the rear of the field after a stoppage where he and his race car ended up parked on top of the racetrack embankment and needed to be recovered. Craig Claridge was third, Des Robinson fourth and Glenn McCoubrie in fifth.
RIckylee Basten and Felicity Roycroft had battled for supremacy in the Ladies Sedan racing with Basten a three-heat winner and Roycroft one before the feature event where mechanical issues forced Roycroft infield during the race. Basten went on to win from Priscilla Grech, Ebony Trainor, Marlena Argent and Jane Laidler.
The Kakoschke boys continued their run at the front end of the field that we have seen in recent seasons in the Junior Sedan ranks with Reece Kakoschke getting the better of Bailey Kakoschke in the feature event. Jhett Cruise was third with Connor Claridge and Blair Botheras rounding out the top five. Earlier in the weekend on day one Blaize Majok-Edwards had rolled his race car. After a trip to hospital he was cleared from injury and was at the race track on day two supporting everybody else.
Local greater Ballarat and Region racer Tim Hutchinson then took victory in the Standard Saloon class after a huge challenge from Bairnsdale racers Andrew, Ashley, and Aaron Cormack. All three of them swapped places behind Hutchinson during the feature event before Andrew Cormack’s window net dropped and he was disqualified from results. Hutchinson won from Ashley Cormack, Andrew Cormack, and Jimmy Pederson a rookie racer who won a heat on day one.
After an almost twenty-five year wait for a feature win, Robert Garlick from Healesville took the feature race win in the Sports Sedans after Victorian Champion Jamie Paull pulled infield with mechanical concerns. Garlick was challenged by Smythesdale man Lucas Conder who finished second after being penalized during the race with a rear of field directive from the Steward for hitting an infield marker moving it onto the racetrack. Third was Matthew Brooks ahead of Katie Meyer and Felicity Roycroft.
Finally, to send the fans home happy a fifteen lap Caravan Race where competitors try to destroy each other’s Caravans as well as trying to finish first at the end of the fifteen laps seen some huge crashes that had the crowd in hysterics.
After having his Caravan destroyed Jaidyn Dredge put the accelerator down. Jackson Basten who had earlier spun off the track was lapped by Dredge and after getting ahead of Dredge on track to un-lap himself, he had a huge task of trying to pass him again to claim the lead. Brad Trainor had an engine fire, David Barrie, Darren Chesterfield and Jayden Humphrey were part of a huge pile up blocking the track in turn four. However, nothing stopped Dredge taking the win and $1000 dollars.
The Daylesford Drivers Association thank the Compact Speedcars for a weekend of spirited demonstrations. The Open Wheel class mostly competing with Motorcycle engines were super quick around the race-track and in particular Mike Conway looked impressive as did Mark Hutchinson. The Club hopes the class enjoyed the experience and talks to Daylesford again soon.
Daylesford Speedway now have a break during January in respect of the high temperatures that the month brings.
Daylesford Speedway Drivers Association thank their supporters
O’Toole Signs Daylesford
Ballarat Rednecks 4 x 4
Complete Maintenance Services 4×4 Specialists, Bacchus Marsh
Red Ginger Thai Restaurant – Daylesford
Centre State Asphalting
Dean Miller Photography
KAK Signs
Dirt Track Solutions
KANGA Dig It
