Grand Prix Midget racing at Nyora Raceway on April the 13th finished with a sensational win to Jason Crawford in the South Gippsland Shootout when he held off Danny Stainer and Mark Blackeby to greet the chequered flags.
Nyora had a packed programme with forty seven events jammed in the schedule and with overcast weather above and the terrific work done by the track maintenance team the race track came out in tip top condition allowing for fast racing for the Grand Prix Midgets.
For the evening the Victorian club had decided that the B Grade championship drivers would begin heat racing from the front of the field whilst the A Grade championship drivers would line up behind them as voted for by the competitors after being put forward by faster competitors.
Sean Denning the B Grade championship leader heading into the race meeting began on pole position in heat one with Troy Buis and Mark Blackeby and they were followed by Lisa Chalcraft, Travis Florrimell, Jason Crawford, Chris Fowler and Danny Stainer.
Denning in the oldest car in the field led lap one ahead of his closest points challenger Blackeby from Florrimell, Stainer and Chalcraft and was quick enough to lead lap two also from Blackeby with Stainer in third by this point. Into lap three and Stainer hit the front and Denning held on until lap five before Fowler moved into second.
Stainer went on to win from Fowler, Blackeby who held strong in third then Crawford, Florrimell, Denning and Chalcraft. Buis (#5 DMT Sports Media – Yamaha R1) failed to finish after blowing a clutch.
Into the second heat and Buis was due to start in pole position however did not line-up and Chalcraft got the front row start and took the early race lead from front row starting partner Denning (#52 Truck Moves – Yamaha R1). Fowler who again started at the rear with Stainer quickly moved to second spot before lap one finished with Crawford in third ahead of Blackeby (#10 Spitfire Bar & Restaurant Rosebud – R1 Yamaha) and Florrimell on lap one.
Fowler assumed control of the race on lap two and led Chalcraft (#15 Oil Hydraulics – Suzuki GSX 1100) until lap four when Stainer moved into second ahead of her, Crawford and Florrimell. Fowler led through to the end of the race with a win over Stainer, Crawford (# 50 Pitstop Mowers– Yamaha R1), Florrimell, Blackeby and Denning. Chalcraft was a non finisher as her driveline gave way.
In the final qualifier Denning and Blackeby the two remaining B Grade championship competitors in the field began at the front with Crawford and Florrimell (#81 TM Lineboring & Engineering – Suzuki GSXR 1000) in the middle and the two newest race cars in the field of Stainer and Fowler at the back.
Blackeby led lap one from Crawford and Fowler (# 13 Ballistics Performance Parts– Yamaha R1) before Crawford took over the lead on lap two with Fowler, Blackeby, Stainer and Denning the running order. On lap four Stainer moved to third with Crawford leading to the finish of the eight lap race defeating Fowler, Stainer, Blackeby and Florrimell. Denning failed to finish this race as the spline on the rear wheel was stripped away leaving the car driving with only one of the two rear wheels.
The final race of the night began with top point scorers starting at the rear of the field and that meant Denning, Florrimell, Blackeby, Crawford, Stainer (#51 Anchorage Boarding Kennels & Cattery – R1 Yamaha) and Fowler was the order.
Florrimell had his best start of the evening and he took the early lead from Crawford, Fowler, Blackeby and Stainer on lap one and held that until lap four when Crawford and Fowler passed him and Stainer did the same a lap later.
Fowler started to reel in Crawford and Stainer was putting the pressure on Fowler when Fowlers machine threw a chain and his race came to a grinding halt as Crawford roared across the line to win the Shoot Out from Stainer, Blackeby, Florrimell and Denning.
The Victorian Grand Prix Midgets association thank Club Supporters:
Ballistic Performance Parts
TM Lineboring & Engineering
Super Balance Automotive Shepparton
Pitstop Mowers
Jacobson Transport
AJ’s Motorcycle Parts and Apparel Shepparton
Vern & Jackie Parker Photography
Rock Solid Productions
Ends Release.
