Boxing night racing at Bairnsdale Speedway entertained with Sprintcars, Wingless Sprints, Ladies Standard Saloons and Standard Saloons featuring as the entertainment. Local East Gippsland race driver Adam Greenwood was amongst the winners in taking victory in the Sprintcars whilst Ally Morrison from West Gippsland in the Ladies Standard Saloons, Mark Miles from South Gippsland in the Open Standard Saloons and Adin Robertson from Melbourne’s South-Eastern Suburbs in Wingless Sprints were the other winners.
A great crowd attended the evening as they do each and every Boxing Day with the speedway the biggest event in town and the Sprintcar racing did not disappoint. Andrew Nielson got his night off to a great start winning the first heat race of the night leading from start to finish finishing a second ahead of Alistair Bastian. Roddy Dennison then won the second qualifier emulating Nielson with a start to finish result finishing ahead of Trent Nielson, Andrews son. Adam Greenwood then won the final of the qualifying heat races.
From the front row Greenwood lined up with Trent Nielson alongside and Shane Steenholdt and Greenwoods team-mate Bastian behind. Leading every lap of twenty-five, Greenwood went on to record his first feature win of the season in front of Steenholdt, Andrew Nielson, Trent Nielson, and Nigel Laity.
Wingless Sprints were competing in round three of the Gippsland Wingless Sprints series with Daniel Goldoni from the Northern Territory and Liam Atkinson from Queensland amongst the drivers. Round one winner Ricky Mills from Traralgon won the first heat race of four with Goldoni winning in the second heat race, Adin Robertson in the third and Wayne Logue from Morwell in the fourth.
Thomas McDonald and Robertson began the final from the front row with Mills and Jeremy Pearson behind them and Ben Hodge and Goldoni rounding out the top six starters. Robertson took control of the race lead on lap one with Hodge moving into third by lap nine. Robertson although not setting track records, consistently set fast lap after fast lap of the final and went on to win ahead of McDonald, Hodge, Mills and Goldoni.
The Ladies Standard Saloons were in town to get some lap time before their upcoming Victorian title at the Bairnsdale venue. The event was the first of five rounds in a Victorian state series for the Ladies. The current back-to-back state champion Ally Morrison was in town and set records for the one lap and eight lap marks for the class. Morrison won all three of her qualifying race starts winning in the first, fourth and fifth race whilst Bronwyn Miles won the second, Dette Miles the third and sixth races during qualifying.
Morrison then led every lap in the twenty-lap final despite pressure for some of the time from Caroline Allen. Morrison finished four seconds in front of Allen, then came Bronwyn Miles, Dette Miles and Jemima Borkowski.
Standard Saloons gathered a huge field of thirty plus cars for the Christmas Classic event with a welcome contingent of Nyora members making the trip up to compete with our regular Latrobe and East Gippslanders. Nine qualifying races determined starters for the feature event later in the evening with Shane Stewart winning in round one as did Chris Miles and Damon Ingram from Warragul. In round two Kane Gibson from Traralgon and Damon Ingram again and his brother Kacey Ingram the winners. Rookie adult racer made it a spectacular start to his adult career winning all three of his qualifying races by winning the first heat of round three with Steven Danks and Mark Miles winning the last two.
Damon Ingram unfortunately suffered a mechanical malfunction in the final and was almost immediately out of the feature race whilst Mark Miles led. The other of the two Ingram brothers competing Kacey took up the challenge in chasing and hassling Miles to try and pinch the lead. Miles who had recently won at Drouin went on to take the victory from Ingram, Chris Miles a brother of Mark, Leigh Gooding and then in fifth Andrew Miles another brother of Mark.
Bairnsdale Speedway Association returns to action on January the 14th with the Victorian Super Rod title and the Limited Sportsman King of the Rock feature events on the program.
Record times at this meeting were.
VSC LADIES STANDARD SALOONS
1 Lap – ALLY MORRISON – NYORA – 19.682 – 26/12/22
8 LAPS – ALLY MORRISON – NYORA – 2:44.415 – 26/12/22
Bairnsdale Speedway Association would like to thank these wonderful supporting partners;
A1 Trailers
Active Sound Systems
Assist A Lift Bairnsdale
Aussie Septic Solutions
Bairnsdale Autobarn
Bairnsdale Automotive
Bairnsdale Bearings & Industrial
Bairnsdale RSL
Boost 2 Drive
Bridgestone Service Centre Bairnsdale
Buchan Towing
Curtis Engineering
Dennison Quality Roof Restorations
East Gippsland Locks and Keys
East Gippsland Plumbing and Drainage
East Vic Hydraulics
Eastern Signs & Designs
Egee Printers
Eye Care Plus
EZ Print
Gillicks Busline
Gippsland Treated Pine
Gippsland Truck Centre
Granite Rock Quarries
Great Southern Kitchens
Kennedy Trailers
Logue’s Autowreckers
M&S Laity Hay Contractors
Mitchell Valley Excavations Pty Ltd
Napier Photography
Patties Food
Phaselink Electrics
RCI Services
Riviera Automotive
Riviera Concrete
SS Auto Wholesalers
Tambo Waste
Tim Bull
Todd Plumbing Supplies
TRFM & Gold 1242
Wayne Trinder Plumbing & Gasfitting
Westpoint Motors
WGI Earthmoving & Heavy Haulage
Ends Release.
Written by Speedcafe contributor – DMT Sports Media – Dean Thompson
