Following a massive rollover in the recent Queensland Modlite Title, Klinton Hancey was determined to close his season on his own terms and not let the crash end his 2018-19 campaign. To say that he accomplished that last Saturday night would be a significant understatement.
Rallying to rebuild his car in time to contest last Saturday night’s NSW Modlite Title at Grafton Speedway, after also having had his hopes of defending the Australian Title dashed due to mechanical issues, the defending NSW Champion was eager to turn his luck around when he took to the Grafton track for the first time.
Placing first, second and third in his heat races, the 37-year-old racer adapted quickly to the track, managing to keep up with the changing conditions as the night progressed. Starting from pole position for the 25-lap feature race, Hancey kept his head down and successfully hit each of his marks, leading from start to finish and delivering a pleasing NSW Title defence.
While it hasn’t all been bad luck for Hancey this season, who took out the inaugural Victorian Title and also managed to defend the SA Title, his recent string of misfortune in title events certainly made him realise how special results like his NSW Title win are.
“After the Queensland Title, it didn’t look like we were going to make it back out on track this season, but we really didn’t want to end the season on such a low,” explained Hancey.
“Last season was such an amazing one for us, and when you have such good results it’s easy to get caught up in it and forget that the bad luck can hit you at any time. We’ve definitely got a new appreciation for just how special last season’s and this season’s results are and we couldn’t be happier to end our season with a successful NSW Title defence.”
Splitting his time between Modlites and V8 Dirt Modifieds this season, Hancey’s campaign in the latter class was without a doubt highlighted by a surprise victory in the Queensland Title back in February.
“Winning the Queensland Title so early in our V8 Dirt Modified career certainly came as a pleasant surprise,” he added.
“It’s been a massive learning curve, but I’ve absolutely loved being a part of one of the country’s premier speedway classes. The competition is formidable and I’ve already learned a lot from the other drivers, so I’m looking forward to continuing that next season.”
Next season, Hancey looks forward to contesting the full V8 Dirt Modified schedule, while also participating in selected blue-ribbon events in Modlites.
Hancey would like to thank his 2018-19 season sponsors: Hancey’s Turf, Sommers Fuel Supplies, LGM, and Kawana Machining. Special thanks go to Glenn Hancey.
