Rushworth Speedway’s final race meeting of the season included two very important club memorial feature events and the final chance for club class drivers to earn points towards the end of season championships. A host of visiting classes made the day a huge day for the club with almost one hundred competitors at the event.
The Standard Saloons were competing in the co-major event of the day for the Goulburn Valley Auto Club, the Paul Benton Memorial in honour of a former club President. In a borrowed race car from Portland, Morris Ahearn from Bendigo took wins in two of the three heat races with Micheal Fleming-Robertson winning the other. In a terrific final Ahearn finished in front of Corowa’s Micheal Fleming-Robertson, Ballarat’s Lachie Chivers, then Tim Hutchinson and Sam Rundell.
Co-main event action was also from the Victorian Speedway Council Ladies Open Sedans in the Margaret Beattie Memorial race where there was also six qualifying races. Granddaughter to Margaret Belinda Chalcraft won all three of her qualifiers and her best friend Felicity Roycroft won two with Zoey Salau from Swan Hill winning the other qualifier.
The twenty-lap final began with Chalcraft, Roycroft, Salau, Chelsea Hodge, Jacquie Fitzpatrick, and Kelly Lamb in the top six starting positions When the green flag unfurled Fitzpatrick moved forward two spots on lap one into third. At the half way mark Fitzpatrick was the first of the favoured race drivers to pull out of the race with mechanical issues. Roycroft led Belinda Chalcraft, Salau, Hodge and Lamb. Ten laps later as the chequered flag flew Roycroft took the win by half a second from Chalcraft, Salau, Tania Hallett and Lamb.
Steve Lodwick, Dean Heseltine, and Paul Sullivan all won heat qualifiers in the AMCA Nationals before the feature event over twelve laps was led start to finish by Heseltine to defeat Steve Lodwick, Sullivan, Rodney Bassett from Tasmania, and Grant Cullinger.
Across four heat races the Compact Speedcars qualified for the Presidents Cup feature event with Justin Paull winning heat one and Daniel James from Kilmore the second and third heats with Michael Conway taking victory in the last qualifier. The feature race was full of action with crashes and break downs and eventually Joe Lostitch winning from Mark Cecil, Mark Hutchinson, Tania Hallett, and Matt Papa.
Sports Sedans competed across six heat races Corey Knox from Bendigo started the day with a win in heat one, Bradin Claridge from Kangaroo Flat the second then Knox took a second victory. Rhys Meakins from Kilmore won heat four, Felicity Roycroft from Kialla won the fifth then her brother Matthew Brooks the final heat race. Knox then went on to win the feature in front of family friend Bradin Claridge and Roycroft.
In local club class action Shane Hutchins was the winner of the Goulburn Valley Production Sedans from Shane Hutchins, Jason Ahearn, and Andrew Ahearn and in Goulburn Valley Open Saloons Keith Simmonds was once again the winner from Scott Smith and Matt Smith. The final local class that competed was the Goulburn Valley Juniors and Connor Claridge took victory in front of Michael Sayers and Anthony Hanson.
Ashley Booker clean swept the Grand Prix Midgets Masters series round winning all three heat races before winning the final in front Mark Blackeby and Benalla racer Shawn Ward.
The Goulburn Valley Auto Club now has a break until October when racing resumes.
Goulburn Valley Auto Club is proudly supported by,
Automotive Super Balance – Shepparton
1 Stop Construction Group P/L – Kyabram
Be Seen Signs
Claridge House Removalists
Maxam Printing – Shepparton
Midland Contactors (Earthmoving) – Bendigo
RDI Mobile Mechanical Services
Rod Wild Auto Electric Services – Shepparton
Rushworth Criterion Hotel
Rushworth Rural Services
Ward Bros – Rochester
WG Panels – Rochester
Ends Release.
Media written by Speedcafe contributor DMT Sports Media – Dean Thompson
