The Mortlake Speedway Club season is underway with the first of three meetings before the end of May to see out their season after a later than normal state for many reasons beyond the control of volunteers, pleasing those who attended the event on Saturday.
Production Sedans a nationally aligned Sedan class joined with the featured Standard Saloons who competed for the ‘Golden Helmet’, the Hot Rods, the nationally aligned Junior Sedans with up to 1500cc engines, and the state based Junior 1200cc Sedans who were competing in day one of their Victorian title.
Local South-West representation in the Production Sedan seen John Calderwood from Portland win a heat race and Shaun Queale of the Wimmera win two heat races before the feature event over fifteen laps produced a great finish by the two heat winners with Calderwood holding on to defeat the faster Queale. Heath Riley from Hamilton finished in third with Dean Hughes and Haydn Riley closing out the top five.
Colac’s Miller Throckmorton was a favourite in the Top Stars category of the national Junior Sedan class, and he began with a win in the first heat race of two. He backed that up in the second race although it was much closer with pressure from Jayden Lock before Throckmorton defeated Lock, Jake Bradley, and Pary Das in the final. It was a terrific feature event with Throckmorton winning by a smidge at the line with just .083 of a second between the two leaders.
In the developing Juniors New Stars category of the national division Jackson Warrener from Portland a brand-new racer this season won the first heat race by almost one complete racing lap whilst James Peacock the favourite took victory in the second heat. In the feature event Peacock claimed the win in another close result. He finished in front of Cruz Carlin from Portland, Tyler Wilson from the same club, then Charlotte Leerson and Taylor Hose.
Eight-cylinder fans were not left out either with the Hot Rods of the Speedway Drivers Association of Victoria given three heat races and a final. Kali Hovey from Greater Geelong won the first heat race before Phil Jenkins from Melbourne’s Western Suburbs won the second. Shannon Meakins won the third heat race and in the feature event and all the way from the other side of the West Gate Bridge Andy Kemp won his first ever feature in the class defeating Meakins, Kali Hovey, and Tony Green.
For the Victorian Speedway Council Junior 1200cc Sedan title race, Mortlake club hosted day one of qualifying before Daylesford club hosted the second day of racing at the Mid-Western Speedway complex. The racing was terrific from the title combatants with Arthur Hutchinson, Xander Baxter, Hutchinson a second time, then Baxter a second time, Bryce Leek once and then Billy McBride once won qualifying races on day one. Baxter led at the halfway point the qualifying points table from McBride, Hutchinson, Leek, and Braidan Webster at this point of the racing. For transparency, Leek all the way from Wangaratta and representing the Drouin club, went on to claim the title on day two ahead of Baxter, Riley Taylor, Sheedy, and Andrew Mitchell.
Mortlake’s feature class of the day was the Standard Saloons competing for cash and prizes valued over $1500. Around fifteen competitors put in a great days racing with Portland’s Cody McCabe coming out on top. Darren Fitzgerald of Portland, Dean Pedersen of Daylesford, Patrick Walsh of Ballarat, Lachie Chivers also from Ballarat, Cody McCabe, and Austin Chivers also of Ballarat club claimed the six heat race wins.
A twenty-lap feature event then set off with McCabe at the front of the field and Pedersen putting on early pressure. At the halfway mark and after starting in tenth spot, Luke King was up to fifth place in the race with McCabe leading Pedersen, Austin Chivers, Patrick Walsh then King. When the chequered flag unfurled, McCabe had what we consider a big lead at the tiny bullring venue as he crossed the finish line almost two seconds in front of Pedersen, King, Austin Chivers and Aaron Meakins to claim the ‘Golden Helmet’.
Racing for the Mortlake club returns on May the 13th with the Hanna Memorial for Street Stock to remember local Mortlake raised racer Brendon Hannabury, the Col Grist Memorial to honour the Super Rod aligned Grist family stalwart and Formula 500s in Senior and Junior aged racing.
Mortlake Speedway Club would like to thank the following for their support.
Brooklyn Car Sales – Wendouree
Mortlake Roadhouse
Camperdown Truck & Ag
Gilberts Truck & Tractor Service – Camperdown
O’Leary Ag Contracting, Camperdown
PWS Fabrications – Geelong
The Tyre Factory – Warrnambool
West Vic Tyres – Mortlake
Olsson Timing Services
Camperdown Auto Pro
Barkley Waste Collections – Colac
