• Australian Lightning Sprint Champion Kurt Wilson and NSW Late Model Champion Ben Nicastri were the two happiest guys in Speedway after last Saturday night’s racing at Sydney’s Valvoline Raceway after two nailbiting main events.

    Then current title holder Queenslander Sean Iacono and last year’s runner up Kurt Wilson started the Australian Lightning Sprints Championship as pre-race favourites and with the two of them qualifying on the front row their favouritism looked justified.

    On the opening lap it was Wilson that forged into the early lead whilst Sydneysider A.J. McTaggart gave chase from Sean Iacono and teenage sensation Matt Geering.

    A restart on lap two enabled Geering to put a move on Wilson and McTaggart and slip into the lead which he would hold for the next 8 laps.

    At a lap ten restart Wilson managed to pull up alongside Geering and as they exited turn four the cars came together forcing Geering off the track and allowing Wilson to take the lead. Geering tried in vain to pull back the lead but a couple of laps later it became apparent the damage he had sustained when the cars came together was causing him to slow.

    On lap twenty McTaggart was able to get past a slowing Geering and he then then began to chase down Wilson. Meanwhile former champion Darren Salmon who had started on the fourth row started to make a charge for the podium as he picked off Iacono and then the hapless Geering to claim third.

    McTaggart gave it all he had but it was to no avail as Wilson went on to claim his first Australian Title from McTaggart, Salmon, Geering and Iacono. Jordon Binskin, Ethan Eyears, DJ Raw, Rodney Waters and Danny Stone rounded out the top ten.

    Earlier in the night heat wins went to McTaggart, Iacono, Geering and Wilson.

    The Late Model NSW title was the next on the cards and the big muscle cars of speedway did not disappoint.

    Tasmanian Brad Smith started off pole after claiming two heat race wins starting next to the in-form Ryan Fenech.

    It was Fenech who powered into the lead as Smith ran off the top of the track at the initial start with Nathan Disney and Ben Nicastri in hot pursuit.

    On lap three Disney took the lead from Fenech after executing a well timed slide job, Disney looked impressive turning lap times four-tenths of a second quicker than his rivals.

    On lap four Nicastri passed Fenech to move into second whilst Robertson, Smith, McKenzie and veteran Ron Pyne began a battle for the minor placings. Robertson and Pyne both had their chances moving into third place at various times mid-race whilst Disney and Nicastri held sway up front.

    On lap 18 Fenech drove back by Pyne whose car looked to be visibly slowing.

    With only a handful of laps to go a restart set up what was going to be an exciting finish.

    Disney roared away from Nicastri whilst Fenech hung on grimly.
    With one lap to go Disney looked set to take his second NSW Late Model Title but as he came up on lapped traffic in turn three he chose to go around the lap car.

    As he went to make his move the lapped car pushed up in front of Disney, Disney slowed to set himself to dive under and whilst slowing his car went into a push, meanwhile Nicastri had kept Disney in his sights made his move under Disney, Disney fought back and the two cars went over the line locked together in a photo finish, one that the naked eye had trouble deciding.

    As the numbers flashed onto the big screen it was Nicastri who had claimed the title by a mere .03 of a second from the hapless Disney with Fenech rounding out the podium.

    Todd Bayley, Jess Cassidy, Robertson, Grimson, Robert Carrig, Michael Hickey and Katelyn Hickey completed the top ten.

    The Wingless Sprint feature was another torrid affair with Jeff Thomas taking the victory from Jason Bates and Sean Mayo in yet another fantastic display for this ultra competitive category.

    The next event at Valvoline Raceway is this Saturday night, April 9, with the running of the Penultimate Ultimate Sprintcar Championship USC “Chase” event.

    Victorian Jamie Veal continues to maintain his tight grip on a potential $30,000 winner’s payout though Robbie Farr refuses to lose after the pair of them finished within 50m of each other for a 1-2 in the final round of the USC QLD in Toowoomba last Saturday night.

    Veal scored the $6,000 winner’s payout but Farr’s consistency was enough to net him the inaugural USC QLD Championship in the process.

    Also on the program this Saturday night are Legend Cars.
    Ends release…
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