Sprintcar action thrilled fans on Saturday night at Rushworth with a sensational one lap record blowing people’s minds in the feature race when Bobby Daly put in the books a 13.254 one lap time that everybody will remember for a long time, on the same show Jason May won the Legends Cup for SDAV Hot Rods and the local sedan heroes kept their battles for season supremacy in the category championships alive.

Sprintcar action was from the 525 crate engine variety which are otherwise known as LS Chev engines. Three feature race qualifiers set the scene for fast laps late in the night under the cold air when Shane Steenholdt and then Andrew Neilsen put down high 13 second lap times in qualifying heats. Daly, Mark Laity and Neilsen won the three qualifiers.

A non -stop start to finish twenty lap feature race for the Sprintcars was a three way battle between Bobby Daly, Shane Steenholdt and Dillon Siely go from the very start with just one second separating all three when they crossed the finish line.

As mentioned earlier, Daly ripped around the track in 13.254 seconds to set a new Rushworth Speedway record and take the top spot on the dais over Steenholdt and Siely with Adam Greenwood eight and a half seconds back in fourth and Mark Laity on his tail in fifth spot.

SDAV Hot Rods once again battled for their Legends Cup and it was Jason May who would pick up the win. Stan Marco Snr picked up second and James May still finished in third with the lead the top three had on the field with Stan Marco Junior in fourth and Shannon Meakins finishing in fifth.

Earlier Stan Marco Snr, Shannon Meakins and Jason May won qualifying races.

After clashing in each and every GV Open Saloon heat race with Adam Box winning all three of their clashes, Box and Phil Lamb took their battle into the feature race where Box again held sway over the champion of the class Lamb.

Box crossed the line just over a second in front of Lamb after a great race long battle whilst, Michael Wicks was third ahead of Rachel Pratt and Thomas Conboy. Consolation for Lamb was he took away the fastest lap of the night for the class when he clocked 17.860 in the feature race just .005 second than Box’s best time of the night set in last qualifier. Pratt, Wicks and Peter Welch were the other heat winners.

In the GV Production Sedan final Wayne O’Keefe and Daniel Wilson put on a sensational battle whilst the class champion Leigh Jeffery who tried his hardest to pick up an elusive feature race win for the season was having a great race with Shane Hutchins.

O’Keefe who earlier won two of the three qualifiers finished the winner just .169 of a second ahead of Wilson who won the other qualifier during the evening with Jeffery, Hutchins and Scott Smith rounding out the top five. O’Keefe also set the fastest time in his third heat of 19.074.

Another close finish in the GV Ladies Saloons came down to the two lead protagonists of the season Jacqui Fitzpatrick and Chloe Lamb with Fitzpatrick winning two of the three qualifiers and Lamb the other. Fitzpatrick in a close finish was able to hold on to the win with a .844 margin over Lamb, Cassie Wicks, Belinda Chalcraft and Kelly Nadort who rounded out the top five.

Ally Moore who had earlier finished second and third in qualifying races unfortunately couldn’t maintain that run in the final and a 19.069 lap time by Fitzpatrick in the final had her faster than the Production Sedan boys.

The GV Junior Sedans field returned to normal as far as results are concerned for Lachie Fitzpatrick who was fastest in the heats with two wins from three whilst Issiah Hodge took the other win. Fitzpatrick then went a little faster in the final with a best time of 19.230 as he took another feature win this time from Tyler Gahan, Tristan McGraw, Daniel Smith and Issiah Hodge.

Rushworth Speedway close the race season in two weeks time with Super Sedans and the Grand Prix Midget Ironbark Classic joining the club Sedans to thrill race fans on May 27th.

The Goulburn Valley Auto Club would like to thank the following supporters:
Super Balance Automotive
WG Panels
Goulburn Valley Oil Supplies
Provac Poultry Services
Bourke Fencing
Kyabram Motor Wreckers
The Rushworth Hotel
Kyabram Bearings
Autobarn Shepparton
Dave’s Lawn Mowing & Small Engine Repairs
Marty Turpin Mechanical
Ipta Fibreglass
FunCity Entertainment Complex Shepparton
Ross Adams Cartage Contractor
Rushworth Bakery
Maxam Printing

Written by
Dean Thompson
DMT Sports Media
For Goulburn Valley Auto Club t/a Rushworth Speedway

Bobby Daly the Sprintcar Gun (C) Kalari Photography

Adam Box the GV Open Saloon winner (C) Kalari Photography

Team Fitzpatrick Ladies and Junior Winners (C) Kalari Photography

Ladies Top Three (C) Kalari Photography

Open Saloon top three, Lamb, Box and Wicks L to R (C) Kalari Photography