Bairnsdale Speedway Association continued its Boxing Day tradition with a strong night of family-friendly entertainment, headlined by wingless
sprints and a full program of
local racing classes.
Warrnambool driver Craig Plater claimed his first-ever wingless sprint feature victory, holding off a strong Gippsland field. In division two hot rods, Beau Stuchbery continued his good form, going back-to-back after winning the previous meeting.
Trafalgar’s Bree Walker took honours in the ladies standard saloons, while Mark Miles won the open standard saloons. His son Nathan dominated the junior standard saloons, and Bairnsdale’s Dillon Siely claimed victory in the limited sportsman class.
The wingless sprint heats were won by Plater, Tyler O’Leary (Rosebud), Wayne Logue (Morwell) and Dillon Siely, who competed in two classes during the night. Siely rebounded strongly after a crash in his first heat tore his right rear tyre from the rim, going on to win his second heat.
Dash races determined the top six starting positions for the feature, with Scott Cole and Plater earning front-row starts. Apart from an early and a late passing move, the top five — Plater, Ben Hodge, O’Leary, Logue and Cole — remained unchanged for most of the 25-lap feature, with Plater taking the win ahead of Hodge, O’Leary, Logue and Cole.
In division two hot rods, Troy Wilson won the opening heat and Beau Stuchbery the second. Stuchbery then won the final ahead of Andrew Cormack, with teammates Troy Cormack and Kate Stuchbery rounding out a strong team result.
Nathan Miles was dominant in junior standard saloons, winning all three qualifiers by more than 19 seconds and taking the feature by a 21-second margin. He finished ahead of Cooper Irons (Bunyip), Charli Perkins, Jayden Curtis and rookie Tailen Wells, all representing the Bairnsdale club.
Limited sportsman racing saw Mal Siely win all three qualifying races, including one where son Dillon was leading before a late mistake. In the final, Dillon Siely took the lead from lap one and held on for victory ahead of his father, with rookie Tannah Lee third and fellow rookie Ash Mackay fourth.
Walker won two of the three ladies standard saloon heats, with Sharni Stuchbery claiming the other. Walker then dominated the final, winning by almost a lap from Sharni Stuchbery and Kate Stuchbery. Tasharni Murray finished fourth, with Maddison Logue completing the top five.
Open standard saloons featured heat wins to state champion Jacob Vuillermin and Jack Braz (both Rosedale Speedway Club), with Mark Miles and Ash Cormack also securing heat victories.
Vuillermin led early in the final before mechanical issues forced him out on lap eight, handing the lead to Miles. Despite late pressure from Braz, Miles held on for the win, with Braz, Jack Yeomans, Zac Barwise (Colac)
and Ashley Cormack filling the minor placings.
Bairnsdale Speedway returns to action on January 24 with the return of super sedan racing alongside compact speedcars, as part of a double-header weekend shared with Rosedale Speedway.
