Bairnsdale Speedway Association, in partnership with the Victorian Speedway Council (VSC), held a successful Victorian title for the Junior Standard Saloon competitors on Saturday night, with Wangaratta’s Bryce Leek coming out on top.
Other winners on race night included Broderick Stray in sports sedans, Jordan Haley in the division two hot rods, and the consistent Jacob Vuillermin in the standard saloons, all from the
Latrobe Valley area and members of the Rosedale Speedway Club.
Involved in race night, were VSC president, Aaron Meakins, the original junior title winner 27 years ago and Chris Stewart, an assistant steward who won the title the next two seasons after Meakins.
Each driver competed in three of the six qualifying heat races.
River Paterson claimed victory in heat one in what would have been a new 10-lap record for the juniors at Bairnsdale, however it was bettered later in the evening.
Other victors were Dylan Sweet, Hunter Carey, Chase Ingram, Leek and Bailey Hill, the teammate of Leek, who set a record.
The 30-lap final saw the top six qualifiers being Ingram, Leek, Hill, Tom Braz, Cooper Joynson, and Carey, when the green flag unfurled Ingram led lap one and it took until lap four before Leek moved into the lead.
At the 10-lap mark Leek led Ingram, Hill, Carey, and Braz, who exited the race shortly after with a mechanical issue.
Paterson pushed forward in the last 10 laps moving from outside the top five and into third place by lap 29, however he didn’t wasn’t able to gather in the dominant Leek and Hill.
Leek the first winner from the Drouin Speedway Club since 2012.
Adults also raced in their standard saloons on the same program with almost 30 competitors in attendance competing in three heats each.
Mark Miles, Kane Gibson, and Jack Yeomans won the first-round races, while in the second round it was Miles, Bairnsdale member Josh Thomas, and Jack Braz.
Third-round winners were Andrew Miles, Vuillermin and another local driver, Gus Argoon.
The finale was raced over 20 laps, with Vuillermin beginning on the front row with Mark Miles, behind them were Andrew Miles, Argoon, Alan Danks and Noah Greaves.
Vuillermin made the most of his pole position heading through lap one as the leader, with Miles brothers Mark and Andrew right behind.
Yeomans was the first driver starting outside the top five to move into it on lap four.
With five laps to go, Vuillermin still could not be headed Mark Miles, Andrew Miles, Yeomans and Argoon.
The lead group brought the field to the finish in the same order with Vuillermin picking up another win at Bairnsdale.
Mark Miles and Andrew Miles rounded out the top three podium.
In the division two hot rods, Haley, the current Victorian champion, claimed the win in the first of three qualifiers.
Lakes Entrance’s Fraser Crittenden was a winner in the second, before Haley won again in the third and final qualifier.
Haley started the 15-lap final from pole position and got a great start to lead Jason Seymour and Rob Tatterson.
At the five-lap mark Seymour was still pressuring Haley, with Tatterson holding onto third in front of Crittenden and Beau Stuchbery.
Stuchbery, a junior last season, moved into third place on lap eight, Tatterson slipped back to fourth with Crittenden back to fifth.
Haley proving too good for Seymour and Stuchbery in the run home.
Sports sedan competitors also got a taste of Bairnsdale Speedway with a small field keen to see the class take off in East Gippsland.
Bobby Devine won the first heat race and then Broderick Stray won the next two heat races.
Stray would also go on to win a final over eight laps from Bernie Franklin and Leigh Mitchell.
Racing returns to Bairnsdale Speedway on February 24 with the VSC Victorian sprintcar title, ladies standard saloons, open standard saloons and unlimited sedans all programmed.
