Despite the threat of rain and a couple sprinkles during the day Drouin Speedway managed to complete the first meeting of the new Speedway season on Sunday with the visiting Wingless Sprints providing a ripper of a final and the Nelson family through husband and wife Wayne & Sonia taking victories in 3 features races on the day.
In Wingless Sprint action three heats were run to determine the starting positions for the feature and Ross Jarred from Mirboo North took a win in the first heat of the day in front of Melbourne’s Dan Dubois and Luke Cole all the way from Terang. Bairnsdale driver Gary Bowden collected a looped Michael Cunningham and ripped out his front end and failed to complete the heat.
Justin Barton won the second heat in front of Cole and Dubois in a heat highlighted by a spectacular crash.
Cunningham looped in turn two finding it difficult to come to grips with the race surface in that turn and Pete Laity slammed into and over the top of him with both cars ending up on their side and damaged.
Cunningham then won the final heat from the front row leading Cole and Jarred across the finish line.
The feature race over fifteen laps was almost a great win to Ross Jarred. He led the first ten laps before Dubois got underneath him in turn four and took off to lead the last five laps to the finish. Barton was third with Cole and Bowden rounding out the top five.
In Open Standards Wayne Nelson won in front of Shane Ardley and Chris Leonard in heat one before Leigh Gooding was declared the winner of the second heat in a close across the line finish with Brendan Miles who was judged to have cut a pole line and hit a competitor before he was penalised. So Wayne Thomson was given second behind Gooding and then Miles. Nelson then won the third heat beating Dale Morrison in a Nelson team car whilst he continues to finish rebuilding his own after an accident in August with Brendan Miles in third.
Nelson lead all the way in the final littered with numerous stoppages as drivers scrambled to get to the front with Ardley finishing second then Wayne Tooze, Brendan Miles and Chris Leonard.
In Ladies Standard Saloons Sonia Nelson finished in front of Tegan Bullard and Anne Gooding in the final and in Junior Standards Ryan Thomson finished in front of Brodie Montague whilst Shona Bent won the 1200cc race in her first ever Junior Speedway Sedan event.
In the final category of the day Wayne Nelson won the Open Sedan feature from Sonia Nelson and brother Darren Nelson in a family clean sweep.
Drouin Speedway would like to thank the following for their wonderful support:
Ramsdale Wreckers
Moe Grain & Farm
Victory Lane Race gear
Keena Fencing
Wayson Waste Oil Collection
Active Graphics
Drysdale Chaff Mills
Migwell Australia
Robin Hood Hotel
Glen Comrie Caravan Park
Inaction Photos
Kincrome
Brimstone Fire Protection
Written by
Dean Thompson
Drouin Media Representative