While touring Americans Tyler Courtney, Cory Eliason, Carson Macedo and others were fulfilling their contractual commitments on the West and East Coast speedways during the holiday season, many of the Australian sprint car stars were running the lucrative Southern Speedweek in South Australia and Victoria — the mecca of Australian sprint car racing.
The exception was 18-year-old Texan Chase Randall, who joined the series and secured outstanding results among the cream of the Australian crop.
The $150,000 four-race Clay-Per-View series kicked off at the Murray Machinery and Sheds Murray Bridge Speedway on Boxing Day night. Located an hour’s drive east of Adelaide, the South Australian capital city, on Australia’s biggest river, the Murray, the first night of the series attracted a record crowd on a scorching summer night.
Also scorching was the reigning Victorian champion Jamie Veal who led from the start of the 35-lap final. Driving the SWI Earthworks Maxim No. 5, Veal was reined in by 21-year-old Tasmanian Jock Goodyer in the Platinum Prints No 22 during the closing stages of the event.
With two laps remaining, the pair clashed when overtaking a lapped car. Veal spun and rejoined the race, crossing the line behind Goodyer. Officials, however, relegated the Tasmanian one place for causing the crash, giving Veal first round victory. Luke Dillon was third in the DeVil Race Karts No. 81, ahead of Randall at the wheel of the EZ Print/Ultra Shield No. 9.
On the following night at Mt. Gambier’s Borderline Raceway, all interest centered on the return to Australian racing of World of Outlaws regular James McFadden. Driving the NAPA Auto Parts No. 5 for Tim Hodges Motorsport, a new team partly owned by the Team Penske IndyCar driver Scott McLaughlin, McFadden was impressive.
Veal led the early laps of the race before McFadden delighted his fans, running to the top. However, Queenslander Lachlan McHugh, who had started from the pole in the Leigh-Smith Yachts/Western Trucking Group No. 7 before dropping to fourth, charged back through the field to win the 35-lap feature.
“I knew that if I could get them and pass them in one lap that would be good,” said McHugh. “I knew that if they saw me there, they would cut down and take that line away but yeah I managed to get past them all on the first attempt and that probably won us the race.”
The fast-finishing Goodyer charged from eighth for second placing, ahead of McFadden. Randall continued to impress by finishing fifth.
Two days later the sprint car troup made the 230-mile journey from South Australia for round three at Geelong’s 430-yard Avalon Raceway. The field was just two laps into the 35-lap feature when pole starter Grant Anderson rolled the WASP Steering & Suspension No. 37.
Luke Dillon led from the restart before McFadden claimed the lead, never to be caught. Goodyer ran hard from the fifth row of the grid to claim second and the series points lead over -lace Veal.
“It’s great for everyone involved with this new team to get the win after all the work they have put in,” McFadden said. Noting that he had a new car and chassis, a new team and crew, he added: “We are running against the best in the country who are all at the top of their game — the likes of Goodyer, and Veal and McHugh are world class, so this is bloody rewarding for all the crew.”
With the concluding round at Warrnambool’s Premier Speedway scheduled for New Year’s Day night, Goodyer, Veal and McHugh were in contention for the series title.
It was the consistent Goodyer who prevailed after polesitter McHugh clipped the wall and Veal had to negotiate his way through traffic from 13th on the grid. McFadden’s joy at Avalon turned sour when he suffered a steering failure in the feature.
The Launceston, Tasmania, driver claimed the series from Veal, McHugh, Dillon and Randall.
The following night, Veal prevailed by leading from flag to flag to claim his third Victorian championship at Premier Speedway, defeating Darren Mollenoyux and McHugh.
With recent events scheduled at Sydney’s Eastern Creek washed out, the sprint car circus moves north to Brisbane this week. The competitors return to Victoria and South Australia at the end of January.