By Darren O’Dea
PERTH, Australia — American Cole Macedo claimed the final round of WA Sprintcar Speedweek at the Perth Motorplex on Saturday night.
He won the eighth night of the epic series, which featured seven shows at the Motorplex, and one at Bunbury, claiming the Slinglift /Totally Workwear Speedweek finale from national champion James McFadden and local driver Taylor Milling.
Macedo’s win capped off a great campaign in Western Australia for the HighLine Motorsport crew, that also claimed a second, a pair of thirds, a fourth, a seventh, and eighth and a 13th.
On Saturday night Macedo was third quickest in his qualifying group before winning his heat race, as well as the Revolution Racegear B Dash, setting him up for a front row start with McFadden.
Macedo settled into second on the early laps before taking the lead on lap eight for a couple of laps, and again for a hot moment on lap 13 before delivering his final blow on lap 22, setting up the popular win.
McFadden earnt the right to start on pole after being the quickest in his qualifying group and then won his heat race and the Revolution Racegear A Dash.
Electing to start from p2, he dictated the pace until lap 10 where he dropped back to third, but consolidated second with about seven laps remaining.
It was McFadden’s best result of the Speedweek campaign, which also saw the A1 team take a third, a fourth, a pair of sixths, a 15th and a DNF.
Milling put in a sensational drive in the Totally Workwear W25, getting extremely close to winning his first sprintcar feature race.
At the start of the show, he was second quickest in his qualifying group, fourth in his heat race and third in the Revolution Racegear B Dash, to start p6 in the all-important final.
He settled into third place early on, and on lap nine powered to the lead, which he held for most of the journey until lap 22, dropping back to take third.
It was a Speedweek highlight for Milling, with his previous best results over the festive period being an eighth and a ninth.
American Aaron Reutzel was fourth in the final (started p5), while Andrew Priolo was very impressive for fifth (after he started from p16).
The finish:
1st Cole Macedo, 2nd James McFadden, 3rd Taylor Milling, 4th Aaron Reutzel, 5th Andrew Priolo, 6th Dayne Kingshott, 7th Kerry Madsen, 8th Jason Kendrick, 9th Kris Coyle, 10th Jack Williamson, 11th Kaiden Manders, 12th Jason Pryde, 13th Carson Macedo, 14th Ryan Lancaster, 15th Brad Maiolo, 16th Cameron McKenzie, 17th Jaydee Dack, 18th Jye McKenzie, 19th Kodi Clayden. DNF: Brock Zearfoss, Tim King, Callum Williamson, Daniel Harding, Justin Whittall, Aaron Chircop and Chad Pittard.
