Lachlan McHugh has claimed the 40-lap final of the Locked Down Australian Sprint Car championship at Premier Speedway, Warrnambool.
The 25-year-old Queenslander won the race ahead of Jamie Veal, Jock Goodyer and Jordan Charge. Only the first four finishers completed all 40 laps.
They were followed by Grant Anderson, James Inglis, Alex Orr, Kerry Madsen, Cameron Waters and Luke Dillon.
First conducted in 1963, the 61st edition of the championship at Premier Speedway was the ninth running at Warrnambool since 1972.
Driving the SRVFreight/Dondas entry, McHugh scored a clear victory by 1.975 seconds in a race that went flag-to-flag without a stoppage.
“I never thought I would get this one, so I am thrilled,” said McHugh after getting out of the car as the new Australian champion.
A disappointed Veal said that he couldn’t get back on terms with the winner after being passed.
Brock Hallett, 91 points, Inglis, 90, Veal, 85 and defending champion Goodyer, 85, led the points score after night one during which Inglis won the A-Main ahead of Goodyer and Hallett.
A rain shower wet the track just prior to the feature, making for a slick surface. Groups of cars circled the oval, assisting in drying surface water as the field assembled for the title.
Hallett led Inglis and Goodyer through the first lap. McHugh, Veal and Orr followed.
With 30 laps to go, Hallett maintained his lead over Goodyer and Veal.
With 23 laps to run, Hallett struck trouble, allowing Veal to grab the lead from McHugh and Goodyer. McHugh grabbed the lead for a couple of laps until Veal regained it with 23 to run.
With 10 laps remaining, McHugh again hit the front, never to be headed again in the run to the checkered flag.
Heat Races
Tasmanian Brody Appleby cleared away from the field at the start to easily claim the first of the six 10-lap heats ahead of Matthew Dumesny and Hallett.
Steven Caruso led all the way from the pole to win the second heat, topping Kris Coyle and Charge.
Western Australian Andrew Priolo led the third heat from the drop of the green flag, ahead of James McFadden and Luke Dillon – the order that they finished the race.
Madsen led the field from the pole in the fourth heat. Goodyer was fast from sixth, moving to second before Peter Doukas hit the wall on the backstretch, causing a stoppage. Goodyer finished second ahead of Ryan Newton.
Daniel Pestka spun in turn two of the first lap to avoid a slowing Bobby Daly. Christopher Solomon took the lead after the restart from Daly, Orr and Marcus Dumesny, maintaining his lead from Orr and Dumesny to the checkered flag.
Tim Hutchins won the final heat from a hard-charging Daniel Sayer, with McHugh and Callum Williamson driving forward.