Kerry Madsen claimed round 12 of the Maddington Toyota Sprintcar Series at Bunbury Speedway on Saturday night.
He crossed the line ahead of American duo Brad Sweet and Cory Eliason at the Onsite Rentals Battle of Bunbury.
Madsen started on the front row for the main event, on the outside another American in Brock Zearfoss, while local hopefuls Brad Maiolo and Callum Williamson occupied the second row.
The former Australian champion, driving the Diamond Bay Motorsport No. W26, was quickest in his qualifying group (group 3), which put him out of p4 for his heat which he finished third in.
Madsen then started first for the B Dash which he won from Williamson and Eliason.
As the field rolled around to take the start, Williamson pulled into the work area with gear issues which sidelined the W3.
Madsen got the job on Zearfoss on the first lap and he was on the back of lapped traffic with only five laps in the books.
The front runners predominantly ran the high line to round up the lapped cars.
Zearfoss reduced the deficit to Madsen and on lap 12 he took the lead, with Eliason and Sweet, a bit further back, in third and fourth respectively.
By midrace distance Zearfoss started the stretch the legs on the Sean Carren-owned No. W95 in lapped traffic.
With about eight laps remaining, Sweet went from fourth to third and looked strong.
With only a couple of laps left Zearfoss lost the lead in turn one, with the car spun around for a restart.
He joined the tail of the lead cars, while Madsen led off Sweet, Eliason, Brad Maiolo and Taylor Milling.
The top three spots didn’t change, however Milling made a telling move on Maiolo late to take fourth.
For Sweet, it was a much better result than the DNF he posted at the same venue three days earlier.
The driver of the Landrigan Motorsports W49 started from p7 after being fourth quickest in his qualifying group and took a win from pole in the first heat race of the night.
He then started third and finished fourth in the A Dash.
Eliason’s third was the best result so far in Western Australia this season onboard the Monte Motorsport No. 17.
He was third in his qualifying group and second in his heat, before taking a third in the B Dash.
Milling’s fourth marked one of his best drives of the season, set up by being quickest in the second qualifying group, a time that was only bettered by Jock Goodyer in group one who set the Victory 1 Performance Quick Time.
Maiolo’s fifth was a much better result than the DNF with engine issues at the Perth Motorplex two nights earlier – he started p3 for the final.
Goodyear was sixth after starting from ninth, while American Cole Macedo started 12th and finished seventh, Luke Oldfield started 11th and finished eighth, Dayne Kingshott started 18th and finished ninth, Matt Egel started 16th and finished 10th, American Justin Whittall went from 13th to 11th, Zearfoss crossed the line in 12th, while Michael Keen went from eighth to 13th, Jamie Maiolo went from 10th to 14th and Ryan Lancaster went from 14th to 15th.
This was the final sprint car meeting at the Bunbury venue for the season.
Two more rounds of the series will be at the Perth Motorplex next Friday and Saturday nights, which will also be the final two rounds of the Speedweek series.
