Jamie Veal recorded his career first ENZED World Series Sprintcars main event success tonight leading all the way in the 35-lap $10,000 to win George Tatnell Cup at Adelaide’s Speedway City.
Veal (who was playing his Joker card) started on the front row in his SWI / Mototech Maxim and was never headed despite valiant endeavours from South Aussies Luke Dillon and Steven Lines.
Dillon had qualified his #26 Bunbury Autogroup Maxim on pole after winning the Amadio Wines Top 8 Shootout and elected to start from the outside front row for the main event.
Several red and yellow light stoppages saw Veal’s inside lane become progressively a better option until the race finally got underway with the Warrnambool second-generation racer slipping through to the number one position in the opening turn.
He was stout from every moment after that crossing the line for the restart-plagued win ahead of Steven Lines in second (who was also playing his Joker card) James McFadden in third, Luke Dillon fourth and West Aussie Jamie Maiolo in a career best Speedway City WSS round fifth.
“I can’t thank my Dad and Juddy ((Jeff Judd) enough,” grinned the youngster known as “the real deal” when presented the George Tatnell Cup by, appropriately, Brooke Tatnell, “we’ve been on a really good roll since the Lismore World Series round and tonight caps off a great month so far.”
Playing the Joker card was somewhat of a stroke of genius too.
“My Dad would have been proud of your drive tonight,” smiled Tatnell as he handed over the trophy on behalf of the Tatnell family, “you did a great job.”
Tatnell was left to lament what might have been when the #2 KMS Cool dropped a cylinder whilst placed in the top four.
“I felt it immediately (the motor laying down),” he explained, “and I wasn’t taking any chances. There’s no point burning down a motor when you can avoid it. I’m disappointed because of course I wanted to win Dad’s race. There’s still next week and the week after that for this Championship yet though, we’re not done yet.”
Steven Lines now assumes the series lead as he too made the most of his Joker card in the Halls Haulage #3 KPC.
“Hats off to Vealy,” Lines conceded, “he’s been having a great run lately and it’s good to see him get a win. I’m proud of our guys to get this result tonight and we can go into the final two weekends in WA with the points lead.”
James McFadden surged from the third row to an eventual third in the Totally Workwear #25 Cool after having to do it the hard way on the outside.
“The top was working but it wasn’t working brilliantly,” he admitted, “it took us a long time to get by Murky (David Murcott) and then eventually Luke (Dillon) but in the end we needed another twenty laps. Considering the night we had tonight third place probably isn’t a bad result.”
Luke Dillon had to be disappointed with an eventual fourth place after the second-generation throttle stomper again set fast time in qualifying and won the Top 8 Shootout.
Australian Sprintcar Champion David Murcott soldiered his Mainline Dynalog Dynamometers #1 Maxim to sixth ahead of a career best seventh place for the Auto Masters #10 of Steve Caruso, Dylan Jenkin (who came from the B-Main) in the Gericke Bulk Handling #51 Cool in eighth, Broken Hill second generation racer Brendan Guerin’s Century Batteries entry in ninth (he also won the American Racer Hard Charger) Jackson Delamont’s Mad Harry’s Steel #48 KPC in tenth and Ryan Jones (Murray Machining & Sheds Triple X) in eleventh.
Shane Stewart soldiered on to twelfth despite two beaten up wings and a badly bent draglink (steering arm) on the Milwaukee Power Tools #7 Maxim after he rolled over on the first lap.
Stewart earned the Hog’s Breath Café “Go the whole hog” award for his effort.
Robbie Farr had stormed from the B-Main (he started from the fifth row in that) to sixth place in the Hi-Tec Oils Maxim but hooked a rut and rolled, ending a difficult night that he was well on the way to salvaging with a possible top five result.
The infield looked like a wrecking yard sadly with several badly damaged racecars from separate incidents including Daniel Pestka (front end) Brad Keller (front end) Brooke Tatnell (motor) Hayden Pitt (rollover) Robbie Farr (rollover) Michael Burford and Brent Aprile (retired).
Garry Brazier’s disappointing run of bad luck continued with an engine issue ruling him out of a certain B-Main transfer to the main event, despite a ‘vintage Braz’ heat win earlier in the night when he took the #21 to the highline and looked like the 6 times Aussie champion of old.
The Championship now has three rounds over four nights remaining with events at The Perth Motorplex and QUIT Bunbury Speedway over the next two weekends.
The points battle is still wide open with several drivers very much in contention for series glory.
1. Steven Lines 2436*
2. James McFadden 2352*
3. Luke Dillon 2267*
4. Brooke Tatnell 2092*
5. Jamie Veal 2070*
6. Shane Stewart 1757*
7. David Murcott 1701
8. Daniel Pestka 1612*
9. Robbie Farr 1610
10. Dylan Jenkin 1573*
11. Jackson Delamont 1539*
12. Garry Brazier 1282*
13. Daniel Harding 1265
14. Brad Keller 1129
15. Ian Madsen 998
16. Jordyn Brazier 930*
* Indicates WSS contracted drivers
The tenth round of the ENZED World Series Sprintcars Championship, presented by Carline Automotive and Hog’s Breath Café will be held at The Perth Motorplex next Friday, February 14.