From Perth Motorplex
The second last Super Speedway for the season featured an action packed night of high speed dirt track racing culminating in an entertaining Figure 8 Demo Derby thanks to Dicandilo Steel City.
Ben Ellement has gone back-to-back DiCandilo Steel City Sprintcar Silver Cups, winning the 25-lapper from Mark Wells and Jamie Maiolo.
It was a good result for Ellement who crashed out after leading the previous feature race at the Motorplex three weeks ago.
Ellement’s motor sounded a bit off-song but it didn’t seem to hamper his performance.
“It sounds like one of the old man’s Massey Ferguson tractors mate,” Ellement said.
“It’s finally good to do it for them (his crew).
“We persevered all night and we got there in the end and we are rapt.”
The winner said he had to pace himself in lapped traffic this time around.
“I got taught a bit of a lesson the other week, we had to slow it down on traffic.”
Wells felt like one of his rear tyres was going down in one of the restarts and said the car felt “a bit weird”.
“I didn’t want to wreck the thing,” he said.
“I was hoping Jamie was a bit further back, but we had nothing for Ben…she was pretty much one line up the top and you had to take a big risk to pass anybody.”
Maiolo also admitted it was difficult to pass.
“It’s a pity they went from doubles to singles,” Maiolo said, referring to the decision by officials to go to a single-file restart late in the race.
Despite this it has made his lead a strong one in the AHG Sprintcar Series.
“You have got to run consistent and I think this would probably wrap up it up again tonight I think.”
Ellement was the early bolter and up onto lapped traffic with three laps down.
Carl Dowling was a major casualty when he spun in pits bend and was collected by Callum Williamson with 14 laps remaining.
David Hall went over in turn two with nine laps to go.
There was another restart two laps later when Trevor Reynolds spun in pits bend.
Then on the next restart David Priolo and Darren Mewett came together and went over in pits bend.
Ryan Farrell was looking food for a podium until he suffered a flat left rear tyre and was unable to keep going on a restart.
Wells slid through for second on the next restart and with five laps to go claimed second but it was Ellement who grabbed the win.
Sydney driver Troy Little, who was up to second, managed to hold on for fourth.
Dowling won the first heat from American Kaley Gharst and Farrell.
“We needed something after qualifying,” Dowling said.
“We sort of missed the boat early on.”
Bradford, on the back of winning the previous feature race spun in qualifying and them at the start of the first heat, putting him to the back of the pack.
He charged through half the field before withdrawing with a smoking engine which he changed in time for the feature race.
Luch Monte won heat two from Steven Ford and Jamie Maiolo.
“The car was great, the boys have done a good job,” Monte said.
“It’s a long way to go yet mate.”
Dowling won again, claiming heat three from Farrell and Ford.
“It’s good to get a second win…that’s the easy part done for the night.”
The fourth heat was declared with a lap remaining when Nathan Brady was spun around and went over in pits bend.
Officials disqualified David Priolo for the contact.
Greg Hall claimed the win from Adyme Harvey and Gharst.
“We struggled a bit in the first heat, but we got it going good now.”
Qualifying: Bradley Maiolo 14.837, Jason Kendrick 14.845, Ben Ellement 15.072, Mark Wells 15.073, Chase Karpenko 15.105, Trevor Reynolds 15.159, Shaun Bradford 15.175, Jamie Maiolo 15.179, Troy Little 15.378, David Priolo 15.407, David Hall 15.439, Sheldon Brady 15.548, Callum Williamson 15.545, Robert Watson junior 15.600, Ryan Farrell 15.612, Luch Monte 15.845, Kaley Gharst 15.910, Nathan Brady 15.991, Darren Mewett 16.076, Steven Ford 16.141, Adyme Harvey 16.874, Greg Hall 16.804, Carl Dowling 16.983.
Heat 1: 1st Carl Dowling, 2nd Kaley Gharst, 3rd Ryan Farrell, 4th Troy Little, 5th Adyme Harvey, 6th Ben Ellement, 7th Chase Karpenko, 8th Bradley Maiolo, 9th Callum Williamson, 10th David Hall, 11th Darren Mewett. DNF: Shaun Bradford.
Heat 2: 1st Luch Monte, 2nd Steven Ford, 3rd Jamie Miaolo, 4th Greg Hall, 5th Robert Watson junior, 6th Sheldon Brady, 7th David Priolo, 8th Mark Wells, 9th Jason Kendrick, 10th Nathan Brady. DNF: Trevor Reynolds.
Heat 3: 1st Carl Dowling, 2nd Ryan Farrell, 3rd Steven Ford, 4th Luch Monte, 5th Darren Mewett, 6th David Hall, 7th Ben Ellement, 8th Mark Wells, 9th Jamie Maiolo, 10th Sheldon Brady.
Heat 4: 1st Greg Hall, 2nd Adyme Harvey, 3rd Kaley Gharst, 4th Trevor Reynolds, 5th Troy Little, 6th Jason Kendrick, 7th Chase Karpenko, 8th Bradley Maiolo. DNF: Nathan Brady, Callum Williamson, Robert Watson junior and David Priolo.
Feature: 1st Ben Ellement, 2nd Mark Wells, 3rd Jamie Maiolo, 4th Troy Little, 5th Kaley Gharst, 6th Bradley Maiolo, 7th Luch Monte, 8th Sheldon Brady, 9th Nathan Brady, 10th Greg Hall. DNF: Ryan Farrell, Chase Karpenko, Trevor Reynolds, David Priolo, Darren Mewett, David Hall, Adyme Harvey, Carl Dowling, Callum Williamson, Shaun Bradford and Jason Kendrick.