WSS
Bunbury, AU — (February 10, 2012) — Jason Johnson took the lead at the greens on lap one of the 25 lap preliminary main event for Round 14 of the Hi-Tec Oils World Series Sprintcars Championship at Coates Hire Bunbury Speedway tonight and he never let it go.
Johnson erased the horrors of Wednesday night’s rollover at Manjimup Speedway for Round 13 by owning the race tonight and rewarding crew chief Brendan Telfer for his hard work.
“A few of us went to the beach about 5pm last night,” Johnson admitted from victory lane, “but to his credit Brendan kept on working on this Haynes Mechanical Maxim and were fast all night tonight as a result. We’re focused on tomorrow night but it’s great to get a win tonight.”
In taking the win, Johnson moves into second place in the Championship with three nights of competition remaining over two rounds.
Kerry Madsen moved by Kaley Gharst and Trevor Green to power into second place by race’s end.
“I really didn’t expect much in this race because we were kinda about the same speed as the three guys in front but we moved to the bottom and all of a sudden we were able to get moving and move into second place. I love racing at Bunbury and I’m excited about running tomorrow night.”
Third across the line was an elated Trevor Green.
“How good is this? I love racing here,” grinned the gritty South Aussie veteran, “the NATRAD Maxim was on the money all night. It’s great to get a podium finish, it’s been a while since I’ve been up here.”
Green’s result was not the only great result for the sentimentalists in the crowd with legendary WSS veteran Max Dumesny registering his first “Revolution Racegear Quick Time” to kick off the night in qualifying.
Robbie Farr was strong all night in the ECPR #7 and he came home in fourth after starting seventh, American Kaley Gharst was fifth after starting on the second row in the Philmac #26, Max Dumesny finished sixth in the Valvoline / GKR Transport Maxim, followed by David Murcott’s #83 Mainline Dynolog Dynamometers Eagle in eighth, David Priolo in the #8 Budget Forklifts entry in ninth, Shane Stewart’s Monte Motorsport #17 J&J tenth, Steven Lines’ Monster Energy J&J eleventh, Ryan Farrell in the Halls Haulage #5 KPC twelfth, Shaun Bradford’s #57 Carahaul QT chassis thirteenth, James McFadden fourteenth in the TTW #25 Cool, Cameron Gessner fifteenth in the #68 NRW entry and Dylan Jenkin the only other finisher in the Tatiara Truck and Trailer #51 Cool.
DNF’s included Ben Ellement who had a spectacular rollover on the back straight in his #44 J&S Drilling entry.
“I don’t know what happened to be honest, I think something broke. All I know is that I was running down the back straight turning left but the car turned right,” he explained.
Brad Maiolo smacked the wall on the main straight and rolled the #77 APB / LJM Produce J&J bringing on the reds.
Ian Madsen’s run of frustration continued with front end damage on the #11 Australia Wide Towing Cool preventing him from finishing, whilst Kenny Sartori retired the #41 Cowara Contractors entry with failed steering before he wound up in more trouble after earlier winning the B-Main.
The ultra professional two-car Flex Motorsport Team had a horror night with both cars destroyed in two separate incidents – Sheldon first rolling spectacularly in turn four and then younger brother Nathan flipping in uncannily similar circumstances in the B-Main in almost exactly the same spot.
Birthday boy Jason Kendrick took a wild ride when he ran over the left rear wheel of Jamie Maiolo as Maiolo took evasive action to miss the rolling Tyler Walker.
Walker’s #32 TMG Fabrication entry was in the wars all night with a roll in his heat race after the checkered and then a huge crash when his right rear wheel sheared off in turn three of the B-Main.
Australian Champion Brooke Tatnell flipped hard in his heat when something broke in the front end of the #1 Toyota Genuine Parts Krikke Motorsport Cool. The 8 times WSS champ had to play catch up all night, coming from the B-Main to run 10th and keep within the main points haul before tomorrow night.
Series leader James McFadden was like a cat on a hot tin roof with engine woes all night in the normally unstoppable #25 silver bullet.
McFadden did the best he could to salvage something in every appearance but crew chief Glen Beaton looked concerned to say the least as they struggled to overcome the situation. Going into tomorrow night’s event they seem to be still without a solution.
Danny Reidy narrowly missed the transfer to the A-Main when Shaun Bradford pinched the sixth position from him with almost the checkered flag in sight coming out of turn four.
Jamie Maiolo had gone to the rear after he changed his left rear tyre in the Walker/Kendrick crash but the Myalup hard charger stormed back from the rear to nearly pinch the transfer off Bradford who was in turn pick pocketing Reidy from that position also.
Grant Anderson struggled to overcome engine woes in his Wagga Mobile Cranes #37 Foster chassis – a situation that kept David Anderson unfortunately too busy rectifying the situation to receive his Grand Marshall acknowledgement for services to WSS.
He will be recognized tomorrow night now instead, and hopefully the #37 car will be pain-free for the competition.
The Championship points after Night One of Round 14 are as follows going into tomorrow night: