From Martin Agatyn
Latrobe, AU — (January 1, 2013) — The Harper family hoodoo continued and Launceston’s Sam Hughes scored his second consecutive victory at the Bendigo Bank Arena at Latrobe last night in the time-honoured Gary Devlin Memorial Super Sedan Classic for V8 super sedans.
Hughes won the 25-lap final from recently-crowned Tasmanian champion Callum Harper, of Hellyer Beach, with reigning National Super Sedan Series champion Brad Smith, of Devonport, a distant third.
While Hughes’ win was notable, the continuing Harper family hoodoo of the prestigious event was a highlight, or lowlight, in Harper’s case.
Despite winning six Tasmanian speedway super sedan championships, the late Neville Harper never won the Devlin Memorial, while victory had also eluded his son, former four-times Tasmanian and current Australian champion Jarrod Harper.
While Jarrod’s son Callum continued a family tradition in Hobart on Saturday night by winning his first State championship and becoming the first third generation driver to do so, he also continued a family tradition by not winning the Devlin Memorial at Latrobe.
It appeared the stars has aligned for Harper, 21, to finally break the hoodoo, when he qualified on pole position for the 25-lap final.
Harper started well and led the race for the first 20 laps, at which time he was looking a winner.
However, Sam Hughes had other ideas, after starting from grid three and coming to grips with the slick and dry track conditions.
After only eight laps, Smith passed reigning National Super Sedan Series champion Brad Smith, of Devonport, to take over second spot, before starting to close the gap on Harper.
With a handful of laps remaining, Hughes mounted several challenges, without success.
With Harper seemingly set for victory, Hughes persisted and finally found a way through two laps from the finish, opening a narrow break in the closing laps to score a well-deserved win, with Smith a distant
On the same programme second-generation Hobart racer Brad Herbert earned a spot in Tasmanian sporting history when he won the first ever Tasmanian Wingless Sprints Championship.
Herbert, 18, qualified on pole position for the 20-lap final after four extremely even heats and started well to open up a break on the field.
The race was halted after only six laps when Ulverstone driver Chris Johns flipped his car in a spectacular multiple roll, momentarily catching fire, but escaping un-hurt.
New Norfolk’s Chris Gallagher trailed Herbert in second place until veteran Gerry Hoekstra, of Launceston, found his way past after starting well down the grid.
As Gallagher started to lose touch, Hoekstra closed the gap to Herbert, challenging for the lead with two laps to travel.
However, the Hobart teenager, who raced in junior sedans for five years before stepping up to wingless sprints, was equal to the task and held out his more experienced rival to score a memorable victory.
Meanwhile, Launceston veteran sprintcar racer and former State champion Robin Dawkins made amends for his last Latrobe outing with a solid win in his final.
Dawkins seemingly had the final in his keeping on December 8 and crashed on the penultimate lap after making a self-confessed mistake in lapped traffic.
Another former State champion, “Tornado” Tim Hutchins, led the 30-lapper on Tuesday night for the first 20-laps until his left rear tyre shredded, ending his race and handing the lead to Dawkins.
Once in front, the veteran was determined to make the most of his opportunity and went on to win from his son and current State champion Jason Dawkins, with Coastal driver Jason Redpath, of Moriarty, third.
In other finals, Sheffield driver Matthew Graham installed himself as an early favourite for this Friday night’s Tasmanian V8 AMCA championship at Carrick, with an impressive win in the AMCA final at Latrobe.
Graham scored in the 20-lap final ahead of Latrobe locals Jeremy Smith and Eric Stuart, who will also both be string contenders for the title on Friday night.
Spreyton’s Corey Bauld scored a decisive win in the street stock sedan final, leading home multiple Australian and Tasmanian champion Todd Auton, of Ulverstone, after a good battle, with Burnie’s Jamie Young picking up third in his best drive of the season to date.
In the speedway kart finals, former Tasmanian champion Laura Davidson, of Richmond, turned the tables on reigning Cameron Abel, of Hellyer Beach, in the modified clubman final, after Abel had dominated the heats, while Devonport veteran Geoff Lawrence won the 125cc final and Ulverstone’s Ty Auton dominated the junior final, leading from start to finish, to win by a huge margin.
RESULTS –
Gary Devlin Memorial Super Sedan Classic – Heat one: C Harper, 1; B Smith, 2; A Beechey, 3. Heat two: K Purton, 1; C Harper, 2; S Hughes, 3. Final (25 laps): S Hughes, 1; C Harper, 2; B Smith, 3.
Tasmanian Wingless Sprints Championship – Heat one: B Herbert, 1; D Gallagher, 2; J Rolls, 3. Heat two: J Rolls, 1; S Bissett, 2; G Bowden, 3. Heat three: C Gallagher, 1; C Johns, 2; J Padman, 3. Heat four: C Breen, 1; G Hoekstra, 2; G Bowden, 3. Final (20 laps): B Herbert, 1; G Hoekstra, 2; C Gallagher, 3.
Sprintcars – Heat one: S Robbins, 1; T Hutchins, 2; C Johns, 3. Heat two: J Dawkins, 1; J Bricknell, 2; T Hutchins, 3. Heat three: R Dawkins, 1; K Luttrell, 2; J Redpath, 3. Final (30 laps): R Dawkins, 1; J Dawkins, 2; J Redpath, 3.
V8 AMCAs – Heat one: J Richardson, 1; D O’Connor, 2; J Smith, 3. Heat two: R Bassett, 1; K Muir, 2; M Graham, 3. Heat three: M Graham, 1; J Smith, 2; K Muir, 3. Final (20 laps): M Graham, 1; J Smith, 2; E Stuart, 3.
Street stock sedans – Heat one: T Auton, 1; J Riley, 2; L Williams, 3. Heat two: R Riley, 1; C Bauld, 2; M Atkinson, 3. Heat three: T Auton, 1; J Young, 2; M Hammond, 3. Heat four: R Riley, 1; C Bauld, 2; C Weaver, 3. Final (20 laps): C Bauld, 1; T Auton, 2; J Young, 3.
Speedway karts – Heat one: C Abel, 1; G Lawrence, 2; D Brooks, 3. Heat two: L Davidson, 1; M Gale, 2; Ben Boun, 3. Heat three: Ty Auton, 1; K Tyler, 2; W McLean, 3. Heat four: G Lawrence, 1;L Revell, 2; L Davidson, 3. Heat five: C Abel, 1; J Benge, 2; D Orme, 3. Heat six: L Davidson, 1; Ben Boun, 2; M Gale, 3. Heat seven: K Tyler, 1; K Scott, 2; W McLean, 3. Heat eight: L Davidson, 1; G Lawrence, 2; L Revell, 3. Junior final (8 laps): Ty Auton, 1; K Tyler, 2; J Beard, 3. Modified clubman final (10 laps): L Davidson, 1; C Abel, 2; G Lawrence, 3. 125cc final (10 laps): G Lawrence, 1; L Revell, 2; L Davidson, 3.