By T.J. Buffenbarger
WARRNAMBOOL, VIC (January 26, 2020) — For the second time in his career James McFadden won the Grand Annual Sprintcar Classic at Premier Speedway. McFadden took the lead after defending Classic champion Robbie Farr tangled with a slower car on lap six and held off multiple challenges from Cory Eliason through slower traffic for the victory. McFadden is the ninth driver in history to win the Classic two or more times.
“I’m just pumped mate, that was a hard race,” said McFadden. “I could kind of run the middle there and got past those guys and I was watching the big screen and saw (Eliason) coming on the top.”
Afterwards McFadden revealed he was fortunate to win again in front of his hometown crowd in Warrnambol , Victoria due to his engine losing a cylinder during the second lap of the feature, rending his car unable to do the traditional celebratory doughnuts on the event logo painted on the grass in the infield.
“Sorry to the crowd. I’d love to do some doughnuts but dropped a cylinder on lap one or two and I was just trying to nurse it home. There is no way I could have done doughnuts, (the engine) was missing and carrying on the starts.”
Farr and Eliason started on the front row for the 40-lap finale, racing side by side for more of the first lap before Farr slid to the lead in turn four. After the opening lap was complete the red flag appeared when Carson Macedo tipped over in turn two.
After the restart Farr led with McFadden quickly closing in second position entering slower traffic. With five laps in McFadden under Farr and a slower car for the lead. Farr went over the slower car’s right rear tire and hit the wall hard between turns one and two. Farr emerged from the car under his own power after the hard hit in turn one.
McFadden assumed the lead and drove away from the field. Just as McFadden started to enter slower traffic the caution appeared for Grant Anderson sitting backwards on the track on lap 13.
Unphased by the caution McFadden opened a straightaway lead with Eliason trying to keep pace followed by Jamie Veal. By lap 23 McFadden encountered heavy traffic and allowed Eliason and Veal to close. McFadden found some relief splitting lapped cars three side. Eliason followed McFadden through the same hole in traffic but could not gain enough momentum to take the lead.
As McFadden pulled away Veal took second from Eliason on lap 34 just before the red flag appeared for a hard flip by Brenten Farrer. Tim Kaeding also was involved. Both drivers exited the cars under their own power.
McFadden pulled away as Eliason drove ty Veal for second. One late later the caution flag appeared for Scott Bogucki and Marcus Dumesny made contact with Bogucki ending up backwards in turn four while Dumesny continued.
McFadden motored away again using the top of the track after the restart while Eliason dropped back through the field with Vela moving to second and Kerry Madsen driving into third.
Up front it was all McFadden taking his second classic triumph over Veal, Madsen, Eliason, and Dumesny.
Afterwards McFadden expressed his relief being able to pull away on every restart late in the feature.
“This is a magic night. We just pounded the cushion there and I was a bit angry with those two cautions there. I was watching the big screen and saw I had a bit of a gap. You never know what might happen on restarts and cautions breed cautions.”
48th Grand Annual Sprintcar Classic
Premier Speedway
Warrnambool, VIC
Sunday January 26, 2020
Heat Race #1:
1. S4 – Lisa Walker
2. S63 – Ryan Jones
3. V73 – Charles Hunter
4. S19 – Tim Shaffer
5. NS4 – Ian Madsen
6. N47 – Marcus Dumesny
7. S27 – Daniel Pestka
8. V72 – Jacob Smith
9. S45 – Jake Tranter
10. V77 – Brayden Parr
11. N36 – Eddie Lumbar
Heat Race #2:
1. T7 – Tim Hutchins
2. V7 – Paul Solomon
3. V70 – John Vogels
4. V55 – Brooke Tatnell
5. Q83 – Steve Lines
6. W2 – Kerry Madsen
7. Q23 – Lachlan McHugh
8. NQ21 – Jorydan Brazier
9. NQ5 – Danny Reidy
10. V2 – Domain Ramsay
11. VA75 – David Donegan
12. NT24 – Jamie O’Neill
Heat Race #3:
1. W26 – Cory Eliason
2. S2 – Craig Vanderstelt
3. VA81 – Rhys Baxter
4. N92 – Sam Walsh
5. V17 – Dennis Jones
6. N99 – Carson Macedo
7. Q88 – Ryan McNamara
8. VA29 – Terry Rankin
9. S78 – Keke Falland
10. V48 – Adam King
11. T2 – Scott Bissett
12. USA4 – Kalib Henry
Heat Race #4:
1. V37 – Grant Anderson
2. V88 – David Murcott
3. V35 – Jamie Veal
4. N53 – Jessie Attard
5. VA12 – Mark Carlin
6. V81 – Robbie Paton
7. VA4 – Carly Walsh
8. V56 – James Aranyosi
9. V45 – Mike Van Bremen
10. N40 – Chris Mcinerney
11. V90 – Corey McCullagh
Heat Race #5:
1. A1 – Andrew Scheuerle
2. V98 – Peter Doukas
3. Q59 – Kevin Titman
4. W17 – James McFadden
5. S13 – Brock Hallett
6. Q54 – Randy Morgan
7. V68 – Brett Milburn
8. Q78 – Andrew Corbert
9. N10 – Luke Stiron
10. V50 – Darren Clarke
11. W11 – Jason Kendrick
Heat Race #6:
1. Q5 – Cody Maroske
2. S97 – Buddy Kofoid
3. V60 – Jordyn Charge
4. W25 – Taylor Milling
5. T62 – Tate Frost
6. N65 – Mitchell Gee
7. N20 – Troy Little
8. VA27 – Scott Bogucki
9. V40 – Rusty Hickman
10. S20 – Glen Sutherland
11. S96 – Brendan Guerin
12. VA82 – Matthew Oshannassy
Heat Race #7:
1. N48 – Jackson Delamont
2. V3 – Shane Stewart
3. NQ7 – Robbie Farr
4. V25 – Jack Lee
5. N89 – Braydan Willmington
6. V34 – Brenten Farrer
7. V44 – Tim Van Ginneken
8. Q17 – Luke Oldfield
9. V42 – Jye Okeeffe
10. V27 – Ross Jarrad
11. VA22 – Leigh Mugavin
12. S15 – Aidan Hall
Heat Race #8:
1. S81 – Luke Dillon
2. T22 – Jock Goodyer
3. VA21 – Shaun Dobson
4. D2 – Ben Atkinson
5. VA6 – Tim Kaeding
6. V32 – Stephen Spark
7. N57 – Matthew Dumesny
8. NT26 – Tony Moule
9. V8 – Bobby Daly
10. V28 – Andrew Hughes
11. W53 – Ben Ellement
12. USA99 – Kyle Larson
D-Main:
1. VA75 – David Donegan
2. Q78 – Andrew Corbert
3. S96 – Brendan Guerin
4. V27 – Ross Jarrad
5. NT24 – Jamie O’Neill
6. NT26 – Tony Moule
7. VA82 – Matthew Oshannassy
8. T2 – Scott Bissett
9. VA22 – Leigh Mugavin
10. VA12 – Mark Carlin
C-Main #1:
1. V68 – Brett Milburn
2. VA21 – Shaun Dobson
3. Q59 – Kevin Titman
4. W11 – Jason Kendrick
5. V42 – Jye Okeeffe
6. T62 – Tate Frost
7. V8 – Bobby Daly
8. W25 – Taylor Milling
9. S20 – Glen Sutherland
10. S96 – Brendan Guerin
11. N10 – Luke Stiron
12. V28 – Andrew Hughes
13. V50 – Darren Clarke
14. V32 – Stephen Spark
15. VA75 – David Donegan
16. N89 – Braydan Willmington
17. V44 – Tim Van Ginneken
C-Main #2:
1. NQ5 – Danny Reidy
2. V90 – Corey McCullagh
3. USA4 – Kalib Henry
4. NQ21 – Jorydan Brazier
5. Q88 – Ryan McNamara
6. VA29 – Terry Rankin
7. S45 – Jake Tranter
8. VA81 – Rhys Baxter
9. V2 – Domain Ramsay
10. V56 – James Aranyosi
11. VA4 – Carly Walsh
12. S27 – Daniel Pestka
13. V48 – Adam King
14. Q78 – Andrew Corbert
15. V45 – Mike Van Bremen
16. S78 – Keke Falland
17. V27 – Ross Jarrad
B-Main #1:
1. S81 – Luke Dillon
2. V25 – Jack Lee
3. V34 – Brenten Farrer
4. N65 – Mitchell Gee
5. V60 – Jordyn Charge
6. V40 – Rusty Hickman
7. D2 – Ben Atkinson
8. T22 – Jock Goodyer
9. VA21 – Shaun Dobson
10. N48 – Jackson Delamont
11. V68 – Brett Milburn
12. Q54 – Randy Morgan
13. Q59 – Kevin Titman
14. Q17 – Luke Oldfield
15. Q5 – Cody Maroske
16. N20 – Troy Little
17. W11 – Jason Kendrick
18. W53 – Ben Ellement
19. N57 – Matthew Dumesny
20. A1 – Andrew Scheuerle
B-Main #2:
1. N92 – Sam Walsh
2. V55 – Brooke Tatnell
3. V37 – Grant Anderson
4. N99 – Carson Macedo
5. V90 – Corey McCullagh
6. V70 – John Vogels
7. V73 – Charles Hunter
8. Q23 – Lachlan McHugh
9. S2 – Craig Vanderstelt
10. USA4 – Kalib Henry
11. NS4 – Ian Madsen
12. NQ21 – Jorydan Brazier
13. NQ5 – Danny Reidy
14. V7 – Paul Solomon
15. V72 – Jacob Smith
16. S4 – Lisa Walker
17. V17 – Dennis Jones
18. N53 – Jessie Attard
19. T7 – Tim Hutchins
20. V81 – Robbie Paton
A-Main:
1. W17 – James McFadden
2. V35 – Jamie Veal
3. W2 – Kerry Madsen
4. W26 – Cory Eliason
5. N47 – Marcus Dumesny
6. S19 – Tim Shaffer
7. S97 – Buddy Kofoid
8. S81 – Luke Dillon
9. V55 – Brooke Tatnell
10. Q83 – Steven Lines
11. V98 – Peter Doukas
12. S13 – Brock Hallett
13. V3 – Shane Stewart
14. N65 – Mitchell Gee
15. V25 – Jack Lee
16. S63 – Ryan Jones
17. VA27 – Scott Bogucki
18. V88 – David Murcott
19. VA6 – Tim Kaeding
20. V34 – Brenten Farrer
21. N92 – Sam Walsh
22. V37 – Grant Anderson
23. NQ7 – Robbie Farrer
24. N99 – Carson Macedo