Degoldi becomes king of the mount

By Dean Thompson

Redline Raceway and greater Ballarat motorsport fans braved the big weekend heat, and the latter incoming cold, for a great night of action with two huge sedan events headlining the show on Saturday.

In Street Stock action the annual ‘King of the Mount’ event with a fifty-lap final plus in Modified Sedans a Victorian Modified Promotional Association series round were the two big races.

Six heat races for the Modified Sedans including some victories to Ballarat locals and club members. Rachel Pratt began with the first win of the night then Tristan McGraw, Chris Whatmore of Ballarat, the Daniel Simpson with the first four races won by less than a second. Then wins to club members Dylan Barrow and Kye Walters.

Barrow and Walters then started from the front row with Barrows taking the lead on lap one and leading Brad Wicks and Walters passed the flag stand. Wicks then lead from lap two as Barrow’s race was cut short.

Wicks was still leading at the lap ten mark from Walters, Pratt, Simpson, and Brock Atkins and again at lap twenty the top five spots remained the same. Wade McCarthy took over fifth from lap twenty-five and at the thirty-lap mark as the chequered flag unfurled Wicks defeated Walters by just .547 with Pratt, Simpson and McCarthy rounding out the top five.

Street Stock competitors were keen to win the big ‘King of the Mount’ event with fifty gruelling laps to go through before they could lay claim to the title in the feature event. Qualifying for the final took place with three heats for each competitor and the results going to Jason Degoldi, Scott Purdie, and Mick Dann in round one, all Redline club members.

Dale Morrison was then the first of visiting competitors to win with Degoldi coming from fifth to take a second victory in race five. Jayden Blomeley of Ballarat took a win in race six before Victorian champion Matt Nelson won a qualifier with Dean Jenkins and Dann a second time closing out the nine qualifiers. Matt Glab, Melissa Crutchley and Stephen Brook all club members of Redline then qualified for the main event from the last chance qualifier with Zac Yeomans from the Ballarat club also joining them.

At the drop of the green flag, Dann moved go the front with Mark Purdie and Degoldi behind. At the ten-lap mark it was Dann still leading Purdie and Degoldi with Matt Nelson fourth and Blomeley in fifth. Degoldi then started to make moves taking second spot on lap sixteen then the lead on lap eighteen.

At the twenty-lap mark of the race Degoldi was leading Dann, Matt Nelson who had passed Mark Purdie and Blomeley. The next favourite that left the race due to damage or mechanical issues was Dann on lap twenty-four.

Degoldi continued at the front of the field and at lap twenty-five he was being challenged by Nelson now in second spot with Mark Purdie, Shaun Henry, and Blomeley the top five. Blomeley passed Purdie into fourth and it wasn’t until the last lap any of the top five spots changed, Purdie passed Blomeley back into fourth and Degoldi went on to claim the crown from Nelson, Henry, Purdie and Blomeley.

The Speedway Drivers Association of Victoria held three heat race events leading into their fifteen-lap final and Shannon Meakins, Andrew Kemp and Brendan Roberts took those victories before the qualifying order was turned upside with the top scoring drivers starting from the rear of the field.
Allan Borradale led the race until lap four before Ivermee moved to the front after starting back in sixth spot. Ivermee then raced to the finish over the next ten laps defeating Russell Hovey, Roberts, Kali Hovey and Borradale.

Jacob Head, a local Ballarat race driver, finally took a feature race victory in the Standard Saloon class. Head had been developing his skills over the last couple of seasons and had some stiff competition in the line-up to beat. Head won heat one with Aaron Meakins, Joel McInnes, Craig Templeton, Meakins a second time and Allan Sinclair all taking qualifying race wins.

In the final, Head led the race from the start, and was able to pick up a big win over a former Victorian Champion in Craig Templeton. Patrick Walsh, another Ballarat local, was third, then came Luke King and Lachie Chivers.

Redline is next in competition on April 1 with the Standard Saloon Gold Rush event, VSA Sprintcars, SDAV Hot Rods and Unlimited Sedans.