Kinnear, Hill, Ramsdale and Meakins the winners

By Dean Thompson

Redline Raceway’s latest race date was sensational, with plenty of side-by-side action with a bit of ducking and weaving, as drivers from around the state competed for victory in two blue ribbon race events: a series round and a point score event for their respective categories.

In Street Stocks, Peter Kinnear from Warrnambool took the victory, in Standard Saloons Bradley Hill from Drouin was the winner, in Unlimited Sedans Travis Ramsdale from Pakenham came up trumps, whilst in the Hot Rods the win went to Shannon Meakins from Geelong.

Competing in the Crab Pot feature event for the Street Stocks were almost twenty competitors, with each driver given the opportunity to qualify via three heat races. Peter Kinnear had an outstanding lead in to the feature event as he won all three of his races. Kinnear took a win in the first qualifier, Tim Hutchinson in the second, Andrew Burgoyne the third by just 0.189 of a second, Kinnear again in the fourth and fifth both in very tight finishes with Hutchinson again in the last.

In the twenty-five-lap feature race, Kinnear moved straight to the lead with Hutchinson and Scott Secombe in tow. On lap six, Hutchinson’s race came to an end whilst at this stage Mark Purdie who started in twelfth spot was already in fourth. Kinnear continued to lead Secombe and Mitch Viney, with Purdie to third by lap eleven. On the last lap Purdie passed Secombe and Kinnear greeted the chequered flag to take the win ahead of Purdie, Secombe, Ron Davey and Viney.

In Standard Saloon Gold Rush action, with almost thirty entrants at the track, nine heats were held with three per driver in order to qualify for the feature event. Former state champion Jacob Vuillermin was the first to win a qualifier, with Andrew Miles, and Wayne Sheerman winning in the first round. Aaron Meakins, Bradley Hill, and Matthew Domburg were winners in round two whilst in the final round Brodie Ardley, Meakins a second time and Hill also for his second win rounded out the qualifying.

Owen Cecil, Sean Oakes-Rogers, Jacob Head and Sammii Paterson all qualified into the main event via the last chance qualifier.

Hill and Meakins started at the front of the field with Hill controlling the race lead for lap one with Miles and Shane Ardley behind him. Five laps into the race Hill maintained his lead with pressure from Miles continuing and Meakins moving back into third with eighth placed starter Shane Stewart moving to fourth and Brodie Ardley sticking with him.

The lead pack behind Hill and Miles shuffled their spots almost every lap with Stewart third at lap ten in front of Brodie Ardley and Meakins. On lap twelve at the finish line Miles had the lead by the barest of margins before Hill snatched it straight back just before Meakins dropped out of the race and infield. At lap fifteen Hill lead Miles, Stewart, Craig Templeton, and Brodie Ardley.

Twenty laps into the twenty five lap final and Hill continued to lead with Brodie Ardley moving ahead of Templeton for fourth and fifth. Five laps later at the finish Hill greeted the chequered flag ahead of Miles, Stewart, Brodie Ardley and Templeton in the big Gold Rush feature event.

Competing in a series round for their class was the Unlimited Sedans and this had attracted extra competitors to the regular local line-up. Victorian Champion Peter Cox was one of them and he started the night with a win in the first qualifier of six. Sean Lister then won the second race with Jimmy Harris taking a win in the third. Lister took a second win in heat four with Anthony McKean winning his first in the fifth before Lister clean swept with a win in the last making it three from three for him.

Lister led the final on lap one in front of Harris, Ramsdale, Tim Williams and Ashley Booker. At lap ten Lister still held the front spot with Harris, Ramsdale, Booker and now McKean the top five. On lap thirteen after sticking to the top side of the track looking to pass Harris Ramsdale made that pass and then stayed on the gas as Lister got stuck on the pole line behind a backmarker and Ramsdale boxed him in to sweep around the outside and into the lead with five laps to go. There was no stopping Ramsdale from here, as he took victory over Lister, Booker, Harris, and McKean.

Rounding out all the action was the Hot Rods and Tony Green began the night with a win in the first of three heat races before Shannon Meakins won heat race number two. Andrew Kemp then won the third and final heat race ahead of the fifteen lap final. Meakins from the front of the field led Green and Eddie Ivermee on lap one and continued in that position through lap five with Phil Jenkins in fourth and Kemp in fifth. With five laps to go the top five remained the in order and at the finish Meakins with a four and a half second margin took the win ahead of Green, Ivermee, Jenkins and Kemp.

Racing returns on April the 23rd with Sprintcars, a feature event for the Unlimited Sedans, 1200cc Junior Sedans and Street Stocks.