Lostitch wins Presidents Cup feature

By Dean Thompson

The third last event of the current season for Speedway in Ballarat was held last Saturday at Redline Raceway, with the Compact Speedcars headlining a show that also included Street Stocks, Production Sedans, Sports Sedans, Unlimited Sedans, and Standard Saloons with many competitors from Greater Ballarat and Geelong competing.

Joe Lostitch took the chequered flag in the Victorian Compact Speedcar Clubs ‘Presidents Cup’, with supporting class victories to Geelong racer Mark Purdie in Street Stocks, Ballarat racer Lachie Chivers in Standard Saloons, Caleb Lincoln in Sports Sedans, Ballarat member John Baker Junior in Production Sedans, and Geelong man Sean Lister in the Unlimited Sedans.

Lostitch – a Speedcar racer as well as a racer in the less powerful Compact Speedcars – won a heat race, as did Trevor Perry and Chris Curren. In the final, Lostitch defeated Louis Rodriguez who like Lostitch competes in two classes throughout the season. Lostitch passed Rodriguez with five laps to go and set a new fifteen lap track record in the process of winning. Jesse Nicholas finished third with Trevor Perry and Mitch Allison rounding out the top five.

Ballarat clubman John Baker Junior was too strong for his fellow competitors in the Production Sedans. Leading every lap, he was a huge six seconds ahead of Toby Carmichael, John Calderwood, Dean Hughes, and Katelyn Eltze. Baker won all three of the heat races.

Sean Lister was too strong for engine package client and fellow Redline club member Trent Susol in the Unlimited Sedan final. The two were never far apart, although Susol could not wind up around the outside and Lister held a firm grip on his line in the middle of the track. Jimmy Harris finished third whilst Steve Hodder of Ballarat and Ian Page another Redline member rounded out the field at the finish line. Graeme Nugent started the night with a qualifying heat race win as did Lister and Susol.

Brothers Lachie and Austin Chivers stood atop the podium with the first and third spots of the Standard Saloon class. Both drivers who represent the Ballarat club continued great form as the season winds down, whilst Rhys Meakins split them and finished in second spot. Bailey Sinclair and Jacob Head of the Ballarat club finished fourth and fifth, Sinclair snatching fifth from Andrew Cormack who held the spot for the first ten laps. Lachie Chivers was fastest for the class and the feature victory added to his heat race wins.

In the Street Stocks looking strong early in the final was Tim Hutchinson until his car suffered a flat tyre, dropping him from the front of the field on lap seven. Mark Purdie assumed control and despite serious attention by Bhoe Patterson, Purdie held on to secure the win. In third was Rhys Meakins who competed in two classes on the same night with Chris Hay and Josh Davey rounding out the top five. Hutchinson was the only driver two win twice in the qualifying.

Caleb Lincoln one of the state’s best in Sports Sedans and after three qualifying race wins before the start of the twenty-lap feature event, took a close win ahead of Ballarat racer Zac Swanson. Swanson had won two Qualifiers himself with Bart Fell finishing in third spot. Jack Chiminello and Robert Lock completed the top five.

Redline Raceway return to action on the 27th of May with the annual Queen of the Mount for Ladies racing in Street Stocks and Production Sedans. Speedway Sedans Victoria Junior competitors will compete in the Piston Cup whilst Standard Saloons, Unlimited Sedans, Sports Sedans, and Vintage Open wheelers are scheduled also.