Race Report from WSS.
Jamie Veal has stepped backed into the Queensland Speedway Spares World Series Sprintcars spotlight with an impressive win for round four in front of massive crowd at Geelong’s Avalon Raceway.
Veal qualified second in his flight, behind Mount Gambier’s Glen Sutherland, while overall Revolution Racegear QuickTime honours went to Californian Cory Eliason.
Veal continued his campaign with a seventh and a third in his heats awarding him a berth in the Silver Shootout alongside James McFadden, only to be upstaged by Steve Lines and Cory Eliason and be relegated to a third-row start for 35 lap main event.
Darren Mollenoyux and Eliason claimed the quickest times of the Gold Shootout and subsequently acquired the front row for the feature, immediately leaving the field behind to set their quickest times of the race in the first three laps.
Mollenoyux stole the lead on lap seven, triggering a lead-swapping frenzy between the pair for four laps until Eliason opened up a gap while “Molly” fell into the clutches of Veal and McFadden who had leapfrogged a struggling Steve Lines in the process.
McFadden and Mollenyux then stole the attention of the race trading numerous passes while Eliason established a handy lead and almost had a hand on the $10,000 first prize, only to clip the infield tyre barrier in turn three and instantly dislodge the front end of the Diamond Bay #26 with just twelve laps remaining.
Veal inherited the lead over Mollenoyux and McFadden, and despite some close calls, the entire top-ten order would remain unchanged, leaving Kerry Madsen in fourth and Brooke Tatnell fifth.
Veal’s win made him the fourth winner in Speedweek in as many rounds, and the sixth different winner at an Avalon WSS event in the last six years.
“I’ve come close a few times here at Avalon, a couple of years ago I got beaten in the rubber, but it’s been a good place for me over the years, and to get a World Series win here especially when I’m leading the track championship makes it a good night.”
Veal was also quick to acknowledge his runner up as a respected rival despite coming into close quarters repeatedly through the race.
“I’ve raced Molly enough in my career and he’s a clean racer so it was god fun. But the top five cars were real good cars tonight and it’s just awesome to come here and have Avalon put on an awesome racetrack and have so many people enjoy the show is great.”
Grant Anderson advanced six positions from sixteenth to tenth to claim the American Racer Hard Charger Award, and despite finishing sixth after starting third, Steve Lines retained the lead of Speedweek with 60 points over Kerry Madsen and a further 55 back to James McFadden.
V8 Dirt Mods ran hot all night with Mark Topperwien taking the win in the A-main from Zeke Edwards and Todd Hobson.