The Mighty Midgets make Magic Down Under
The Midget Speedcar action from Western Australia through to Queensland over the week end has been sensational as both the Speedcar Pro Series and the Lucas Oils POWRi SSS continued.
The Speedcar Pro Series was first to challenge the dirt when the Pro Series drivers including the three Americans Ray, Bright and Shuman arrive at the Quit Collie Speedway for round two of the inaugural series promote by Speedway Australia.
Round two Speedcar Pro Series –Quit Collie Speedway
Alex bright fresh from his Magic Man 34 win at the Motorplex was understandably the favorite in the Jack Berry owned Polar Ice car. By night’s end Shuman had put the Travis White race car on the top step of the podium.
By the time the main event came to the starter’s attention Bright had secured the pole position from fellow tourist the Indianapolis racer Shuman. The Travis White car was a rocket under Shuman and he carried on his form from his second placing behind Bright in the Magic Man 34 Show with the Collie Speedway win .
Caey Shuman salutes the crowd after Collie Win in the Speedcar Pro Series
The track at Collie was superb and unforgiving at times. The race would see three restarts before 10 laps were in the book.
Davey Ray’s run of bad luck continued and he failed to greet the final flag after electrical and oil pump problems. Australian Champion Neville Lance bounced back to form and after disposing of Bright chased Shuman all the way and was particularly strong as the pair approached lapped traffic.
Alex Bright and Sydney’s Mark Brown argued over the final podium spot and just when Brown looked like winning his battle with Bright the youngster from Pennsylvania got the better as they greeted the judge on the line
It was a rough night for Blake Mills, Vaughan Manders and Todd Bennett. The three had nasty flips in the back straight leaving each with work to do before round three on Saturday night at Bunbury.
Interviewed after his race win Shuman:
“This Coverall car was a rocket ship tonight,” Shuman said post-race. “We struggled to get it exactly right so every lap felt like we were pulling slide jobs even though we were at the front, but we had a great time tonight and I’m just rapt to reward these guys with a win.”
After the presentation it was pack up, load the trailers and head across to Bunbury for the next race in the Speedcar Pro Series. Heading to round three Shuman leads the series from Bright with Brown the leading contracted driver in the points.
Casey Shuman 600 points, Alex Bright 568 points, Mark Brown 509 points
Round three Speedcar Pro Series –Bunbury
The arrival of Davey Ray in Perth for the Magic Man 34 Show was full of expectation that the 4 times Magic Man winner would be at the top of the results. Ray has had car problem at both the first two rounds and had only the race left to remind the race fans and his fellow drivers of his class. The Bunbury meeting was the turning points for his results. Car owner Mark De Rosa would have been delighted as Ray dominated the Bunbury round.
Davey Ray races the Mark De Rosa to the win at Bunbury Pro Series Win
Ray started from position seven and the Iowa speedster had to wait until lap 20 and lapped traffic before he managed to pass pole sitter Dayne Kingshott the Bunbury based local. Considering this was Kingshott second visit to the Bunbury track in a Speedcar his performance was impressive and split the American on the podium. Alex Bright ran the Polar Ice car home in third place although you could see his disappointment in missing another win .
Davey Ray 1st, Dyane Kingshott second, Alex Bright third.
Kingshott took the race all the way with Ray at Bunbury
Series leader Casey Shuman came home in fourth position followed by Mark Brown. The Brown v Shuman contest was certainly the highlight of the race.
Driver quotes –Davey Ray ““It was almost getting embarrassing, with all the car trouble and chasing our tails in the last few weeks, but after tonight, we can get back on the plane tomorrow night with our heads held high, knowing we were able to turn it around a little, and finish on a high note.”
Dyane Kingshott ““Of course we’d love to have won tonight but to be up here between two full time professional racers from the USA is a great result for the Bunbury Subaru team and we just can’t wait to continue the series in Adelaide.”
Alex Bright “I’ve had a great time out here and raced on tracks I’ve not seen before so, yeah, of course, I’m a racer and would love to be on the top step but to a win and two thirds from three stars – I’ll take that. I’m just thankful to Jack Berry and the crew for giving me a consistent car that’s given me a great tour of Western Australia. I can’t wait to come back!” he said.
Sydney’s Mark Brown sit top of the contracted driver but behind the American.
Speedcar Pro Series Championship Standings after round three
1st Casey Shuman 873, 2nd Alex Bright 852,3rd Mark Brown 779, 4th Lee Redmond 732,5th Dyne Kingshott 682
Round four of Speedcar Pro Series will now move across borders and head to Adelaide’s Speedway City for round four as part of the Tim Crouch Memorial on November 30.
LUSAS OILS POWRi Speedcar Super Series –Round three
3620Km North of Bunbury 28 Midgets have nominated for round two of the Lucas Oils /POWRI Speedcar Super Series at Brisbane International Speedway.
The 400 meters of clay around the Archerfield track will have a major say in who takes the spoils. Making a welcome return to the track was one of our most successful and internationally seasoned drivers Nathan Smee.
Queensland Brett Thomas will return to the seat in the Illuminate Q89 after Todd Wanless drove the car at Toowoomba as a replacement for Thomas.
The track looked like it would be a “Pearler “for the heats and 30 lap feature. After engine start then hot laps and the POWRi was ready to POWER.
After engine start Sydney’s Troy Jenkins spotlessly prepare BOC/ NSW 78 appeared to be running a camouflaged livery, so dense was the clay on the car.
The result from the engine start up at POWRI Round 2
The program ran 6 heats with wins to Nathan Smee 2 wins, Vine two wins and one win each for Rusty Whittaker and Troy Jenkins.
The top 8 contested the pole shuffle, good old fashion match racing to decide the pole position. The final match race was between Nathan Smee and Brett Thomas with Nathan Smee getting to the line first and the coveted pole position.
Nathan Smee waiting fore his pole shuffel race with Brett Thomas
After being out of the race car for the past nine months Smee jumped smartly from the start and reminded all of his special talent .The defending POWRi Champion took the top step on the podium from fellow NSW drivers Matt Jackson and Troy Jenkins. Twenty three cars started the feature and before the checker fell 8 competitors failed to make the race distance including Brett Thomas.
Nathan Smee wins Lucas OILS POWRi round two
Round three of the Lucas Oils POWRi Speedcar Super Series will now move further up the Queensland coast to the City of Maryborough around the stunning Fraser Coast Burnett region.
Round three November 16 – Maryborough Speedway
