Release by DTN (Dirt Track Nutters) Media via PSW.
Last night at the Murray Bridge Speedway the 2024 Energy Hire WA Pro Speedcar Week got underway, and what a way it was to begin, with some great racing punctuated by Nick Parker who claimed the opening round win!
Parker was strong all night, recording Quicktime ahead of Kaidon Brown, then coming fourth in his heat to lock into the front row for the feature alongside Brown, who finished second in his heat to claim the pole position.
Twenty cars would line up for the feature race, Parker getting the jump into turn one with Brown settling in behind him and Brendan Zadow into third.
Parker would build a gap quicky with Brown also moving away from the field while there was a bottleneck behind Zadow as the field raced in very close proximity.
Cody Nash became the first retiree of the race as Kaleb Currie also had a moment through turns three and four, dropping a number of spots.
Parker would encounter lapped traffic in lap eight, and Brown was right with him, but the first lapped car played havoc, Parker getting through easily while Brown was baulked and lost ground.
Behind them was an epic four car battle for fourth between Caleb Mills, Robert Heard, Ryan Jones and Matt Jackson, the quartet swapping positions a number of times.
The first stoppage of the race came with ten laps complete as Luke Storer found himself coming to a stop in turn one, bunching the field up once again for the restart.
As the race went green again it was Caleb Mills who made the moves, grabbing third place while Ryan Jones also grabbed fourth, Zadow dropping back to fifth.
Only that one lap would be completed on the restart before the red lights came out for the first time in the series, Mitch Saunderson going upside down in turn three.
Zadow would refire as the reds changed to yellow, but then pull immediately infield, his fifth place position being inherited by Kaleb Currie who had fought back after starting in position thirteen and dropping as far as fourteenth.
Brown looked for a way past Parker on the restart, his right front touching Parker’s left rear as they went through turn four, but both were able to continue as Ryan Jones also passed Mills to grab the final podium position.
A few laps later a number of cars came together, Garth Thompson slowing in turn four and Jay Waugh rolling over the back of him and bringing out the reds for the second time in the race, both cars unable to restart.
Fourteen laps remained, with Parker leading away Brown, Jones, Mills and Currie, Mills moving to the outside and passing Jones for third, while a lap later Currie would do the same, relegating Jones back to fifth.
With ten to go Parker still held the lead over Brown, but a lap later Brown would record the quickest lap of the race and look for a way past Parker, while Mills was also right on their tail, the top three having opened up a gap on the rest of the field.
Brown looked for a move on the inside with five laps to go but Parker was able to withstand the onslaught, Brown losing a bit of ground as he again came under pressure from Mills.
Fifth place Ryan Jones slowed suddenly going into turn one with three laps to go and headed infield, then disaster struck again as third placed Mills also went infield at a rate of knots, Parker going on to record a great win ahead of Brown and Currie while Robert Heard and Matt Jackson would round out the top five.
With such a strong night, Parker also leads the overall series points with one round complete, twenty five points ahead of Brown, while Kaleb Currie’s hard charging effort sees him third overall.
The 2024 Energy Hire WA Pro Speedcar Week is proudly bought to you by Energy Hire WA, Mobil 1, Empire Machinery, Baretta Racing Products, C & H Trucking, American Tire & Racing Services, Empire Graphics, Methanol Moonshine, Speedway Australia and Speedcars Australia INC.
Photo: Picko’s Photos.
Contingency Awards
Baretta Racing Chassis Hard Charger – Jack McCarthy (+13)
American Tire and Racing Super 7 – Luke Redpath
Last Driver Standing – DJ Raw
Official Results:
C & H Trucking Qualifying, 3 laps: 1. Nick Parker 13.649, 2. Kaidon Brown 13.724, 3. Brendan Zadow 13.776, 4. Kaleb Currie 13.796, 5. Ryan Jones 13.871, 6. Caleb Mills 13.874, 7. Robert Heard 13.940, 8. Zoe Pearce 14.060, 9. Luke Storer 14.077, 10. Garth Thompson 14.147, 11. Daniel Paterson 14.169, 12. Cody Nash 14.169, 13. Matt Jackson 14.202, 14. Luke Redpath 14.243, 15. Jack McCarthy 14.254, 16. Dave Lambert 14.277, 17. Jesse Nicholas 14.347, 18. Rhys Birkett 14.396, 19. Jay Waugh 14.468, 20. Jordan McKay, 21. Mitch Saunderson 14.573, 22. Dillon Ghent 14.605, 23. Mathew Radisich 14.836, 24. Kacy-lee Black 15.277, 25. Norm Moore 16.304, 26. DJ Raw 17.096, 27. Troy Hose 17.609, 28. Cal Whatmore NTT.
Baretta Racing Chassis Heat One, 10 laps: 1. Matt Jackson, 2. Garth Thompson, 3. Robert Heard, 4. Nick Parker, 5. Kaleb Currie, 6. Jay Waugh, 7. Dave Lambert, 8. Mathew Radisich, 9. DJ Raw. Total Time: 2.23.731. Winning Margin: 0.983. Fastest Lap: 13.930 Robert Heard.
Empire Graphics Heat Two, 10 laps: 1. Luke Redpath, 2. Kaidon Brown, 3. Daniel Paterson, 4. Ryan Jones, 5. Jesse Nicholas, 6. Zoe Pearce, 7. Kacy-lee Black, 8. Troy Hose. (9). DNF: Jordan McKay (7). Total Time: No Time. Winning Margin: 0.162. Fastest Lap: 13.748 Ryan Jones.
American Tire and Racing Heat Three, 10 laps: 1. Rhys Birkett, 2. Caleb Mills, 3. Brendan Zadow, 4. Mitch Saunderson, 5. Cody Nash, 6. Dillon Ghent, 7. Norm Moore, 8. Cal Whatmore (7). DNF: Jack McCarthy (7), Luke Storer (0). Total Time: No Time. Winning Margin: 0.179. Fastest Lap: 13.728 Jack McCarthy.
Speedway Australia B Feature 1, 10 laps: 1. Kaleb Currie, 2. Luke Storer, 3. Mathew Radisich, 4. Jesse Nicholas, 5. Jack McCarthy. DNF: Troy Hose (0), Norm Moore (0). DNS: Jordan McKay. Total Time: No Time. Winning Margin: 2.109. Fastest Lap: 13.559 Kaleb Currie.
Paul Charlesworth Motorsport B Feature 2, 10 laps: 1. Cody Nash, 2. Zoe Pearce, 3. Jay Waugh, 4. Dave Lambert, 5. DJ Raw, 6. Kacy-lee Black. DNF: Cal Whatmore (5), Dillon Ghent (1). Total Time: No Time. Winning Margin: 2.068. Fastest Lap: 13.775 Cody Nash.
Energy Hire Feature, 30 laps: 1. Nick Parker, 2. Kaidon Brown, 3. Kaleb Currie, 4. Robert Heard, 5. Matt Jackson, 6. Jack McCarthy, 7. Luke Redpath, 8. Daniel Paterson, 9. Rhys Birkett, 10. Zoe Pearce, 11. DJ Raw (29). DNF: Caleb Mills (29), Ryan Jones (27), Mathew Radisich (18), Jay Waugh (16), Garth Thompson (16), Brendan Zadow (11), Mitch Saunderson (10), Luke Storer (10), Cody Nash (2). DNS: Jesse Nicholas, Dave Lambert. Total Time: No Time. Winning Margin: 0.212. Fastest Lap: 13.312 Kaidon Brown.
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